Andaman Tourism Opens: The Andaman & Nicobar administration has announced that all tourist spots in the South Andaman district will be opened for tourism activities with immediate effect 8 Feb 2022.
The tourists are allowed to visit Baratang/North & Middle Andaman on production of double dose covid certificate/ All other passengers viz. unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers (those who have taken only 1S1 dose of COVID vaccine) shall have to produce RT-PCR negative test report
General Guidelines defined for traveling to Andaman Islands during COVID :
What are the guidelines for testing for tourists coming to Andaman after August 03 2021?
On arrival at Port Blair :
1. The tourists need to carry COVID-19 negative test report from mainland based 1CMR approved lab using Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR). However, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to starting the journey from the origin station. (For e.g. if the tourist takes a flight from Delhi at 0600 hrs. on 1st September, 2021, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken not before 0600 hrs. on 30th August, 2021).
2. The tourists/visitors on arrival at Port Blair airport have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 screening with RTPCR test free of cost. Thereafter the tourists/visitors are allowed to move to their respective hotels. However, they will have to be under quarantine at Port Blair in their hotel rooms until the result of RTPCR tests are received. In case of RTPCR positive test results, the tourists/visitors shall remain in
institutional quarantine in hotels notified by the Hoteliers Association in consent with the A&N Administration, on rates as specified or to the designated hospital/ Covid-19 care centre on case-to-case basis.
3. Tourists may also have to undergo random Rapid Antigen Test conducted from time to time on payment basis as prescribed by A8N Administration.
What if the tourists test positive after arriving at the Andaman Islands?
If the tourists tests positive during their stay in the Islands, he/she will need to undergo institutional isolation as per existing health protocols. The
cost of such isolation for govt. facility will be paid by the tourists as fixed by the administration from time to time.
If the patient wants to stay at hotels, he/she can stay in the hotels if all the conditions below are met:
a) Patients are not symptomatic and not more than 60 years old.
b) Request/ undertaking is made by patient in writing.
c)lf allowed by doctors.
Hotels will make necessary arrangements to designate a part of their rooms for institutional isolation for this purpose.
When you are in Port Blair, the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, then don’t forget to include Shoal Bay Beach in your travel itinerary. Shoal Bay is a village in South Andaman district of the islands and is a very small hamlet. It is home to people speaking different languages such as Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. Here, a small beach is located that is known as Shoal Bay Beach. There are no houses or settlements adjacent to the Shoal Bay Beach. Therefore, there you will not find and crowd as such apart from a few travellers.
Overview
Shoal Bay Beach is a pristine beach in the Andaman Islands that is famous for its clean water and seclusion as it is located far away from the noise of city life. It is a little beach in South Andaman and can be visited if you have enough time in Port Blair. One can swim and enjoy a picnic on this clean beach, and if you do, then make sure that you don’t leave your garbage, plastic bottle, etc. here as it will spoil its natural beauty and harm environment as well. The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has taken steps towards the preservation of the beauty and cleanliness of this beach. Being a responsible tourist, it is your duty to take care of its well-being.
Water sports
There are no water sports available at Shoal Bay Beach but if you are a water baby and want to have a good swim, then this beach is a good choice for that. The water is clean and the temperature is also pleasant.
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Nearby hotels
The nearest hotels to Shoal Bay Beach are located in Port Blair, the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The town has all kinds of properties for different budgets ranging from economic stays to lavish resorts. Some of the best hotels here are as follows:
You can consider staying at Hotel Silver Spring that is located at MG Road, Junglighat. It is thirteen kilometers from Mount Harriet National Park. Veer Savarkar International Airport is five kilometers away. The staff speaks Hindi and English, and is always there for you. A car rental service is available at the accommodation in case you want to hire it for sightseeing. Travellers make Silver Spring their accommodation of choice when in Port Blair. The hotel offers an array of amenities to its prestigious guests by providing an ideal mix of value, comfort, and convenience. It offers the best of the Andaman tropical vibes and a refreshing ambience. The guests are offered an experience like no other with all the advanced amenities and services that are required for a relaxing stay in the Andamans.
The hotel offers rooms under two categories- Deluxe and Luxury. Well-furnished and beautifully decorated, the rooms offer total comfort to all guests. A LED television with satellite channels is also there for entertainment. In addition to that, the rooms also have a mini-fridge and tea maker. The interior decorations are appealing and soothing to travellers.
Hotel Silver Spring has an on-site restaurant that serves multi-cuisine food like Indian, Chinese, etc. The dishes are rated good by the guests staying here. You should try seafood while you are here.
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Some of the offered facilities include the following:
How to reach
Reaching Shoal Bay Beach is a bit tricky but it is totally worth it. The beach is nearly eighteen kilometers from the capital town but the route is a little challenging and not so smooth. There is a non-concrete and non-tar road of around seven kilometers that maybe quite difficult and it may discourage you to go to the beach. Cars with low ground clearance may hit bumps every short distance as there are rocks and crates. The best vehicle options in such a situation are Jeep, Gypsy, and motorcycles.
There are two ways to reach Shoal Bay. The first option is to begin from Port Blair, head to Garacharama, follow the turn of Wandoor, Chouldhari, and then take a right turn towards the bypass road to Mount Harriet. Reach a junction at Namunaghar continuing from here and turn right towards Shoal Bay. After some distance, you will see a lot of mangroves. It means you are in the right direction. Just follow the village road and you will reach Shoal Bay Beach.
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The second option includes beginning from Port Blair, reach Chatham Jetty, take a ferry to Bambooflat jetty, and turn left towards Wimberlygunj. From here, Shoal Bay village is only three kilometers away. Follow the village road and you will reach a patch of full and well-constructed road. Reach the end point. No vehicle including two-wheelers can go beyond this. So you have to leave your vehicle here and carry your belongings. Turn to the right towards the fields and follow the path. It will appear like a forest but it is absolutely safe. This short stretch will ultimately take you to Shoal Bay Beach.
If you are a nature lover and want to spend some time in the lap of nature, then head to the quirky little beach of Shoal Bay. Trust Andaman Island Travels for all your hotel and ferry bookings. It will also make bookings for adventure activities if you are interested in any. The expert tour planners will design the holiday of your dreams! Feel free to get in touch with Andaman Island Travels if you are looking to book an Andaman tour package from anywhere across India. Its experienced operators will take care of all your reservations exactly as per your requirements.
