What makes each of the four snorkelling sites on this package different from the others?

The four snorkelling sites in this andaman snorkelling package are genuinely distinct environments rather than variations on the same reef experience. North Bay is the harbour-adjacent site — accessible, calm and good for first-timers but affected by the proximity to Port Blair’s commercial activity. Cinque Island is inside the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park — the most protected reef on the circuit, clearer water and less boat traffic than any of the other sites, with a permit system that limits the visitor count on any given day. Elephant Beach at Havelock is the highest-traffic site with the highest fish diversity — the most visually active snorkelling on the andaman snorkelling package, particularly in the early morning before the day-tripper groups arrive. Neil Island’s Laxmanpur reef is the quietest — smaller coral formations, more cryptic species in the crevices, the natural bridge overhead at high water and almost no other snorkellers present on most visits outside peak season.

What equipment should a snorkeller bring to this andaman snorkelling package and what can be hired locally at each site?

The minimum personal equipment for this andaman snorkelling package is a well-fitting mask and snorkel — these are the items where personal ownership makes the most practical difference since a poorly fitting hired mask leaks regardless of the quality of the water. Fins are available for hire at all four sites and are important for moving efficiently across the reef without exhausting the legs. A rash vest or UV-protective swim shirt is strongly recommended — the Andaman sun in the October to May season is direct and the hours spent face-down at the surface during the Elephant Beach morning session and the Cinque Island permit visit accumulate exposure faster than most snorkellers expect. Reef-safe sunscreen is available in Port Blair markets. Underwater cameras for snorkelling depth — GoPro or compact cameras in basic waterproof housings — are worth bringing for the Cinque Island and Elephant Beach sessions specifically, where the reef subjects are close enough to the surface for reasonable compact camera results.

Does this andaman snorkelling package require swimming ability and what is the minimum fitness requirement?

Basic swimming competence is required for this andaman snorkelling package — specifically the ability to float comfortably on the surface for extended periods and to move calmly in open water without distress. Strong swimming ability is not required since snorkelling is a surface activity and the fins do most of the propulsion work. Non-swimmers who cannot float independently should not attempt open water snorkelling without a flotation device and should discuss this with the Bon team before booking. Life jackets or flotation vests are available from operators at all four sites for those who want additional buoyancy support. The Cinque Island site and the Neil Island Laxmanpur reef involve a boat ride to reach the snorkelling area — basic ocean comfort is more important than swimming speed. The morning Elephant Beach session involves approximately two hours of continuous surface snorkelling and the fitness requirement is the ability to sustain that without distress — a moderate level of physical comfort in water rather than athletic fitness.

What conditions produce the best snorkelling in the Andaman Islands and how do they affect this package?

The Andaman snorkelling season runs from approximately October to May — calm seas, reduced rain and good water visibility characterise this window. Within the season the best snorkelling conditions combine calm sea state, high water transparency and the morning light angle before the afternoon sun is directly overhead. A calm sea is the most important single variable — even a small surface chop reduces visibility significantly by disturbing sediment and breaking the flat surface needed for comfortable face-down floating. The morning sessions on Days 1, 3 and 4 of this andaman snorkelling package are timed specifically for the calm morning window before the afternoon sea breeze builds. The Cinque Island session on Day 2 is inside the marine park and the protected location reduces the chop effect relative to open sites. No specific water visibility is guaranteed on this andaman snorkelling package — the Andaman Sea in the open season is generally good but daily variation is real and conditions can change on the day.

How does this andaman snorkelling package compare to a scuba diving package for someone deciding between them?

Snorkelling and scuba diving cover the same reef but from fundamentally different positions. A snorkeller floats at the surface and looks down — the reef is visible from above, the fish are viewed from a position they are accustomed to threats arriving from. A scuba diver descends into the reef and moves through it at the same level as the coral and the fish — the spatial relationship is completely different. The andaman snorkelling package covers more reef sites in five days than the andaman scuba diving package does since snorkelling requires no equipment setup, no certification and no pre-dive briefing beyond basic safety. The andaman scuba diving package goes deeper — literally and experientially — but covers fewer sites. Snorkelling is the right choice for the traveller who wants maximum reef variety across multiple environments without the certification requirement. Scuba diving is the right choice for the traveller who wants to go inside the reef at a single site and see what is not visible from the surface. Both are worth doing and neither replaces the other.

