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Climate Of The Andaman And Nicobar Islands

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The islands of Andaman and Nicobar enjoy the climate that is typical regions around Bay of Bengal. The islands are warm with ample amount of sunshine and yes there’s sufficient humidity as well. When classifying broadly, the islands can be considered to have just two seasons: one when it is raining and the other when it isn’t.

Considering that the islands experience a tropical climate, the islands must typically be very hot however the cool breeze that keeps blowing in from the sea maintains the average temperature in the range of 23 degree Celsius and 30 degree Celsius. The weather conditions here are never extreme, they are neither too hot not too cold. However when it rains it pours and you can expect some storms here during the monsoons.

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The islands experience either summers or monsoon and the winters here does not resemble the winters elsewhere.

Monsoons

The monsoon arrives twice in the islands: the first time it arrives in May and lasts till August and the second time it arrives in November and lasts till December. Since the rains are usually heavy and accompanied with storms, this time is generally considered to be an off season and tourists tend to remain away from the islands during this time since the average rainfall during this time is 318 centimetres. During this season the temperature of the Islands falls down to a range of 22. 5 degree Celsius and 29.9 degree Celsius.

It is not entirely impossible to enjoy the islands during the monsoons. However, most of the adventure or water sports are no longer allowed during this period of time. But if you love to enjoy being amidst lush green nature and do not mind admiring nature from indoors then it is a great time to be on the islands however tourists do stay away from the islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands during this season.

Summers

The summers in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are quite temperate however the sea breeze again comes to the rescue and this makes the island pleasurable as well as enjoyable. The summers here last from March and goes on till May and this is the reason why these months are considered to be the peak season for the tourists since a large influx of tourists can be seen during this time. The summers are very pleasant and the temperatures do not go very high during this period. The temperature largely hovers between somewhere around 22 degree Celsius however it may reach beyond 30 degree Celsius. This kind of temperature is not a bother at all since, as earlier mentioned, the breeze ensures that blows in from the sea keeps the island cool.

There are several different kinds of activities that are available all through the summers like sea walking, wind surfing, deep sea diving etc with sea walking being especially popular among tourists. This season is the most popular among all the tourists who are planning on visiting the islands. You can find most of the tourists enjoying themselves on the beautiful beaches that the islands have to offer.

Winters

Winters here on the islands do not seem like winters elsewhere largely because the temperature does not dip too low. The winters here in the islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are not very cold at all and are considered to be balmy since the temperature does not drop too low. It remains from December right through February. This makes the weather perfect if you would like to go sightseeing.

Since the weather remains pleasant during the winters as well, it is not uncommon to find tourists on the island during this season as well.

Humidity

Humidity is s whole different facet here at Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The humidity of the islands reaches up to 80% and the reason for such high humidity is the fact that the islands are situated in the Bay of Bengal. This makes the islands significantly humid and also warm. Normally this kind of humidity ensures that people remain uncomfortable and sticky but you will never find the same issues plaguing the people who are on the island. In spite of such high humidity climatic conditions, the cool breeze coming in from the sea makes it tolerable.

Best time for visiting the islands

The best time for visiting the islands of Andaman and Nicobar is considered to be from October to May. Although any time in this period is great to visit the islands, the most ideal time among this period to visit the islands is considered to be from November to March.

During these months the islands experience a calm type of weather where it is neither too cold nor too hit but just right to enjoy the sights that the island has to offer. This weather is also ideal for enjoying the numerous water and adventure sports like sea walking, wind surfing etc that are rife all across the islands. Apart from the water and adventure sports this type of the year is also ideal for exploring the islands and also for trekking.

Visiting the islands during the months mentioned above is ideal if you would like to soak in the sun and enjoy the number of activities that are available all across the islands.

The climatic conditions here at the islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is mostly very pleasant except for the monsoons when you may expect a few storms coupled with some heavy downpour. If you are planning on visiting the islands during summers do ensure that you have booked your tickets as well as your accommodation well in advance.

No matter what time of the year you plan on visiting the islands, one thing that is for certain is that you will simply enjoy your stay. So go ahead, visit the islands and have a great time and make way for some great memories that you will remember for the days to come.

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Food In Andaman And Nicobar Islands

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The Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been inhabited by people of numerous origins, which probably had a some influence in the food choices. In current day and time, the food here available abundantly in local stores, eateries and common places is mostly Indian. Indian people, mainly from the southern states and West Bengal has migrated here in the last few decades, and it is their influence that is visible in the cuisinine choices available here.

The finest of all Indian cuisine have been passed on from one generation to another largely by the word of mouth. Like several other aspects of the Andaman Islands, the food of the region too has seen an influence of the Christian, Hindu, Muslim and also Sikh religions in its traditional food. You can see this impact in the tasty and substantially spicy cuisine that can be found in the Andamans.

