Just imagine that your dream of visiting Andaman and Nicobar islands has finally become true and you reach there but then you realize that you just packed all the wrong stuff and now you don’t have anything to wear or you don’t have the items that are a necessity of the weather and the place. It would be a complete nightmare. So, to refrain from spoiling your dream vacation, all you need to do is pack wisely. Andaman is not a place you where would want to have an “unplanned vacations are the best” kind of attitude and definitely not a place where you take certain things lightly thinking that the place will at least have that much facility.
Here are 7 most helpful tips that would help you decide what to pack for Andaman :
- Utility items
Since you will most probably have a very hectic schedule of traveling once you reach Andaman, it is very important to understand that you need to keep a lot of handy gadgets. You will not get sufficient time to charge your phone in the daytime and you cannot just rely on your phone battery even if you charge the phone at night, you need a power bank for your phone, photo and video cameras that you carry to your daily venture.
You need to carry a GPS device wherever you go. Earlier GPS devices were of no use since the internet connectivity was very poor but that has changed since the government has established the submarine cable system. Or, you can carry an Andaman guide map. This is a very important tip because Andaman is a very confusing place and getting lost in the wilderness and having no idea where to go is not a good memory.
- Protect from the Suntan
The normal temperature in the islands ranges between 24 to 33 degrees. Just by that you can realize that there would be scorching heat and the sun is quite generous to you and you’ll come back with a shade or two darker than you go with. Even if you want that beautiful suntan to flaunt when you come back, you must carry sun guards like sunscreen with very high SPF if you don’t want to damage your skin. You can also carry sunglasses, hats, caps, etc if the sun causes skin problems like reddening, sunburns, etc.
- First Aid
There are Primary Health care centers available on most islands but the services are limited and poor. At most times, you will not come across primary medical facilities on the tourist spots as they are very remote. So, you need to carry a well-equipped first aid kit wherever you go. You never know when your health problems can kick in. Most of the places in Andaman are wild and deep-seated in the lap of nature, you need to take it a little rough and endure the cuts and scratches that you get on the way to your most awaited destinations which if not treated can cause more problems. You also need to carry pills if you have hints of motion or seasickness. The best way you can enjoy yourself without worrying about your seasickness is to take a pill a night before you go out to trek or other adventure sports activities. Another thing to keep in mind is that there can be a lot of insects and mosquitoes, some of the beaches have lots and lots of sand-flies which can be quite irking so it would be best to carry insect and mosquito repellents all the time.
- Backpack Tips
You must know that luxury is not what you should be looking for in Andaman. It is more about exploring nature and witnessing things you could never have in your cities. So nature demands you be a little humble and that also includes packing according to your necessities and not like “in case I need those”. You will have to commute through ships, local ferries, government buses, and taxis. You will have to pack according to the weight you can carry and it is better if you take a large backpack.
It is a general understanding that y would also need to lock the chains of your backpack for safety if you are carrying cash and expensive gadgets. Another tip for the tourists is that acting like a tourist is never a good idea; you need to mix among the people well so that you do not seem easy to be bluffed. That also requires keeping your luggage safe.
- Money
Why are you getting tips to handle money in this article? Let us see. Firstly, as you know that the areas are mostly remote and mostly for sightseeing so they do not have many facilities and you will not find electronic mediums of payment at many places. If you don’t carry some cash on you it would not only be embarrassing but a lot of trouble for you too. Next thing is that even if you are carrying cash and it happens to be currency other than INR, you will have to find local services that exchange currencies of all kinds. But it is recommended that you exchange currencies before entering Andaman or at the Veer Savarkar Airport.
- Clothes
Clothes are the most important part of packing for a vacation. Honestly, for some people clothes are the only thing to pack for a vacation so you need to be very careful with that. you know so far that Andaman has a tropical kind of climate and the humidity there can shoot up as high as 80%, it would not be wise to carry clothes other than made of 100% cotton. This is the only way you can cope up with the weather.
Next up for the rainy season, if you happen to visit Andaman in monsoons, you always need to keep raincoats and umbrellas with you. Though umbrellas are not of much help with the kind of monsoon Andaman experiences, the cyclonic winds, and torrential rains, they would serve as backup for you (it’s better than having nothing).
If you have planned for the vacation in cozy winters, you are advised to carry some woollen clothes, shawls, scarves, etc. The best kinds of clothes you can carry are clothes made of denim material. You must be wondering why you need warm clothes when Andaman has a tropical climate. It is because it has a moderately cool kind of weather in the day, you can experience some moderate to cold breeze at night in December and January.
After doing so much planning for the clothes, you can still have an unpleasant experience if you do not pack the right footwear. All you need for this place are nice comfortable slippers and boots. Slippers will help you on your relaxing beach days and the boots will serve multiple purposes like when you want to go for a nice trek or it has rained and forests or the islands have become slippery and marshy.
- Beach Items
Beachwear is a must for the Andaman Islands. So, you need to carry T-shirts, shorts, trousers, bikinis, whatever you want but it is better to act according to the crowd. It is not prohibited to wear revealing beachwear but we need to respect other tourists coming to the place. You would also need sportswear, sports gear, swimming suits and an extra pair of clothes whenever you go for trying out some water sports activities. Do not forget to carry beach mats and flashlights.
If you keep in mind these very essential points, your trip will have no memory of any hassle on the tour and just relaxed outings with a lot of fun and enjoyment. This place will just mesmerize you with its charm and you will no doubt go back home refreshed, rejuvenated, and satisfied. This place will simply fill you to the brim with all the positive energy it can offer. Andaman is your ultimate vacation destination, I assure you.