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5 Day Clear Andaman Snorkelling Package | Translucent

Andaman and Nicobar Island

Overview

Overview for Andaman Snorkelling Package

The Andaman Islands have four distinct snorkelling environments within range of a five-day circuit — the North Bay reef inside Port Blair harbour, the Cinque Island reef inside the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park protected from boat traffic and the turbidity that affects the harbour-adjacent sites, the Elephant Beach reef at Havelock where the coral formations run from 2 metres to the deeper sections and the fish diversity is among the highest accessible without a certification in Indian waters, and the Neil Island reef edge at Laxmanpur where the natural rock bridge sits above coral formations visible at snorkelling depth at low tide. Each of these four sites is different enough from the others that the andaman snorkelling package is not repetitive across its five days — the water clarity at Cinque is different from the water at North Bay, the fish assemblage at Elephant Beach is different from the reef edge at Neil Island and the experience of floating over the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park reef is different from the experience of snorkelling in a bay with water sports operators on the shore. This package covers all four.

Bon Voyagers manages the complete ground programme from Port Blair Airport arrival. Day 1 covers Port Blair, the Cellular Jail and the North Bay first snorkel. Day 2 is the Cinque Island marine park excursion from Chiriya Tapu. Day 3 takes the ferry to Havelock for the afternoon Elephant Beach snorkel. Day 4 is the full Elephant Beach morning session and Radhanagar Beach afternoon. Day 5 crosses to Neil Island for the reef edge snorkel before the return ferry to Port Blair and the departure. Private ferry tickets, all boat tickets and permits, vehicle transfers and MAP meals throughout are included. Snorkelling equipment hire at each site is paid locally to registered operators.

Duration

5 Days, 4 Nights

Starting From

₹16,000/ person

₹21,000Save ₹5,000

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Detailed Itinerary for Andaman Snorkelling Package

Day 1 • Port Blair, Cellular Jail and North Bay Snorkelling: andaman snorkelling package

The andaman snorkelling package begins at Port Blair Airport where the Bon Voyagers representative meets the group on arrival. The afternoon is the Cellular Jail — built between 1896 and 1906 across seven radiating wings where political prisoners from across India were held. The evening light and sound show runs approximately 45 minutes after dark. North Bay Island in the late afternoon is the first snorkelling site of this andaman snorkelling package — a 15-minute boat from Aberdeen Jetty to the reef closest to Port Blair. The North Bay reef carries parrotfish, angelfish and clownfish in the anemone sections at snorkelling depth in calm conditions. It is the most accessible reef snorkelling in the Andaman Islands and it serves on this andaman snorkelling package as the calibration dive — the first time the mask goes on and the face goes in the water, before the more demanding and more rewarding sites of the following days. Snorkelling equipment hire paid locally. Overnight in Port Blair.

Day 2 • Chiriya Tapu and Cinque Island Marine Park Snorkelling: andaman snorkelling package

The drive to Chiriya Tapu covers approximately 30 kilometres south of Port Blair. The boat to Cinque Island departs from the Chiriya Tapu jetty — approximately 30 to 45 minutes to North Cinque Island inside the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. The Cinque Island reef on Day 2 of this andaman snorkelling package is the best-protected reef on the circuit — inside a national park with regulated visitor numbers and lower boat traffic than the harbour-adjacent sites. The water here runs clearer than North Bay in most conditions and the coral formations are less disturbed. Snorkelling equipment is hired from registered operators at the site. The Cinque Island day visit permit is included in this andaman snorkelling package — the permit limits visitor numbers on any given day and the Bon team secures it before departure. The contrast between the North Bay snorkel on Day 1 and the Cinque Island reef on Day 2 tells the story of what protection does to a reef in the Andaman Islands. Overnight in Port Blair.