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The cuisine that is found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands can be broadly classified as North Indian Food and the South Indian Food. You can find restaurants dishing out cuisines from across the world however the Indian cuisine is the one that you will find to be more widely consumed.

North Indian Food

Although most of the recipes of Indian origin use exotic spices and have a distinct aroma, the North Indian Food is quite different and has distinct characteristics as compared to the South Indian Food.

Usually the North Indian Food that you find either in the mainland or here at the Andamans have a very thick gravy which is undoubtedly very tasty as well. As is the case with most of the Indian food it does get quite spicy sometimes and you will also find that they make use of the dairy products like paneer, butter, milk, yogurt etc. You will usually find nuts being served in the North Indian Food.

The North Indian Food does include several different kinds of flat breads like paratha, roti, tandoori roti, kulcha, naan etc where each one is different from the other in the way it has been prepared and cooked.

North Indian Cuisine usually gets eaten with these flat breads instead of rice. Apart from these flat breads there are other kinds as well which gets deep fried.

South Indian Food

South Indian Food is very different from the North Indian cuisine. The Malabar Coast which is part of South India is well known for the use of spices in its food. Some of the notable spices which get added in this cuisine include nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, pepper and cardamom. The region of south India is abundant in fish, coconut, root tubers etc and these have been incorporated in a number of dishes that you will find in the south Indian cuisine. Unlike the region of North India where wheat is used a lot more abundantly, in south India you will find that rice is used a lot more abundantly.

Considering that the islands of Andaman and Nicobar are a lot closer to south India, for several generations people have been migrating over to the islands and have carried with them their cuisine which have found their way into the local cuisine as well.

South Indian Cuisine is rife with several different types of dosas, idlis vadas and sambhar. There are several different kinds of both vegetarian as well as non – vegetarian dishes and most of these make use of spices and also coconut in generous quantities. The way they temper food is almost always the same which makes use of oil, curry leaves and mustard seeds and some of them make use of red chillies and also urad dal in their tempering as well.

People who live in and around the state of Kerala mostly eat fish. That is their staple food which is mostly accompanied with boiled rice. Snacks that the region is famous for includes banana chips and also jackfruit chips.

The cuisine from the state of Andhra is unique in its own right. It is home to some of the famous biriyanis and kebabs. The food here is very rich and hot and one can see a very heavy influence of the Mughal cuisine.

Papads, dry chutney powders and pickles can be found to be made use in the South Indian cuisine.

Since Andaman and Nicobar are islands, you will find that almost all of the restaurants here serve sea food and there are quite handful restaurants which are purely vegetarian and serve the vegetarians who visit the place.

We are listing below some of the most famous restaurants here in the Andamans.

  • Lighthouse Residency

If you eat meat then while visiting the islands allow yourself to try the sea fare that is widely available here. Lighthouse Residency which is located in Port Blair is known to be one of the finest restaurants to serve sea food.

  • Red Snapper

Another go – to restaurant to satisfy your craving for sea food then you can always dine in at Red Snapper. It is part of the famous Wild Orchid Resort and the restaurant is known to ooze out a rustic charm complete with furnishings made out of bamboo and also a thatched roof which will never let you forget that you are in a tropical restaurant.

  • Mandalay

If you are looking to spend some quality time with your partner over some delicious food then Mandalay is the place to be. Located in Fortune Bay Resort which is present in Port Blair it has a very breezy open deck which is perfect to enjoy a beautiful evening. They are known to dish out some exceptional sea food so seafood junkies can go crazy over their wide array of dishes which includes lobster, crab and fresh fish. You can also find Indian as well as Chinese cuisine as well.

  • B3

If you are looking to consume some dishes from the continental cuisine then B3 located at the Havelock Island is a place that must be visited. The place serves pastas, burgers, sandwiches and pizzas.

While in the islands, check out the area and do not forget to try out the sumptuous spread of sea food that is available here.

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Andaman and Nicobar Islands: An Intriguing History

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The history of Andaman and Nicobar islands has been a matter of many debates, with very little documented data available. The earliest known archaeological evidence, which has been documented, goes back to odd 2,200 years, although other data have unique indications. Genetic data and other cultural data that is available indicates that the actual indigenous Andamanese people where isolated from other populations some 30,000 years ago, which is also known as the Middle Paleolithic age.

The Earliest Known History

Long before Indians discovered these islands, it was the Malays who used to visit them frequently. The Malays have been known to visit here largely looking to enslave its inhabitants. The Malays are also responsible for the existence of the name Andamans. They primarily called the place as Handuman, after Hanuman.

