7 Nights 8 Days Andaman Package: Port Blair, Havelock, Neil & Baratang

The holiday starts slowly, the way it should. As your flight comes in over the Bay of Bengal, the window fills with turquoise water and forest-covered islands, ringed with pale sand and the lighter blue of coral reefs. From above, the islands look almost untouched, and in many places, they are: most of the Andaman Islands are uninhabited, and large parts of the forest have never been cut. You step out into warm, salty air at Veer Savarkar International Airport, named after the freedom fighter who was imprisoned on these islands for more than a decade.

Our representative is waiting outside with your name, and a private air-conditioned car takes you to your hotel in Port Blair, now officially named Sri Vijaya Puram. With eight days ahead, the longest of our Andaman itineraries, there's no rush: rest, freshen up and let the island pace settle in. Over the coming week, you'll see the islands' history, their coral reefs, their most famous beaches, their quiet village life and, on the most adventurous day of all, the wild forests and mangroves of Baratang. It's a journey that shows you the Andamans in full.

Port Blair is a town with a fascinating mix of people. When the British set up their penal settlement here in 1858, they brought convicts from all over India, and after their release, many stayed and married, creating a community whose children grew up speaking a shared language. Later came settlers from Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Ranchi, as well as the Karen people from Myanmar, who were brought to work in the forests. The result is one of the most diverse places in India, where every festival from Durga Puja to Pongal, Eid and Christmas is celebrated, and where the Hindi spoken in the streets has a soft island accent all of its own.

In the afternoon, you drive along the coast to Corbyn's Cove, the most popular beach near Port Blair. Coconut palms lean over a curve of golden sand, fishing boats bob offshore, and the water is warm and calm. A small island, Snake Island, sits just off the beach, and the sunset here can be glorious. Walk barefoot beside the sea, let the children paddle in the shallows, and feel the city and the flight fall away. The beach has small stalls selling coconuts, snacks and cold drinks, and if you're feeling energetic, jet skis and speedboats are available for a quick thrill.

Later, you visit the Cellular Jail, where the British held India's freedom fighters in long wings of tiny solitary cells. The jail was designed so that every prisoner was kept completely alone: each of its 693 cells faced the blank back wall of the next wing, so that no one could see or speak to another prisoner. Freedom fighters from every part of India were sent here, from Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and beyond, and many of them faced harsh punishments for the smallest act of defiance. In 1933, a group of prisoners went on a famous hunger strike to protest against the inhuman conditions, and several of them died. Their courage helped change the way the prison was run, and the jail was finally closed in 1937–38, when the remaining political prisoners were sent back to the mainland.

As you walk its corridors and climb to the top for a view over the harbour, you learn about the people who suffered here and why this building matters so much to India. Stay for the evening Light and Sound Show, when their stories are told in voice, music and light against the backdrop of the jail itself: a powerful start to your journey through the Andamans. Then return to your hotel for dinner and a good night's rest.

Over the next eight days, your local team will confirm each day's plan the evening before, because ferry timetables, tides and the Baratang convoy times can change. All you need to do is enjoy the islands. Keep a light bag ready with swimwear, a change of clothes, sunscreen, a hat and a water bottle, and you'll be set for whatever each day brings.

For dinner, try the islands' seafood at your hotel or at a local restaurant. Andaman cooking mixes Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayali and Punjabi flavours, so you'll find fish curry with mustard, prawns in coconut gravy, crab masala and tandoori fish alongside vegetarian thalis, dosas and North Indian favourites. Then get a good night's sleep: tomorrow you set out across the harbour to the coral reefs of North Bay.

Included today: airport pick-up, private air-conditioned car, Corbyn's Cove, Cellular Jail visit with the Light and Sound Show.

Good to know: arrival-day breakfast is not included. The jail entrance is about 200 metres' walk from the parking area. Water sports at Corbyn's Cove are optional and paid locally.

Today you see Port Blair from the water. After breakfast, you head to the jetty and set out by boat across the harbour, with the town's hills behind you and the lighthouse of North Bay ahead. The harbour is busy with life: fishing boats returning with their catch, inter-island ferries, naval ships and small boats carrying tourists out to the islands, all moving across the glittering water.

