WHERE ANDAMAN ISLANDS ARE?
Half of those who find themselves reading this post will be wondering: but where are the Andaman Islands? Don’t worry, you are not the only ones, often even when I talked about it with other travelers, I saw in their eyes that dilemma, that frantic search to locate that place. And I must admit, that even I, a graduate in Geography, obviously knew of its existence but did not know that those islands, so tiny on the map, belonged to the Indian subcontinent. Yes, because this archipelago of islands that together with the Nicobar islands form the territory of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, belong politically to India, but geographically they are very close to the coasts of Myanmar and Thailand.
You hardly ever hear of these islands, it seems like one of those places, whose existence is barely known.
And this was one of the reasons why some friends and I decided to spend some time there.
And so we decided to spend Christmas and New Year in the middle of the Andaman Sea, in the Indian Ocean.
And what to say, reality has not disappointed our expectations. Now in this world, the unexplored territories are by now little and certainly, this is not one of those, however, we had the feeling that we would have found ourselves discovering unique places and so it was.
It’s my third time in India, but the first time on one of its islands and life here is completely different from that of the “subcontinent” … we spent most of our days on Neil Island and found a corner of paradise!
HOW IS LIFE ON AN ISLAND?
Life on an island is beautiful but at the same time complicated, especially for modern society so used to having everything it wants or needs in a simple and immediate way. Here you have to be patient and you have to be aware that nothing is safe and things can change quite quickly depending on weather conditions or other problems … phones don’t work most of the time and you can only have a network for a short time period of time and if available.
Although the number of small resorts or guesthouses already exists and the plastic problem has involved a lot of places in this world, this place is simply beautiful and still intact for foreigners!
Wild beaches of white sand with crystal clear water and blue surrounded by an incredible tropical jungle where we are for the most part the only people who swim …
It is a beautiful experience to walk and cycle every day along with palm trees and tropical flowers, docks, cows, goats, women with saris, children going to school, farmers working in the fields … On this island people live a simple life but happy, the men smile at you and do not stare at you, they amaze you while we eat Indian breakfast with such great pleasure and chat with you about their country and their culture.
We feel grateful and happy to be here and to be here now because tourism will probably change this magical place more deeply, especially tourism from India.
In fact, many Indians pour into these islands as a manifestation of their social status. India is growing at an unbelievable rate and I have even made myself count of the difference three years ago when you set foot on Indian soil for the first time. The middle class is increasing exponentially, and more and more Indians are buying a car darting through the streets of the island and going on vacation.
WHAT MAKES THIS ISLANDS UNIQUES?
In these islands, except perhaps Havelock Island, the most famous, it feels a bit like Robinson Crusoe. One has the feeling that anything can happen here! Here nature is extreme and wild and does not seem to welcome those who like us want nothing more than to visit them.
Signs with bathing prohibitions due to the presence of crocodiles, the presence of cyclones, schools of mosquitoes that pinch you everywhere…
Many islands are little frequented, it is not difficult to find oneself in a beach completely alone, in some islands, there are no cars, and there are very few accommodations, an example, Long Island, a very small island where there are only one guesthouse and two guesthouses, no little restaurant, nothing for the visitor, only a few small markets and a couple of places frequented by the local people, where to enjoy a breakfast or delicious or a chai.
Surely what makes the experience in these islands special is being disconnected from everything and rediscovering the pleasure of simple things, simply enjoying nature and life around us …