The Nicobar Islands are believed to have been inhabited by a number of indigenous tribes from over thousands of years. There have been signs which show that Rajendra Cholan tried to win over the island and control them in order to put himself in a position where his kingdom became the naval super power. The Cholas too had captured the Nicobar Islands at some point and we know this because a mention of the same has been made at the Tanjore Temple (also known as Brihadeeshwara Temple).

About 1,000 years ago the Chinese were aware of the existence of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and called it by the name of ‘Yeng – t – omag’. Ptolemy, the 2nd century Roman geographer, too had placed this group of islands on the very first map that was ever drawn. He named them as ‘Angdaman Islands’ (or islands of good fortune). In the 6th century a Buddhist monk I’T Sing called these islands ‘Lo – jen – kuo’ (or the land of the naked). The islands have also found a mention by two Arab travellers back in the 8th century who knew it as ‘Lakhabalus’ or ‘Najabulus’ (also meaning the land of the naked). The famous traveller Marco Polo also knew about these islands and he called them as ‘Angamanian’.

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European Settlers

There have been several European settlers who tried to capture these islands. The very attempt for the same was made by the Dutch so much so that the Dutch East India Company went on to claim the Nicobar Islands and also ended up renaming the island as ‘New Denmark’. Another European country to stake its claim here was Austria. Although English are possibly the most famous settlers, they were the last one to come in here. These islands continued to remain under their control until 1950 when the Indian Government claimed it.

The Cellular Jail (or Kaala Paani as it is popularly known as) was constructed by the British to accommodate the ‘hardened criminals’ (the freedom fighters). These freedom fighters were tortured here and several were left to die.

The Four Periods

The history of the islands can be broadly classified broadly into 4 periods

  1. The seclusion period
  2. British regime
  3. Japanese regime
  4. Post – independence period

Although the history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands can be traced back to several thousands of years, the modern history only began in 1789 when the then Governor General of India ordered to carry out a survey of the islands in order to figure out if they were suitable enough for human settlement. Hence a topo – cum – hydrographic survey was conducted which revealed that it was indeed suitable for humans to settle down.

Soon after the survey, the very first settlement arrived on the island at Port Blair (which was known as Port Cornwallis) in the year 1790 at the Chatham Island. They brought in criminals from the mainland of India. However they soon had to shift to North Andaman which they did in 1792. This was largely due to the high mortality rate that occurred due to malaria and also the frequent attacks that they had to face by the aborigines. However by 1796, they left the island due to the natural calamities.

Although much isn’t known about the activities of the Portuguese in these islands, what we do know is that the Christian missionaries began preaching the islanders after entering in the 17th century. A Portuguese influence is also seen in the Nicobarese language which possesses some Portuguese words.

The Dutch came here in the year 1756 and stayed put until 1787. The Dutch Government tried to build a colony in the region of Nancowry, albeit unsuccessfully, and in the year 1869 handed over the islands of Nicobar to the British.

It was only after the First War of Independence back in 1857 that the British tried to set up a penal code at Port Blair where for the first time, an initial lot comprising of 200 freedom fighters landed here. By 1858, the British has for the second time established their colony in the island. It was during this colonisation that the British officials as well as soldiers settled here in large groups.

The convicts from Burma and India were sent over by the British to these islands thereby separating those Indians who fought against the British to achieve freedom. These prisoners were chained and forced to work in the forests, any protest from them resulted in their death.

The very first prison and also Hangman’s noose were set up at an island known as the Viper Island. The number of cells in this prison was insufficient and this prompted the British to construct the Cellular Jail which was large enough to accommodate about 600 prisoners at one time.

During World War II, these islands were abandoned by the British and taken over by the Japanese with whom remained for 4 years post which it was taken over again by the British and at the time of independence was handed over to India.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose inside the Cellular Jail in Port Blair. Netaji arrived in Port Blair on December 29, 1943.

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Andaman and Nicobar Islands: General Information

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There is very little documented evidence as when the first humans came to settle down in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The first evidence is known to belong to the 2nd century, when Greek astronomer Ptolemy noted the presence of humans. Again in the 17th century, renowned traveller Chinese monk Xuan Zang mentioned about the islands.

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 In modern history, it was on December 1755 that Danish East India Company arrived on the islands of Nicobar, and in January the following year, the Nicobar Islands were converted into a Danish colony. Soon after, Austrians arrived for brief time, but Andaman and Nicobar Islands had change in its rights, after the islands were sold to Britain in 1868, following which the British made it a part of the British India. The British colony established here came to have the much known and infamous Cellular Jail.

