The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal (east of the Indian mainland), are a relaxed, tropical island paradise.
The islands were once a hill range extending between Myanmar and Indonesia, but are now a group of 572 isolated islets coated in lush leafy forests, of which only 37 are inhabited.
The outpost has a multi-layered past. The original indigenous peoples are all but gone and modern day islanders are mostly post-colonial settlers. Some Stone Age remnants give clues to a very ancient civilisation that once lived on the islands.
The main allure of the Andaman Islands is the combination of near-deserted beaches, crystal clear waters, and mangrove-lined lagoons. This unique biodiversity gives life to a colourful array of corals and marine life. Exotic inhabitants include turtles, spotted deer, wild boar, gecko, crab-eating macaque and python.
Isolated and very sparsely populated, the islands remain pristine and provide a rare sense of unpolluted natural beauty and unexplored marine life.
Highlights
Snorkeling in the clear waters | A boat ride to one of the uninhabited islands | Relaxing on soft sandy beaches
Interesting facts
The islands were once a hill range extending between Myanmar and Indonesia, but are now a group of 572 isolated islets, of which only 37 are inhabited.