Andaman vs Maldives which one is better to visit?

Both islands Andaman and Maldives are good destination for holiday. Both have amazing white sand beaches and rich marine life. They are also have remote Island, which gives sense of privacy to the travellers. These two destinations also have water sports activities for tourists. So, with all this facilities it's really hard to choose any one destination from them.

Image credit - Wikimedia

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are comes inside the union tellrritory of India, located in the Bay of Bengal, close to Myanmar and Thailand border. This archipelago is a home of many indigenous tribes of the country, which are collectively known as the Andamanese. Some of them are prohibited to visit because it's dangerous for outsiders, that prohibited tribes don't welcome outsiders in their area. Andaman Nicobar islands are located a bit away from mainland of India, the territory has well preserved with its natural beauty and untouched by pollution and commercialization. Some of the most beautiful beaches in Asia are found here. The islands are well-known in all over the world for its diving spots, rich underwater life and blue lagoon.

Image credit - Pixabay

On the other hand, Maldives is an island country, located close to the country of Sri Lanka in Laccadive Sea. It has 26 coral islands, which located quite far from each other. It is one of the smallest country in Asia, which offers amazing natural beauty with its beautiful beaches and marine life. The island country is developed and you can stay in some of the best resorts with luxurious facilities here. Everyone can get their privacy here, because, each resort in this small country owns one island and gives you a access to a beautiful private beach for you. The Maldives is considered as one of the best destinations in the world for visit and many famous celebrities in the world add this little paradise in their vacation list.

Each destination has something unique to offer their visitor. So let's start with the comparison, so you can decide which destination is best fit for your dream vacation.

1. Landscapes

"Turquoise water of Andaman Sea at Simila" (CC BY 2.0) by Ajithpoison

Andaman - The islands of Andaman and Nicobar has about total 349 islands, but only 10% of these are inhabited. Not all islands are open for visitors, mostly those, which are inhabited by tribes are prohibited to guests. The landscape of Andaman is made of white sand beaches and blue colored waters. In the different islands of Andaman, you can visit dense forests, which turned into national parks around the union territory. The territory also has some peak points like Saddle Peak, the most highest peak in the region and Mount Harriet, highest peak of Port Blair. Here you can even find natural caves, waterfalls and volcanoes. The only active volcano in South Asia can be found in the islands of Andaman.

Image credit - Pixabay

Maldives - The Maldives has 26 coral island which are shaped in ring coral formations. Around these 26 coral islands, there are over 1,100 small islands, some of them are inhabited. About 200 of these islands are inhabited by local people, 100 of them are developed as a resort destinations and remaining 800 islands are uninhabited. The Maldives has mostly white sand beaches with patches of coconut trees around it. The Maldives has no any highest point or waterfalls in it, like the Andaman Islands. Here anyone can easily find the tree of papayas and bananas. The forests contains only three percent of the total land area in this country.

2. Accessibility

Image credit - Pixabay

Andaman - Accessing of Andaman Islands is very easy for Indian nationals, as they won't need any permit for these, only except if you are visiting the restricted areas in and around the Nicobar Islands. For the foreign tourists, you have to take a permit before entering in the islands. If going by air to Andaman Nicobar islands, then you can get the permit on arrival and if going by ship, then you need to arrange your permit before reaching to the islands. Of course, you need the Indian visa to acquire prior to reaching India, to visit Andaman. There are only two ways for reaching at the islands, by air or by ship. If you are coming from air, the Veer Savarkar Airport is the only airport in the region, located at the capital of Andaman, Port Blair. It has direct flights to Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. By ship, there are ports in Kolkata, Chennai and Visakhapatnam, but this journey can take around three to four days to reach. You can not get any cruise ships, here you can only use passenger ships to reach at Andaman islands. So, the on-board entertainment is very limited. But if you want to travel in budget, then ship fares are comparatively cheaper than air tickets.

