Visit the Andaman islands

The Andamans are rightly recognized as the islands with the best sea and the best beaches that India can boast .

In fact they are, together with the Nicobar Islands, a territory of the Indian state, even if, geographically speaking, they would be part of a crest of rock that unites under the Myanmar aquatic surface to Indonesia, and the beaches of these islands undoubtedly resemble Thailand 'India.

Being part of ancient trade routes, they have been known since ancient times, and are inhabited by local indigenous people considered genetically, culturally and linguistically isolated from the rest of the world.

The beaches, we said, are magnificent, the local forest is unique and one can encounter in ancient sites and temples incorporated by trees, a few steps from the white coasts.

Until now, tourism has been more of a problem than anything else for the locals, exploited, ghettoized, humiliated, by groups of wealthy passing tourists just for the sake of being able to say that they were in the Andamans.

Today the situation is changing, there are institutions that take care of the preservation of the local population and their culture, making it the center of this journey-experience.

In particular, besides enjoying pristine beaches, you can learn something about local rituals and taste the typical food of the islands .

We interviewed Kundavi Devi, environmentalist and educator for the preservation of local nature, who, as well as an activist, takes care of this initiative.

Why visit the Andamans?

Because its unique beauty makes it one of the last unspoiled paradise in the world . Here you can observe the wild nature as it was originally when man came into contact with it.

We are talking about a splendid ocean, a unique light, marvelous beaches, an impressive stillness, a coral reef to be discovered, the intoxicating mangrove forests where you can lose yourself with boats, of a rich fauna, especially the various species of sea turtles that come to lay their eggs and some very rare geckos that can be found are in three islands all over the world.

How are they reached and what is the best season?

Let's say that the months from September to the end of March are to be considered high season, therefore the best.

April is still beautiful but it starts to feel the heat. The capital, Port Blair, is reached by internal flights ( international flights are not provided ), mainly from Chennai, which last 2 and a half hours.

The islands can also be reached by ship, with a fascinating 4-day trip, both from Chennai and Kochin.

What can you tell us about the clubs?

The natives have lived there since the dawn of time, and are divided into 5 tribes that live in the relative reserves, not wanting to mix with the kind of social life of the citizens.

In the cities we find mainly Burmese and Indians originating from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar.

Tell us about the food!

It is an indescribable single mélange of Tamil, Burmese, Bengali and original local cuisine . Everyone is dedicated to fishing, agriculture and hunting .

The food of the natives, although it has influenced the local cuisine, is a kind of taboo and is generally not shown to foreigners .

What kind of tourist or traveler is ideal for the Andamans?

There are packages for every type of tourist, here we can find the seventh most beautiful beach in the world, but not all the corners of the Andaman can be visited easily, as we said, we are talking about uncontaminated nature. Things will change, so the time to visit the place is now.

Who can you contact to consciously visit this paradise?

We are looking for travelers who are not too touristy, especially not touched and fleeing, but people ready for a fabulous sea, for diving, for the forest, for meeting and respecting the locals, their communities, their uses, their remedies, their food . Learn, explore and have a real experience.

In general, the organization of this type of journey, which is always personalized, takes some time.