How do you imagine Andaman and Nicobar islands in summer? Absolute paradise. The Andaman Islands are a picturesque beauty in summers and it is the best and the most popular time to visit the island. The temperature is somewhere between 28 to 33 degrees Celsius and this might sound a little too hot but this is the ideal weather for you to explore this enchantress of the Indian Ocean.
This place has relatively mild and soothing weather though the humidity shoots up to 80% making it the ideal time to try out the huge variety of water sports activities available on the Island. This is the peak tourist season and the place can become a little crowded but if you are smart enough to choose the perfect locations for yourself, this would not be that big of a problem because there are several unexplored and virgin beaches and areas that give you an equal amount of peace and pleasure and many daunting views.
This place is not only popular with couples on their honeymoon but also families who are out of Kid’s vacation and this place provides you the perfect ambiance for a destination wedding too.
The late summers like April are a time when the crowd starts descending and hotels give out their best offers to attract more tourists so you will also get a little bonus discount if you visit during the time. Somehow, people have got the notion that Andaman is not that great this time of year when the monsoon starts showing up but it is not true. You may get some early showers but that is it, the place still has the summery vibe and the beaches still get an equal amount of splashes of sunrays.
The various activities that you can do in the summer season to enjoy Andaman are:
Water sports activities:
Summers are a time when the tides are in control, the sea is safe to explore and the water sports activities are operational on the island. There are several water sports activities like snorkeling, sea diving, sea walking, banana boat rides, glass-bottom boat rides, jet-skiing, surfing, game fishing, and many more that are available on the islands and you will find guides everywhere to ensure that you have fun along with safety. This is also the time when swimming is allowed in some parts of the Andaman and you can enjoy your time among the shy marines floating around you in the sea.
Along with the water sports activities, you can also enjoy different boat cruises while traveling from one island to another.
Sight-seeing:
Andaman is especially beautiful this time of the year and it is exactly why you should go sightseeing to explore the beauty of the hidden gems of the island. There are many different places like Merk Bay Beach, Butler Bay Beach, Havelock Beach, Amkunj Beach, Baludera Beach, etc that look like a dream and are accessible to the public. The accessibility is a perk you enjoy in summers because the only other weather that Andaman experiences, Monsoon, is quite dangerous for sightseeing or Island hopping. Monsoon is a bad idea for such activities because of the torrential rains and cyclones that this group of islands faces which makes certain remote parts inaccessible. Summer calls you to visit some of the most remarkably beautiful beaches secluded in the wilderness of Andaman. Some of the most underrated yet best beaches are:
Merk Bay Beach:
This beach is situated on the North Passage Island and can be accessed from Long Island. You can hire a private chartered boat to take you and it takes almost 1 hour to reach the beach. The boat would stop at a wooden jetty that faces a dense forest and you would have to walk through the forest to reach this pretty beach. Why is this place an ideal vacation destination? Because it attracts very less crowd around 1% of people visiting Andaman and it is completely pollution-free.
Butler Bay Beach:
This particular beach is especially popular because of its concave shape. You can see the entire beach from a single point. Pleasing, isn’t it? The closest delight near this beach is the waterfall White Surf, a perfect picnic spot. You can participate in many exciting activities like jungle trekking, Elephant Safari, Surfing, Coral viewing, etc. Sun-bathing is not advisable because of the presence of sand flies, so be careful. Now, all this would not be possible in monsoons, would it?
Accommodation is also available on the beach if you want to spend more time here, which you would considering the atmosphere of the place, in the form of little tourist huts that are aligned with the coconut plantation along the beach.
Neil’s Cove:
It is a gorgeous lagoon located northwest of Radhanagar Beach (Havelock Island). The water here is very shallow making it a great spot for swimming however that is not advisable during dawn and dusk because of the presence of salt-water crocodiles detected there. If you are interested, you can also carry your snorkeling equipment and have fun snorkeling though no such facility is available on the island itself so there will not be anyone to guide you. This place also has some awesome rock formations formed due to millions of years of erosion.
Baludera Beach:
This is another exotic but less popular destination in the Andaman situated on the eastern part of Baratang Island. This place was quite popular up until 2004 when it was hit by Tsunami. Because of the same, accommodations got destroyed and the island again became deserted but it is gaining popularity recently.
It is a beautiful beach 9 km away from Nilambur Jetty and has some rich mangrove vegetation. Accommodation is available in the form of cute little eco-huts and tree-top huts making it a must-visit place. This beach is ideal for swimming and you can swim up to 1 km into the sea.
Aamkunj Beach:
This is another such beach people usually don’t visit because it does not provide that great a view but people are missing out on a great vacay spot because of the same. This beach is lined with sharp but beautiful grey pebbles and is a turtle nesting ground. The fun fact about this island is that it has huge long wooden sofas and picnic area which is made from the wooden logs lying around on the beach and not a single tree has been cut for the purpose. Interesting, isn’t it?
Turtle nesting grounds:
Summer is the time when turtles come to the nesting grounds in Andaman to lay eggs. This is the reason environment enthusiasts and researchers from all over the world come to Andaman to witness this phenomenon. You can visit the nesting grounds and see adorable little turtles hatch and go back to the sea in places like Diglipur, Aamkunj Beach, Kalipur beach, etc and make your trip to Andaman memorable.
Bird Watching:
Bird sighting is another popular activity that tourists do when they come to the islands because the Island is home to 265 species of birds including 39 endemic species. You can sight various unique birds like Brown Caucal, Andaman Crake, Hume’s Boobook, Andaman Serpeant Eagle, and many more.
Again, this is not an activity you would be able to do amid heavy continuous rainfall and strong winds. So, you need to buckle up, fasten your pace and visit all the sites you can because you will regret not looking at the beautiful birds on Chidiya Tapu.
Sighting dolphins:
You can also sight the endearing and fun-loving dolphins on a boat cruise dancing alongside if you visit in summers.
Trekking:
This is another interesting and adventurous activity that you can only enjoy along the terrains of Andaman in the summer season. Places like Chidiya Tapu, Baratang, Mount Harriet, Saddle Peak, Diglipur, etc provide the ultimate combination of rocky terrains and sandy beaches accompanied by the unbeatable view of the azure sea.
Festivals:
There are a lot of festivals that locals of Andaman celebrate mainly between Nov and March like the Island Tourism Festival, Film Festival, Music Festival, Food Festival, Hindu festivals of Holi and Diwali and it provides for perfect New Years’ vibe. Tourists from all over the world consider Andaman their favorite spot new Year and Christmas celebrations.
When your mood asks for a trip to Andaman this is the only time you should visit to add a dash of these refreshing views in your holiday as you add a dash of lime in your Mojito.
