Yachts Asia

The Andaman Islands, part of the union territories of India, are made up of over 550 islands, islets and rocks, situated in the Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean), approximately 400 nautical miles northwest of Phuket, Thailand. Notable for beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, and India's only active volcano, these Islands are the paragon of pristine beauty, with deserted white sand beaches and virgin forests, teaming with wildlife, exotic flowers and birds. _ Some 36 islands in the archipelago are totally uninhabited, others are rich in aboriginal culture, such as the out-of-bounds North Sentinel where indigenous inhabitants are among the last people on earth to remain virtually untouched by modern civilization. In Port Blair, the capital, you can explore the remnants of the British Raj Headquarters, and visit the Cellular Jail, where Indian freedom fighters were held in the 18th Century during British colonial times - now preserved as a reminder to future generations of the Indian struggle for freedom. The Andamans are also a scuba diver's paradise characterised by fan corals very good underwater visibility, deep vertical wall dives, pinnacles, and coral gardens with huge barrel sponges and. This is also a good place to see whale sharks, manta rays, and dugong. In April/May southern ocean swells begin to pulse through the Indian Ocean bringing surf to the west-facing Andaman coastline. First featured in Jack Johnson's surf documentary "Thicker Than Water" the Andaman Islands is now a recognised world-class surfing destination with perfect, mostly empty waves.