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.
Positioned near Port Blair, Viper Island was the location of an old jail used by the Britishers to keep political prisoners and harbour convicts. This island is exceptionally exquisite and tranquil. There are multiple versions of the stories about how the island got its name. One of the notable and well-accepted accounts maintains that the island got its name from the name of the vessel in which Lt. Blair came to Andaman and Nicobar in the year 1789. Visitors swarm this beautiful island as it serves a beautiful amalgamation of historically significant elements and arresting grandeur of nature.
Getting There
People can visit Viper Island from Port Blair both by road and sea. Folks usually opt for ferries available between Viper Island and Port Blair. It takes roughly 45 minutes to reach Viper Island by road which includes crossing stretches of the sea. Folks start from the Phoenix Bay jetty, taking 20 minutes to arrive. The Harbor Cruise, running and from the jetty, can help explore the different points of the harbour along with a trip to Viper Island.
Be There Do That
The ruins of the jail, cells and the gallows narrate unfortunate incidents of a brutal rule that India had to undergo in the past. You get a bird's eye view of the neighbouring islands, the seven-point harbour and the mighty ocean in its splendid shades. On the way to the island, do not forget to witness the magnificent beauty of 7 point harbour with boats wayfaring in the mighty ocean. A walk to remnants of the jail built by the Britishers might enthuse history buffs keen to know more about Indian history. Multiple beaches in the vicinity make it an ideal place to spend an hour at Viper Island.
While You're There
Closing Statement
Viper Island located on the Bay of Bengal is a prominent travellers' spot of the Andaman Islands and has loads of and is a delight to all historians, photo posers and nature lovers. Viper Island is also a painful reminder of the atrocities our forefathers had to bear back in the day. The archipelago territory will blow the mind with its lush green coconut palms and pristine beaches with blue waters. Exquisite strips of sand lapped by emerald waters and backed by lush hills, palm trees and boulders; the island awaits your arrival!
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