Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been divided into three districts namely; the South Andaman – its capital is Port Blair, the Middle and North Andaman – its capital is Mayabunder, the Nicobar – the capital is Car Nicobar. All of these districts have 572 islands of which only 38 are inhabited.
In India, this is the only place where we can see an active volcano that is nestled on Barren Island. The last eruption was in 2017. Mud volcanoes are also present on Barren Island.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave other names such as Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Islan, Shaheed Island, and Swaraj Island to Ross Island, Neil Island, and Havelock respectively to show gratitude and respect towards Subash Chandra Bose. Andaman tourism has grown swiftly over some years with each island contributing its exuberance and splendor. To take care of the rich natural areas of these islands, the Indian tourism department brought guidelines for ecotourism policy. Neil Island is a tiny island that is also known as a vegetable bowl because of the fact that fruits and vegetables are cultivated on this island and given to other islands in Andaman. Fishing is also done by the natives of this island, so the seafood quality of this island is excellent. Here, a normal fish thali costs only Rs.100 which is affordable to every tourist.
Many eateries prepare Indian dishes and there are many Chinese dishes also. Some restaurants have Italian, French, and Israeli food varieties. The beautiful coral reefs present on this island are the reason behind Neil’s name coral capital. Neil island scuba diving is famous among tourists to witness these underwater corals. This island has fringing coral reefs on the western and eastern sides and patch reefs on the south and north. Because of the impact of the tsunami in the year 2004 a slight reduction of coral reef cover area has happened. The aftereffects of this catastrophe in A & N Island groups were varied with coral reef damage and other coastal areas damage. Tsunamis combined with earthquakes had extremely altered these islands’ landscapes. Northwest portions of these islands were lifted and the southwest subsided. After the tsunami, coral reefs were destroyed by agricultural runoff, sedimentation, and siltation. Destructive fishing also caused damage to coral reefs. The woods, the fields, the blue sky, the turquoise sea, and the birds and animals of the Andaman islands are excellent schoolmasters and teach us something more than what we learned from books. This island also has a tropical climate as the ANI is located at the equatorial line. The rainy season is for four months every year.
The monsoon touches Andaman and Nicobar islands before proceeding toward the mainland. At this time, the temperature is between 23 and 28-degree celsius. On other days, this Neil island is warm with pleasant breezes. Other than tropical storms and rains, there are no extreme weather conditions. The majority of tourists consider the Andaman tour best time is in the last two months of a year and starting two months of a year to visit this island because of the low humidity. The eastern region of this Neil Island is full of the rainforest. With speedboat service from Port Blair, this island is connected with the capital city and offers an ideal tourist destination for tourists in a purely natural setting. The topography of this island will steal each one’s heart away leaving a kind of calmness in your mind. This one will surely make you totally a different person. The ocean surrounding this island is full of vibrant-colored corals. Both Neil and Havelock Islands are grouped under the name of Rani Jansi Marine Nationalpark and are eco-tourism paradises. Tourists add port blair, havelock, and neil island to their vacation on A & N Islands. The presence of mudflats, creeks, beaches, mangroves, and corals allure foreign and domestic tourists to this island. The beaches of Neil Islands are unspoiled and denoted as popular tourist destinations from the cities of India. These beaches are relished by foreign and domestic beach lovers. Unlike the beaches of mainland India, these shores are enticing with the adjacent forests and the vast view of the ocean. The dense tropical forests have a bright green color that is in sheer contrast to the white powdered sandy beach and the turquoise color of the ocean. However, this stark contrast is the main reason behind the rare alluring beauty of this island. Every beach has a border of tropical trees and coconut groves.
Therefore, even if the temperature on the beaches troubles you, then you can relax under the shades of this lush foliage. Additionally, without the disturbance of a crowd, you can enjoy nature in a tranquil ambiance. Hence, sometimes you feel that you own the entire beach and its surroundings. There are four beaches on Neil Island namely; Ramnagar beach, Sitapur beach, Bharatpur Beach, and Laxmanpur Beach. The settlers of this island named these beaches after the names of characters in the epic Ramayana. Add these beaches to your neil island tour package. These beaches are famous for hammocks under the tree shades. Under normal weather conditions, the speed of wind is constant and is liked by tourists. On rainy days cyclonic storm is the only tourism limiting factor.
Ferry services and different kinds of tourism activities are hit hard by this cyclone. If you are a passionate beach lover, visit all these beaches to get different views and feelings as each one is completely dissimilar from others and unique. Besides that most of the travelers choose Andaman and Nicobar Islands for spending their holiday to get indulged in sports activities. Among the four beaches, only a few have the proper water conditions to do exhilarating water sports activities. In accordance with your physical conditions and preferences, you can opt for any of them. To get indulged in these activities safely, you have to notify your tour guide or hire a reliable water sports provider. Please follow their instructions of them to have an exciting experience. Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been considered the best spots for scuba diving. Thanks to the crystal clear waters of the ocean in Andaman. Each year the number of tourists visiting this small island is increasing in numbers and thus it will boost the economic status.
