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Learn About Places Andaman Nicobar > General Info Andaman Nicobar

General Info Andaman Nicobar

Location

Located in the Bay of Bengal, this group of 572 islands lies 193 km away from Cape Negrais in Myanmar, 1255 km from Calcutta, and 1190 km from Chennai. The two important groups of islets are Ritchie's Archipelago and Labyrinth Islands. The Nicobar Islands are located to the south of the Andamans, 121 km from the Little Andaman Island. Of the total 572 islands, only 36 islands are inhabited. The Islands are located between the latitudes 6° to 14° North and longitudes 92° to 94° East.

Physical Features

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise around 572 islands formed by a submarine mountain range, which separates the Bay of Bengal from the Andaman Sea. The islands attain maximum altitude at Saddle Peak (730 m), formed mainly of limestone, sandstone, and clay.

Climate

The islands have a tropical climate. There is medium to heavy rain during the monsoon, in the months from May to mid September and November to mid December. There is no extreme climate except rains and tropical storms in late summer often cause heavy damage.

Flora and Fauna

The canopied rain forests of the islands harbor 3,000 species of plants including mangroves, epiphytes (130 ferns, 100 orchids), palms, woody climbers, timbers (teak, mahogany, Andaman paduk) and a wide variety of tropical fruits. Marine fauna is diverse including a wide variety of tropical fish and coral. Considering the diversity and uniqueness of fauna and flora and the fragile nature of the eco-system here, 96 sanctuaries spread over 466.218 sq km and nine National Parks spread over 1153.938 sq km have been notified on these islands.

Entry Formalities

FOREIGNERS
All foreign nationals can stay in the islands for 30 days. This can be extended by another 15 days with permission. The required permit can be easily obtained Free of Cost from the Immigration counter at Port Blair Airport or Harbour upon arrival on production of their passports containing a valid Indian Visa.
The places covered by this permit for night halt are: South Andaman Island, Middle Andaman Island and Little Andaman Island (except tribal reserve), Neil Island, Havelock Island, Long Island, Diglipur, & Baratang.

INDIANS
Indian nationals need no permit to visit Andamans. However, permits are required to visit Nicobar Islands and other tribal areas, which are given in exceptional cases. Application on a prescribed form may be addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Andaman District, Port Blair.

CLOTHES
Khadi or Cotton – The Best Bet
Dress freely in Khadi (hand-woven cotton garments) or simply cotton garments, which will keep you cool in this hot tropical climate. Avoid synthetic or nylon clothes in this hot climate which will make you uncomfortable. The sun is hot throughout the day throughout the year - there is no winter over here so the best thing to wear is a cotton T-Shirt and cotton shorts.

SHOES
The Right Choice
For trekking, the lighter the boots you wear the greater the pleasure you will experience. Heavy boots tire you out before you reach the base camp. Invest in a generous size that allows a minimum of two pairs of socks to be worn inside. This protection will cut down on the risk of blisters. A comfortable pair of boots is the best investment for a trekker, and even if they only last the duration of one trek, they have paid for themselves in providing the priceless mood of freedom and fleetness of foot. Sleepers are not at all advisable not only because of blisters but also for the common leech bites specially in the rainy season.

Don’t Forget the Things
It is advisable to pack a pair of rubber thongs (hawai chappals) for all bathroom excursions and in the stony beaches.

MONEY EXCHANGE/BANKING SERVICES BY FOLLOWING BANKS

   1. State Bank of India
   2. Syndicate Bank
   3. Allahabad Bank
   4. United Bank of India
   5. Canara Bank
   6. Punjab National Bank
   7. Uco Bank
   8. Indian Overseas Bank
   9. Indian Bank
10. UTI Bank

WHO CAN EXCHANGE MONEY
All money in India is expected to be changed through the official banks or authorized moneychangers. Authorization to exchange money is given by the Reserve Bank of India. Major banks such as SBI, Indian Overseas Bank, and Central Bank of India have their branches in almost all the cities and towns of India. Many of these branches accept travelers' cheques and exchange money. In larger cities and at tourist destinations, apart from banks private dealers also exchange money. Many of travel agencies also provide money exchange facilities to their clients and they can be of great help. One can find small moneychangers even in the remote tourist destinations and changing money is not a problem for tourists in India.

Though Credit Cards are not widely accepted over here - one can bring in their cards for encashing money from the ATM Counters (of State Bank of India, UTI Bank & ICICI Bank) in case of emergency.