#ATOZCHALLENGE DAY02: B FOR BEACHES BEACHES BEACHES

The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of ocean on a beach     – Henry Beston 

Why would  one not fall in love at first sight when you look at the clear blue waters of Andaman and Nicobar islands. With about 572 islands, almost every island is surrounded by beach what more can you ask for? Ever done a beach-hopping ?? 😉 And even though these beaches are flocked by so many tourists you can always find an isolated corner for one to relax and rewind. Shimmering stretch of water, every hue of blues and greens ever seen hitting the pure white sand? Anything that I say would not do justice to the beauty of these pristine beaches. No wonder they are called the “Emerald Islands” by travelers.

Before I talk about the famous beaches, I would want to really mention this point here that all the beaches in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are neat and clean. It’s a punishable offense if one found throwing garbage or littering the beaches. Apart from the govt officials the residents and shopkeepers by the beach side take charge in maintaining the beaches clean and beautiful. 

Since there are a lot of beaches that are worth mentioning I ll stick to few and exclude the most famous ones being Radhanagar (which I have mentioned in my earlier post as well) and few others on this island like the Elephant and Kalapathar in Havelock island along with the beaches Sitapur, Laxmanpur and Bharatpur in Neil Island definitely hold an important place so individual posts for them. 🙂 so don’t forget to check out my future posts for alphabets N and R for the same. 

Corbyn’s Cove

Courtesy -andamantourism.in

This is the most famous beach in the Capital of the islands – Port Blair. The crescent shaped coconut palm fringed Corbyn’s cove is ideal for swimming, water sports (my advice save the water sports for other beaches) and just relaxing. Tourists come here mostly on day 1 of their itinerary after completing the light and sound show at Cellular Jail or vice versa depending on your arrival and if you have a day stop in Port Blair.

The 8 km drive from the city center to the beach itself would make you realize that how clean the air is and without any pollution and passes several Japanese WWII bunkers along the way will give you a peek in history these islands hold. This definitely is a go to beach for the people of the islands here. My first time was when I was in kindergarten and had gone for school picnic 🙂

The Waves Restaurant, The Peerless Sarovar Portico Resort and the Hornbill Nest Guest House are at a stone’s throw from the beachfront.

Chidiyatapu

The beach name means Birds Island which literally holds good as you can see for over 3000 kinds of birds flocking to these islands during sunset and hence this beach is famous as the Sunset Point. To be true the sunsets in many of the beaches is a treat to the eyes. But being this being the more famous one to the Port Blair island since it is just 15 kms from the city. It’s also one of the popular picnic spot for the locals and for the honeymoon couples as well because of the romantic allure.

For adventure lovers Chidiyatapu has a little more to offer. A trekking trail, which passes through forest and beautiful coast line to reach the Munda Pahad(Black Mountain). The trail starts at the shore of Chidiyatapu beach and moves up passing through dense forest. It’s advisable to take a guide or travel in groups to reach the Munda Pahad. Upon reaching Munda Pahad, an elongated black cliff at the edge of Chidiyatapu with an open seascape is an amazing site, which most travelers visiting these islands miss.

Jolly Buoy

clicked by a friend

Jolly Buoy Island is one the most popular tourists attractions in the vicinity of Port Blair. This beautiful and scenic island is situated 15 miles from Wandoor jetty, which is part of Mahatma Gandhi National Park. Wandoor beach is 30 kilometers from Port Blair by road, and from there it will take a one hour boat ride (15 miles) to Jolly Buoy Island. The journey is an unforgettable experience that takes you through a luxuriant forest surrounded by clear, immaculate sea water.

The name Jolly Buoy is an apt description of this delightful island with its spotless, shimmering white sands and turquoise-blue clear waters masterfully adorned by vibrant corals. It is one of only two islands (together with Red Skin Island) that are open to tourists within Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. Jolly Buoy is a veritable diver’s paradise. Because of limitations on the number of visitors at any one time, Jolly Buoy Island is still in pristine condition. This means visitors are treated to an atmosphere like that of a private beach. It is gloriously rich in corals and has an amazing variety of fauna. The underwater marine environment with its brilliantly-colored fishes will leave you awestruck.

It is famous for its glass bottom boats available which will give you a panoramic view of the fauna and flora underneath.

The lonely planet describes the beaches of Andaman’s as – With its breathtakingly beautiful coastline, lush forested interior, fantastic diving possibilities and far-flung location, the Andaman Islands are a perfect place to ramble around or simply chill out on sun-toasted beaches.

Wandoor

The Wandoor beach is yet another popular beach for the tourists and the locals. The beach is about half an hour drive from the city and is close to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. The park was created 24 May 1983 under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 to protect marine life such as the corals and nesting sea turtles prevalent in the area.

There are 2 major island groups in the park: the Labyrinth Islands and the Twin Islands. The islands are situated 16 km (10 mi) south from Port Blair. The marine park covers 281.5 km² made up of 17 islands and the open sea creeks running through the area. There is a chance for ecotourism on the islands Jolly Buoy and Red Skin. The islands belongs to the Rutland Archipelago and are located between Rutland Island and South Andaman Island.

Few more clicks 🙂 

Other notable beaches in the islands are  – Lalaji Bay, Casurina and Ram Nagar beach in Diglipur which is about 300 kms from Port Blair. The Ram Nagar beach is famous for its sea turtle nesting grounds from Dec to Feb 

All I can think of as I end this post is this beautiful quote ❤

Disclaimer: I am not into photography so all the images that I upload are clicked by my friends or would leave a link to their insta profiles. Also some amazing folks work in Andaman’s as diving instructors and their profiles are treat to the eyes. If you want to drop by and have a look at more pictures. Also an amount of information are taken from the and.nic.in website of Andaman and Nicobar administration and other travel sites of my friends for more accurate and factual data. 

Happy Blogging 🙂 I hope everyone is having a good time !!!