Anyhow, Ramnagar beach at Neil Island is on the list of best beaches in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The photographs of the same have the look that is not less than of heaven and are postcard-perfect snaps. It is in the Ramnagar Village, hence got this name. The presence of sharp corals at some point creates difficulty to swim over there. Otherwise, this is suitable for swimming. This is famous with the name beach no. 3. From Mayabunder you have to travel approximately 70 kilometers to reach this spot. This beach is almost always deserted and you can embrace this nature without any hindrance. While enjoying nature, please keep your belongings safe. Do not bring any expensive things with you to this beach, especially if you are alone. An interesting trekking zone is there on this spectacular beach if you are fond of trekking. The trails through the tropical forest that enclose this beach are really adventurous to get that adrenaline rush. The combination of blue and green will mesmerize your eyes. You need to realize the possibilities at a tourist spot that will make your exploration worthwhile and fulfill all your cravings to make the journey adventurous. Traveling to an unknown place is a little intimidating for a solo traveler, however, your thrill to find out a new place and experience it makes the journey exhilarating. To make your travel safe, you should do certain things in advance. Firstly, read blogs about that particular place and watch documentaries. Then, think about how to reach that place, where to live, and what things you should do to make your tour adventurous. This eco-friendly beach has eco huts and benches made from fallen trees and is apt to relax and introspect in the serene atmosphere. The vast view of the ocean and its waves create a marvelous sight for those who gaze at the ocean. Some white waves slowly and silently come towards the shoreline and others hit the shoreline with noise. It fascinates the eyes to look at the living creatures on the beach and under the seawater. Since there are a lot of shades because of the trees adjacent to the beach, you can stroll there during day time also. The sights at the time of setting and rising sun are incredible. The thrill of travel is in finding out new places and realizing their beauty. When you sense the new ground while planting the feet for the first time, the excitement in your mind will have no boundaries. You can do a food tour of this newly discovered place. The delicacies of the area will satisfy your taste buds and you can learn about new recipes if you are interested in cooking. Chatting with natives of the area will give you knowledge about their culture and traditions that may be entirely different from yours. You can use public transportation to explore the new place. The surroundings and the locals will be different from those you normally see. Whilst traveling in public transportation, please make ensure about the rules and regulations that one should follow. You can ask about it even to locals. The Andaman locals are always very helpful towards the tourists as they know about the benefits of tourism. Walking through the narrow path of the village will give you more fun and excitement. You can participate in the local festivals of this Ramnagar Village. From local tourism sites and social media posts, you can understand what are the major festivals and current affairs of the village. The villagers are migrants from India. They are delighted to show their culture and traditions to travelers via music and folk dance. Mainly they have two festivals viz; Subhash Mela and Island Tourism. In January’s first week, they celebrate Subhash Mela to commemorate the nationalist Subash Chandra Bose. This lasts for a week. In the Island Tourism Festival, they showcase dance, arts, music, drama, and exhibitions. On the starting days of winter, they celebrate Island Tourism Festival. From the normal path of a tourist, you have to divert your route to experience some unique and less popular things to make your tour adventurous. Snorkeling is possible here. Rich underwater life and clear visibility satisfy your thirst to witness the underwater world. The magnificent coral reefs and the vibrant fish schools will wow you at the first sight. With the help of your guide, this can be done at the perfect spot. To reach the perfect spot, you need to swim to that point and only experienced swimmers can do this because of the strong water current present in this ocean and the possibility to form big waves. Do not forget to take your camera with you on your visit to this beach. You can stock up on lovely pictures with vibrant backdrops. Without any hesitation, you can add this beach to your andaman tour package.
How to reach:
There is only a 37-kilometer distance from Port Blair to Neil Island. You can choose a government ferry transport that is available at Phoenix Bay Jetty in Port Blair every day. It will take approximately 2 hours to reach Neil Island. Private boats also do service from Port Blair to Neil Island Jetty. Ramnagar Beach is located between Sitapur Beach and the market and is 2 kilometers away from the Jetty. The nearby restaurants and resorts are connected to this beach by road and you can reach here by hiring either a taxi or 2-wheeler or auto rickshaw or bicycle. You can catch anyone of these from the jetty or by asking it at the hotel where you stay. The local bus does service from the main bazaar to Sitapur beach every hour. Bicycles and bikes are affordable and always available here. You can wander around Neil Island through this transportation. Many resorts and hotels have their own bikes and bicycles for their guests. Auto-rickshaw is a very good option to travel all the way to this Neil island. You can easily get a guide for your travel. As the driver of this auto rickshaw is a local, he is aware of every nook and corner of this island and you can easily find out every special place on this island.
