The Andamans — India’s Tropical Island Paradise

Creative Travel offers two unique ways to discover the exotic Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal — scuba diving and deep-sea fishing.

Closer to Burma, Bangladesh and Thailand than mainland India, the Andamans are an chain of 325 tropical islands that offer a throwback to India of long ago. In addition to wildlife-filled rainforest, aboriginal tribes and the jungle-covered ruins of British colonial outposts, the islands are renowned for their pristine coral reefs and rich fishing grounds,

Deep Dive the Indian Ocean

Given the untouched coral reefs surrounding the Andaman Islands, it’s no surprise that scuba diving has become one of the most popular activities for visitors.

Creative’s “Discover Scuba Program” in the Andamans includes some basic theory, a practice session in shallow water, and a single dive to a maximum depth of 12 meters (40 feet) with an experienced instructor.

The program is run by a professional dive organization and experienced instructors, with an impeccable safety record and well-maintained equipment. The minimum age for participation is 10 years, so bring your kids along and let them experience the fun of Andaman diving as well.

Game Fishing in Andamans

Only 36 of the islands are inhabited, leaving 86% of the landmass under protected forest cover. With no commercial fishing allowed, the surroundings waters of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Seas are virtually untouched, giving the local game fish a chance to grow to colossal size.

Departing from Port Blair — the archipelago’s territorial capital and main seaport — sports-fishing boats cruise the open ocean for marlin, yellowfin tuna, barracuda, wahoo, king mackerel, grouper, amber jack, jobfish, dorado, sailfish and giant trevally.