At North Bay Island, the water is so clear that you can see coral from the surface. The reef here is part of a protected area, and it's one of the healthiest and most accessible coral reefs near Port Blair. Corals are living creatures, colonies of tiny animals that build their skeletons from limestone, and they grow very slowly, often only a centimetre or two a year, so some of the coral heads you'll see here may be centuries old. Relax on the shore and watch the boats come and go, or go further. Snorkelling, a scuba try-dive, sea walking or a glass-bottom boat ride will show you the reef up close, with bright fish weaving through the coral, giant clams opening and closing their colourful lips, and sea cucumbers lying on the sandy bottom. Many families say this is the first time their children have seen a coral reef, and it's a moment they never forget.

Then the boat takes you on to Ross Island, officially Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island. For more than 80 years, this tiny island was the British headquarters of the Andamans, and from here, the Chief Commissioner ruled over the islands and the penal settlement. The British built an entire little town on the island: grand bungalows with wide verandas, a Presbyterian church with stained-glass windows, a bakery that supplied bread to the whole settlement, a club with a ballroom, a hospital, a cemetery and even a swimming pool. Life here was comfortable and elegant, with dances, dinners and tennis parties, while just across the water, prisoners were suffering in the Cellular Jail.

Today it feels like a lost city. After the British left, the forest slowly took over, and now paths lead through tropical greenery to brick ruins with giant tree roots wrapped around the walls. The roots of the great ficus trees have climbed over the buildings and split them apart, creating scenes that look like something out of an adventure film. Spotted deer and peacocks wander between the ruins, quite used to visitors, and rabbits hop through the grass. Walk slowly, read the old signboards that tell the story of each building, and imagine island life a hundred years ago. At the top of the island, the ruins of the church stand among the trees, and the views across the sea to Port Blair are beautiful. Then return by boat to Port Blair in the afternoon, with the evening free.

If you'd like to come back in the evening, Ross Island has its own Light and Sound Show on some days, telling the island's story against the backdrop of its ruins. Ask your representative about timings and tickets.

With the evening free, you might like to visit the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum, run by the Indian Navy, which is a good place to learn more about the reefs you saw this morning. It has displays of corals, shells and marine creatures, a small aquarium, and the skeleton of a whale, as well as exhibits on the islands' geography, history and people. Children especially enjoy it.

Or take a short drive to the Chatham Saw Mill, set up by the British in 1883 on a small island connected to Port Blair by a bridge. It's one of the oldest and largest sawmills in Asia, and it still turns the islands' great logs of padauk, gurjan and other hardwoods into timber. A small forest museum displays the beautiful woods of the islands and the furniture and carvings made from them.

For dinner, try some of Port Blair's seafood. The islands' cooking blends Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayali traditions, so you'll find fish curry with mustard, prawns in coconut gravy, crab masala and tandoori fish, as well as vegetarian dishes from every corner of India.

Tonight, rinse your swimwear and hang it to dry, and get some rest. Tomorrow you sail to Havelock, and you'll want to be fresh for an afternoon on two of the most beautiful beaches in India.

Before bed, rinse your swimwear and hang it to dry, and pack a small bag for tomorrow's ferry to Havelock.

Included today: boat trips to North Bay and Ross Island, breakfast.

Good to know: snorkelling, diving and glass-bottom boat rides at North Bay are optional, paid extra and depend on local conditions. Ross Island is closed on Wednesdays, so we plan around it. Wear comfortable shoes for walking among the ruins.

This morning, the inter-island ferry carries you out of Port Blair and across open sea to Havelock Island, now officially named Swaraj Dweep. Step out on deck or take a window seat and watch the water change from green to deep blue as forested islands slide by. The islands you pass are part of Ritchie's Archipelago, a chain of islands east of Port Blair, named after a British marine surveyor, John Ritchie. Most of them are uninhabited, their forests running down to tiny beaches that only birds and turtles visit. Our representative meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel, your home for the next two nights.

Havelock was first settled in the 1950s and 1960s by families from Bengal who were given land to farm, and their villages, numbered one to seven, still give the island much of its character. Today the island is famous around the world for its beaches and diving, but away from the coast, you'll still see farmers working in the paddy fields, children playing cricket on village grounds, and small temples decorated with flowers.

Later, you visit Kala Pathar Beach on the island's east coast, where dark rocks, green trees and blue water meet along a peaceful, uncrowded shore. The beach stretches for a couple of kilometres, and its water is calm and inviting for a paddle. It's especially lovely in the early morning, when the sun rises over the sea, but in the afternoon it's quiet and perfect for photographs.

