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Nicobar Islands

Nicobar Islands

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Geography here is not what an Indian map suggests.

State
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Type
Other

Geography here is not what an Indian map suggests. The chain lies about 150 km northwest of Aceh in Sumatra and roughly 1,300 km southeast of the subcontinent, with the Andaman Sea separating it from Thailand — closer to Southeast Asia than to any mainland Indian city in every practical sense. It forms the Nicobar district of the union territory, and in 2013 UNESCO added Great Nicobar to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Plan it as a journey of its own rather than an extension of an Andamans trip.

Nicobar Islands is known for

Nicobar districtCloser to Sumatra than IndiaUNESCO biosphere island

Nicobar Islands guide & itineraries

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Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Sir William Peel Island

Maps often carry it as plain Peel Island, which is the version worth using when you are asking about boats.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Saddle Peak (Andaman Islands)

At 732 metres this is the top of the whole archipelago, which on an island means the walk up is modest by mainland standards and the view is not.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Radhanagar Beach (Havelock)

Regularly rated among Asia's best beaches, Radhanagar on Swaraj Dweep is a flawless arc of white sand, turquoise water and west-facing sunsets.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Cinque Islands

Two islands, North and South Cinque, sitting on the north side of Duncan Passage between Rutland and Passage Island.

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Maharashtra

Devbagh & Tarkarli Sangam

Near Malvan, the Devbagh sandbar where the Karli River meets the sea has scuba diving, dolphin trips and the clearest water on the Konkan.

Leh & Ladakh

Zanskar Valley

Zanskar is one of the last genuinely difficult journeys left in India, and that is the whole appeal.

Jammu & Kashmir

Sonamarg

Sonamarg is eighty kilometres up from Srinagar and the last town before Zoji La and Ladakh.

Sikkim

Yuksom

Yuksom is a historical village in West Sikkim, the first capital of the old Sikkimese kingdom and the trailhead for the famed Goecha La and Dzongri treks…

West Bengal

Sundarbans National Park

The Sundarbans National Park is the largest continuous mangrove forest on earth — a vast estuarine delta in West Bengal formed where the Ganges and…

Odisha

Chilika & Rambha Coast

Where Asia's largest brackish lagoon, Chilika, meets the sea, this coast is famed for Irrawaddy dolphins, vast migratory birdlife and empty island beaches.

Puducherry

Paradise Beach (Pondicherry)

Reached by a short backwater boat ride from Chunnambar near Pondicherry, Paradise Beach is a clean golden sandbar between lagoon and sea, popular for day trips.

Kerala

Kappad Beach

The historic beach near Kozhikode where Vasco da Gama first landed in India in 1498, today a quiet rocky-and-sandy shore with a commemorative monument.

Karnataka

Hampi

Hampi is an archaeological site in the open air, spread along the boulder-strewn Tungabhadra in Vijayanagara district.

Kerala

Marari Beach

A fishing-village beach near Alleppey, Marari is prized for its palm-fringed calm, eco-resorts, ayurveda and an authentic slice of coastal Kerala life.

Goa

Galgibaga (Turtle) Beach

One of South Goa's quietest beaches, Galgibaga is a protected olive ridley turtle nesting site with casuarina-lined sands and almost no development.

Kerala

Alleppey (Backwaters)

The mistake in Alleppey is the day boat. A houseboat only becomes worth it once the day-trippers have gone home and the water goes quiet.

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Cellular Jail (Port Blair)

Cellular Jail (Port Blair)

The Cellular Jail in Port Blair, known as Kala Pani, is a colonial-era prison built by the British between 1896 and 1906 to hold Indian freedom fighters in solitary confinement. Its original seven wings radiated from a central tower like spokes; today the surviving structure is a national memorial to the independence movement.

Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)

Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)

Havelock Island, officially Swaraj Dweep, is the most popular island in the Andamans. Radhanagar Beach is the reason most people come — powdery white sand, and the sunsets it is known for — and there is serious scuba diving off the island as well. Turquoise water, coral reefs, kayaking through the mangroves and unhurried beach shacks fill out the rest of it. Elephant Beach is where the diving and snorkelling are done. Honeymooners, divers and backpackers all come for it.

Radhanagar Beach (Havelock)

Radhanagar Beach (Havelock)

Regularly rated among Asia's best beaches, Radhanagar on Swaraj Dweep is a flawless arc of white sand, turquoise water and west-facing sunsets. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.

Elephant Beach (Havelock)

Elephant Beach (Havelock)

Reached by boat or a jungle trail on Swaraj Dweep, Elephant Beach is the Andamans' top spot for snorkelling, scuba diving and shallow-water coral. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.

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