Latest Information on Travelling to Andaman Islands?
  • Runway Status for Port Blair Airport From October,22 to February, 23

    Updated: 19 Sep 2022
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  • Andaman Tourism Opens

    Updated: 14 Aug 2021

    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.

  • RT PCR report on arrival

    Updated: 14 Aug 2021

    A negative RT PCR report has to be presented by all passengers on arrival.

  • What is the advisory to travel to North & Middle Andaman District?

    Updated: 14 Aug 2021

    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

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  • All asymptomatic fully vaccinated persons coming to these islands from mainland are exempted from the requirement of carrying RT-PCR negative test report,irrespective of the type of vaccine received and country of origin. Such fullyvaccinated individuals shall produce the final vaccination certificate at the origin airport, sea port in the mainland and at Port Blair Airport / sea port.
  • Alt asymptomatic children below 5 years of age are exempted from carrying RT-PCR negative test report and further RT-PCR testing at Port Blair Airport.
  • 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 to travel to Port Blair from the mainland, as is the practice now. Such an RT-PCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to commencement of journey from the origin airport connecting Port Blair. Such passengers will also have to undergo additional RT-PCR test on arrival at Port Blair. Such passengers shall remain in self-quarantine till the arrival of the test report.
  • If a passenger on arrival is tested positive then, the prescribed quarantine protocol is to be followed.
  • All Airlines shall ensure strict compliance of this order and observance of COVID Appropriate Behaviour. Any non-compliance shall invite action under Disaster Management Act and other applicable laws. 
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General Guidelines defined for traveling to Andaman Islands during COVID :

  1. The Tourism Activities are permitted only in South Andaman & North & Middle Andaman District except Nicobar District.
  2. Persons above 65 years of age, persons with home co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years advised not to travel for tourism purposes.
  3. Tourists/Visitors who are at higher risk due to some medical history are advised to take extra precautions.
  4. Tourists/visitors shall minimize contact with other staff and visitors as far as possible and zero contact policy should be followed at all tourist destinations.
  5. All tourists/visitors shall be briefed by the hotel concerned about do’s & don’ts to be mandatorily followed during their stay and movements.
  6. While travelling tourists/visitors should wear a face mask and carry their own sanitizer and wet wipes for personal use.
  7. At all tourist destinations, staff must wear face masks and wash/sanitize hands regularly while performing their duties.
  8. Arogya Setu App shall be mandatory for all incoming tourists/visitors.
  9. Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly after use.
  10. 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 rate as specified or to the designated hospital/ Covid 19 care centre on case to case basis.
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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.

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  • Regular flights to Port Blair (the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) are operational now.
  • There are direct flights from Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Delhi.
  • Public transports like cabs, taxis, and bus services are also functional.
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Travellers should carefully follow social distancing norms and wear masks as well. Also, before making any booking, they should refer to the latest travel news on the government website of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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Sippighat Agriculture Farm

Sippighat Agriculture Farm
Date : 05 Aug 2021

You can include this interesting farm in your Port Blair travel itinerary if agriculture and farming interest you. Sippighat Agriculture Farm was established in 1959 as the ‘Soil Conservation and Demonstration Center’ and converted into a Horticulture farm in 2003. Sippighat Farm is spread across an area of 80 acres. It shows the best cultivation practices that can be adopted on the islands. Along with providing information on multi-cropping, the practice of the same is demonstrated as well. Here, one can see a wide variety of crops ranging from spices like black pepper and vanilla to cash crops like coffee to medicinal plants. Around one to two hours are required to see the entire farm.

Highlights

Central Government Agricultural Research Institute administers Sippighat Agriculture Farm, and it pursues scientific studies and methods for improving spice production and cultivation of other plants. Spread over 80 acres of cultivated land, you can see here spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, etc. These are grown here and exported to a number of countries. If you are an ornithologist or a bird lover, then you will love this place as it is a stop-over for many migratory birds. This adds to the attraction of this place. You have a good chance of spotting any of these birds—Eurasian Curlew, Pacific Golden-Plover, Osprey or Fish Eating Eagle, White-Bellied Sea Eagle, Andaman Teal, Large Falcons, and Narcondam Hornbill as these are attracted to the farm. 