Then you continue to Radhanagar Beach, once named Asia's best beach by TIME magazine and awarded the international Blue Flag for cleanliness and safety. A long bay of soft, pale sand curves between tall forest and clear, shallow water that stays gentle a long way out. Take off your shoes and walk its full length, swim in the warm sea, or find a shady spot under the trees with a book. The beach is so wide and long that even on a busy day, you can always find a quiet corner. At the northern end, a short walk takes you to a quiet lagoon known as Neil's Cove, where the water is often perfectly still.

With another full day on Havelock ahead, there's no need to rush or to watch the clock: stay for the sunset, when the whole bay turns gold and pink and the evening crowd falls quiet to watch the sun meet the sea. Photographers line up along the water's edge, couples sit close together on the sand, and children stop playing to watch the sun disappear. It's one of those moments that makes you glad you came.

If you walk down to the beach near your resort after dark, look closely at the edge of the water on moonless nights. On some evenings, the waves along Havelock's shores sparkle with bioluminescence, tiny plankton that give off flashes of blue-green light when the water is disturbed. Swirl your feet in the shallows and watch the sparks dance around them. It doesn't happen every night, but when it does, it's one of the most magical sights in the islands.

Havelock's main village is a pleasant place to wander in the evening. Small shops sell beachwear, sarongs, hats and souvenirs, fruit stalls are piled high with bananas, papayas and pineapples, and cafés and bakeries serve fresh bread, cakes and coffee. Restaurants offer everything from fresh grilled fish and Indian curries to pasta and wood-fired pizza, a sign of how many travellers from around the world come to the island. Many of them display the day's catch on ice, so you can choose your own fish and have it cooked the way you like.

Havelock is also a good place to slow down and watch the natural world. Look out for white-bellied sea eagles soaring above the coast, kingfishers darting along the streams, and colourful butterflies in the gardens. In the forest, you might hear the calls of the Andaman drongo or the Andaman wood pigeon, both found only in these islands. The giant trees that line the roads, some more than 40 metres tall, are part of the same ancient rainforest that once covered the whole island.

With two nights here, there's no need to pack in the morning. Enjoy a relaxed dinner, a walk under the stars, and a long, peaceful sleep to the sound of the sea.

Two nights also means you can explore the island at your own pace. If you'd like, rent a scooter or hire a car for an hour and drive the island's quiet roads, past paddy fields, coconut groves and small villages, stopping wherever something catches your eye.

Included today: ferry Port Blair–Havelock, transfers, Kala Pathar and Radhanagar beaches, breakfast.

Good to know: an early ferry may mean a packed breakfast. Bring a change of clothes for Radhanagar, and swim only where the lifeguards indicate.

This is the day the second Havelock night was made for. After breakfast, a boat takes you along Havelock's green coastline, past small coves and mangroves, to Elephant Beach. The ride takes about twenty minutes, and it's a thrill in itself, as the boat skims across the water, the forest slides past on one side and the open sea stretches away on the other. Keep your camera ready for the views, but hold on tight when the boat bounces over the waves.

Elephant Beach is a small, sheltered bay with clear water and coral close to the shore, and one of the best places in the Andamans to see marine life without going far from the sand. The beach is fringed by forest, and at one end, the pale, bleached trunks of trees killed by the 2004 tsunami still stand in the sand, like strange driftwood sculptures. They're a reminder of the power of the sea, and of how the islands have recovered since. The coral reef just off the beach is one of the most colourful in the Andamans, and on calm days, the water is so clear you can see the fish from the shore.

Spend the day exactly as you like. Lie on the beach and swim, or try the water activities running that day. Snorkelling over the reef is the simplest and most rewarding: in just a few metres of water, you'll see clouds of tiny blue fish, striped butterflyfish, parrotfish, and perhaps a moray eel peering out from a crack in the coral. Sea walking on the sea floor with a helmet is a favourite with families because no swimming is needed: you walk slowly along the bottom with a guide, surrounded by fish and coral, breathing normally inside your helmet. And if you'd like a bit of excitement, try a jet-ski ride or a bumpy, laugh-out-loud banana boat ride. Many travellers say seeing fish swim around their feet here is the moment the Andamans really won them over.

