The Week India - July 29, 2018

80 THE WEEK^ • JULY 29, 2018

COVER STORY

TRAVEL

BY MRIDULA DWIVEDI

AS OUR PLANE started its descent, I got a

glimpse of a sea of such vivid colours I had

never seen anything like it. I stayed in the An-

daman and Nicobar Islands for seven nights,

but it could easily have been more. History

and culture intermingle with scenic beauty in

its capital Port Blair. It might be a cliché but

don’t miss the sound and light show at the

Cellular Jail, where exiled freedom fi ghters like

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar were imprisoned

by the British. It is interesting to note how their

anguished cries have been converted to ticket

sales today.

From Port Blair, you can take day trips to

Ross Island, Viper Island, the Baratang lime-

stone caves and the Bandoor beach. Th e fi rst

two invoke the colonial past of the country.

Ross Island, for example, was a lively British

settlement in the 19th century that was known

as ‘Paris of the East’ for its beauty and vibrancy.

Th ere used to be Anglican churches, shops,

tennis courts and a swimming pool. Th ere

were sailing competitions during the day for

the British offi cers and their families and balls

with music and dancing during the evening. It

was an idyllic life for the Englishmen while the

Indian convicts at the penal settlement were

shackled in pairs and made to do back-break-

ing work. Similarly, Viper Island was an open

prison where the freedom fi ghters were jailed

for years.

On the way to the Baratang limestone caves,

you pass narrow mangrove creeks and tribal

reserves. It is about 100km from Port Blair and

you need a local permit to go there. Along the

way, you will pass by the region where the

Jarawa tribes, the native people of the island,

live. Th e vehicles pass in a convoy with police

BEACH DESTINATION Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Sea in a new light

My fi rst diving experience in the Andamans

took me to the wondrous world beneath

escorts along the stretch, and photography is

strictly prohibited. After crossing the reserve, you

have to take a ferry to the limestone caves from

the jetty at the middle strait. Th e sedimentary

limestone formations, some hanging from the

top, are a unique sight. Interestingly, the shapes

and sizes of these caves change over time.