NEIL Island

At Jetty:

When we were at Port Blair, our visit to Neil Island was almost cancelled. The tour operator told us that as the tickets could not be arranged, we would not be taken to Neil Island and as a substitute, it was planned to take us to Elephant Beach from HAVELOCK. But on our insistence, he finally agreed to follow the planned itinerary.

We checked out of our huts, had breakfast and were dropped to the jetty to catch Government ferry for Neil. The ship was not yet arrived and passengers were not allowed in. We settled in the make shift huts which had a cone shaped canopy above and were open from all sides. My wife explored the nearby shops and purchased some bananas. The bananas were one-third of the size of what we normally get in Delhi. Apart from the size, the taste was also altogether different. As none of us relished the taste, we had to throw them off at Neil. We both decided to take a stroll at the sea shore. Broken glass bottles were littered on the shore and we had to watch our every step. As we passed under the jetty bridge, cool air welcomed us. We went further ahead along the shore and sat there on a stone. The sea was calm and looking amazing under the clear blue sky. We could sit there for hours but for the ship that had perhaps arrived.  We could see passengers running to the jetty. We hurriedly came back. My friend and his family had already gone to the jetty along with the luggage. We spotted them in the crowd and followed. 

On way to Neil:

The Captain seemed to be in hurry. In less than 10 minutes, the ship started. It was around 10:00 AM. The sky was clear and I decided to travel on the deck instead of in the cabin. I sat on the floor. The ship had gathered speed. Sea was rough this time. The ship was not stable at all. It seemed to be riding on the waves. I tried to stand but the ship was shaking so vigorously that it was not possible to stand without support. I held the railing and sat down. In the meantime my friend joined me on the deck. We saw two girls going towards Captain’s Cabin. From there one could go to the front deck. We followed them carefully holding the railings and requested Captain to allow us to go to the front deck. We were allowed. As we came out in the front holding the railings, a splash of water greeted us. The Ship was still shaking badly. It was a different experience to watch the sea from the front deck. We could not stand there for more than 2 minutes and decided to come back. Later, our wives and children who wanted to go to front deck were not allowed. After 1 hour 45 minutes journey on the dancing waves, we arrived at Neil Island. The Ship was going to Port Blair but our destination had come.

Neil Island:

This Island is named after a British Solder James George Smith Neil. It is located at 40 KM north east of Port Blair. The jetty where we alighted is known as Bharathpur Jetty and is the only entry-exit point of this Island. The name Bharathpur surprised me. I asked my taxi driver twice if he meant Bharathpur. I never thought that this Rajasthan City famous for its Birds Sanctuary would also be there in Andaman, though for namesake.

It was around 11:30 and our next ferry for the Port Blair was at 4:30 in the evening. We had almost 5 hours to explore this Island. As we came out, there was a cafeteria. We inquired if it could serve us something in lunch without onion & garlic. The person sitting at counter showed his helplessness. My friend ordered lunch for them, to be served at around 2:30 and we, the couple  

decided to have bread biscuits etc. in lunch. Having ordered lunch, we left for our fist destination on Neil Island – The Natural Bridge.

The Natural Bridge:

Initially I thought that it would be a big bridge came up on its own. Our taxi dropped us at a place where there was no sign of any bridge. He told us that he would take us to the Natural Bridge. We had to walk quite a distance on a small hilly path which had abundance plantation on both the sides. As we came down in the open, we could see Sea in front of us. But the shore was far away.  On the left, a big hill made of Coral stretched out a stone arm that rested on another hill-mound on the right side giving a bridge like shape. We took some photographs and walked on the Corals to reach to the shore. On the way, we saw small fishes trapped in the water that had accumulated in the potholes. I realized that the Sea water must have come to this far on a high tide. Our driver, who was our guide also in this trip, cautioned us not to venture far in the sea as it was deep. There was not much to see and we returned soon.

Sitapur Beach:

Next destination was Sitapur Beach. This beach is like any other beach and is exposed to the open sea. This is prone to the high tides and is best for watching sunrise. We spent some time there and left for Bharatpur Beach.