Stay options:
There are two government guest houses and some private hotels on the list of neil island hotels for your safe and comfortable stay. Resort Bharatpur, Cocon Hut Resort, Hotel Kingfisher, Tango Beach Resort, Silver Sand, Summer Sands, Sea Shell Samara, and Hotel Pearl Park are some private neil island resorts and hotels. They have padauk interiors and luxurious amenities for your comfort. Many resorts have villas with private beaches and beach-facing villas and suite rooms to get a view of the ocean during your stay there. The one who is in love with the ocean can choose one from them. You can indulge yourself in the luxury of these types of resorts. Apart from them, there are eco huts in this Neil Island which cost only 500rs per day. Solo travelers usually select these huts without breaking their wallets. These huts have rooms with beds, chairs, and attached bathrooms. Rooms with sharing bathrooms are also available with cheaper rent. Those who are willing to share bathrooms with other travelers can choose this option.
Other tourist spots:
Bharatpur beach is nestled close to this Ramnagar Beach and there is not even a kilometer distance from the Jetty. This beach is a crowded beach when compared with other beaches on Neil Island. The shallow water allows everyone to enjoy the seawater by taking a dip. At the time of low tide, this is not possible. Scuba diving, snorkeling, and glass bottom boat ride are possible here. These water activities are the main cause of the rush here. To utilize the rush, there are a lot of shops selling coconuts, snacks, other refreshments, and handicrafts. Dress changing rooms and toilets are present on this beach. The salty sea, sun, and sand may leave you dehydrated. So drink lots of water or other refreshments to keep hydrated in the daytime. You can bring your drinks also to save money and time. Wear sunscreen to decrease the risk of sunburn before going to this sunny beach. There are a lot of shades on this beach where you can relax. If you would like to avoid the surrounding crowds, you can find some peaceful sandy areas under these shades. Please do not litter in and around the beach. Do not walk barefoot here because there are broken glasses and plastic bottles on this beach.
Laxmanpur Beach, with its long extent of white sand, evergreen forests, and azure-colored ocean, has charming visuals. Swimming is possible here both at low tide and high tide times. Be cautious about the rocks and dead corals while swimming.
There are some good snorkeling points in here. In the course of snorkeling, you may get the chance to spot the dugong. This beach is famous for its sunset view, therefore at that time, this beach may get crowded by tourists and locals. Otherwise, this beach is not much crowded. Daytime is the best to have the advantage of this deserted beach. In your daily life, it will be difficult to get some free time to read your favorite novel. Sitting beneath an umbrella, you can read your favorite novel and indulge yourself in it. Bringing a valuable and expensive book to the beach is dangerous, so avoid that.
Sitapur Beach is another beach on Neil Island. It is easy to reach here. Only a distance of 5 kilometers is there from the Neil Kendra Market to Sitapur Beach. It is also known as beach no. 5. The lovely visuals of the rising sun have given the name “sunrise beach” to this beach. Travelers eagerly arrive here to witness the phenomenal beauty of the same. The curved bays always tempt its guests to swim in its blue and clear water. You should be careful whilst swimming here because of the strong currents and high tides. The palm tree groves and the long stretch of beach are appropriate for basking in the sun. At the time of low tide, you can go to visit the limestone structures present there. Since the beach is deserted all the time, there are no toilets or dress-changing rooms on this beach. On the sides of the beach, only tender coconuts are available to diminish your hunger, so bring water and eatables on your visit here. For listening to your favorite songs within the peacefulness of this beautiful nature, you can create a playlist and bring it here on this beach. Under the shadows of the tree groves, gazing at the ocean, you can enjoy those songs. Apart from that, you can go for a walk. There is much more than the sea and sand at the beach. The birds, tide pools, and seashells are also at the beach. You can look into them also to get a full-fledged view of this enchanting Sitapur Beach.
Natural Rock Formation on Neil Island is renowned among travelers of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Local people call this rock formation with the name “Howrah Bridge”. At the low-tide time, you will get an exact sight of this bridge as the sea retreats and leaves behind many secrets from the treasure trove. This bridge consists of natural corals. There are plenty of rocks and corals on the way to this bridge and be careful while on these formations as they are slippery and sharp. Between these formations, you can see diverse seawater creatures like sea urchins, small fish, starfish, and sea cucumbers. Slowly growing corals can be seen there. It will be good if you check the low-tide timings from local people.
Travelers always take beautiful snaps with the background of this bridge formation to share their experiences with friends and relatives and to remember their favorite moments after the vacation is over. This rock formation with a large hole has been created over several years by the sea waves lashing on this rock and dissolving it. Knowing about the uniqueness of this structure, many tourists visit here daily.