For a very long time, the islands of Andaman and Nicobar had a very bad reputation of being a penal colony. During the long period of freedom fight in India, many known freedom fighters were sent to the Cellular Jail for punishment, which was then known as the dreaded “KaalaPani”. Even today, the cells of the jail can give jitters to anyone who is remotely aware of the freedom fight in India.

In recent times, there has been a drastic change and it is now one of the most visited destinations in India. The beaches here are exotic and these places have played a very big role in pulling the tourists here.

History

Arab merchants have reported the presence of these islands back in the 9th century while they sailed past the islands while on their way towards Sumatra. The very first western visitor to the place seems to be Marco Polo who called this place ‘the land of head hunters’ because of the hostile tribes that lived here. The islands had been annexed by Marathas and remained under its control until the death of the Maratha admiral Angre post which they were taken over by the British. The Japanese forces captured the islands from the British back in 1942 and it continued to remain with them until 1945. The control of this territory was handed over to India when it gained independence in 1947.

Geography

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in the Bay of Bengal. This group of islands, islets and rocks are spread over an area of about 8,249 sq. km. The capital of the islands is Port Blair which is considered to be every tourist’s paradise. It is also the largest city in the entire island.

Climate

The islands have a tropical type of climate and they experience moderate temperature all through the year. However the humidity of the island can go top being as high as 80% however the sea breeze which constantly blows in from the sea maintains the temperature and cools the island down. This breeze is also helpful in maintaining the temperature of the island in the range of 23 degree Celsius and 31 degree Celsius.

Unlike most of the Indian mainland, the islands experience monsoon twice in a year. The weather is very pleasant while it isn’t raining but when it rains it practically pours with an occasional storm. While tourists throng the islands in summers the rains make them stay away since the water and adventure sports that the island is famous for shut down for the rains.

Reaching Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Although the islands are secluded since they are situated in the Bay of Bengal, it isn’t very hard to reach the place. The islands can be reached from the Indian mainland either by air or by sea. There are regular flights which take tourists from Kolkata and Chennai to the capital Port Blair. Few major airlines operate on this route.

There are also ships which take you from the mainland to Port Blair. There are about 3 or maybe 4 ships which leave from Kolkata and Chennai every month. A ship is also available from Vishakhapatnam every month. It does take longer to travel by water than by air.

The ships and flights will only take you to Port Blair and if you would like to go someplace else then you will have to make use of the local transport.

Shopping

Andaman is more of a holiday destination which is great top relax and unwind and maybe seek out a few sports which will get your adrenaline pumping. However the Aberdeen Market in port Blair is a great place to shop in. It is great to look for some popular artefacts like shell jewellery, jewellery made out of mother of pearl, lamp shades made using coconut shell, bamboo cane craft, palm mats and many more. You will find several stores here selling these artefacts in the most famous shopping destination in all of Andaman and Nicobar Island.

Some of the other shopping centres include Junglighat, Delanipur, Prem Nagar and Goalghar. All of these centres are located only 3 or 4 kms away from the Aberdeen Bazaar.

Accommodation

The islands of Andaman and Nicobar see a large influx of tourists every year but the island is more than prepared to accommodate all of these tourists. Irrespective of the kind of budget you are on while visiting the islands, you will find very comfortable place to stay in.

The islands have everything from luxury hotels to budget hotels. There are hotels, lodges, resorts, government lodges and many other types of accommodations that are available all across the Andamans which will allow you to stay comfortably all through your vacation. Most of these places are quite famous for the food that they serve as well.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands have grown as a tourist destination and provides all the comforts that are needed to have a comfortable vacation. There are white sandy beaches and turquoise waters which seem to be straight out of a picture postcard. So plan a vacation to the islands and enjoy your stay there.

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Andaman Various water sports

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You begin your day with a glorious panorama of the sunrise, and waits for a perfect day full of excitement and dangerous undertaking. A variety of water sports such as sport fishing, diving, snorkeling allows you to adopt the clean waters of the Bay of Bengal. While enjoying water sports, you can see the colorful corals, fish and marine life. In adding, you may experience a ride to the wildlife of the area, under the superintendence of the safeguard. Visit to Andaman Holidays may also include a visit to the Anthropological Museum, forest museum, cottage industries emporium, Cellular Jail, Corbyn Cove Beach, fisheries and Science Center and the mini zoo. Tourists can benefit from shopping in the local markets with craft materials and beautifully designed.

Each bit of your travel experience becomes very fun because the place has many surprises to offer to its visitors. The pristine beaches of the Andaman Islands, with many coconut trees surprised and gives you an amazing vacation that you will cherish for a lifetime. Young people can enjoy water sports and make the most of it. Andaman Tourism offers visitors a great vacation with beach visits. The place is popular for its beauty and uniqueness and tourists around the world can enjoy beach visits with friends and family.

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