Bharatpur Beach:

We were back at Bharatpur Beach. It is barely half KM away from the jetty. We hired a glass boat that was to take us to the Sea. This boat was made of fiber and fitted with removable Honda engine. The bottom of the boat was made of convex glass to enable the tourists to have a bottom view of the Sea. We were made to wear life jackets before boarding. The driver told us that last year there was an accident at Port Blair in which a boat carrying tourists to ROSS Island capsized drowning all the 40 occupants. Since then, it was mandatory to wear life jackets on the boat. I laughingly asked as to why he was not wearing one. He replied that he was capable of swimming back to  safety in case of an accident.

The boat took us quite far in the Sea. We saw corals, colorful fishes of many kinds in the sea bottom through the glass. The world under the Sea was clearly visible in the magnified form as the bright Sun light was illuminating the underworld.

I observed two poles stood apart in the Sea. I was told that the poles were there to mark the passage for the Ships coming to the jetty. This passage had deep water without rocks and was meant for the Ships. One Ship passed at some distance from our boat. The displaced water made our boat unstable. We returned to the shore safely. My friend finished his lunch. There was still an hour left for the Ship to arrive. We waited at the jetty and boarded the Ship when it arrived. This was same BOOMBIKA that we caught while coming from Port Blair to HAVELOCK. Our third day of the tour was coming to an end.

Radha Nagar Beach

On way to Radha Nagar Beach:

The 12 KM stretch to Radha Nagar Beach was full of lush greenery. Coconut and Supari trees were in abundance. Sky was lucid blue and the noon Sun was shining.  Cool breeze was blowing giving us a refreshing feel. On the way, I observed that at many places farmers had grown vegetables. Our driver told that except potatoes and onions, which were brought to the Island from Chennai, other vegetables were grown locally there.

Radha Nagar Beach:

As we alighted at Radha Nagar Beach, we saw a number of small shops in line on both the side on way to beach. I purchased a half-pant and a T-shirt. We decided to have a cup of tea before going to beach. Here too we were served tea made with milk-powder. Our driver told us to come back before dark. It was around 3:30 pm when we saw the beach that we had heard only.

Words cannot describe the beauty of this beach. On left side, there were trees which were limiting the boundary of the sea. On right and straight, the sea was spread till horizon. Water was shallow on shore – 3 to 4 feet. Even those who did not know how to swim could enjoy swimming there. People had ventured quite a distance in the sea. Long wooden chairs were lying on the beach. “Pay and use – Rs. 20 per hour” was written on these chairs. But we did not know how to pay and to whom to pay. We placed our luggage on one of the chairs. As we had money as well as cameras   and mobiles with us, we thought it unsafe to leave the luggage without one of us keeping a watch on it. We decided to leave one person with the luggage while rest of us ventured into the sea. It was an experience worth having. Waves were coming and hitting you with a force. And if you did not jump over, they would take you to the shore or would throw you upside down if you were not holding the ground tightly. People were holding hands in groups to avoid the force. In one of the groups, one woman lost her spectacles but after some search they found it back.

Sun Set:

 People visit Radha Nagar beach to view its sun set also. Sun sets early in Andaman – as early as quarter to five. I wanted to capture this event in my camera. Therefore, I decided to have a shower and change my cloths before it started. Other people in our group including my wife were still in sea.  I came back to the chair and was taking out my kurta-payajama, then a boy with a copy in hand arrived. He asked Rs. 40 as rent for the chair we had been occupying for the last one and a half hour. I told him to take the money at the time of leaving the place. But he insisted as his duty was coming to an end.  I paid him and he left. I called back my wife and told her to keep a watch till I come back. After a distance, there were huts where one could change cloths and have a clean water shower after the sea bath at a minimum charge of Rs. 10 per person. But all the make-shift bathrooms were occupied. The sun set time was coming to close. I did not have time to waste. I saw   a shower in the open and decided to use it. I hurriedly finished the shower and changed in to kurta-payajama. As I came back to the chair, sun had already started setting. I changed my camera lens and was ready to shoot. I captured some beautiful shots of sun-set at Radha Nagar beach. These photographs, some of which I am sharing with this post, will help me keep the memories vivid forever. Finally, the big round orange colored ball sank in the sea, leaving behind reflection of its colors in the sky as well in the far sea at horizon only to emerge again tomorrow. These colors were the only reminiscent of the fire-ball that was there minutes before. As I was winding up my camera, I felt that the warmth had also gone with the sun. My wife was feeling cold. I asked her to take the shower and change cloths. By the time, they all came back; darkness had taken over the beach. There were quite a few visitors who were still in the sea. Guards were whistling at them and asking them to vacate. Waves had become stronger with the darkness. Sea which was looking beautify when we arrived, was posing scary now. We also decided to leave the beach.

