Andaman Place where first sun rays of 21^st century fell

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the east of the Indian mainland geographically, float in splendid isolation in the Bay of Bengal. Once a hill range extending from Myanmar to Indonesia, these picturesque undulating islands, islets numbering around 572

Andaman is only place in India where you can see mud volcano. A mud volcano is formed by emission of depressurized pore water and natural gases from decaying organic matter underground, accompanied by loud explosions and fire flares. 

History

1. The indications from genetic, cultural and isolation studies suggest that the islands may have been inhabited as early as the Middle Paleolithic
2. From 800 to 1200 AD, the Tamil Chola dynasty ruled these islands
3. In 1789, the Bengal Presidency established a naval base and penal colony on Chatham Island ( Port Blair)
4. On 30 December 1943, during the Japanese occupation, Subhash Chandra Bose, who was allied with the Japanese, first raised the flag of Indian independence in Andaman
5. The penal colony called Kaalapani was eventually closed on 15 August 1947 when India gained independence.

Activities

1. Go for Banana Boat Rides or snorkelling
2. Enjoy light and sound show Kaalapani
3. Try under sea walking or scuba diving
4. Visit Lime Stone Caves at Baratang Island
5. Enjoy sea plane flight
6. Tour the Volcano in Barren Island

How to reach there

Air

The only commercial airport in the islands is Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, which has scheduled services to Kolkata, Chennai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar. 

Water

A ship service is available from Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata. The journey requires three days and two nights, and depends on weather.