![]() First stop from Port Blair is generally Viper Island, named after a 19th century merchant vessel that ran aground on it during the early years of the colony. Laying a short way off Haddo Wharf (a 585 metres concrete wharf with water fuel) it served as an isolation zone for the main prison, where escapees and convicts were sent to be punished during the time of British regime. Whipping posts and crumbling walls, reached from the jetty via a winding brick path, remain, as relics of a torture area, while occupying the site's most prominent position are the original gallows. ![]() Later it became the headquarters of the revamped penal colony, complete with theatre hall, tennis courts, swimming pool, hospitals and grand residential bungalows. Dubbed as "the Paris of the East", the settlement typified the stiff-upper-lipped spirit of the British Raj at its most cruel. While the Buna and Memsahibs dressed for dinner and sang hymns in church, convicts languished in the most appalling conditions only a kilometre away. In the end, the entry of the Japanese into World War II, hot on the heels of a massive earthquake in 1941, forced the British to evacuate, and in the coming years most of the buildings were dismantled by the new overlords, who themselves founded a Prison Of War (POW) camp here. Little more than the hilltop Anglican Church has survived the onslaught of tropical creepers and vines and the island makes a peaceful break from Port Blair. To get here jump on one of the regular launches from Phoenix Jetty. The best beach within easy reach of the capital lies 6 km southeast at Corbyn's Cove Beach, a small arc of smooth white sand backed by a swaying curtain of palms. ![]() Tiny, triangular-shaped Neill is the most southerly inhabited island of Ritchie's Archipelago. It is barely two hours northeast of Port Blair on a fast ferry. The source of much of the capital's fresh fruit and vegetables, its fertile centre, ringed by a curtain of stately tropical trees, comprises vivid patches of green paddy dotted with small farmsteads and banana plantations. The beaches are worth a day or two en route to or from Havelock Islands. Boats leave Port Blair daily for Neill, all services connecting with Havelock and some with Rangat. Neill boasts of 3 beaches. The best place to swim is Neill Kendra. It is a gently curving bay of white sand which straddles the jetty and is scattered with charming wooden fishing boats. This blends into Lakshmangar as it continues for 3 km north. Wrapped around the headland, the beach is a broad spur of white shell sand, with shallow water offering good snorkelling. Exposed to the open sea and thus prone to higher tides, Sitapur beach, 6 km south at the tip of the island is also appealing and has the advantage of a sandy bottom extending into the sea. The ride there by hourly bus or bicycle across Neill's central paddy land is pleasant. Ferries to and from Port Blair dock at Rangat Bay, 8 km east; some stop at Havelock Island and Long Island. And there are also two daily launches to Long Island from nearby Yeratta. Another island that is worth visiting is Mayabunder. It is only 70 km further north by road, perched on a long promontory right at the top of the island and surrounded by mangrove swamps. Mayabunder is the springboard for the remote northern Andaman Islands. It is home to a large minority of former Burmese Karen tribal people who were originally brought here as cheap logging labour by the British. At the brow of the hill a small hexagonal wooden structure houses the forest museum. It holds a motley collection of turtle shells, snakes in formaldehyde, dead coral and a crocodile skull. ![]() Through a narrowing mangrove lined estuary from Mayabunder one can reach Kalighat. This tourist destination is a more relaxed point of entry. A cluttered little bazaar unfolds from the top of the slipway, hemmed in by dense mangrove swamps. The one worthwhile place to visit in this area is Ramnagar, 10kilometers North-East of the town. Here one will come across a beautiful sandy beach backed by unspoilt forest where camping is feasible. Cycles can be rented from one of the stalls in Kalighat as the beach is 2km outside Ramnagar bazaar. Many tourists who find their way up here do so in order to explore the various islands dotted around the gulf north of Arial Bay, particularly Smith and Ross Islands. The white sandbars, coral reefs and flora are splendid. Neither island is officially listed on the arrival permit, but day-trips can be sanctioned at the Forestry Department in Aria! Bay. Other islands here include Cinque. This actually comprises two islets that are joined by a spectacular sand isthmus with shallow water either side that covers it completely at high tide. The main incentive to come here is the superb diving and snorkelling around the reefs. Although there are no ferries to Cinque, it is possible to arrange dinghies from Chiriya Tapu village on the mainland. In Delampur lies the Samudrika Naval Maritime Museum. It is an excellent primer if one is heading off to more remote islands with a superlative shell collection and informative displays on various aspects of local marine biology. One of the exhibits features a cross-section of the different corals one can expect to see on the Andamans' reefs, followed by a rundown of the various threats these fragile organisms face, from mangrove depletion and parasitic starfish to clumsy snorkelers. |