Andaman Honeymoon Tour Package

The descent into Port Blair gives you the first look at what the next week holds: green hills running straight into blue water, scattered islands and the long harbor of South Andaman. Our representative meets you at Veer Savarkar International Airport with a placard and a pair of fresh flower garlands, puts your luggage in the trunk of your private car and drives you to your sea-view hotel, a short drive away. Most flights from the mainland land in the morning, so there is time for an early lunch, a rest and a first briefing on ferry times, tides and the plan for the days ahead.

Around mid-afternoon you drive about seven kilometers south to Corbyn's Cove, a small palm-lined beach close to town where local families come to swim and eat fried fish from beach stalls. It is a gentle introduction to Andaman water, warm and calm on most days, and a good place to test your sunscreen before the brighter beaches of Havelock. Your driver waits while you walk the sand or sit with a tender coconut, and on the way back you pass old Japanese bunkers from the Second World War, still visible on the hillside above the road.

Toward dusk you arrive at the Cellular Jail, finished by the colonial government in 1906, where freedom fighters from across India were shipped to serve long sentences far from home. The name refers to its layout of tiny single cells, arranged along wings that radiated like spokes from a watchtower so that each cell door faced the blank back wall of the next wing. Your guide walks you through the remaining wings, the gallows and the museum before the light and sound show begins in the courtyard after dark, narrating the prison's history with lights playing across the old brick walls. Overnight in Port Blair.

Breakfast is early, and by eight you are at Haddo Wharf for the morning catamaran to Havelock, officially renamed Swaraj Dweep in 2018. Our jetty assistant checks you in, so all you need to carry is your passport and a small day bag, while the suitcases go into the hold. Depending on which vessel runs that day and how the sea behaves, the private catamaran needs somewhere between ninety minutes and a little over two hours, and the upper-class cabin has cool air and soft reclining seats. Step out onto the rear deck for a few minutes if it is open, because the color of the water changes visibly as you leave the harbor.

At Havelock jetty a driver from our island team is waiting, and the drive to your beach resort takes only a few minutes along the island's single main road. Check in to a cottage or villa set back from the sand, where we have requested an upgrade to a sea-facing room subject to availability on the day. Lunch is at the resort or at a small café nearby, and the early afternoon is best spent indoors or in the shade, since the tropical sun is strong between noon and three. Havelock runs on island time, and even the main market closes quietly by mid-evening.

Around four o'clock you drive about twelve kilometers across the island to Radhanagar Beach, also known as Beach No. 7, a wide sweep of powdery sand with a wall of old forest standing right behind it. The beach faces west, which makes it the best sunset spot on Havelock, and the shallow water near the shore is good for a swim while lifeguards are on duty. Find a spot toward the northern end, away from the entrance, and watch the sky turn orange and then pink over the Andaman Sea. Swimming stops at sunset, and your driver brings you back for a quiet dinner at the resort. Overnight in Havelock.

Elephant Beach lies on Havelock's northwest coast and can only be reached by boat or on foot through the forest, which keeps it free of cars. After breakfast you go to the jetty, where a shared speedboat takes about twenty minutes to cross a stretch of open water, and the boat is usually full of couples, families and snorkel guides chatting in several languages. Morning slots tend to have calmer water and better visibility, which is why we book the earliest boat available. Bring a dry bag for your phone, reef-safe sunscreen and a towel, because there is little shade on the beach itself.

Snorkeling is included in the package and comes with a mask, a life jacket and a guide who swims alongside you over the shallow reef. You do not need to be a strong swimmer, as the guide holds a flotation ring and points out parrotfish, sergeant majors, giant clams and patches of brain and staghorn coral. For a different angle, you can add a sea walk, where you wear a helmet supplied with air from the surface and walk slowly along the seabed holding a rail, with no swimming or diving skills needed. Jet skis and banana boats are also on offer for an extra fee.

By early afternoon the speedboats ferry everyone back across, leaving the hours until dinner open. Many couples head back to the resort for a long lunch, a nap and a swim in the pool, while others hire a scooter with an international driving permit and ride the quiet road to Kalapathar Beach, where black rocks break up the line of white sand. Toward evening, the resort's couple spa session is a good way to rest muscles after the swim, with a coconut-oil massage and a herbal steam that eases the effects of salt water and sun. Dinner is at a seafood shack near the market. Overnight in Havelock.

Set an early alarm if you can, because Kalapathar Beach on Havelock's east coast catches the first light of the day across a calm lagoon. Your driver collects you before dawn for the short ride, and you may share the beach only with a few fishermen and the odd early swimmer. As the sun rises behind the low islands offshore, the sand turns from grey to gold and the black rocks that give the beach its name show up sharply against the water. Coffee from a roadside stall on the way back tastes better at that hour than any hotel breakfast.

The rest of the day is unplanned on purpose, so you can sleep in after sunrise, read on a hammock or book an optional activity at the resort desk. Popular choices for couples include a half-day kayak trip through the mangrove creeks near the jetty, an introductory scuba try-dive with a certified dive center, or a short forest walk to a viewpoint. If you prefer to stay put, the resort pool and the beach in front of your cottage are rarely crowded on weekdays. Our island coordinator is available by phone to book anything you decide on at short notice.

