Are you an adventure seeker and nature lover? How many of you have read our previous blog? In case you haven’t, do read our previous blogs on the Andaman series as we will be taking you all on another Island hopping. This time to the sibling of Havelock Island, Neil Island.
In case you don’t know who we are……
We call ourselves Travel Freaks……
After a fantastic day on Havelock Island, it was time for us to bid adieu to this mesmerising island. We had breakfast in the hotel by 8 o’clock and off to Havelock Jetty for our catamaran.
Seeing the word catamaran, you might be eager to know……
1. Is it the same catamaran that we used while travelling from Port Blair to Havelock Island?
The answer is “Yes”. The same catamaran is used for travelling from Havelock to Neil Island. You can refer to our previous blog on Havelock Island about the various ways of reaching Havelock Island from Port Blair, the same points are to be kept in mind while travelling from Havelock to Neil Island.
Now, you can understand that we would be travelling by the Makruzz Catamaran. We reached the Havelock Jetty by 10:20 AM. The scheduled departure time was 11 o’clock. The ticket price for the catamaran was around 1600 INR per person. Our excitement level was sky-high on visualizing the journey we had while travelling to Havelock.
This time the catamaran was sharp on time. It reached the jetty well within 11 and departed from the jetty by 11 o’clock. This time we were lucky to get a window seat. We could clearly see the Havelock Harbour slowly mixing up with the horizon, a picturesque view.
This time the ride was only for one hour. We reached the Neil Island Jetty by noon. Now that we reached Neil Island, you might want to know…….
2. Where was our stay at Neil Island?
As usual, we contacted our stay at Neil Island for a conveyance to pick us up from the Jetty. As a result, a cab was waiting for us at the parking. The driver greeted us with folded hands and a smiling face. We understood that most of the people of Andaman are quite friendly and helpful.
As the driver was starting his car, he told us that Neil Island had its name changed to Shaheed Dweep. He continued as he briefed us about his life and how he ended up landing up a job in Andaman from Rajasthan. We listened to his stories and in the meantime, in a matter of 15 minutes, we reached our stay at the Ramnagar Area.
Just like in Havelock, you can get an auto from the jetty for your hotel drop or you can rent a scooter for exploring the island. The auto can cost anywhere between 50-300 INR depending on your distance from the jetty. Be prepared to be a good negotiator and also check the distance shown in Offline or Online Maps.
This time the hotel was not exactly by the side of a beach, still it was cosy and nice. There was a garden view from our balcony. You can get decent rooms in Neil Island for 1500 INR per day. In fact, there were not one or two but many stay options. Based on the best deal you get, you can stay anywhere on this beautiful small island. Yes, we are just a click away for any help.
Returning to our story, we checked into our room by close to noon. The hotel had its own restaurant, we ordered our lunch. The dining area was amazing, it had a thatched roof with a sandy floor that was surrounded by a garden. Seeing such sights, we asked ourselves, What else do we need??
After lunch, we started with our Neil Island hopping. So you might be eager about……
3. What were the main attractions that we visited on Neil Island?
This time we hired an auto for the island hopping with the help of our hotel manager. The first on the list was (1) Bharatpur Beach. It was a 20-minute ride through the narrow road with mostly tropical trees on both sides.
Bharatpur beach is also famous for underwater activities. It is also referred to as a snorkeler’s paradise. Last time in the North Bay Island, we experienced Scuba Diving. Here we booked tickets for Snorkelling. This was an offshore activity that cost us around 500 INR per person. There was a motorised boat that took us far away from the shore. The guide instructed us to wear lifejackets and taught us the dos and don’ts in a 15-minute session. He handed us the snorkelling mask and asked us to slowly get into the water.
You won’t believe it was one of the best 20 minutes we have experienced so far for any water activities. We could clearly see the corals and other marine organisms. When we returned to the Bharatpur Beach shore, it was already 3 o’clock. We continued with our next destination (2) Laxmanpur Beach 1, which took us hardly 10 minutes to reach.