Overview

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Those of you interested in agriculture and farming should visit Sippighat Agriculture Farm when in Port Blair. Set up as the ‘Soil Conservation and Demonstration Center’ in 1959 and converted into a horticulture farm in 2003, the farm is spread across an area of 80 acres. This cultivated green land is again surrounded by natural lust greenery and beauty. 

The best cultivation practices that can be adopted on the Andaman Islands are demonstrated at Sippighat Agriculture Farm. Along with providing information about multi-cropping, the farm practices it as well. A wide variety of crops such as black pepper, vanilla, coffee, and various medicinal plants are grown here. The best properties of various medicinal plants can be studied here, and you may get surprised to know all about them.

Timings:

Every day (except Sundays): 06:00 am to 11.00 am and 12:00 noon to 2.30 pm

The farm is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Plants grown at Sippighat Farm greenhouse

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With an area of 16.64 square kilometers, Port Blair has a tropical monsoonal climate. It experiences a dry season and a heavy monsoon for the rest of the year. It is interesting to know that there is no cold season here. Total annual precipitation that averages 2872 millimeters and annual sunshine that averages 2405 hours are the other weather features of Port Blair. The town enjoys an almost steady climate that makes it suitable for all kinds of adventurous activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, boating, etc. round the year. All these conditions are favorable for the growth of a number of crops. Some of the medicinal plants that are grown at the farm are as follows:

  • Aegle marmelos
  • Acorus calamus
  • Aloe Vera
  • Abrus precatorius
  • Cissus quadrangularis
  • Andrographis Paniculata
  • Asparagus racemosus
  • Vitex negundo
  • Piper betle
  • Stevia rebaudiana
  • Mimosa pudica
  • Vanilla planifolia
  • Clitorea teritea

Things to do

You can take a stroll around the farm and get to look around different plants that are cultivated here. A small pathway is built around it so that you can easily roam around and gather all the information. Another attraction of Sippighat Agriculture Farm is the presence of several species of migratory birds. Thus, it is a sought-after place among ornithologists and birdwatchers. Owing to the same reason, photographers also love this place. Some of the birds that can be spotted here are Pacific Golden-Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Mongolian Plover, etc. So including this farm in your itinerary when you are in Port Blair would be a good decision.

Nearby hotels

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Port Blair has all kinds of hotels and resorts that are perfect for budget travellers as well as luxury travellers. There are a number of good accommodations nearby Sippighat Agriculture Farm where you can enjoy a comfortable stay. Some of the hotels are as follows:

  • Hotel Shreesh
  • Guru International Hotel
  • Andaman Residency
  • Haywizz
  • Anchorage Inn
  • A.R Pride residency
  • Classic Regency

Nearby places to eat

There are a number of eateries nearby Sippighat Agriculture Farm where you can enjoy a delicious meal along with refreshing drinks. Some of the restaurants are as follows:

  • Lazeez restaurant
  • Aparupa Paimana Bar
  • Lazeez Restaurant
  • Ammu Restaurant
  • Haywizz Bar
  • Haywizz Restaurant
  • Afloat Floating Restaurant

Best time to visit

During the winter season in the Andaman Islands, temperatures sometimes hit a minimum of 20°C and occasionally touch 30°C too. This season is the most favorable time of the year to visit Sippighat Agriculture Farm as it offers a very pleasant feel. You can also catch up on the Island Tourism Festival and the Film Festival on your visit during this time of the year. In general also, this is the best time to explore the Andaman Islands.

How to reach

Sippighat Agriculture Farm is situated nearly fifteen kilometers from Port Blair on the road to Wandoor. It is easily accessible by road from the city. You can choose any of the following ways:

  • By local bus- The central terminus is Mohanpura bus terminus. The buses operate between 4:30 am and 12 noon and are available throughout the day. There are tours and travel companies that provide private buses from Mohanpura terminus within Port Blair as well as other parts of the Andaman Islands.
  • By cab- Private car hire and rentals are the most convenient ways to reach Sippighat Agriculture Farm. 
  • By auto- Auto rickshaws and minibuses are also available if you are on a budget trip and want to take any local transport. 

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