Between activities, relax in the shade of the trees, enjoy a fresh coconut or a snack from one of the small beach stalls, and watch the colours of the water change as the sun moves across the sky. In the afternoon, the boat brings you back to your resort for an easy evening on Havelock, with time for a beach walk or a seafood dinner. Havelock has some excellent restaurants serving fresh fish, prawns and crab, as well as Indian, Italian and Continental food, and many of them are set right on the beach, with tables on the sand and lanterns hanging from the trees.

If you'd like to try scuba diving properly, Havelock is one of the best places in India to learn. Dive schools here offer courses for beginners and fun dives for experienced divers at sites with names like The Wall, Johnny's Gorge and Dixon's Pinnacle, where you might see turtles, rays, reef sharks and huge schools of fish. Ask your representative if you'd like to add a dive to your stay.

If you'd rather walk to Elephant Beach than take the boat, there's also a forest trail of about 2 kilometres from the main road, through tall trees and patches of mangrove, which takes around 45 minutes each way. It can be muddy after rain, but it's a lovely way to see Havelock's jungle up close, and you may spot birds, butterflies and the occasional monitor lizard along the way. Your representative can tell you whether the trail is open and suitable on the day.

The reef around Elephant Beach is also a reminder of how precious and fragile coral is. Corals grow just a centimetre or two a year, and a single careless step can destroy decades of growth. Local operators work hard to protect the reef: they'll remind you not to stand on or touch the coral, not to feed the fish and to take all rubbish back with you. Using reef-safe sunscreen helps too. By following these simple rules, you'll help keep the reef healthy for the travellers who come after you.

As the boat carries you back in the late afternoon, sit back and enjoy the ride. The sun lights up the forested coast, the water glitters, and you'll probably feel pleasantly tired from a day in the sea.

In the evening, enjoy a last walk on the beach near your resort and a relaxed dinner under the stars. Tomorrow you sail on to Neil, but tonight, Havelock is still yours.

Included today: boat trip to Elephant Beach, breakfast.

Good to know: water sports are optional, paid extra and depend on the sea. Bring water, snacks, sun protection and a change of clothes. Any snorkelling offered by the boat operator is subject to its arrangements. Don't fly within 24 hours of scuba diving.

After breakfast, the inter-island ferry takes you on the short crossing to Neil Island, now officially named Shaheed Dweep. Quieter still than Havelock, Neil is a small island of village lanes, banana and coconut groves and very little traffic, where cycling past farms and saying hello to neighbours feels completely natural. Our representative meets you and takes you to your resort.

Neil is so small that you can drive around it in less than half an hour, and many visitors hire a bicycle to explore the island at their own pace. The interior is a patchwork of paddy fields, vegetable gardens, banana plantations and coconut groves, dotted with small houses and village shops. The people are mostly farmers, and Neil supplies much of the fresh produce eaten in Port Blair, which is why it's known as the vegetable bowl of the Andamans. The island's beaches take their names from the Ramayana: Bharatpur, Laxmanpur, Sitapur and Ramnagar.

Spend time by the calm water at Bharatpur Beach near the jetty, where the shallows are clear enough to see the sand ripples beneath you. The beach is lined with small boats waiting to take visitors out to the reef, and if you'd like to see the coral without getting wet, a glass-bottom boat ride shows you the reef and its fish right under your feet. Snorkelling here is excellent too, with the coral starting close to the shore.

At the Natural Coral Bridge, an arch the sea has carved out of ancient coral rock, walk carefully over the rocky shore and peer into the tide pools for small fish, crabs and starfish. The bridge is only accessible at low tide, when the sea draws back to reveal a wide shelf of rock pitted with pools. Look closely and you'll find a whole miniature world: tiny fish trapped by the tide, hermit crabs carrying their borrowed shells, sea anemones that close up when touched, and brightly coloured sea slugs. Your guide will help you find them and show you the safest path to the arch.

As the afternoon fades, settle on the sand at Laxmanpur Beach and watch the colours change across the sea, from gold to orange to soft pink, with only the sound of small waves around you. The wide beach is scattered with shells and pieces of white coral, and as the sun sinks, the sand glows warm and golden. It's one of the most peaceful sunsets in the Andamans and, for many travellers, the evening they remember most.

After dinner, step outside and look up. With so little light on the island, the night sky is full of stars, and you may even see the faint band of the Milky Way.

