Neil Island or Shaheed Dweep - Calm and Scenic Indulgence
We spent about a week in the Andaman and Nicobar Island region at the start of 2023. We celebrated the new year and spend our winter vacations in this lovely set of islands. These are an interesting set of islands with a great history and contribution to the struggle for independence in India. Neil Island was the third and the last stop on our Andamans and Nicobar Islands trip. To know more about our trip, read our article
Andaman and Nicobar Islands – A Glimpse into the Entire Trip
Neil Island, an Overview
Andaman and Nicobar Islands region comprises over 570 small and large islands. Neil is one of the smaller islands in this system and is spread over an area of about 13 square kilometers. Most of the island is covered by forest area and only a small portion is inhabited. The inhabitation only started post-1960s and hence is a relatively new settlement. The old name of the island is in memory of an English general who fought from the British side in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. To shun those shackles of history, the government renamed the island to honor the memory of Subhash Chandra Bose. It is located east of the main South Andaman Island, about 35 kilometers from the capital, Port Blair, and takes about 2 hours to reach by boat.
Neil Island is popularly known as the vegetable bowl of Andamans due to its variety of vegetable yields. The soil at Neil Island has been certified as organic by the Government of India. Agriculture is the primary occupation of the villagers the production of fruits and vegetables is in large numbers. The soil here in Neil is naturally organic which retains the quality of the vegetables and keeps them chemical-free, fresh, and healthy.
The majority of the people living in Neil are mostly refugees from Bangladesh and the rest of them are native Indians.
A quick look at the governmental brochure for these islands is available at - Neil Island Brochure
How to Reach Neil Island
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of many small islands and the only air connectivity is to the main island. Port Blair is the only airport in the region and hence you probably would land there. Beyond that, waterways take over as the primary mode of transport. To reach Neil Islands from Port Blair, you can take ferries. There are government ferries that run as per the defined schedule. Tickets to these ferries open up closer (up to 2 days before) to the departure date.
However, there are a few private ferries that run across the touristy islands and can be booked in advance. These are luxury boats that offer convenience, speed, and comfort for a price. There are three companies that provide this option and all of them have good services. The three companies are Majruzz, Nautika, and Green Ocean. While the first two are similar in their offering, the last one offers access to an open deck during the ride. We recommend trying all of them if you have three legs on your journey.
The direct boat ride from Port Blair to Neil Islands is about two hours long and takes you through the open seas of the Bay of Bengal. Some of the boats however may take you through the Port Blair-Havelock-Neil route so your journey may end up being longer. We were going from Havelock to Neil and it took us about an hour and a half of a ride.
Internal transport is mainly via hired taxis. There are limited local transport buses available but if you are visiting for a limited time, you will want to avoid the hassle. There are autos also available for some short-distance rides but their availability may be sporadic and limited to specific spots.
What to Explore on Neil Island
Neil is one of the smaller islands compared to other touristy islands you will visit. However, it is equally, if not more, beautiful and surreal. While you could still try scuba and other water sports, it is much more organized on other islands. We recommend this island for relaxing and unwinding with nature. This island provides a wonderful opportunity to immerse in nature in ways very unique from some of the other places.
Natural Bridge and Aquarium at Laxmanpur (II) Beach
Natural bridge (also known as the Howrah Bridge, not the one in Kolkata) is probably one which is unique and breaks the trend from continuous beaches that you would have explored so far in Andamans (especially if you are arriving from Havelock!). These are rock formations creating a wonderful structure. Try and visit during low tides to explore it easily and cover views from both sides. While this is the most marketed scene for this site, there is a lot of treasure here to explore. We recommend taking a guide (private or shared) to get insights into the flora and fauna. Also, since the terrain is tricky, it would be a help at hand.
There are exotic fishes (XX name) and live coral formations which you could witness firsthand. Fauna resides in their natural habitat and you are standing in a live aquarium here. Fishes swim by and turtles grasp your attention now and then. It is a different setup (gifted by nature) in many ways and you would enjoy every moment there - getting closer to nature.
Bharatpur and Laxmanpur (I) Beach
These are great beaches for swimming and watching sunsets. Unlike the Radhanagar Beach in Havelock (Havelock Island or Swaraj Dweep – An Excursion) you can get your munchies across the beach. There are many shacks out there that serve fast-food snacks for you to relish while you wait for a perfect sunset. The white sand - far and wide - is a perfect spot to spend an evening unwinding with family and friends and cherishing what you have in life.
Sitapur Beach
This beach is good for swimming and is known for perfect sunrises if you are a morning person. Tourists can be seen early, still sleepy, trying to capture some perfect moments in their cameras.
Things to Remember
- These islands have limited cars so generally, your tour operator would piggyback multiple groups on the same car. The drivers would hence push for a recommended time to visit a spot. We recommend that you do your own research and be assertive about the time that you prefer.
- The walk to the natural bridge is over rocky corals and hence we recommend wearing shoes or sandals rather than fancy footwear. Also, your footwear is bound to get wet as you explore the natural aquarium so consider that while choosing the right ones.
- These islands are small societies with limited means. You may not find all utilities or brands of snacks. So carry all your essentials with you.
- While a high-speed cable has been set up to provide internet in these islands, the connectivity is still a bit iffy. You may get decent speeds in most locations but may find some black spots as well. We recommend downloading offline versions of your maps and printing any specific information that you may need.
- You may want to carry a separate sim card if your primary one is not from BSNL or Airtel. We always recommend carrying one from BSNL as a backup if you are traveling in remote locations within India e.g. Andamans, North East India, or Jammu and Kashmir.
- There are a few good cafes but they are limited in number and spread. If you are a vegetarian, chances of finding decent food outside are limited. We recommend relying on your hotels for breakfast and dinners.
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