Neil Island is a modest, picturesque natural refuge situated on India’s Eastern Coast, south of the Andaman Islands. The island is approximately 37 km far from Port Blair. It is a wonderful vacation place for travellers. The sea that surrounds the island is shallow and teeming with multicoloured corals. Neil Island is also known as the Andaman vegetable bowl since it is where the native veggies are grown and distributed to the neighbouring islands.
The hammocks under shaded trees on the beaches are appealing. Locals have nicknamed the coastlines after mythological figures from the epic Ramayana, such as Ramnagar, Laxmanpur, Sitapur, and Bharatpur. Neil Island in Andaman, unlike the majority of the Islands, has a flat landscape. The island is also rather tiny, covering only 19 square kilometres. The stunning view of the sea and the thick greenery on the island is very revitalising and entertaining for adventurous visitors. Because of its splendour, it is commonly considered a divine location on Earth.
How to reach Havelock
Neil Island is accessible by ferry from either Port Blair or Havelock Island. On a regular basis, both government boats and commercial ferries/cruises link the island. You will first have to reach Havelock from Port Blair and then take a ferry from Havelock to Neil Island. A ferry voyage to the isle usually takes around 60 to 90 minutes. A helicopter connects the island to other islands, providing substantially faster transportation but mostly for local officials. Taking up an online booked cruise/ferry is the best way to go.
Must do things while on Neil Island
Snorkelling and Scuba diving
Along with the undersea beauty, Neil Island has various shores with clean water shorelines and gentle waves that are ideal for snorkelling. While entering Bharatpur Beach, you may immediately identify merchants and advisors for this. Neil island is perfect for various water sports activities in Andaman and we recommend that doing Scuba diving at Neil island is much amazing than many other parts of the islands.
Explore the island on 2 Wheels
The island is not large, yet it is feasible to cycle around it completely! Cycles can be rented from hotels or purchased from the market. The price is reasonable, and you can also hire a bike to explore the area. If you want to go on an off-road adventure, there are a lot of merchants that rent bikes along the Jetty, so take note of the phone number or hire a motorbike as soon as you arrive.
The 3-Point Tour
Neil Coastline three Point Tour: The 3 point tour brings you to three distinct sides of the land that house the tourist spots. The itinerary includes visits to Bharatpur Beach, Sitapur Beach, and Laxmanpur Beach. This tour is regarded as the greatest sort of tour in Neil Island since it brings you to Sitapur Beach in the early morning for the dusk, then to Bharatpur Beach in which you can venture out and experience the thrill of water sports with your friends and family and spend the day with some refreshments. After lunch, head to Laxmanpur Beach and see the white sand shoreline as well as the magnificent rock formations. Stay there just for the dawn to take in the spectacular sunset before returning to the guesthouse.
Glass Bottom Ride
This exercise is ideal for folks who dislike getting wet in the water. The vessel, as the name implies, has a see-through glass bottom from which you can notice the fishes and reefs as the skipper leads you around the low and lush waters famed for having the densest swarms of fishes.
Trekking
Hiking, as previously said, Neil is a tropical paradise with deep tropical jungles that offer plenty of opportunities for trekking enthusiasts. You may wander to your heart’s delight, from calm forests supplemented by a diverse range of birds to lengthy tracts of trees.
Neil Island had long been popular with backpackers. However, numerous luxury residences have lately been built here. Overall, Neil is a pretty affordable destination. You may obtain lodging for as little as INR 500.
Food at shacks and tiny eateries is inexpensive, and bike rentals are similarly reasonably priced. Scooty rentals are available for INR 800 per day. Water sports, on the other hand, have their own set of fees.