Top 10 places to visit in Andaman & Nicobar

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• published: 14 Jan 2015
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Top 10 places to visit in Andaman & Nicobar 1) Cellular Jail National Memorial Also known as Kala Pani(Black Water), was a colonial prison. Freedom Fighters like Batukeshwar Dutt and Veer Savarkar, among others, were imprisoned here during the struggle for India's independence. It originally was a seven-block structure with three stories and a central tower acting as its fulcrum comprising of honeycomb like corridors.The Sound and Light show in the Cellular Jail narrates the saga of the Indian freedom struggle, brought alive through sound and light effect of the brutal and barbaric atrocities piled on the freedom fighters deported to these islands and incarcerated in the small cells of this jail. 2) Chatham Saw Mill It was established in 1883, it has the privilege of being Asia's largest and oldest saw mill, but having an entire Island to itself makes Chatham Saw Mill stand out from the ordinary. It is built on an island and connected to Port Blair by a bridge. It is a store house of timber varieties like, Padauk, Gurjan, Marble, Satin wood etc. Presently, the annual production of sawn timber of Chatham saw mill ranges between 5000 to 6000 cum. 3) Ross Island It was the erstwhile capital of Port Blair during the British regime.The island presently houses the ruins of old buildings like Ballroom, Chief Commissioner’s House, Govt. House, Church, Hospital, Bakery, Press, Swimming Pool and Troop Barracks, all in dilapidated condition, reminiscent of the old British regime. To reach Ross Island, private ferries are available from Aberdeen Jetty except on Wednesday. 4) Carbyn's Cove It has a small curve of sand with coconut trees in its surroundings, which offers a pleasant and relaxing view. Facilities like hotel, restaurant, bar, changing room, etc are available near the beach. Historical remains like Japanese bunkers can be seen on the way. 5) Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex In the safe water sports complex paddle-boats, row-boats, glass-bottom and bumper boats are available. In the adventure sport front, Jet Ski, parasailing, banana boats, speed boats are offered. There is also a Memorial for the Battle of Aberdeen fought between Britishers and Andamanese aboriginals in 1859. Nearby is an Amusement Park with Pleasure rides. 6) Viper Island The first jail was constructed here which was abandoned after the construction of Cellular Jail. This island derives its name from the vessel ‘Viper' in which Lt. Archibald Blair came to this island in 1768. Sher Ali, who killed Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of India in 1872, was also hanged here. 7) Wandoor Beach Twenty five kms from west of Port Blair is Wandoor Beach famous for swimming and Coral Viewing. One can also go to Mahatma Gandhi Marine National park from Wandoor by boat. To visit the Marine National Park, boats are available from Wandoor Jetty. 8) Anthropological Museum It illustrates the four Negrito Tribes of the Andamans viz. the Jarawas, Sentinelese, Great Andamanese and the Onges and two Mongoloid tribes of the Nicobar viz. the Nicobarese and the Shompens. Timings:8.30 AM to 1.00 PM, 1.30 PM to 4.30 PM. It is closed on Thursdays & Govt. Holidays. Ph. 03192-232291. 9) Science Centre It is five kms away from Port Blair town and has an ‘Andaman and Nicobar Islands Gallery' with interactive exhibits depicting genesis of the islands, volcanic activities, science of oceans, Fun Science gallery, modern technology gallery, Taramandal (Portable planetarium), and an in-house butterfly pen. It is closed on all Mondays and Public Holidays. It explains the science of oceans, while allowing the visitors to create waves of varying parameters and explore their features. Here you can see the youngest rock sample found in India. It is a testimony to the under-crust activities still going on around the Barren Island. 10) Samudrika (Naval Marine Museum) It is situated opposite to Andaman Teal House, Delanipur, Port Blair, this museum is meant to create awareness on various aspects of oceanic environment. A good collection of shells, corals and a few species of colourful fishes of the islands are on display. Timings: 9.00 AM -12.00 Noon, 2.00 PM-5.00 PM, Closed on Mondays & Holidays.