The food on Neil is simple and wonderfully fresh. The vegetables, bananas and coconuts come from the island's own farms, and the fish comes straight off the boats at the jetty each morning. Try a light coconut fish curry with rice, crisp fried pomfret with lime, prawns cooked with mustard seeds in the Bengali style, or a vegetarian thali with dal, seasonal vegetables and fresh rotis. Finish with sweet local bananas or a slice of ripe papaya.

Neil's people are proud of their island and happy to share it. Many of them are the children and grandchildren of families who came from Bengal and cleared the forest to build their farms, and they speak Bengali at home, though almost everyone speaks Hindi too. Stop to chat at a village shop or a tea stall and you'll find people curious about where you're from and eager to recommend their favourite beach or the best place for dinner.

If you have a little time in the morning, Ramnagar Beach is another quiet spot worth finding, with calm water and shady trees, where you may be the only visitors. And for keen photographers, the light on Neil in the early morning and late afternoon is wonderful: soft, golden and perfect for capturing the island's colours.

Neil is also an island of small pleasures. Many resorts rent bicycles, and a slow ride along the flat, quiet lanes, past paddy fields where egrets stand among the rice and ponds covered with water lilies, is one of the nicest ways to spend an hour. You can cycle from one end of the island to the other in less than half an hour, stopping at roadside stalls for a fresh coconut or a cup of tea, and you'll quickly find yourself waving back at the children who call out "hello" from their gardens. It's the perfect gentle day before the early start and adventure of Baratang later in the week.

Included today: ferry Havelock–Neil, transfers, Bharatpur Beach, Natural Coral Bridge, Laxmanpur Beach, breakfast.

Good to know: the glass-bottom boat ride is optional. Coral Bridge access depends on the tide; wear sturdy sandals and don't touch or step on live coral.

A useful pause in your Andaman itinerary for 8 days. Enjoy a slow breakfast on Neil and a last walk on the sand. If you're an early riser, Sitapur Beach, at the island's eastern tip, is the place to watch the sunrise, as the sun climbs out of the sea and lights up the limestone cliffs at the end of the beach. Then take the inter-island ferry back to Port Blair, watching Neil and Havelock fade into green lines on the horizon. A private car takes you to your hotel.

The rest of the day is open. Rest after the island crossings, or, if you have energy, explore a little more of Port Blair. Aberdeen Bazaar, the old market in the heart of the town, is the best place to browse for shell craft, spices and souvenirs, and the clock tower at its centre is a good landmark. Look for wooden carvings made from padauk, the islands' beautiful red hardwood, jewellery made from shells and pearls, and local spices such as cinnamon and black pepper. Buy shell and coral items only from licensed shops such as the government-run Sagarika emporium, and keep the receipt.

If you're interested in the islands' history and people, the Anthropological Museum is well worth a visit before tomorrow's trip to Baratang. It tells the story of the Andamans' indigenous peoples, including the Jarawa, whose forest reserve you'll pass through tomorrow. The Jarawa have lived in these forests for thousands of years, hunting, fishing and gathering, and they have chosen to keep their distance from the outside world. Learning a little about them today will help you understand why the rules on tomorrow's journey are so strict.

In the evening, take an easy walk along the sea front as the harbour lights come on, and watch the ferries come and go. Have an early dinner and an early night: tomorrow's journey to Baratang starts before dawn, and it's worth being fresh for.

It's worth knowing a little more about the journey ahead, because it's so different from the rest of your holiday. The Andaman Trunk Road runs north from Port Blair through the Middle and North Andaman islands, linking the remote towns and villages of the north to the capital. Part of the road passes through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, a large area of protected forest set aside for the Jarawa people. To protect them, the authorities allow vehicles to travel through the reserve only in convoys at fixed times, with strict rules: no stopping, no photography, and no contact of any kind. Your driver and guide know these rules well and will explain them before you set off.

The Jarawa are one of the oldest peoples in the world, and genetic studies suggest that the ancestors of the Andaman Islands' indigenous tribes arrived here tens of thousands of years ago, among the first people to leave Africa. For most of their history, they lived entirely apart from the outside world, hunting wild pigs, fishing, and gathering honey and fruit from the forest. Today, the government protects their land and their right to live as they choose, and the rules on the road are an important part of that protection.

Baratang itself is a quiet island of forests, villages and creeks, home to a small community of settlers. Besides the limestone caves, it's known for its mud volcanoes, which bubble with grey mud pushed up by natural gas from deep underground, and for Parrot Island, where hundreds of parrots fly in at sunset to roost in the mangroves.

