Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 38 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about 150 km north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea. It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands (partly) and the Nicobar Islands. Andaman & Nicobar Island is famous for its turquoise waters, sugary sands and sun-drenched beaches.

Start rounding up with its capital city Port Blair to get a sense of the land’s cultural heritage and its grim history. A gateway into the Andaman Islands, a short stay in Port Blair will acquaint you with the island’s colonial history among other things. Beginning with infamous Cellular Jail National Memorial, an erstwhile British prison which held political prisoners, which is today a shrine embodying the sacrifice of the freedom fighters who shared books, exchanged ideas and debated each other within the dark walls of the Kaala Pani.

Then comes, Havelock Island, a 90-120min ferry ride from Port Blair’s Haddo wharf. Most travellers don’t venture any beyond the heavily forested Havelock (Swaraj Deep), a beach paradise known for offering South Asia’s best diving experience. If nothing else you will be enticed by the aquamarine shallows to go in for a swim.

Among things to do and the top sights of Havelock Island is the Radhanagar Beach Resort, a powdery – white stretch of sane receiving cobalt blue swells through the day. The beach is about 11 kilometre southwest of the main Havelock jetty, and you could do better by visiting very early in the day to beat the crowds. Predictably, sunsets here are remarkable as they dye the sky and subsequently the waters and the sands in all manner of purple and orange.

Elephant Beach: The whitewashed sands of Elephant Beach are somewhat remote and disappear in the rains and high tide. A trudge of about 2 kilometre (40 minutes) down a cross-island road will bring you to Havelock’s northwestern coastline which gets busy with tourists for the variety of services it hawks from banana boat rides, snorkelling trip aboard a snorkelling charter, jet skis, to sea walks – a first in the country.