Day 3 • Port Blair to Havelock and Elephant Beach Afternoon Snorkel: andaman snorkelling package

The private ferry from Port Blair to Havelock departs Phoenix Bay Jetty and covers approximately 57 kilometres in around 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Havelock is where this andaman snorkelling package meets the Andaman reef at its most accessible and its most visited — Elephant Beach on the island’s northern edge is the most snorkelled site in the Andaman Islands. The afternoon session at Elephant Beach after the ferry arrival gives the group their first Havelock reef experience — the coral formations visible at 2 to 5 metres in the near-shore area, the fish density noticeably higher than North Bay given the reef’s distance from the harbour. Snorkelling equipment hire from registered operators paid locally. The Day 3 session at Elephant Beach is deliberately kept shorter than Day 4’s morning session — the group arrives from a ferry crossing and the reef benefit of a fresh morning is greater than the benefit of a tired afternoon hour. Overnight at Havelock.

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Day 4 • Elephant Beach Full Morning Snorkel and Radhanagar Beach: andaman snorkelling package

The morning session at Elephant Beach on Day 4 of this andaman snorkelling package is the longest and most productive snorkelling session of the five days — a full morning in the water before the afternoon wind builds and the boat traffic on the site increases with the mid-morning day-tripper groups from the main Havelock hotels. Being at Elephant Beach before 8 AM means calmer water, fewer people in the reef area and the full reef activity of the morning feeding period when fish that have been stationary through the night are actively moving through the formations. Butterflyfish, parrotfish, surgeonfish, wrasse and the occasional hawksbill turtle at the deeper sections of the reef edge are all within the range of a surface snorkeller at this hour. Snorkelling equipment hire paid locally. The afternoon is Radhanagar Beach — the western side of Havelock where the water is too wave-active for productive snorkelling but where the quality of simply being in the Andaman Sea at a long, forest-backed beach is exactly what the andaman snorkelling package needs as its rest day afternoon. Overnight at Havelock.

Day 5 • Neil Island Reef Snorkelling and Port Blair Departure: andaman snorkelling package

The ferry from Havelock to Neil Island takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes. Neil Island is the fourth and final snorkelling site of this andaman snorkelling package. The reef at Laxmanpur Beach on Neil’s western side is accessible at snorkelling depth at low tide — the coral formations beneath the natural bridge area and along the reef edge carry species that the Elephant Beach site does not replicate. The Laxmanpur reef is quieter, less visited and the coral character is different from the Havelock reef — smaller formations, more cryptic species in the crevices, the natural bridge itself an overhead feature that snorkellers pass beneath at high water. Snorkelling equipment hire paid locally. The Neil to Port Blair ferry takes approximately 1 to 2 hours. The Bon Voyagers vehicle meets the group at Phoenix Bay Jetty on arrival and drops at Port Blair Airport. The andaman snorkelling package ends with four reef environments on a single memory card and a body that has spent more time in Andaman water than above it.

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5 Day Clear Andaman Snorkelling Package | Translucent

Overview for Andaman Snorkelling Package

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5 Day Clear Andaman Snorkelling Package | Translucent

Plan Your Trip with Experts

Overview for Andaman Snorkelling Package

Journey Route Map for Andaman Snorkelling Package

Port Blair

Chiriya Tapu

Cinque Island

Havelock Island

Neil Island

Port Blair

Detailed Itinerary for Andaman Snorkelling Package

Day 1 • Port Blair, Cellular Jail and North Bay Snorkelling: andaman snorkelling package

Day 2 • Chiriya Tapu and Cinque Island Marine Park Snorkelling: andaman snorkelling package

Day 3 • Port Blair to Havelock and Elephant Beach Afternoon Snorkel: andaman snorkelling package

Day 4 • Elephant Beach Full Morning Snorkel and Radhanagar Beach: andaman snorkelling package

Day 5 • Neil Island Reef Snorkelling and Port Blair Departure: andaman snorkelling package

What’s Included & Excluded for Andaman Snorkelling Package

Inclusions

Exclusions

Best Time to Visit Andaman Snorkelling Package

Frequently Asked Questions About 5 Day Clear Andaman Snorkelling Package | Translucent

What makes each of the four snorkelling sites on this package different from the others?

What equipment should a snorkeller bring to this andaman snorkelling package and what can be hired locally at each site?

Does this andaman snorkelling package require swimming ability and what is the minimum fitness requirement?

What conditions produce the best snorkelling in the Andaman Islands and how do they affect this package?

How does this andaman snorkelling package compare to a scuba diving package for someone deciding between them?

Still have questions?

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