Tonight, set your alarm early, lay out comfortable clothes and walking shoes, and go to bed in good time. You'll be glad of the rest.

If you have time this evening, take a short walk around the town centre. Port Blair's evening markets are lively and friendly, with sweet shops selling rasgullas, sandesh and other Bengali sweets, and roadside stalls serving hot momos, chaat and fresh fruit juices. The clock tower at the heart of Aberdeen Bazaar is lit up at night, and families stroll through the streets enjoying the cool air. Pick up some snacks for tomorrow's long journey, such as biscuits, fruit and bottled water, and then head back to your hotel for an early dinner. Tomorrow is the most adventurous day of the whole trip.

Most of all, rest. After five busy days of islands and sea, a quiet evening and a long sleep are the best preparation for tomorrow. The convoy waits for no one, so your driver will collect you on time, and you'll want to be ready with your bag packed and your water bottles filled.

Included today: ferry Neil–Port Blair, transfer to your hotel, breakfast.

Good to know: museums close one day a week and on some holidays, so check with your local team. Pack a small bag tonight for tomorrow's early start, with water, snacks, a hat and insect repellent.

The most adventurous day of the trip, and the one most visitors to the Andamans miss. You leave Port Blair in the dark, usually around 2:30–3:00 AM, to join the regulated convoy into the protected forest reserve. The road you travel is the Andaman Trunk Road, which runs north through the islands, and the first part of the journey, about 40 kilometres, takes you to the checkpoint at Jirkatang, where vehicles gather to travel together through the reserve at fixed times, under police escort.

As the sky grows light, the road leaves the town far behind and runs through dense, ancient jungle, tall trees closing in on both sides. This is some of the oldest and most untouched forest in India, with giant trees, hanging creepers and thick undergrowth, and in the early morning, the mist hangs among the trees and the forest is filled with the calls of birds. Travel here follows strict rules to protect the Jarawa, the Indigenous people who live in the reserve: vehicles must keep moving, may not stop, and passengers must not take photographs, offer food or try to interact with anyone they see. It's part of what makes the journey feel so remote, and so special.

At Middle Strait, a vehicle ferry carries you and your car across the narrow channel to Baratang Island. From the jetty, you change to a small open speedboat that winds through narrow mangrove creeks. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the day: the boat slows down as the creek narrows, and the tangled roots of the mangroves arch over the water on both sides, forming a green tunnel. The water is still and dark, the air is cool, and the jungle is completely silent apart from birdsong and the splash of a kingfisher diving for fish. Mangroves are remarkable trees that grow in salt water, and their roots protect the coast from storms and provide a nursery for young fish, crabs and prawns.

At the end of the creek, a walk of about 1.5 kilometres through the forest and past village fields brings you to the Limestone Caves. Inside, water dripping over thousands of years has shaped columns and curtains of stone, stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites rising from the floor, some of them glittering in the light of your guide's torch. The patterns in the rock are extraordinary, and your guide will point out shapes that look like animals, faces and even gods. The caves are cool and quiet, and walking through them feels like stepping into another world.

If time and permissions allow, you may also be able to visit Baratang's mud volcano, one of the few places in India where cold mud bubbles up from deep underground, pushed up by natural gas, or Parrot Island, where thousands of parrots fly in to roost at sunset, though these depend on timings and are not always possible on a day trip.

You retrace the route to Port Blair later in the day, again in convoy, tired but with a story few travellers can tell. Back at your hotel, enjoy a well-earned dinner and a long, deep sleep.

On the way, you'll usually stop for breakfast at a simple roadside dhaba near the Middle Strait jetty, where the cooks serve hot puris, aloo sabzi, parathas, omelettes and sweet milky tea to travellers waiting for the ferry. After the early start, it tastes wonderful. The jetty itself is a lively place in the morning, with vehicles, buses and families waiting to cross, and small boats coming and going along the strait.

The mangrove creeks of Baratang are also an important natural habitat. Mangroves protect the coast from storms and erosion, trap mud and nutrients, and provide a nursery for young fish, crabs and prawns. Look closely at the roots and you may see mudskippers, small fish that can walk and breathe out of water, hopping across the mud, and fiddler crabs waving their single large claw. Kingfishers, herons and egrets hunt along the banks, and saltwater crocodiles live in some of the islands' creeks, though they're rarely seen.