Well, there are two beaches named Laxmanpur. For better identification, locals call them Laxmanpur 1 and Laxmanpur 2 beach. Initially, we were on the #1 beach. The beach was serene with some fascinating coral formations. We loved the serene ambience on that beach. We noticed many travellers walking along the sandy stretch of land and looking to collect corals or other catchy objects from the beach which is also known as beachcombing. We sat there for a while and continued with our next destination on the list, (3) Natural Bridge.
If you have read our last blog on Havelock, you might have come across Howrah Bridge. On Neil Island also, there was a bridge with such similar formation in the form of a Howrah Bridge. We would say, we were lucky to witness the marvel of nature as waves have carved a natural bridge, creating a picturesque and Instagram-worthy spot. As sunset was around the corner you might have understood our next stop.
Yes, you are right, it’s the (4) Laxmanpur Beach 2. It was around 10 minutes from our last stop. When we reached, the beach was getting filled with fellow travellers. We were lucky to get a good spot to enjoy the sunset. This beach also had natural rock formations that gave it a different identity from other beaches. Finally, when the clock struck at 5:20 PM, we could notice the setting sun on the far horizon. It felt as if the sun was sinking in the sea.
We sat on the beach till 6:30 PM after which we decided to return to our stay and enjoy the ambience of our stay. On reaching our hotel, the manager served us tea with cookies. We were amazed to see his hospitality as he didn’t charge a penny for the tea and even prepared dinner before we could order a complimentary dessert. It was an amazing dinner, to be honest, and we ended our day on a happy note.
Now that we ended our day, you might wonder……
4. Is it the end of exploring the Neil Island?
The answer is “No”. We explored one more place before signing off from this island. The best part was that our return catamaran from Neil Island to Port Blair was at 12:30 PM. So, we woke up early the next day, had a light breakfast by 7:30 AM and quickly rented bicycles to reach the (5) Ramnagar Beach which was close to our hotel.
The beach was so secluded from the local crowd that we felt so relaxed walking by the shores. We were there for half an hour and then moved to the local market to buy some souvenirs for our loved ones. It was a splendid time on Neil Island and we felt like staying for another day. Unfortunately, we had our catamaran at 12:30 PM. So we reached our hotel by 11 AM and left for the Neil Island Jetty after lunch from a local restaurant.
Coming to the other attractions that we missed on Neil Island, they were (1) Sitapur Beach, (2) Mangrove Forests and (3) Limestone Caves. You can also plan these attractions depending on the amount of time you are on Neil Island. We would not say we have missed the Mangrove Forests and Limestone Caves. Curious Huh!! To know more, do follow this blog series.
Returning to our story, when we landed on Pheonix Jetty on Port Blair, it was around 1:40 PM. We booked the same stay in Port Blair which we did earlier. Do read about our landing in Port Blair if you haven’t.
We reached our hotel at Port Blair and took some rest. Later on, we went to the local shop to taste some delicious seafood. Honestly speaking, we ended our day pretty early say by 9:00 PM as a thrilling journey awaited the next day. For that, we had to wake up by 2 AM.
Unfortunately, we won’t reveal it now. You need to follow us as we are winding up this blog for now.
Wait! We are not going anywhere without this last question……
5. What kind of help are we going to provide?
Let us inform you that we prepare itineraries not only for anywhere in India but also for Asia. We have been travelling since we were toddlers. So here in our blogs and stories, we will give you a glimpse of our journey and help you plan your trip.
Read about our Uzbekistan blogs.
Read about our Kazakhstan blogs.
Read about our Singapore blogs.
Read about our Vietnam blogs.
Read about our Cambodia blogs.
Read about our Bali blogs.
Read about our Kuala Lumpur blog series.
Read about our Sri Lanka blogs.
Read about our Nepal blogs.
Read about our Char Dham blogs.
Read about our Ladakh blogs.
Read about our day trip to Hyderabad.
Read about our Madhya Pradesh blogs.
Read about our Andaman and Nicobar blogs.
Do follow our Instagram handle @mindfulllofvacations and watch for the next destination story of a new place. For any query related to any trip, drop a mail at @mitkau007@gmail.com.
by mitkau