Image credit - Wikimedia

Maldives - A resident of any nation can enjoys a visa on arrival facility as soon as they reach Maldives. Just you need to bring your passport, identification card, money to spend on your travel and a return ticket and you're almost ready to go. The only way of reaching Maldives is by air. The Male International Airport has direct flights to cities like Moscow, Bangalore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Beijing, Colombo, Abu Dhabi and Doha. This Male International Airport is located in the capital of Maldives, so anyone can easily access any public transport service as soon as you depart from the airport.

3. Accommodations

Image credit - Wikimedia

Andaman - Accommodation options are available only in Port Blair and Havelock Island. But except these islands, you would have to stay at guest houses or home stays. Don't expect good internet connectivity or mobile signal even from higher level resorts in this island. But, the nature is a backbone of this place, which makes your vacation more satisfying and peaceful. One of the most well-known resorts in the island is 'Barefoot' located at Havelock Resort, where you can get a chance to stay in natural huts with limited amenities.

Image credit - Pixabay

Maldives - Here you can find some of the best resorts in the world with good accommodation. They purchase a whole island to themselves, so they can offer you the utmost privacy and serenity you need. The only downside of such resorts is that they are very expensive. So, if you want to make your tour in budget then you can opt for guest houses, but for this you need to ride in a ferry to reach there.

4. Places to Visit

"Radhanagar Beach" (Public Domain) by ralexander_photos

Andaman - There are some beautiful islands that you can explore on your trip. Start with the capital of Andaman 'Port Blair', here you can visit to the historical Cellular Jail, which built around the 19th century and it was an famous site for prominent freedom fighters. Must visit to the Samudrika Marine Museum, where you can see the amazing marine life of the region and you can also visit to the Anthropological Museum, where you can view the history of the place and know about the living style of the local tribes in the region. Take ferry rides to visit nearby islands of Ross, Viper and Jolly Buoy. There is Chidiya Tapu for bird watching and there is also a small guest house within the island, where you can stay by spending cheap amount than luxurious resorts. After spending time in Port Blair, now head on to the Havelock Island where you can found some of the best beaches of the region. Visit Govind Nagar Beach, Vijay Nagar Beach and Radha Nagar Beach, all these beaches have white sands and clear turquoise waters. Another best island is the Barren Island, where you can find numerous diving sites and only active volcano in South Asia. The Kalipur Beach at Diglipur island and Saddle Peak National Park are also worth to visit.

"Tsunami Monument" (CC BY 2.0) by D-Stanley

Maldives - this is best for relaxing holidays by staying in a luxury resort and enjoying the private beach here. But if you are looking for some sightseeing in Maldives, then visit Male, the capital of Maldives has some amazing attractions like the Tsunami Monument, Old Friday Mosque and Grand Friday Mosque. For diving, you can visit Banana Reef, Alimatha Island and Biyadhoo Island. Normally, most of the resorts in Maldives includes sightseeing and diving trips in their package.

5. Activities

Image credit - Pixabay

Andaman - The main activities you can do in Andaman are scuba diving and snorkeling. There are many sites for snorkeling on Havelock Island. For diving you must visit the South Button Island, where you can get a chance to experience amazing marine life like manta rays, devil rays, barracuda and lots more. In Port Blair, visit Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex which provides lots of water sports facilities like, jet skiing, surfing, parasailing and much more. Even you can enjoy trekking in some wildlife sanctuaries and parks around the islands and also try glass bottom boat, which shows you the underwater marine life easily without going inside water.

Image credit - Pexels

Maldives - Most of the resorts in the Maldives provides water sports facilities to their guests, which includes kayaking, water surfing or banana boating. Scuba diving and snorkelling are also other activities you can enjoy here. But, the best activity for every tourist in Maldives is lounging around and soaking the sun.

Both destination have beautiful white sand beaches. In Maldives, every resort is one island so it offers more privacy to their guests. If you want luxurious holiday destination and destination for honeymoon, then Maldives is the perfect place to go. If you are a nature lover or want to get lost in nature with amazing white sand beaches, then Andaman is great option for you.

Also check, Know these things before visiting Maldives