We all know that Andaman and nicobar island is a union territory of India. Port Blair is the largest and the capital city of this archipelago. Total area of this island group is around 8,070 km2, and has a population of 3, 80,500 as per the 2011 census. The Andaman Sea separates these islands from Myanmar and Thailand. There are many beautiful places in Andaman Islands which make it unique from other parts of India. Beaches and marine life of this island has influenced many travellers to make a visit this place. Enough facilities like changing rooms, restaurants and hotels are available in this island which will help the travellers. There are many other good places which are not noticed because of the presence of the above said places. Some of these places are Neil Island, Long Island, Rangat, Mayabunder, Diglipur and Little Andaman Islands.

So let us have a close look at these places

Neil Islands

Neil Island comes under the terrirory of Andaman Island and it is situated in the Ritchie Archipelago. This island was named as Neil Island inorder to commemorate James George Smith Neil, was a British soldier who had played a vital role in suppressing the first war of independence ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ also known as the Revolt of 1857. Around an area 18.7 km2 is occupied by this island. It is 40 kms away the capital city Port Blair. When we consider the location of this island in the Ritchie archipelago we could see that it is the southernmost island. The administration of this island is done by the Neil Kendra panchayat. The people in this island lives in five villages, they are Sitapur, Bharatpur, Ram Nagar, Neil Kendra and Lakshmanpur. The only way to enter and exit this island is through the only jetty at Bharatpur. As per the census around 2860 people live in this island. A major part of the population is depends on agriculture for their living. The vegetables required are transported from this island to Andaman. Neil Island is known as the ‘Vegetable Bowl’ of Andaman. He mythical characters of the hindu religion had influenced while naming the beaches of this island, that is Bharatpur, Ramnagar, Sitapur And Laksmanpur Some hotels and restaurants are there in this island which would help the tourists visiting this island. ATMS and other money changing facilities are not available here so you should bring adequate money. This is a small island and the widest portion of this island is around 5 kms and takes only 2 hours of walk to cover the whole island. One of the important features which make it distinct from other islands of Andaman and Nicobar islands is its flat terrain.

Long Island

After visiting all the islands of Andaman and Nicobar you will find that the long island is not the same as that of the other islands. The people of this island are busy doing their business at the jetty. There will be no facilities of transportations and any rikshaws or taxis to pick the travellers coming here. There are only a few automobiles in this island and people usually prefer walking.  As per the data (electoral roll) there are almost 2000 inhabitants in this island. And most of them do not live here permanently. The permanent settlers (around 800) depend on fishing, agriculture and casual works for their living.

Basic services like police, schools and health centres are available here. Two or three evening restaurants can also be seen here. Lalaji Bay, one of the beautiful beaches in the Andaman Islands is located in this island. This pristine beach of this island is a great tourist attraction. Lalaji bay is not a crowded beach. You could see only some fishermen in this beach. You could reach this beach either by walking through the forest or by boats. North Passage islands, Guitar Islands and the spectacular Merk Bay are some of the beautiful islands which are very close to the Long Island.

There is no regular ferry service to this island. Boats going to this island from Port Blair start the journey at 6:00 AM on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. These boats will be going through Neil and Havelock Islands. The boats will be returning on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Rangat

The Andaman archipelago has got a middle Andaman island and rangat is a town on this island. It covers around 1070 km2. Rangat is one of the three tehsils (administrative divisions) of middle and north Andaman district. Around 39000 people are inhabited here and most of them are Tamils and Bengalis. The distance between rangat and the Port Blair is about 210 kms. You could reach rangat either through sea route or through road. Amkunj beach and Cutbert Bay beach are some of the beautiful places of Rangat. The Cutbert Bay beach is famous for turtles which nests there during December. The main villages of Rangat region are Rangat Proper, Dashratpur, Bakultala, Long Island, Kadamtala, Kausalyanagar, Nimbutala, Nilambur, Sabri, Parnasala, Urmilapur, Shivapuram, Sundergarh, and Uttara.  Some of the important places which are nearby rangat are Moory’s dare, Panchavati Hills and Yeretta Creek.

Mayabunder

Mayabunder is located on the northern part of Middle Andaman Islands. This place was inhabited by immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar during the colonial period. Andaman trunk road connects Mayabunder and Port Blair. Karmatang beach, mangrove lined tidal creeks and a nesting ground of the turtles are some of the highlights of this region. The first coast guard station in the Northern Andaman was commissioned at Mayabunder on 24 december 2012.

Only two boats are there which transport people to this place. But most of the time travellers use buses for reaching Mayabunder.

Diglipur

Diglipur, largest town in North Andaman Islands. If you travel by road from Port Blair you will have to cover a distance of 300 kms and need to cover only 180 kms if your travel is by sea route. This place is famous for its marine life and forest cover, which attract a lot of tourists. Kalpong, the only river in the andamans flows through Diglipur. The ross and smith island is located very close to Diglipur. The Saddle peak National Park (Diglipur National Park) is located here. This park has provisions for trekking and hiking. Other important places in Diglipur are Kalipur beach and the Lamiya bay. Lamiya Bay is famous for its shell coated beach. Thambu Nali, a fresh water stream is located near the national park.

Little Andaman Islands

Southern end of the Andamn and Nicobar islands is where the Little Andaman is located. The little Andaman and Rutlnd bay is separated by the Duncan Passage. This place is very rich in biodiversity. White surf waterfall and whisper wave are located in the little Andaman. The Butler Bay beach is the most beautiful beach in Little Andaman. Coral watching, swimming, scuba diving and snorkelling are some of the activities performed by the travellers coming here. You could see a wide variety of birds and animals at Butler Bay beach. Rare varieties of turtles can be seen here. Harminder Bay beach and Netaji Nagar beach are the other beaches of the Little Andaman Islands.