The tranquil idyll that is Neil Island.India..
I shall have to go back there, The incredible Andaman Islands. I went to Port Blair, Havelock Island, Neil Island, and Middle button Island,(the latter uninhabited) four of the 527 Islands in the Archipielago, I stayed there a month. It would have been so easy to stay longer, but you only get a months special restricted area permit, so it would have meant a six day boat journey to Chennai and back or a return flight to get another month, . I headed back to India, and onwards, declaring to myself I will return.
Neil Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Arriving off the boat at the jetty on Neil island. Great if your name is Neil.
These Islands were so different to anywhere I had ever been. Pristine beaches, with NO Hotels visible by the sea, no beach umbrellas or sun beds. They are not allowed. These are island inhabited by farmers, and a few hotel and what are called resorts, (with about 10 small wooden bamboo and palm huts).
RamNagar Beach, Neil Island
RamNagar Beach, Neil Island, (beach number 3) is so pristine, fine white sand,and utterly stunning. I only saw two other people the five days I stayed nearby.
I took that Ramnagar beach photo at midday, the sun is directly above. You can see shadows under the tree on the right. as this beach faces west, there is no shade at all in the afternoon. so if your sunbathing, be careful. there are no sun beds with parasols etc on these beaches. At low tide its quite rocky, but great for swimming when the tide is in. I stayed at a small "resort" the Breakwater which had about 20 huts, 10 on stilts some with and some having no WC/shower. (there was an outdoor toilet and bathing rooms about 30 meters down the garden) I paid £4 a night, for one without bathroom, (I didn't mind walking to the outside loo) I think the en-suits were about £7, I checked online recently and its not much more now. Breakwater resort ( check out prices here) It does have an excellent restaurant, which provides its residents with really good breakfasts and a feast of home cooking during the day and evening.
Breakwater
Some of the huts where I stayed in the garden of the Breakwater. (click for website.) Be cautious of other websites offering rooms here, i found one which had the same rooms for ten times the price. I just turned up and luckily they had rooms.
As there are not many other places to eat nearby, evenings tend to be a socialising place for all the residents, and i heartily recommend the food. I ate there most evenings, as there are not many public restaurants unless attached to resorts, (large or small) When I was there it was very good and a varied menu at reasonably cheap prices. don't expect cocktails here, you'll be lucky.
However if basic or budget is not for you, and you prefer more amenities, there are of course more up market places on Neil Island. l'd Get a tuk tuk and go and ask at the other places, as some of them online can be a little expensive. I am just showing where I stayed, and my experience, the choice is yours. Do your research.
This is the view of the other end of the very peaceful RamNagar beach, ( beach no:3) Neil Island
I took this around Midday, as you can see in the shade where i had been sitting before moving on.Thats all the shade there was on this gorgeous beach. Its rocky at low tide
There are not may places to stay on the Island as its not overly developed for tourism, though it certainly will be. When I was on Havelock Island a few weeks earlier, the President of India stayed next to the small resort I stayed in, No doubt talking tourism for the Islands. Expect larger up market resorts in future..
Typical Main road on Neil Island. They are all like this. taken from my bicycle.
I rented a bicycle for a few days and toured the Island. Its only about 5 miles long. A gorgeous jungle backed ride, along rustic roads, in the midst of lush countryside. Its as if you are in a bygone age...hardly any traffic, as only about 2,000 people live on the Island. Its very calming.
As the Island's vegetation is tropical canopy, there's a lot of jungle in the non cultivated areas. If you wander into the vegetation near the beaches watch out there may be snakes about. in fact, there probably are. (See my Havelock Island page)
As its such a quiet lived in Island, there are limited activities, most of which you can do yourself anyway.
Whilst cycling along the roads, I felt had to take a picture of this farm under the coconut palms. Most of the Island is farmed on the low lying areas.
No farmland was fenced off on this Island, farmers tilled the soil or harvested, with no physically obvious boundaries, no fences, walls as we see in the west.
Neil Island main street in town. Distinctly none touristic.
Swimming
Obvious. just discover beaches as you walk or cycle around the Island, they wont be crowded.
Snorkeling
I was snorkelling off RamNagar beach, when the tide was high, and the coral was quite good there. and i didn't have to swim far out of this horseshoe shaped bay. it felt relatively safe. If you can swim you can Snorkel, the trick is finding the right places for the coral.
Its quite good from at Neil Island's Sitapur Beach, I went to it I didn't chance it as I was told most of the coral is about 200 or so metres out. I would advise going on a small boat out, which you can get by asking nearby. or at the snorkelling and diving centre there. Then you can swim from the boat and its nearby for safety.
Scuba Diving
Most of the friends I spent time with here were came for either snorkelling or scuba diving and there are scuba centres here, one by the main arrival jetty on Laxhmanpur beach., indiascubaexplorers. you can take a padi course there for about £250 for a four days course!!!
Also on Havelock Island Dive india were offering courses, prices similar. I just checked thier website and they plan to have a base in Neil Island soon.