In the late afternoon you can return to Radhanagar Beach to see it at a different hour, when the light is lower and the sand cooler underfoot, or simply walk the stretch of beach in front of your resort. Havelock's small market near Beach No. 3 has a few souvenir shops selling shell crafts, Andaman padauk woodwork and printed sarongs, along with bakeries selling banana bread and fresh juice. For dinner, several restaurants on the island offer grilled lobster, crab and reef fish caught the same day, and your coordinator can reserve a table with a sea view. Overnight in Havelock.

Checkout is relaxed today, since the catamaran to Neil Island, now called Shaheed Dweep, usually leaves late morning or around midday. The crossing is the shortest of the trip, about an hour on calm water, and our assistant handles tickets and luggage at both ends. Neil is less than a third the size of Havelock and noticeably quieter, with farmland in the center where villagers grow bananas, coconuts and vegetables for the other islands. The island's nickname, the vegetable bowl of the Andamans, makes sense once you see the green fields between the beaches.

A short drive from the jetty brings you to your resort, a cluster of cottages set among palms within walking distance of the shore. After lunch you have time to settle in, and many couples rent bicycles from the resort, since the island's roads are flat, almost free of traffic and only a few kilometers end to end. Cycling past fields, small temples and roadside stalls selling tender coconuts is the simplest way to see daily life on Neil. Wear a hat and carry water, as the afternoon heat can surprise you even on short rides.

In the late afternoon your driver takes you to Laxmanpur Beach, also called Beach No. 1, on Neil's western tip, where a long spit of white sand and broken coral faces the setting sun. The beach is shallow and rocky in parts, better for walking than swimming, and the sound of water running over the coral fragments is quite different from the soft sand of Radhanagar. Wait until the last sliver of sun has gone, then head back for a plain, fresh meal at the resort or a homestyle thali in the small bazaar. Neil goes to sleep early, and the night sky here is usually clear. Overnight in Neil.

Sitapur Beach, on the eastern end of Neil, is the island's sunrise point, and the short drive there in the dark is worth the early start. Limestone cliffs line part of the beach, and as the light grows you can see how the waves have carved caves and ledges into them over the centuries. The beach is exposed to the open sea, so swimming is not advised, but sitting on the sand with a flask of tea while the sky changes color is reason enough to come. Breakfast at the resort runs late, so a short nap before it is perfectly possible.

Timing for the next stop depends on the tide table, which your guide checks the evening before. The natural rock bridge, often called Howrah Bridge after the famous bridge in Kolkata, is a coral arch formed by the sea on the rocky shore near Laxmanpur, and you can only walk to it at low tide. Along the way your guide points out tide pools full of small fish, sea cucumbers, starfish and live coral, and explains why you should never step on or touch them. Wear water shoes or sturdy sandals, because the coral rock is sharp and slippery in places.

The afternoon is spent at Bharatpur Beach, near the jetty, where the shallow lagoon has calm water and the most reliable snorkeling on Neil. An optional glass-bottom boat ride takes you over the reef without getting wet, which suits anyone who would rather watch the coral than swim over it. Tonight our team sets up a private dinner for two on the sand near your resort, with lanterns, a small table and a set menu of grilled fish or vegetable dishes, and the crew stays at a discreet distance. Ask for a wine or soft-drink pairing when you confirm the menu. Overnight in Neil.

Your last sea crossing, about an hour or a bit more on a late-morning catamaran, closes the island loop at Port Blair. Our assistant meets you at the jetty, and you check in to a hotel overlooking the harbor, where we have requested a late checkout for tomorrow subject to availability. The return to town after several days on small islands can feel like a jolt, with traffic, horns and busy markets, so we keep the afternoon light. For lunch, try Andaman fish curry at a town eatery, made with coconut and a lighter hand with spice than the versions served on the mainland. Ask your driver for the place he eats at himself.

If you have energy left after lunch, an optional visit to the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum or the Anthropological Museum fills in the background on Andaman coral, marine life and the islands' indigenous communities. Both are small and air-conditioned, a welcome break from the midday heat, and each takes about an hour to see properly. Couples who prefer shopping can head to Aberdeen Bazaar, the main market around the clock tower, for pearl jewelry, coconut-shell crafts and local spices. Your driver knows which government emporium sells certified handicrafts at fixed prices, which takes the stress out of bargaining.

Late in the afternoon you drive about twenty-five kilometers south to Chidiya Tapu, a wooded headland at the southern tip of South Andaman whose name means bird island. The road winds through mangroves and small villages, and once you reach the point, the forest opens onto a rocky beach with views across the sea toward smaller islands. It is a well-loved local sunset spot and a fitting end to the trip, with the sound of birds in the trees behind you. You return to Port Blair for a farewell dinner at a seafood restaurant of your choice. Overnight in Port Blair.

Breakfast is at your own pace, and depending on your flight time there may be a free hour to walk along the Marina Park seafront or pick up last souvenirs in Aberdeen Bazaar. Your driver collects you about two hours before departure for the short ride to the airport, as security lines can be slow on busy mornings. Most flights connect onward through Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore or Delhi, and we can book an airport hotel there if you have a long wait before your international flight home.

Our representative accompanies you to the terminal entrance and makes sure your bags are checked in before you say goodbye. Over eight days you have seen the Cellular Jail at dusk, sunsets on two island coasts, a coral reef from above and below the water, and the quiet lanes of Neil on two wheels. If you ever want to return for scuba diving, the remote islands of the north or a combined trip with Kerala, our team will be glad to plan it for you. Safe travels home.