Port Blair : The British “ Safe-Haven ”
In 1777 , the British Lieutenant Archibald Blair chose the South Andaman harbour now known as Port Blair as the site for a penal colony , although it was not successfully established until 1858 , when political activists who had fuelled the Mutiny in 1857 were made to clear the land and build their own prison . Out of 773 prisoners , 292 died , escaped or were hanged in the first two months . Many also lost their lives in attacks by the Andamanese tribes who objected to forest clearance , but by 1864 the number of convicts had grown to three thousand . The prison continued to confine political prisoners until 1945 and still stands as Port Blair ’ s prime “ tourist attraction ”. Another place worth visiting is Chidya Tapu known for its amazing sunsets ; this place can get quite picturesque during the evenings . country . If you want to scuba dive , snorkel or sea walk this is the best place to be . Most of the hotels have their own scuba diving professionals who can walk you through the experience but you can always opt for other operators who might just give you a better deal .
While there , make it a point to stay at the Sea Shell Resort . The luxurious wooden cottages in between tall coconut trees and lush green grass with the access to your very own private beach is certainly worth the experience . De
portion of the jail has a detailed story about the events that took place pre Independence . To explore the entirety of the jail it takes about 2-3 hours and after that if you can manage to make more time , make it a point to watch the sound and light show held in the evenings – it certainly does make the whole experience so much richer .
Havelock Island
Named after Brigadier General Henry Havelock of the Mutiny 1857 fame , this island is famous today for its beautiful Radha Nagar beach .
With a 30-40 minute drive from the jetty or the helipad , Radha Nagar beach isn ’ t too far off to experience beautiful white sand and crystal clear blue waters . As one of the most beautiful beaches in the country , it has a huge tourist turnout .
The island ’ s current population consists of Bengali settlers . Many of these settlers have Bangladeshi origin as these people were given settlement by the Indian government in 1971 war between India and Pakistan .
It is one of the few places that the administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory of India has permitted and encouraged development of tourism with a focus on promoting eco-tourism .
There are two ways to get to Havelock from Port Blair and they are both very different experiences . You could take a chopper ride with flight duration of 20 minutes and get the feel of some breathtaking aerial views or you could opt for the longer 2 hour ferry ride experiencing the majestic Indian Ocean .
Havelock Island is home to some of the most beautiful virgin beaches in the february 2017 | destination exotica 17