Andaman Tourism Opens: The Andaman & Nicobar administration has announced that all tourist spots in the South Andaman district will be opened for tourism activities with immediate effect 8 Feb 2022.
The tourists are allowed to visit Baratang/North & Middle Andaman on production of double dose covid certificate/ All other passengers viz. unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers (those who have taken only 1S1 dose of COVID vaccine) shall have to produce RT-PCR negative test report
General Guidelines defined for traveling to Andaman Islands during COVID :
What are the guidelines for testing for tourists coming to Andaman after August 03 2021?
On arrival at Port Blair :
1. The tourists need to carry COVID-19 negative test report from mainland based 1CMR approved lab using Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR). However, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to starting the journey from the origin station. (For e.g. if the tourist takes a flight from Delhi at 0600 hrs. on 1st September, 2021, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken not before 0600 hrs. on 30th August, 2021).
2. The tourists/visitors on arrival at Port Blair airport have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 screening with RTPCR test free of cost. Thereafter the tourists/visitors are allowed to move to their respective hotels. However, they will have to be under quarantine at Port Blair in their hotel rooms until the result of RTPCR tests are received. In case of RTPCR positive test results, the tourists/visitors shall remain in
institutional quarantine in hotels notified by the Hoteliers Association in consent with the A&N Administration, on rates as specified or to the designated hospital/ Covid-19 care centre on case-to-case basis.
3. Tourists may also have to undergo random Rapid Antigen Test conducted from time to time on payment basis as prescribed by A8N Administration.
What if the tourists test positive after arriving at the Andaman Islands?
If the tourists tests positive during their stay in the Islands, he/she will need to undergo institutional isolation as per existing health protocols. The
cost of such isolation for govt. facility will be paid by the tourists as fixed by the administration from time to time.
If the patient wants to stay at hotels, he/she can stay in the hotels if all the conditions below are met:
a) Patients are not symptomatic and not more than 60 years old.
b) Request/ undertaking is made by patient in writing.
c)lf allowed by doctors.
Hotels will make necessary arrangements to designate a part of their rooms for institutional isolation for this purpose.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a paradise with many hidden gems. Most people go to the travel destination to explore beautiful pristine beaches and vibrant marine life. But here is a secret you may not have known until now: the Andamans is also home to the only active volcano in South Asia at Barren Island. And not just that; if you are in the Andamans, you can easily pay a visit to Barren Island to watch the brilliant caldera of the volcano.
That’s not all: you can also experience the unique marine ecosystem of the water surrounding Barren Island and even go fishing. How amazing does it sound to be fishing close to an active volcano? Surely, it’s an experience of a lifetime.
If you love fishing or at least want to try fishing once in your life, there’s no better place in this world other than the Andamans. The travel destination boasts a brilliant and unique marine ecosystem that includes a variety of sea creatures. Barren Island, especially, attracts people from all over the world to its uniquely set up underwater ecosystem. Being a cleaning station, the areas surrounding Barren Island are home to many marine creatures.
Giant Yellow and Dogtooth tunas are especially common in Barren Island and so are marlins. Both the Blue and Black varieties of marlins are very popular among game fishers. If you look deeper, you’ll also find many sailfish and dorado fishes among a myriad of other small and large fish.
You’ll be accompanied by guides throughout your fishing trip. What’s good about this is that the guides are usually locals of nearby islands and know which areas in the water are best for fishing. This saves you a lot of time you’d otherwise be spending on finding the best spot. Fishing in Barren Island is much easier compared to a lot of other places.
Since Barren Island sits at a remote location, you will not get regular passenger ferries going to the island. Also, the island is uninhabited, so there’s no requirement for local ferries to go there. If you want to visit Barren Island, you’d have to book a charter boat from either Port Blair or Havelock Island. Charter boats can accommodate up to 8 people, so, it would be good if you could arrange a private group or are travelling in a group. The cost of booking a charter boat is usually around INR 130,000- 150,000 or around INR 20,000 per person.
The one-day trip covers everything from meals to snacks and even beverages. You’ll have guides who’ll provide you with the information you need. The charter boat package also includes all fishing gear needed for fishing in Barren Island. It also covers a snorkelling trip in the water to explore the exquisite marine life and the black sands of Barren Island.
Note that you’d have to first get a permit from the authorities before visiting Barren Island. The cost of the permit is around INR 1000 for Indian nationals and INR 3500 for foreign nationals.
Your fishing trip to Barren Island may take more than a couple of hours. Most charter boats cover an entire day’s package. Barren Island is around 140 km away from Port Blair, which may take you around 3-4 hours to cover. From Havelock, Barren Island is 100 km away and it may you 2-3 hours to reach the island by charter boat.
The best time to visit Barren Island is the same as the best time to visit the Andamans. Summers are usually hot and humid in the Andamans as it is located in the tropics. Winters on the other hand are pleasant, with the sun shining above your head almost all the time.
The best time then to visit Barren Island is between November to February. Some boat services may be open until March, but the journey would depend on the weather. All charter boat services are cancelled if the weather is bad.
Fishing in Barren Island is one of the most famous and best things you will do on your trip to the Andamans. Many people go to the island, just to enjoy the rare experience of watching an active volcano. You can enjoy a beautiful and luxurious trip amid the vast open sea.
Most charter boats also offer guides to help you with snorkelling, in case you are interested. Snorkelling involves exploring the underwater from the surface of the water by using a snorkelling device. You need not know how to swim to snorkel in Barren Island or be an expert in snorkelling.
Another Barren-Island activity that is very famous is scuba diving. There are at least six diving sites around Barren Island including the famous Manta Point, Barren Garden, and Purple Haze. However, you can scuba dive in Barren Island only if you are an experienced diver with advanced-level certification.
You have to inform the charter boat company in advance if you are planning to scuba dive in Barren Island. You’ll, of course, be accompanied by a diving instructor who’s more familiar with the ecosystem. The marine life in Barren Island will leave you spellbound; expect to see many white-tip sharks, manta rays, and incredibly vibrant and colourful corals.
Barren Island is home to the only active volcano in the Indian subcontinent. It lies along a chain of volcanic islands in the Myanmar-Sumatra trail and is the only active volcano in the region. The volcano is known to have first erupted in the 18 century and after more than 100 years again in the 2000s.
Barren Island is uninhabited with only a few animals and birds surviving in the harsh conditions of the volcanic island. There are some goats, pigeons, and a few varieties of rodents. However, you may not be able to spot any of them, as the animals usually reside deep in the island’s forests.
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