Neil Island – A Beautiful experience in Andaman

For travellers looking for a beach vacation within India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the go-to place which boasts a beautiful island, called Neil Island located 40 kilometres from Port Blair, it is popularly known as the vegetable bowl of Andaman as its vast agriculture area yields rich produce. The famous Howrah Bridge is a naturally shaped bridge-like rock in Neil Island. There are two living natural corals formed just like a bridge and the rocks were named as the Rabindra Sethu and Howrah Bridge by the Bengalis who settled on the island in the early days. The bridge can be best observed during low tides.

The island has beautiful beaches, which are viewed as divine places and are perfect places to go to when on vacation. In Neil Island Laxmanpur, Sitapur, and Bharatpur villages are being flocked by tourists and cannot resist the serene feeling when on these beaches.

Top Attractions – Neil Island

• Sitapur Beach – This beach is located at the very tip of the island and holds a rich limestone deposit formation and fresh vegetation.
• Radhanagar Beach – This beach is one of the top ten beautiful beaches in the world and beach lovers should miss out on this beach as a part of your itinerary. Water activities like snorkelling, scuba diving, and kayaking apart from swimming can be enjoyed by this wonderful sea.
• Bharatpur Beach – Another attractive beach with green and lush vegetation with rich species of fish and unbroken corals. Scuba diving is a popular activity here and you can swim in the clear blue waters.

Festivities and Events – Neil Island

Neil Island is majorly populated by the Bengalis and they have their unique way of celebrating their festivities. They not only celebrate it among themselves but also delight in showing the tourists their tradition and culture through folk dances and music. Island Tourism Festival and Subhash Mela are the two major events in Neil island.

• The Island Tourism Festival – This event is celebrated for ten consecutive days by the local people and is one of the popular events. The event organizes music, arts and crafts, drama, dancing, and exhibitions. The event is organized at the start of winter and is attended by numerous tourists and travellers from all over the world. The events also have a puppet and magic show for children.
• The Subhash Mela – Festival is celebrated every year in January for a week and commemorates the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, a nationalist from India during the period of World War II. His birthday is being honoured every year as he helped the nation from British rule before independence.

How to get to Neil Island

• By air – From Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, it takes around 30 minutes to get to Neil Island.
• By sea – You can take cruises from Visakhapatnam which sails to Port Blair although it takes around one and a half-day. In case you are coming from Havelock then you can take a ferry ride.

Best Time to Travel to Neil Island

The best time to travel to Neil Island and see the Howrah Bridge during summer wherein spending time on the beach is perfect for an island vacation with your loved ones. You can also visit Neil island in winter as the climate is cooler. Also, it’s a perfect place to celebrate the Holidays with your loved ones or friends. During monsoon season, it is not advisable to travel as there are rainfalls and the waves are stronger. Due to rainfall, tourists won’t be able to see the famous Howrah Bridge and enjoy fun under the sun.

Other Attractions – Neil Island 

Radhanagar Beach and Elephant Beach are other popular beaches in Neil Island. Time Magazine has rated the Radhanagar beach as the most beautiful and magnificent beach. The pristine white sand and semi-thick forest provide shade to the people living there. The Elephant beach is famous for Indian travellers. Even though it was affected by the tsunami, it was restored to its natural beauty including the rich corals, which makes Neil island a treasure.

The most interesting attraction in Neil Island is the Howrah Bridge, which will leave you admiring how beautiful this naturally formed rock bridge. With PickYourTrail you can customize your itinerary to his amazing destination and have a memorable vacation with your family!