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Travel Tips for your Andaman tour

For details about entry permit go here.

ATTIRE

CLOTHES - Khadi or Cotton

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

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 Thongs

It is advisable to pack a pair of rubber thongs (hawai chappals) for all bathroom excursions and in the stony beaches.

 

The do's and dont's at andaman

Do's

  • Ensure to and fro air/ship tickets and accomodation are confirmed before proceeding to Andaman Islands.
  • Foreign Nationals should obtain the required permit from the immigration authorities soon after landing on the islands. (For more details click HERE)
  • Visit only the permitted areas in the Islands.
  • While driving, follow the traffic rules, keep left. carry legal documents like driving license, permit, passport etc.
  • Consult life guards before entering the sea.
  • Swim in safe areas only.
  • Keep the beaches and environment clean.
  • Dispose off the garbage and plastics at proper places/dustbins.
  • Observe decency and decorum in dress.
  • For Scuba Diving avail the service of Scuba Dive instructions having certification of international professional organizations like PADI, CMAS, NAUI, BSAC or SSI for safe diving experience.

Dont's

  • Foreign nationals should not enter the Islands without required permit.
  • Do not enter into restricted/tribal areas. Do not take video, film or photographs inside Tribal Reserve areas or of the indigenous tribes.
  • Do not carry sea fans and seashells unless specific permits are obtained from the Fisheries department.
  • Do not collect dead coral or touch/break live coral.
  • Do not stand on the coral reef while snorkeling/Scuba diving.
  • Do not enter the National parks without permission.
  • Do not stay on the beaches or the forest areas during nights by putting up own tents/hammocks.
  • Do not take video or film without permit, wherever such permits are required.
  • Do not light fire in the forest areas.
  • Do not throw garbage and plastics in public places, beaches and into the sea.
  • Do not swim in unsafe waters during monsoon.
  • Do not collect, destroy or remove any living or dead animal/plant.
  • Do not hunt birds/animals.
  • Nudity on beaches and public places is forbidden.
  • Do not venture into diving with unqualified/unregistered dive operator for the same may be dangerous to your life.

BANKING and money exchange

BANKING SERVICES:

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.

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS

India is located in south-central Asia. Its climate is mostly tropical or sub-tropical and subject to seasonal monsoon winds, especially the southwest rain during summer. India is an economically developing democratic republic and has worked very hard to control diseases. Adequate medical care is available in the major population centers, but is usually limited in the rural areas of the country.

Many developed countries like Britain are utilizing the state-of-the-art medical services available in India. The cost of treatment is much cheaper here in comparison to the same facilities available in advanced countries. The most important cause of illness of travelers in India is food and waterborne diseases. Diarrhea can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Infections may cause simple diarrhea and vomiting, fever, or, in extreme cases, liver damage (hepatitis).

Malaria is a preventable infection that can create trouble if left untreated. One can prevent infection by taking prescribed anti-malarial drugs and protecting against mosquito bites. Malaria risk in this region exists in some urban and rural areas, depending on the elevation.

PRECAUTIONS

  • One should learn as much about the health care delivery before venturing out.
  • Make sure that the insurance company covers illnesses and accidents abroad.
  • Immunizations against viral or bacterial disease are very important and should be done properly.
  • Carry all the important prescriptions and OTC medicines. Do not forget to have the brand names as well as the generic names of the medicines one needs to have.
  • As India is a tropical country, it is advised to avoid undue stress and excessive exposure to heat and cold.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink tap water. Use only canned water or aerated drinks.
  • General precautionary measures like carrying mosquito repellants, nets, etc., are sufficient for preventing diseases like malaria and dengue.
  • To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot.
  • Do not eat food purchased from street vendors.
  • Do not drink beverages with ice.
  • Do not eat dairy products unless it is known that they have been pasteurized.
  • Sharing needles with anyone can be dangerous; avoid it like a plague.
  • Do not handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs, and cats) to avoid bites and serious diseases (including rabies and plague).

ESSENTIALS TO BE CARRIED

FIRST-AID KIT

While traveling, do not forget to keep tablets of aspirin, paracetamol, and vitamins like the B-Complex. If you have a history of feeling nauseated while traveling, consult your doctor for any medicines you can use while traveling. Keep a pack of glucose powder handy, as you or your fellow travelers might need it. Bandages and antiseptic creams or lotions are also essential. Do keep a pain-relieving balm or spray along in your first-aid kit.

Change of place, climate and food habits tend to make a throat sore, the cure for which is to gurgle with hot water with salt in it.

A good medicine for abdominal problems is the cheap and easily available Isabgol. It is a tasteless dry seed that can be taken with water, milk or yogurt and perform the miracle of holding one's insides intact while on the move. Foreigners often jeered at this native remedy but now that its properties have been acclaimed by science, you can buy a sugarcoated variety.

Medical kits must be attuned to your personal needs. Don't lug around on a trek medicines you know you will never need.

NEWSPAPERS

Invariably useful for a wide range of purposes is an old newspaper. You can open it under your sleeping bag on a cold pier waiting for the boat, or spread it on top of your sleeping bag as an extra blanket. It can help dry your shoes; folded it carries fruit and vegetables. It can stabilize a rocking table in a restaurant and enable you to survive a windy night by sealing a window that rattles. Newspapers are ideal to hide behind when you don't want to talk or when you can't find your trousers are big enough to preserve your modesty. They swat files, double up as blotting paper, provide crosswords, and will turn into paper airplanes.

TORCH

A small torch is an essential equipment. Lights can go off at any time in India, especially in the summer months with the load on the power grid. A pen-torch of plastic or aluminum body withstands the monsoon mildew.

NAIL CLIPPER/RAZOR

Excellent advice to a trekker who has climbed to his objective is "cut your fingernails". If you don't, the descent can be excruciating and you may lose the whole nail from the bruising journey back down. If you can't dig out the expedition scissors, use a razor blade that you ought to have taped inside your diary. To have such small but lifesaving gadgets close at hand is the greatest art the traveler can learn.

LOCK

It always pays to carry a small lock, but not too small. This should be used to double-lock the door of your tourist bungalow or budget hotel. If it opens to a number combination you must remember to carry a torch when you return at night. When carrying a key chain, tie it on a piece of brightly colored cloth or plastic that will enable its easier location if dropped. In India many doors are hinged at both sides and open at the middle in two panels. Make sure the first panel that closes is firmly bolted top and bottom, otherwise both panels will remain loose and offer a security threat.

STRING

If you are of the scientific mould and feel an urge to measure everything, an easy measuring rod to carry is a length of string with knots to indicate inches. You can use this to measure the size of a temple frieze or gauge the circumference of a Himalayan cedar. Some travelers consider string the most precious aid and use it to secure rattling windows and mend sagging deck chairs. Nowadays, a good substitute is a roll of scotch tape or plastic insulating tape, which can mend, patch, and close many unwanted openings.

UMBRELLA

It is the best protection against the scorching rays of the sun. It is also one of the most valuable pieces of trekking equipment is an umbrella. It acts as a walking stick, can scare off dogs and can also do services as a tent support.

MOISTURIZED TISSUES

Luxurious it may sound, but for answering the call of nature in wildness areas, nothing can beat a can of moisturized scented tissues. These are available at chemists in the bigger towns. Being moist they serve better than toilet paper in extreme situations.