Andaman and Nicobar - The Aqua Serene Isles For years, man has always sought seclusion when

it comes to a tropical, warm bea ch holiday. Whether it s the Brazilian Amazon or the beaches of Ibiza, seclusion b rings a tourist to a state of calm that very few of the world s destinations are u p to offering. Well, if its seclusion you seek, the Andaman and Nicobar islands are the place to be. The Geography of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . . . Over 8000 square kilometers of untapped nature await you at this fabulous holida y destination that forms India s largest offshore union territory in the Bay of Be ngal and is also India s southernmost tip. The Andaman and Nicobar islands are two distinct groups of islands separated by the 10 degree north latitude. The capit al city of Port Blair is the gateway to these islands with a dedicated airport, and it s also the most densely populated area of the islands. From Port Blair, one can use one of many modes of transport to make their way around the rest of the islands which are essentially an exposed ridge of an underwater mountain range spread over approximately 800 kilometers from north to south. Port Blair is also accessible via ferry from many east coast Indian ports like Chennai (Madras) an d Kolkata (Calcutta). The Attractions You Must See While at the Isles of Andaman and Nicobar The Andaman and Nicobar islands are an endless collection of clean white sandy b eaches, loads of opportunity for SCUBA diving and exploring the underwater world , the flora and fauna and a whole lot of naturally created sightseeing spots tha t leave you speechless. Off late the Andaman and Nicobar islands have also acqui red eco-friendly destination status which adds to the incentive. The list of attractions do not end at beaches, and SCUBA, the Andaman and Nicoba r islands have vast dense forests with hundreds of different species of birds an d flowers which make for quite a perfect honeymoon setting. That put together wi th how well the locals have managed to blend their resorts into the surroundings , promises to offer you an experience that is truly tropical and least adulterat ed. To give a tourist an idea of how unique the Andaman and Nicobar islands are, so far around 2200 species of plants have been identified in the forests, of wh ich 1300 aren t found in mainland India. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also a huge market for decorative Shellfish and Oysters. Often referred to as India s best guarded secret, the Andaman and Nic obar Islands promise to be the go to destination for tropical get away holidays in the near future. TIME magazine has recently rated the Radhanagar beach on Hav elock Island as one of Asia s finest! The Havelock beach itself is also a sight wo rth seeing with clean blue water and marine life one can t witness anywhere near t he mainland. Talk about an Andaman getaway and most tourists want to visit Jolly Buoy. Jolly Buoy Island along with other island groups like Havelock Island and Cinque Islan d forms part of the famous Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park also called the W andoor Marine National Park. Being heavily guarded for pollution, adulteration a nd designated ecozone tourists can experience a tropical paradise at its best. T he marine life, clean vast corals, the flora and fauna in general are unparallel ed in the region. These Routes Lead You to The Serene Islands of Andaman and Nicobar . . Getting to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is easy enough. Most of the leading a irlines in India offer direct connections to Port Blair s Veer Savarkar Airport fr om Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar and Chennai. The Shipping Corporation of India operates a vessel named M.V. Nancowry after one of the islands in the Nicobar island gro

up, which does a run between Chennai and Port Blair twice a month and between Vi zag and Port Blair once in three months.