I wrote this article for go2andaman.com ( This article and much more on Andaman & Nicobar Islands can be found there as well)
There were many things that made me lose my heart to the place called Andamans. One of them was this mesmerizing picture. It has left a mark like none other and has inspired this small little write up on ‘What I expect out of my holiday in Andaman & Nicobar Islands’.
As I closed my eyes, this is all I could imagine …
The serene beach…
The greens, blues, whites, browns… the hues of the golden Sun…
The salty smell of the waters which was sweeter than honeysuckle…
The crunch of gravel and then the softness of the wet sand…
The perfect shape of my small footprints on the soil…
The soft touch of the flowers that my feet could feel as I tread on them, strewn all over the beach…
The beauty of what I saw when I closed my eyes for a moment to savor this…
It was like Andamans was making an irrevocable imprint on my soul, a mark of beauty, a mark of Life.
I have always imagined my morning to be like this whenever I get to holiday in Andamans. The Emerald Isle (better known as Andaman & Nicobar Islands) has always been one of the dream holiday destinations. And everytime I think of it, all I do is ‘smile’ and ‘anticipate’; whether it will be more beautiful than my imaginations or much more beautiful. Being less than what I think, is not a possibility, I am sure. 🙂
Andamans was already reaching up to my soul… mending repairs with each step that I took towards the sea. The horizon far ahead had a strange magnetic pull to it; as if the crashing waves had a lesson to teach, an answer to preach. The persistence of the beauty that I was witnessing and the song that nature was playing for me- were spelling perfection for me. At that very moment my feet met the water. The cool blue water. Had I known Bliss before? May be yes. May be no. But this moment was one of its kind.
I was having a rendezvous with life. Khayyam saab’s words reverbated in my ears – “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”
I closed my eyes and spread my hands to welcome the warmth that I was witnessing. The feel of embracing the winds, the light, the music – I felt as if I was being untangled ! The serene, impeccably clean and quiet beach of a far off island by the name Andaman was teaching me a great lesson of life – life is beautiful, very beautiful. If only you know how to celebrate the small, random things in life.
I was happy. Happy as I allowed ‘me’ to take over my own self while squatting at the beach for like hours, looking at passers by taking a stroll at the beach. Happy as I made doodles and meaningless pattern on the wet sand and saw them being washed away by the ferociously beautiful waves. Happy when the waves brought me back a beautiful stray shell as a memoir.
I was happy that I was having the best conversation with myself, that I was finding some part of myself which I had lost somewhere in the pace of life. I was happy that I was making friends with my best friend – myself!
I am not much of an adventure person. Yet, the coral reefs are the second priority on my list of to dos during this holiday. If I am done with romancing nature, I would definitely want to have a look at these marvels of nature. A fortnight or may be more, of ceaseless vistas of blue and beauty would be a perfect window to rejuvenate and emerge. A beach cottage would perhaps be the perfect place to be known as home then.
Andamans is different things for different people. Romantic getaways, adventure getaways, exploration getaways – you name it and you will find something in Andamans for sure. I do not know whether I go with friends or family. But, I know that I will have my moments of solitude. For me, it will always be a journey of finding peace, even if momentary. It is the place where I would want the mind and heart to come to confluence. In solidarity I would like to have the best companionship of my own self in a place like Andaman. It is where I am sure to find respite from life, where I am sure to find a better, simpler and more wanted life.