When do we need a holiday? When the mind gets exhausted due to work and we feel like we should travel somewhere to feel fresh. Such was the day of 23rd January, when I set my foot from Bangalore for the mystic islands of Andaman and Nicobar. I had to go via Chennai and after a long delay, thanks to Spicejet I finally reached the beautiful capital town of Andaman, Port Blair.

One thing which I noticed on landing at Port Blair was the canopy of greenery. It spread across the majestic hills that has risen all around the place. Well some say several years ago Andaman and Nicobar was part of a mountain range that extended right from Myanmar to Indonesia but disintegrated due to various tectonic movements. Some say they have risen from the sea due to shifting of plates below sea bed. Anyway I was stunned by seeing the hills on one side and the vast expanse of deep blue sea on the other.

After a brief spell of rest, I along with my parents and other members who were part of the tourist agency ventured out for the historic Cellular Jail. Incidentally this massive structure was built by the British in the late 19th century to sentence the bravehearts of India's freedom struggle like V D Savarkar,Barindra Kumar Ghose, Batukeshwar Dutt  to lifetime imprisonment. Not only they could see the faces of their loved ones but also inflicted to brutal torture inside premises of this jail. Each person was forced to extract 30 litres of coconut oil daily from the shell failing which they were caned mercilessly. They were imprisoned in a small room and were not allowed to meet anyone after evening. People who did not obey were taken to special cells devoid of sunlight and were not even allowed food. Such was the level of punishment inflicted on freedom strugglers that it sent a chill down our spine and made our eyes moist while we watched the light and sound programme.

The next day we set out for beautiful Ross Island from Junglighat jettyy of Port Blair. It was where the British had settled initially before they abandoned it and moved to Port Blair. Later the Japanese had occupied it during World War II. We can still find the ruins here of ancient buildings during that era. A lot of animals like deer, peacock etc are found here which are relatively friendly to the tourists. We can also find an old museum and a lighthouse to control movements across sea.In the evening we went to the calm and picturesque Corbyn's Cove beach of Port Blair. Its a beautiful place. Enjoyed a nice bath on the sea shore and also took a ride of the adventurous water scooter, called jet ski. Right across the beach is an island infested with poisonous snakes, hence the name Snake Island. It is uninhabited.

The following day we were to travel away from Port Blair...to a small island named Neil. A government authorized vessel was waiting for us at Phoenix Bay Jetty, Port Blair where we boarded it and reached Neil around two hours later. It was an amazing experience traveling in a ship across the endless water of Bay of Bengal with the strong wind hitting our faces on the deck being the best.

We were cordially welcomed by the people and ushered to the small but wonderful resort nearby. Came across some really friendly local people who fed us coconuts and delicious mangoes. In the evening we went to visit the Rock Bridge. This is a natural wonder. A bed of rock forming an arch like structure in the air. We also went to the Laxmanpur beach which is full of dead corals scattered across the beach. The sunset is a wonderful spectacle to view here.

The next morning we went to Bharatpur beach where we enjoyed a nice bath in the sea water. The tides were high as it was cloudy which made it even more fun. We also saw beautiful fishes and corals through glass fitted in the bottom a speedboat which took us far from the shore.In the meantime our ship for the Havelock island arrived in the jetty. It took another two hours for us to reach the Havelock Island. It is a much bigger and more crowded island than Neil. We were taken to a wonderful resort which was right across the Vijaynagar beach. In the evening we went for a long walk on the beach across the corals in shallow water till the point the sea water started. It was a mesmerizing experience.

The following day was the most adventurous day of my life. I was all set to go under sea for scuba diving. By early morning we were ready with our suits masks and oxygen cylinders. Initially we were given some basic training after which the trainer took us underneath the water surface. It was an experience of a lifetime to see the colourful fishes swimming so close to me. I could even touch some of them. After the hour long adventure ended we were taken to the Radhanagar beach. Now this is one of the most beautiful beaches not only in India but in Asia and it deserves the fame. Crystal clear water and white sands posed a beautiful spectacle. Greenery expanded right across the two ends of the beach. Enjoyed every bit before it was time to return to Port Blair. This was the most exciting part as it was a cruise. We enjoyed dancing to the music played in the ship. By evening we reached and went for some light shopping in the famous Aberdeen Bazaar of Port Blair.

The second last day of our trip contained of a city trip across Port Blair. We were taken to the historic Chatham Saw Mill located in Chatham Island. Lumbering has been a major profession in Andaman since the British era. We can see some of the excellent crafted furnitures here and also exquisitely polished structures. We saw the Fisheries Aquarium then. Some of the rare marine species available in the islands are preserved here. Next we moved on to the Anthropological museum. This was a beauty. We could see the lifestyle and habits of all the indigenous tribes in Andaman like Jarawa, Onge, Sentinelese and Shompen through a gallery of pictures and demonstration in wood and straw of their huts and tools they used for fishing, hunting and so on. The last destination for the day was the beautiful Gandhi Park. Here one can find a big lake across the heart of the park and some rare and indigenous flora only found across the islands.

The last day of the trip had no less excitement. We woke up as early as 3 in the morning to set out for the Baratang island. This was a road trip along dense forests. We followed the Andaman trunk road, the only highway in the area. Tsunami affected lands are still visible here. We needed a forest permit at Jirkatang check post before we entered the tribal territory. Unfortunately we could not see any tribals as it was raining; so they preferred to stay indoors may be. However the steep curves in the road across the hills thrilled me. We reached a point from where our maxi cab would be hauled up on a ship and carry us to Baratang island. It was incredible. Even buses were hauled up inside the vessel. From there we were taken by a speedboat to a remote island. This was the site for the limestone caves, one of the most amazing creations of nature. Each and every rock in that cave looks like an imagination of the artist...be it a Ganesh statue or a Shiva linga. We were totally thrilled here. We also visited the mud volcano site where mud would be spilled instead of lava and ash. It was also an interesting spectacle.

Finally we have to leave. We bade goodbye to Andaman with a heavy heart but with tons of memories and only one promise...to try to come back again.