Indian Islands form a significant part in making the country a beautiful destination. There are several islands in India which are well-known for their tourist importance. The beauty of the Arabian Sea and the cobalt hue of the Bay of Bengal provide a magical touch to the Indian Islands. The surging Indian islands are well-encompassed by lush forests and possess the infinite variety of striking fauna and flora. Two groups of islands are there in India called the Andaman and Nicobar Islands situated in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands located in the Arabian Sea.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a group comprising two hundred and four islands, considered to be extensions of the mountain system in the northeast of India. Some of the islands are also volcanic in origin. The north most part of the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located one thousand and one hundred kilometers to the south-east of Kolkata. Located in the Bay of Bengal in a chain which stretches about eight hundred kilometers, the topography is portrayed by narrow valleys and hills. Even if their location is tropical, the island`s climate is tempered by sea breezes with irregular rainfall. The Nicobar Islands are situated to the south of the Andaman Islands, and it consists of nineteen islands. Some of the islands possess flat, coral-covered surfaces where as others with hills. The climatic conditions of these islands are somewhat equatorial with heavy rainfall and high temperatures.

The second group of islands is the Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands which are situated in the Arabian Sea, consists of forty three islands, encircled by beautiful coral reefs. The Lakshadweep union territory (Lakshadweep means 100,000 islands) located in the Arabian Sea bears - from the north to south - the Laccadive, Amindivi, Cannanore and Minicoy islands. Only ten of the islands are populated, are scattered over an area of about seventy seven thousand square kilometers. These islands are located in the sea level and are able to possess limited cultivation.

History, legends, myths and stories are largely attached to the Indian islands since time immemorial. The greatness and beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands speaks about the blood stained history of the struggle for Indian Independence from the hands of the British. Well-known as Kaala Paani, or black waters, the capital city of the Andamans, Port Blair, was the dreadful site of the Cellular Jail, which was used once by the British to punish the Indian freedom fighters.

Barren Islands, Little Andaman, Great Andaman, Sentinel Islands, Ritchie`s Archipelago, Car Nicobar and Great Nicobar are some of the islands which form a part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Tourism in India has developed a lot centering these islands and several others in the country. Several entertainment opportunities like swimming, sunbathing, diving and sports like hiking in the wilderness of the Indian islands provided a new aspect to the Indian tourist quotient.