An Archipelago Sunset!!

There is something about sunset in wide open seas that appeals to me. May be it is the vibrant colours, may be it is the fact that there is water all around and the sun is the only object around.


Honestly, I don’t know what makes it so breathtaking. It gets even better if you are sailing past innumerable islands in an archipelago and the sun sets against the tiny hills on these islands.


I got a live feel of this when I was sailing from Hut Bay in Little Andaman to Port Blair in South Andaman.


Right through the journey, the entire western side was dotted with small and medium sized islands. Some were tiny flat lands, some had tiny hills that formed cliff like structures while the others looked liked dormant volcanoes with just a peak on the entire island.

 
The entire setting, which was already beautiful, turned into a fabulous show when the sun started its descent beyond the hills in the wide open seas. The sky started changing colours and so did the ocean waters.

 
It truly was a spectacular sight. An archipelago sunset at its awesome best!

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Take the Makruzz to go to Havelock Island from Port Blair!!

There are three options to get to Havelock Island from Port Blair. First, you have the slow, but cheap government ferries. Second, you have the slightly expensive, but difficult to get helicopter seats. And third, you you have the expensive, but extremely comfortable, stylish and fast Makruzz.

 
The Makruzz is one of the most advanced ship for its size on the Indian waters. Since it is privately run, great quality and comfort is provided inside the ship through LCD television, great snack bar and sea-hostesses. It is totally air-conditioned and one hardly feels it glide the sea waters at very high speeds. Personally, I would recommend it with two thumbs up!

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Some sights from a Port Blair Harbour Cruise

The Port Blair harbour is a great place to explore on a bright sunny day. The best way to explore these waters would be on a dunghy (a local Andamanese boat). The low speed of the dunghy allows one to explore in leisure.


There are quite a few spots that one can check out while on this cruise. First, we have the Chatham Saw Mill, which is the largest Saw Mill in Asia.


Established in India’s British era to enable in construction of jails and other infrastructure, this place still functions admirably and its proximity to the Port Blair port just adds to its efficiency.

 
Then from the harbour, one can quickly take off to the Viper Island that is known for its jail ruins.


If one prefers to be on the boat, then, the lovely sea-facing bungalows of Port Blair can be seen across the entire harbour perimeter. Set on top of small hillocks, these bungalows command panoramic views of the harbour and the neighbouring islands.

 
And, finally, one can complete this harbour trip with some local style fishing in the evening to help set up a barbecue dinner.

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Tropical Zone!!

When somebody says tropical, what are the things that come to our head? Bright sunshine, warm weather, high humidity, dense forests, coconut trees, may be a good beach, etc..


While, I was on a dunghy on the Port Blair harbour waters, I got all of the above and more. I should sat that these tropical sights are really intoxicating. One can just keep staring at them all day and at the other side of the spectrum, these tropical sights keep coming back at you irrespective of where you are.

 
And for a forest lover like me, these amazing expanse of ultra dense and mighty forests titillate my soul to do and explore more and deeper into the jungle. Let’s hope that I am able to live up to this tropical zone titillation some time in the near future.

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Out on a world tour

I was surprised to see a lot of yachts with their sails down and moored on the harbour waters of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands of India.


It was only when I asked the locals that I got to know that these boats and their crew were out on a world tour and they had halted in the Andamans for a while.

 
It was lovely to see these yachts anchored in a straight line on the pristine harbour waters. And it was even better to see these white boats against the massive tropical forests of the Andamans. I just hope these guys are still safe and enjoying their world tour…

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