MoFate's Drop in the Bucket List: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

The winter break continued with Mohit heading to Andaman, a chain of island in the Andaman Sea, while Fate flew back to Philly to make that mulah. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are found in the sea in between Eastern India and Myanmar. They are tropical islands with the only active volcano on Indian soil! They are also home to several native tribes, some which are still hostile and don't enjoy allow visitors on their islands.

The settlement of Port Blair was built by the British because of large number of ships that were being wrecked on nearby shores and ensuing death of most crew members by either the native tribes or the inclimate weather. Once the settlement was built (and rebuilt after several storms destroying it), the Brits made it a penal colony. The construction of Cellular Jail began in the 1850s with the start of first sign of an organized Indian Independence movement. Until 1942, when the Japanese occupied the island, the Brits sent thousands of freedom fighters to this jail where every cell was built for solitary confinement and the overall death rate ~24%. The Japanese were responsible for several crimes as well while they were occupying the islands, such as murdering prisoners for funsies, but left in 1945. This is the main attraction in Port Blair today. Most tourists spend the mandatory one day in Port Blair due to flight/ferry timings not matching, and then head to other nearby islands.

Havelock and Neil islands are probably the two most visited islands in the A&N chain. They offer awesome water activities (scuba, snorkeling, jet skiing, etc.) along with decent beaches for bumming about. The hotels are quaint and basic, exactly how island hotels should be (no Atlantis like monstrosities.)

Things to know if you visit

The sun sets by around 5:00pm in the winter so you have to start your day early. Most scuba places start the day at 7:30am.
Barefoot Scuba on Havelock is fantastic. The staff is great, everyone speaks fluent English, and is great to learn from. It's well worth paying the extra 20% to dive with Barefoot.
It rains frequently here, and can do so even in the dry season. So pack a rain jacket.
Renting scooters on Havelock and Neil islands is the best way to get around. 400-500 INR a day for the rental, you can see the whole island. And it's difficult to get lost since there's only a few roads and the locals are really helpful, even if you only speak English. You don't need a motorcycle license, just don't look like an idiot when you drive off.
Try to book your ferries in advance with companies like Green Ocean or Makruz to avoid the risk of them being sold out once you land.

Fun facts

Bangla restaurant owners have next to zero interest in serving their customers. They're mainly there to shout with/at their friends and drink copious amounts of tea while it rains like hell outside.
Pro-tip: don't go scuba diving with a fever... when you come out, your fever becomes worse.
Check the seal of you "bottled water" provided by your hotel... if the seal's broked, its filtered water, which was fine for us, but still. Maybe it was only the shitty hotel we stayed in :)
Don't freak out if the scooter owner puts in fuel using a water bottle. Sure its ghetto, but it ensures you get the exact amount of liters that you paid for.