ESCAPE TO A “SECRET” PARADISE
ANDAMAN SEA ISLANDS
If you are ready for a beautiful escape, why not go somewhere few people would ever think of to find you? We’ve got the perfect place -- an island in the middle of the Andaman Sea!
The Andaman Sea is part of the eastern Indian Ocean, the Andaman Sea is a marginal sea, partially enclosed by islands, archipelagos, and peninsulas. It is separated from the Bay of Bengal (to its west) by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are gorgeous options for your escape destination.
The Andaman Sea borders Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and the Malay Peninsula, with beautiful islands scattered off of their coasts. Its southernmost end is defined by Breueh Island, an island just north of Sumatra.
Lush coral reefs and sea waters rife with hundreds of species of fish and molluscs, make the Andaman sea a prime diving area. The sea is also home to endangered species, including dugong (Dugong dugon), several dolphin species, such as Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) and four species of sea turtles: critically endangered leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill turtle (Eletmochelys imbricata), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), and Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).
Among the islands here, the Andaman Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, are especially suited for a beautiful escape. They are still relatively undiscovered by tourist masses. The pristine soft white beaches are still mostly deserted -- you will often have them all to yourself! Although you might need to share them with beach loving wild elephants!
The waters off the coasts of the Andamans offer some of the world’s best scuba diving.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands belong to India, while the Coco Islands are part of Myanmar. The Andaman Islands were named after the Sanskrit name for the Indian Monkey God. They are also known as the Islands of Gold.
The Andaman Islands are home to the indigenous Sentinelese, an aboriginal tribe who has had little contact with any other people.
The Andaman Islands have been inhabited since the Middle Paleolithic era, when people migrated there from Africa via the Arabian peninsula as well as from the coastal regions of the Indian mainland. The indigenous Andamanese people appear to have lived on the islands in substantial isolation from that time until the 18th century CE.
The Andaman Archipelago consists of 325 islands which cover an area of 6,408 km2 (2,474 sq mi). There are at least 11 fascinating mud volcanoes on the islands.
It is always warm here, with beautiful sea breezes and bathtub temperature waters. Just avoid monsoon season and you will be delighted.
Enjoy the unspoiled tropical rainforests forests, with their abundance of exotic orchids, ferns. Kayak through the mangroves. But get here soon. They too are threatened.
Read more about Extraordinary Escapes all this week on BeautifulNow. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.
Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Contest. We run new creative contest every week!
Image: by Steven Belcher. “Koh Lanta, Andaman Sea.” Krabi, Thailand. Andaman Sea.