Honeymooners:

Over the year, Andaman has become a hot pursuit for the honeymooners. During our visit, we also found a number of couples who had come to the Andaman on honeymoon. One of the reasons might be the cozy temperature of the Island during winter when north almost freezes. The other may be the beauty of this Island that attracts newlywed couples. At Radha Nagar beach also, we encountered a number of young couples taking bath in the sea. But their public display of love was indeed in bad taste - particularly for those who had little children with them. Public places demand decorum and that should be maintained. I remember that when I got married, how awkward I used to feel if I had to hold the hand of my wife at a public place. But now-a-days, things have changed. One may call it generation gap but to me it is the deteriorating values. Honeymoon is a strictly private affair and let it be so.

Returning to our Hotel:

We returned to our Hotel. There was no choice and we had to settle for dinner at the Hotel itself. Half of the items enlisted in menu were not available.  I ordered aloo-ghobhi that to my utter surprise was served in liquid form. That was the first time in my life when I was served aloo-ghobhi in liquid form. I thanked God that I did not order brinjal or ladyfinger.

End of the Second day:

After (sic) dinner, we took a short stroll and then retired. Next morning we were to check out at 8:00 AM to catch a ferry for NIEL  Island.

Havelock - The Heaven on earth

Welcome to Havelock:

As we were coming out of jetty, a “WELCOME TO HAVELOCK” signboard greeted us. Our tour operated was waiting with a placard in hand. He had already arranged a car. We threw our luggage in and started. Hardly had we settled in the car when it took a turn and came to a halt. We were in front of an all side open restaurant where people were taking breakfast. It had tables and chairs made of plastic.  On our left side, one reception counter was there. And at farther left, a row of huts amidst coconut and supari trees stood apart. I felt as if one of my dearest dreams were come to true. I always wanted to stay in such huts but never had any chance.  Our driver off loaded the luggage. The man at reception told as that our huts were being readied.  He suggested that in the meantime we could take our breakfast. On our request, we were served aaloo subzi with poori. I asked for the wash-basin to wash my hands. I was shown a plastic bucket full of water that was placed outside with a mug. We washed our hands and had breakfast. I do not know what kind of oil was used to deep-fry poori. It was greasy and remained stuck to our fingers even after washing our hands after breakfast. We decided not to have the lunch there.

The Huts:

Contrary to the food quality, huts were well managed. It had a well laid double bed with white bed sheet spread over it, with two pillows and a neatly tucked blanket.  A small wooden open cupboard was placed alongside. One LCD was fitted on the wall. With all the latest electric fittings, it also had a split AC fitted. The front side glass window was very large and of sliding type. If you slide it, it would give you a good view of outside. Curtains were there at the windows. A small bathroom was attached with the room with modern bathroom fittings. These huts were constructed on a raised platform and you had to climb three-four wooden steps to enter in the small veranda. On both side of veranda, two chicks were provided but were kept folded. Two plastic chairs were also made available that you can put in veranda and relax.  We were told that these huts were constructed barely a year before at a cost of Rs. 6 lacs each and required lot of maintenance. Perhaps this was the reasons that new huts which were coming up there were being made of concrete.

Beach across the road:

In lunch we had Bread and Butter and relaxed a bit. We were told that just across the road, there was a beach. It was 12:30 and we still had time to proceed to Radha Nagar Beach. We decided to visit the beach across the road. In front of our hotel, just across the road there was another Hotel with the name SeaShell. We entered from this side and saw a beautifully laid and very well maintained garden. Then, there was Hotel Reception and a number of huts.  These huts were better than ours in terms of construction quality and their aesthetics. Some of them were of duplex type. The huts at the farther end were overlooking sea and virtually at the beach. There were a few long chairs placed by the Hotel at the beach where some guests were taking sun bath and also enjoying spa. I thought had we known it before, we must have stayed in this hotel.

Soon we were at the beach. We saw a group of persons being taken to scuba diving with oxygen cylinders tied on their back. We got our feet immersed in the water and took some photographs. While children enjoyed bathing, the women preferred to sit in a boat that was tied with a rope. After some time, we returned to our hotel. Driver had come and was waiting for us. We started for Radha Nagar Beach that was 12 KMs from our Hotel.