Many travellers say Baratang showed them a completely different side of the Andamans: wild, ancient and remote, far from the resorts and beaches. It's a day you'll talk about for years.

Back in Port Blair, have an early dinner and a long, well-earned sleep. Tomorrow is a gentle morning before your flight home.

Included today: Baratang day trip with the Middle Strait crossing and the boat to the Limestone Caves, breakfast.

Good to know: it's a long day with a very early start. Photography of, and contact with, the Indigenous communities is strictly prohibited. Convoy, ferry and cave access depend on local permissions. Wear comfortable walking shoes and carry water, a torch, a hat and insect repellent.

On your last morning, have a slow breakfast and look back on a trip that showed you the Andamans properly. You walked in the corridors of the Cellular Jail and heard the stories of the freedom fighters. You saw the coral reef at North Bay and the jungle-covered ruins of Ross Island, where deer and peacocks wander among the walls of the old British capital. You spent two easy days on Havelock, watching the sunset at Radhanagar and swimming among the fish at Elephant Beach. You explored Neil's coral bridge and watched the quietest sunset of all at Laxmanpur. And you made the journey few visitors make, through the forest, across the strait and along the mangrove creeks to the limestone caves of Baratang.

Eight days is enough to see the Andaman Islands properly, and to feel them too: the warm sea, the soft sand, the silence of the forest and the slow, friendly rhythm of island life. Many of our travellers tell us that this was the first holiday where they truly switched off, and that they came home feeling rested in a way they hadn't for years.

If your flight is later in the day, enjoy a final walk near your hotel, a last fresh coconut, or a visit to any sight you didn't have time for earlier in the week. Before you pack, check that you have the receipts for any shell or coral souvenirs, and remember that shells, sand and coral from the beaches can't be taken home. Pack your photographs safely: you'll want to look at them again and again.

Then we take you to Veer Savarkar International Airport for your onward flight. As the plane climbs away, look down for a last view of the islands: the harbour of Port Blair, the green hills, the white beaches and, stretching away to the north, the forests and mangroves where you travelled yesterday. You'll fly home with eight days of island memories, and probably with plans already forming for your next visit.

Thank you for travelling with Dreamland Vacations. Whether you return for a honeymoon, an anniversary or a family holiday, we'll be delighted to help you discover even more of the Andamans.

If you're thinking of returning, the best time to visit is from October to May, when the sea is calm and the water is at its clearest. December to March is the most popular season, with warm, sunny days and cool evenings, while April and May are hotter but quieter, with excellent diving. From June to September, the monsoon brings heavy rain and rough seas, and some ferries and water sports may be suspended, but the islands are lush and green, and hotels are quieter.

On a future visit, there are still many places to discover. The Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor protects some of the finest reefs in India around the islands of Jolly Buoy and Red Skin. Chidiya Tapu, south of Port Blair, is a haven for birdwatchers and has one of the loveliest sunsets in the islands. Further north, Diglipur has Saddle Peak, the highest point in the Andamans, and Ross and Smith Islands, two islands joined by a narrow sandbar. And far to the south, Little Andaman offers waterfalls, empty beaches and some of the best surfing in India.

As you leave, remember the people who made your trip special: the drivers who knew every road, the boatmen who steered through the mangroves, the guides who showed you the rock pools and the caves, and the hotel staff who welcomed you on every island. The warmth of the Andaman people, who come from every part of India, is one of the things travellers remember most.

We'd love to hear about your trip and see your favourite photographs. Your stories help us improve every journey we plan, and they inspire other travellers to discover the islands for themselves.

A few practical tips for the journey home: Port Blair has direct flights to Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru and several other cities, and the airport is small and can get busy in the mornings, so allow plenty of time. Keep valuables, medicines and documents in your hand luggage, pack liquids such as coconut oil or honey in your checked bag, and carry the receipts for any shell or coral souvenirs. After yesterday's early start, you may want to sleep on the plane, so keep a neck pillow handy.

Safe travels home. We hope the islands stay with you: the sea, the sand, the forests and the friendly faces, and the rare feeling of having truly seen a place, not just passed through it.

Included today: breakfast, airport drop.

Good to know: ferry schedules, tides, weather and local permissions may change the order or timing of visits. Hotels check out at about 8 AM. Arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight.