The Wandering Soul's Wander Tales..: beaches

Andaman's stunning beaches, well beyond Havelock's

Racing against time and a sky on fire, Ravi brought his motorbike to a screeching halt at Butler Bay when I made a frantic run towards the beach. I was hoping to catch the day's last light from the shores of Little Andaman, the southernmost tip of Andaman archipelago. At the behest of an acquaintance, Ravi, a native school teacher graciously agreed to play host to a fraught solo traveller who was hell bent on exploring this island with nonexistent tourist infrastructure but wasn't brave enough to venture that far without knowing a single person. He took the pain to drive me across the vast island and brought me to what was decidedly the best I had seen in Andaman yet. For starters, measuring over 22kms, it is the longest beach of the whole archipelago!

Sunset at Little Andaman's Butler Bay beach

Blazing sunset at Butler Bay, Little Andaman

Think Andaman and the first thing that pops into mind is probably Havelock. So as any offbeat traveller worth her salt, I did what I had to do – skip Havelock entirely to find more about the emerald isle's little known charms. Not only was I able to evade disappointment about my decision to skip the well known, I was also generously rewarded with long stretches of pristine beaches all to myself. Now that I've seen a teensy bit of all that Andaman keeps hidden, I'm surprised when most visitors dedicate a little less than a week to explore these islands. And I'm also told they get bored by the end of those paltry few days. Well I wouldn't blame them for getting bored if all they ever did was stay in Havelock the whole time (and not dive!).

But if your purview can go beyond Havelock, here are few beaches you could happily spend your precious time at. And the best part about these places is that, as with anything that's worth something, it isn't going to be offered to you on a silver platter. You've got to work for it; in Andaman's case that means putting up with long journeys and getting used to the island pace of life first! ;)

If you do, this is the spectacle that awaits you!

Disclaimer: If you’re looking for beaches with “activities”, let me warn you beforehand that you’ll find none of those here. These are deserted beaches with nothing to do except an abundance of raw beauty. I would suggest checking out Expedia’s interactive list of best beaches in India instead.

Lalaji Bay, Long Island

Lalaji bay, Long Island of Andaman & Nicobar Group

A sliver of white sand coast neatly curving along turquoise blue waters is the gift Long Island grants worthy hikers who do not mind getting their feet dirty either in the muck of the jungle or in the grave of corals. Far away from Port Blair and the crowds of Havelock, Long Island is a little speck of a land in the central region of Andaman. On one end of the island is the civilization, all of 2000 people and zero vehicles. On the other end, separated by an impenetrable tract of forest exuding a primeval quality, is a secluded beach called Lallaji Bay. Fringed by coconut groves and mangroves, this beach feels as far away from reality as it is from civilization. If escaping people was your intention, you’ve reached your corner!

Also read: Off the grid in Andaman (My story from Long Island published with NatGeo Traveller India)

How to reach: From the jetty/village, follow the red arrow marks to hike through the jungle or hike along the coast for 2 hours to reach Lalaji Bay. The coastal walk is along a narrow strip of sandbar that gets submerged as the tide rises and the other side is a mud wall created by eroded forestland.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Laxmanpur Beach, Neil Island

Laxmanpur Beach, in front of Tango Resort

Sunset on the white sand beach of Neil Island

Colors of sunset at the tip of Neil Island, Laxmanpur Beach

Despite being overshadowed by Havelock’s towering presence, Neil Island gracefully manages to hold its own with its smattering of wilderness and abundance of pastoral lands. Flat and devoid of dense forest, Neil feels much less claustrophobic which in turns is conducive to exploring the island without the fear of getting lost or risky encounters. Situated near the northernmost tip of the island, Laxmanpur beach is quite the spot for gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. At walking distance from two of the resorts at the best thing about Laxmanpur beach is that you can see both sunrise and sunset from here, it being the tip of the island with clear views on both sides, towards east and west.

How to reach: The beach is at a walking distance from Laxmanpur Beach if you’re coming from the beach side. But you’ll have to keep the tidal cycle in mind. Or you can ride on a scooter till Pearl Beach Resort near the tip of the island and proceed further on the small pathway through the jungle that leads all the way till the beach.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Lamiya Bay, Diglipur

Rainbow forms over the waters of Lamiya Bay, Craggy island to the left, in North Andaman

A freshwater stream joins the sea at Lamiya Bay, north Andaman

For when you get tired of watching the same old gorgeous white sand beaches, Lamiya Bay’s stunning volcanic sand beach situated in the northern reaches of Andaman offers a great alternative. Named after a small colony of villagers inside the forest with the same name near Diglipur, the coast here is awash with dark colored sand that sets quite a contrast to the blue waters of the ocean. Situated at the base of Andaman and Nicobar’s highest point, Saddle Peak, the beach is also a known turtle-nesting site.

How to reach: From Kalipur beach, where the Pristine Beach Resort and Turtle Bay Resort are located, Lamiya Bay is a 30 minute walk along the shore. There’s also an approach via the road.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Kalapathar Beach, Little Andaman

Kalapathar Beach at high tide, Little Andaman

Close up of the opening in the rocks that fills the lagoon, Little Andaman

Saving the best for the last, let me tell you that Little Andaman’s beaches are the stuff of legends. For decades, this island that lies well off the beaten path has gained cult status among surfers for it’s great surf. But it’s not just the surf that’s attractive, with the longest beach in the archipelago and blues that only seem unreal, the coast here is secluded, deserted and all for you to enjoy if you manage to make it that far. While the entire coast is stunning, Kalapathar beach gets a special mention because of the volcanic rock formations that form a curved barrier into the sea forming a great lagoon that fills up and drains as per the tide. A small opening in the jagged rocks opens into a view of the ocean and if you want to forget rest of the world exists; this is the place to be!

How to reach:

Located at the 13km mark (from the jetty at Hutbay. In Little Andaman, places are named after their distance from the jetty), just before the famous Butler Bay, Kalapathar beach is accessed by a road though the rehabilitated housing colony after the 2004 Tsunami.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Netaji Nagar Beach & Butler Bay Beach, Little Andaman

Brilliant blue waters of Butler Bay, Little Andaman

Tranquil morning at Netaji Nagar Beach, Little Andaman

Unbelievable blues at Hutbay jetty, Little Andaman

Situated between the 8-kilometer mark and the 14-kilometer mark, Netaji Nagar beach extends into Butler Bay beach that is one of the prime surf spots. Unlike the other island beaches, the coast here faces open waters of Andaman Sea and naturally the waves here are quite rough and strong currents run underneath. Unless you are an expert at swimming in open waters, wouldn’t recommend getting into waters here but these beaches are excellent places to sit by the shore and wonder if the blue is indeed real! Of course, please take ample protection against sandflies that will bite you to death and the occasional crocodile that unfortunately kills locals often.

How to reach:

Follow the single road that runs across the length of the island and you’ll find exits to these beaches towards the coast. You can hire bikes at the island and drive to these. Otherwise, share autos ply on this route frequently and you get around for few bucks.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Have you been to any of these beaches or discovered any secret spots in Andaman?

Note: This post was written in collaboration with Expedia.

10 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

adventure

2 Weeks in Andaman - Photos of Tropical Paradise

Amazing colors of the beaches in Little Andaman

We all know beaches of Andaman are awesome, but that is not all. The history of the tribes, the settlers who migrated years ago, the Jurassic era kind of forests and not to forget the clear blue waters, Andaman is a backpacker's paradise. Seen here is one such brilliant blue beach of Little Andaman.

Far far away from my beloved mountains and Himalayas, I took a chance by visiting the tropical islands of Andaman this October. I am not a big beach person, neither do I know how to swim so I went there with mixed feelings. Don't be surprised if I tell you I never got into the water beyond my knees, did not snorkel and didn't Scuba dive either! But I had the most rocking time ever! No kidding, here's what I saw during 14 days. However, before that, let me gloat about the bragging rights I acquired after visiting some of the most exotic and remote islands of Andaman! :)

Neil Island :

This was my first stop. Landed in Port Blair and headed straight here the next day with my friend. A quaint little island which still has managed to retain it's charms yet offering enough comforts to the traveller, it was a good place to start getting used to the island culture before I headed to the more remote parts. I fell sick right on day one, went to the hospital, got myself a small heart attack when the doctor checked for malaria, thankfully which was a negative. But the temperature was still running high, which is why I didn't snorkel. But that didn't stop me from shooting the stars though. The resorts are located right off the beaches, making star gazing and sunset viewing very very convenient!

Milkyway seen through the tall Mahua trees in Neil Island, Andaman. The nights are clear and there is practically no light pollution. A 2 minute walk from my room to the beach showed me this view. It was pitch dark and I was alone with the camera. I fought the terrible temptation to run back to the room, the scuttling noises of the hermit crab wasn't soothing, it only scared me more. But when my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw the stars above, all of that dread didn't vanish but the struggle to stay put seemed worth trying and the rest as they say is history! ;)

We stayed at Tango Resort almost at the southern tip of the island. It was a lovely property and 20 minutes walk on the white sandy shore would take us to the sunset point at the southernmost tip. But the sad thing is, sun sets so early it hardly gives one enough time to enjoy the scenery. It gets pitch dark by 5.30pm but while I was there, the moon used to give us good company.

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Long Island:

Two days later my friend and I went separate ways, she took the ship to Havelock and I, further to Long Island. It was a long journey and I was the only tourist in the boat apart from locals. We went past many small islands scattered here and there. Finally when I landed I knew this would be wild but it was much more wild than I expected. I spent three days in the island with no other traveler in sight, walked to the farthest beach, drank fresh coconut water straight from the tree and wandered alone in the ruins of the island.

That is the way to the resort, I call it a resort but it is nothing more than basic accommodation surrounded by a lot of trees and bushes. The jungle in this island looked straight out of Jurassic Park era. Huge trees, dense canopy, thick undergrowth characterized the forests of Long Island. I woke up with a snake skin in my bamboo hut and it was after I woke elated that I survived a night alone in a remote island. Was a colossal FML moment! With the only ship having left for the day, I had no choice but to ignore the fact that a snake might have crawled into my room and left.

Wonderfully pristine Lallaji Bay, Long Island

The only saving grace of the 3 hour long walk along the beach was the beautiful Lallaji Bay. Far from the settlement in the island, this is one pristine stretch of clear blue waters. As of now coconut plantations dot the beach side and there isn't any provision to stay overnight. Eventually a resort is being planned here which might make this beach private. But for now I enjoyed the views, drank fresh coconut water straight off the trees and sat there doing nothing, nothing at all.

Kalipur, North Andaman:

Three days after I landed in Long Island, I took the ferry to Yerrata Jetty. The boat went through mangroves and several densely forested islands with no beach. It looked very wild and very beautiful. The jetty was constructed right in between dense mangroves, so much so that I felt I was in the movie Anaconda or something. Several hours later I landed in the desolate Kalipur, quite close to Saddle Peak. The remoteness of Long Island got to me and here I did not want to be in the budget bamboo hut far away. Instead I convinced myself that I earned some luxury, stayed in a beautiful cottage. Thankfully there was one other French couple in the huge property. I spent three days here as well.

On the way to Saddle Peak, this is how we crossed streams, if there is a fallen tree that is. Otherwise depending on the time of the day and the tide, we would wade through waist deep crocodile infested waters or just walk across ankle deep waters.

The impossibly huge trees of Saddle Peak NP, Kalipur

The ginormous trees were extremely intriguing. These forests haven't been disturbed for a very long time and it shows in the size of everything. Very tall, very huge, very green, very dense was all I could think. The forests around here are just as amazing.

Little Andaman:

After Long Island, Kalipur and the ridiculously tiring journey from Diglipur to Port Blair through the Jarawa Reserve, I was in double minds about visiting Little Andaman. Practically no one could give me useful information on how this island would be. Several phone calls later I finally summoned some courage to visit this very less known island and what an island it was! I can even claim that this was the best beach I had seen so far in all of Andaman. Three days later I had no intention of leaving but forced myself to return back.

Apart from spectacular beaches, Little Andaman has a beautiful lagoon at Kala Pathhar Beach. The water slowly collects in the pool here as the waves hit the black rocks. By evening the pool is full and it meets the ocean out of a corner. I sat here all day watching the pool fill up. Did nothing, absolutely nothing! Just watched the tide rise. Awesome day.

Sunset aboard Ship Campbell Bay, Hutbay to Port Blair

The ship journey to and from Little Andaman was an amazing experience. I went to the other islands on a boat, but since Little Andaman was across open waters, ships run between Port Blair and Hutbay. Watching the sun set in the middle of the ocean was magical to say the least. I stood on the deck till the wind threatened to throw me off the ship.

Ross Island:

Between the island hopping, I took a day to visit the popular tourist spots, one of them being the Ghost town of Ross Island. The once thriving settlement was abandoned after repeated earthquakes and water depletion. Today all that remains is the red bricks and the growing forest around it.

It was a rainy afternoon and I walked alone through ruins imagining the days they would've seen. It was just as eerie as it was beautiful. There was a cemetery with some old spectacular graves but obviously I wouldn't go. It drizzled all the time, the tourists left much earlier and I took the last ferry to Port Blair.

Rainbow over the wild North Sentinel Island

After two weeks, I heard a lot of stories and saw a lot of rainbows. But the icing on the cake was the one last rainbow seen above the North Sentinel Island. This island is home to the Sentinelese, one of the world's last uncontacted tribes! For now, I will have to make do with an aerial view of the mystery tribe. But two week, totally well spent!

So, how does Andaman look and which Island do you like best?

68 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi