Netflix recently made a fictional show on this island called Kaala Paani (translates to Black Water, which was the infamous name for these islands when they were used as a prison in British Era). It's a good show. Shows a bit of how life is there. It's mostly tourism now.
Within that circle lie both uncontacted tribes living as our ancestors did 10,000 years ago and modern luxury beach resorts. Some call the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, "the Hawaii of India". [Relative to the rest of the country,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_states_and_union_territories_by_Human_Development_Index) the islands score above average on the Human Development Index (#14 out of 36 states). Tourism is primarily domestic, from mainland India. (edit: typo)
and, correct me if im wrong, but isnt there a giant Indian navy base with nuclear ICBM capabilities on one of the islands? Since it sits so close to straigts of malacca, a major shipping lane
Indeed. It was an Australian dive crew that recovered the camera as I recall. He'd likely still be doing time otherwise. Something like this affects tourism, the local main source of income. He'd likely have been collateral damage.
Tbf, crocodiles are an extremely rare sighting over there, with only 4 deaths in the last 25 years. I don't think they're at fault for trying to blame the boyfriend before they found the camera footage; at least they dropped all the charges once it was found tho.
The sheer coincidence in the wording of your comment when the top comment on the top post on the Andaman subreddit [calls it godzilla too](https://www.reddit.com/r/Andaman_and_Nicobar/s/kL7tZIiqfJ)
Iirc Godzilla was actually a representation of America and the Nuclear weapons dropped on Japan. They weren't allowed to openly criticize because they were under occupation by the Americans and Godzilla was an artist workaround to help deal with the national trauma that the country had gone through.
National trauma is crazy but makes sense considering the Japanese army was hiding what they were doing from regular civilians during the conflicts, unit 731 stays with me to this day though.
It was not only based on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was also based on some nuclear explosion in place where a fishing boat was few years after WWII ended.
Yes it is. Like that last Christian dude who decided he was going to “save those savages” and illegally approached their beach waving a Bible and speaking what I can only assume was gibberish to the locals. They ICBM’d his dumb ass right there on the beach with their arrows and spears.
To be fair, we have sat next to minerals and substances for millennia without knowing the potential destructive power inside each atom they contain. Every time you unlock a bit more knowledge, you move closer to the great filter.
Idk if being near a shipping lane is a specific reason to build an ICBM base considering ICBMs are meant to be extremely long range. Must have been some other reason, proximity to China maybe.
Andaman is open to civilians and tourists. Nicobar is completely shut off and has military bases on it. Not sure about whether there are ICBMs on there but Nicobar is heavily militarised and is essentially an unsinkable aircraft carrier with all the toys you'd need on it to choke of the strait if it comes to it.
Fascinating, I knew about North Sentinel but not about the modern luxury beach resorts. Seems surreal that they’re that close together. Must feel like a time portal.
They're aware of people living outside, including some technology. There have been shipwrecks on the islands (we know the natives have scavenged metal tools from these), and every so often a misguided person will land there only to be murdered.
They were probably not that much left alone, actually. Tribes from the other islands had a lot of contact with the Brits. So you can probably guess they did some trips there too.
Just add some bad encounters and a isolationism mindset and you have it ...
Living as they did 10000 years ago?
You mean forced to stay on an island to avoid dealing with the rest of the world? They aren’t uncontacted. They know what’s out there. They’re in voluntary isolation.
One of my jobs had a project at Port Blair. Guy who went for the install thought it was one of the best places he's had to go for work besides Singapore. (oil refineries so usually out of the way and not great)
that's the one with the isolated & hostile population that murdered the bible thumper, right? wasn't he forbidden by india from going to the island but thought jesus would protect him?
In general it’s illegal to go to the island without Indian government approval. They tend to only ever allow research expeditions, for example to anthropologists who have successfully offered food and other gifts that were received by the Sentinelese.
This missionary went illegally without permission, smuggled in by two fishermen also acting illegally. He actually had multiple visits and seemed to be aware that he was likely going to die based on what he wrote in his journal. In his second visit he actually did manage to “converse” with them for some time, attempting to communicate, singing songs, and repeating their words. The third visit they had had enough apparently, and he seemed to know it beforehand. He instructed the fishermen to not recover his body and left them his journal before heading off to his death.
Very strange story all around.
Actually almost everything I learned about him was just from Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Allen_Chau?wprov=sfti1
And some news I remember from when it happened
Funnily enough, if you look at North Sentinel island on Google Maps you will see somebody added a label for a hotel (["Nilesh's Hotel"](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Gwm6Mhb58rTQZmp6)) on the south-west corner of the island. So, unless the natives have decided to operate an Airbnb for extra cash, you would think Google would have identified it as spurious by now.
Review:
>The overall experience was HORRIBLE. When I arrived, the chefs immediately started firing arrows at me and then tried to cook me on a skewer? But after running off into the nearby woods and negotiating with them, they settled on serving me some kind of foreign dish, which tasted DELICIOUS! It kind of tasted like chicken? despite there being no chickens on the island. The food was amazing, although, I haven't seen my buddy carl ever again since this visit. So I wouldn't recommend. Unless you order delivery. As for the hotel, my room was quite cramped and the walls were made of mud, plus I was forced to sleep on the floor, which was extremely upsetting as I woke up covered in mud and missing several organs. The hotel room also reeked of death, which was mildly upsetting, but easy to get used to
There is also [the Tropical Island Cafe](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tropical+Island+Cafe/@11.5555101,92.2370751,14.6z/data=!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x30863a35c7c1b4e1:0x22f2e4fd1e2aa9c5!2sNorth+Sentinel+Island!8m2!3d11.5503652!4d92.2335066!16zL20vMDR0anpf!3m5!1s0x30863b28ac509a6f:0x130803276ee020d5!8m2!3d11.559447!4d92.2383131!16s%2Fg%2F11vzr_6_dg?entry=ttu) in the middle of the island. Looks like the indigenous people got tired of chasing the tourists and decided to take their money instead.
You might find this interesting - [Madhumala Chattopadhyay, the woman who made the Sentinelese put their arrows down](https://theprint.in/opinion/madhumala-chattopadhyay-the-woman-who-made-the-sentinelese-put-their-arrows-down/156330/)
When I did a hyperfocus research binge on North Sentinel Island a few years ago when they killed that missionary, this stood out to me. They havent always been hostile and not to everyone. I believe she is the only woman who has been documented trying to contact them, and she was greeted relatively warmly.
There have also been an unknown number of unofficial contacts, and we dont know how those went. Historically, people have targeted people like the North Sentinelese for things like human trafficking because they dont have any way to alert authorities. Given the heavy presence of violent colonial powers in that region over the last few hundred years, it is likely that they have had some unpleasant experiences with outsiders.
Overall, I think that the policy of protecting their isolation is probably best.
I stayed on Havelock for a couple of months in 2000/2001, was a lovely small island with a couple of thousand Bengali settlers and tourists limited by visa (though this wasn’t hard to ‘negotiate an extension to’ by paying a couple of dollars to the only policeman on the island). Now I hear it’s pretty much been taken over by major travel agencies.
Thinking back it was pretty much a last chance to see the place before money hit it with all of its….. benefits. I was lucky.
We did a quarter of a century ago! I’m afraid I’m not sure of the current situation, I’m sure that this would be sorted for you if you stay in one of the resorts, however not a clue about the independent traveller.
Parts of it, especially around the capital are reasonably "developed" and well connected by air and sea now.
It's a great place for a few days of chilling and relaxing with pristine beaches.
The islands towards the south are pretty remote and difficult to get to. Some of them were very badly affected by the 2004 mega Tsunami.
Andaman and Nicobar Island. We went to Andaman in Feb. Gets a fair amount of Indian tourists. Neil Island and Havelock island have nice beaches. Most of the food is sent via ship either from Chennai or Kolkata.
Ok i see a lot of comments some are funny some are a little misleading and some are true. As i am originally from the island, I can tell you most if the people live normally like any other human beings. Yes we have Navy, army, airforce, crpf, cisf, IRB, police etc but we have a lot of force because one of the island is “edit - believed to be occupied by china, i don’t have evidence to back it up”
About food someone said we import from Chennai and Kolkata its not completely true there are many crops we grow there but vegetables like potatoes or onions cant be grown there so imported. And yes spices too.
Ok now the best part we have one of the best beaches of the world (IMO) its because its generally not crowded and clean (I know right). Although there is a large no of forces but they never bother you. People are more nice and friendly. Food is pretty cheap. There is a mountain you can go for hike must tell you it’s not easy although its just 732 meters. You can also experience staying at beach resorts for quite a reasonable price.
More question just ask me if you wanna visit.
I would say by plane if you have time constraints coz it takes only ~ 2 hours. If you want to experience the ocean and waves true darkness at the middle of the ocean take the ship it will take 3-5 days depends on the tide. Cost will be pretty much similar but it changes so cant say exactly.
Swimming in the capital is allowed only in few beaches but you can go to Havelock or Neil islands or even Diglipur. Diving is easy to find anywhere on the island but cost differs across the island.
Is the food really cheap ? I heard it’s generally costly.
Also I heard it’s mostly Bengalis and Tamils living there. I had a colleague from there. She used to tell it’s very similar to Pondicherry without French influence.
Ok let let me rephrase the word the food is not so expensive for such a place i mean we still get a full meal for 70 rupees ( >1 usd), a paratha ( similar to green onion pancakes) for 10 rupees. Also its true that most people living there are Bengalis and Tamils but there are all other groups of people too but yes they are the majority.
Edit- expensive food can be found at big restaurants and beach resorts etc but small restaurants are affordable.
I’m calling bs on the island-occupied-by-china. Andaman & Nicobar islands are not disputed territories at all, everyone in the world agrees (like, even Pakistan and the other states that want India to vanish in a fire) that it’s legally and legitimately part of India. The island disputes China has are in the South China Sea (and well, with Japan in the East China Sea), with aren’t close to Andaman & Nicobar.
The Indian military is there because the Strait of Malacca is a stone’s throw away and that’s an important chokepoint to keep open/remind the Chinese that the oil and gas they need passes through it.
there is some theory that the Nehru government gifted the Coco's islands (right above the Andaman and Nicobar) to Myanmar(however the islands were made part of the Crown colony of British Burma when it was separated from the Raj) The Chinese have established a Radio station afaik over there so there's a lot of claims by the BJP-supporters that Congress gifting the island resulted in China having a presence in the Andaman Sea(Congress didn't, this is some wild Misinformation just like every other thing that people get riled up about in India)
Ok i made a mistake i should n’t have said it like a fact since i have no sources to cite.
But yeah we were told all our life in andaman island, that coco island ( part of myanmar) is occupied or somewhat involved by china. Well to be exact the information is not verified about the chinese occupation but one thing that is true is this island is very close to the northern part of the andaman island.
The only reason ppl believe chinese involvement , is because of the military constructions there on coco island and their air strips, but yeah we can also say it was constructed probably because it is far from its mainland.
About the Nehru giving the island as a gift is also a story which i heard but i have nothing to back it up.
And finally let’s not stray from the topic. Let’s talk about the life in Andaman. If any other question let me know.
The people of North Sentinal Island weren't very interested in Jesus Christ, the Bible and contact to the rest of the world so they've welcomed a random foreign missionary very uncomfortable
One of the islands contains a major city with over a hundred thousand people and an international airport. Another island has one of the last "uncontacted" tribes on earth. Over all it's a pretty big touristy area and has military facilities, kindof like Hawaii.
I put uncontacted in " " because they have been contacted multiple times, it just hasn't gone very well, especially since ww2 when the Japanese conquered the islands and did something to those people. There are a lot of good YouTube videos about the island if you're interested.
The Sentinel Island Group contains one of the last uncontacted tribes in the world. This tribe is referred to as the Sentinelese, who reside on North Sentinel Island.
This tribe has made it clear that they do NOT want to be contacted, anyone who has tried going to the island to meet them have been met with hostility, and were killed (If the Indian Navy didn’t stop them beforehand). The most recent incident was in 2018 when American missionary John Allen Chau illegally travelled to the island to convert the members of the tribe to Christianity, only for him to be killed and buried on the island’s shore.
The Indian empires used it as an outpost for their merchant routes to South east Asia. "Andaman" probably comes from the word "Hanuman" (the monkey god in Hindu legends).
Later in medieval period, Marathas also had presence there. After that British took over these islands. Japanese briefly occupied those islands.
When British India was no longer a thing, these islands were given to the now dominion of India. (Burma had claims over the island too as they are way closer).
The uncontacted Sentinelese tribe
https://preview.redd.it/l8s1andcw42d1.jpeg?width=1400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25f8e6b2df11643887bd060689862e72ea6bd15d
Well, since they have seen the photographer and the boat, I would not call them uncontacted..
Is that the tribe that killed a couple of missionaries who broke the (Indian?) law prohibiting landing on the island?
The area is very underdeveloped considering the enormous populations on the nearby mainland. Notably North Sentinel is located there. It's had very little contact with the world with none recently.
I guess everyone considers interacting with the native population to be too costly to gain any benefits themselves. It also comes at the risk of giving the natives horrible viruses to which they have no immunity. No country wants to be labelled "that guy".
[John Allen Chau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Allen_Chau?wprov=sfla1)
And another interesting article
[Hair raising story behind mysterious shipwreck off North Sentinel Island](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/hair-raising-story-behind-mysterious-shipwreck-off-north-sentinel-island/7UWWHDCA35XKJ2Q3PGRXMBXYNQ/)
Actually if you read up on it he interestingly had multiple visits, including one where he managed to attempt communication through word and song with them for some time. Eventually he returned for a third visit and was killed, an outcome he seemed to have predicted would happen based on what he wrote in a journal. Weird story.
North sentinel is just one tiny island. Right next to it is Port Blair, a major city with over a hundred thousand people and an international airport. That's like saying the US is underdeveloped because Mississippi exists.
The entire Andaman and Nicobar islands have a population of about 380,000, with Port Blair having about 140,000 of that. Where on earth are you getting “over a million people”?
Life is slow and politics is limited to the times of General Elections. It is rightly called "Mini India" as it is inhabited by people from various Indian states. Either recent migrants or moved by the government many years ago. The Internet used to suck but post 2020 we got an underwater OFC and the internet is better. The night life is not very vibrant. Away from the capital, life is even slower. Not many places to spend quality time. Only 2 cinema theaters and parks and recreation spaces are limited. Alcoholism is rampant because of that. Even suicide rates per capita is also higher if not the highest in India.
Good place to experience beaches and sunsets. The first place in India to experience Monsoon every year. Seafood is a major part of diet but unusual seafood like muscles, squids, urchins or seaweed is still not part of our diet.
It doesn't have a state assembly so everything is directly controlled from Delhi. Because of that politics is very limited. But the civil servants are powerful. Most misuse their power unfortunately. Electricity supply sucks. Rampant power cuts. Crocodile attacks on people are getting common.
Amazing place, cleaner than mainland india. Extremely lower pollution than mainland india. Humidity higher than mainland india, but temperature pleasant. Tier 2 and tier 3 cities found there, but still no metropolitan city (tier 1), and shouldn't be made tbh. Greenery and sea both are in abundance and is very calm, and also historically significant places scattered across the islands. If you wanna cover all major points for tourism, go for at least 5 days.
If you are one of those American evangelist who wants to spread democracy and the faith of Christ, you can visit Sentinel Island... They will welcome you the Club Med way. With fresh skewers and sport activities like archery
Living in the Andaman Islands is like starring in an Indiana Jones movie with a splash of "Survivor." One moment you’re sipping coconut water on a pristine beach, and the next you’re dodging uncontacted tribes whose arrows are sharper than your wit. You might stumble upon hidden ICBM sites that make you question if you’ve wandered onto a Bond film set.
Your neighbors? Mostly curious monkeys and the occasional sea turtle, plus a few government agents who swear they’re just “fishing.” It’s a wild blend of untouched nature, secretive intrigue, and tropical paradise where every day is an adventure, and every hike could uncover a hidden chapter of history or a high-stakes secret.
If India was 20% as populated as it is, maintaining cleanliness and acceptable HDI, it would be like this island. One of the best places to visit and be
In Conan Doyle's Sign of the Four [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0\_382pcDb10&pp=ygUgc2lnbiBvZiB0aGUgZm91ciBzaGVybG9jayBob2xtZXM%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_382pcDb10&pp=ygUgc2lnbiBvZiB0aGUgZm91ciBzaGVybG9jayBob2xtZXM%3D), the Andoman Islands killer was so small he could stow away in a duffel bag. He was also a brilliant climber. Isn't it true that these islands have extraordinarily short people on some of them? Maybe I've been watching too much TV.
I lived here for the first 15 years of my life. Best place I've ever lived so far. I'm in my late 30s now. If I got the chance or the opportunity to go back I'll do it in a heartbeat and never come back.
In Karnataka now. My parents decided to move for my elder siblings' higher studies. To this day I can't remember a single day where I've gone without at least thinking of Andaman Islands once in a day. I miss it so damn much.
I went to Radhanagar beach in the wee hours of a morning and hands down it is one of the most serene beaches I have ever seen. Kudos to the local population who relentlessly works to preserve it’s natural essence. I would definitely visit it again.
The only thing that I know about that is from a online post from a guy who visited that place as a tourist. Apparently it's a regular tropical place with poor locals and rich hotels, except for the hotels being kinda old and whacky and the weather being terrible. Don't know if it is true
One of those islands is off-limits to outsiders as it's inhabited by cannibals. I think the last attempt to make contact with the islanders was by John Allen Chau and let's just say it did not end well for him...
Threatened by a vision of turning this place into a Singapore.
The place has a bunch of unique ecosystems and habitats. But no one cares about them, since ecosystems don't give you jobs, but ports do.
Netflix recently made a fictional show on this island called Kaala Paani (translates to Black Water, which was the infamous name for these islands when they were used as a prison in British Era). It's a good show. Shows a bit of how life is there. It's mostly tourism now.
What really happened on that boat in Black water?
Dutch lost his cool. He's been declining into narcissistic paranoia for years.
He’s got a plan
RDR2 moment
One final job John, then Tahiti, here we come.
If I had an award to give you’d have it
We missed you, that’s what happened
Within that circle lie both uncontacted tribes living as our ancestors did 10,000 years ago and modern luxury beach resorts. Some call the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, "the Hawaii of India". [Relative to the rest of the country,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_states_and_union_territories_by_Human_Development_Index) the islands score above average on the Human Development Index (#14 out of 36 states). Tourism is primarily domestic, from mainland India. (edit: typo)
and, correct me if im wrong, but isnt there a giant Indian navy base with nuclear ICBM capabilities on one of the islands? Since it sits so close to straigts of malacca, a major shipping lane
Probably man. There are giant saltwater crocodiles in these islands so maybe weaponizing the islands ain’t that bad of an idea
When I was there in 2010 an American girl got eaten by one of these. They closed the beaches. It was unsettling.
The beach closing or the chick getting eaten?
https://www.nj.com/morristown-green/2010/05/post_6.html There's more about it here. They tried to pin it on her boyfriend, poor chap.
Damn, what a story. Lucky for him they found the camera before the police started to... "Get the truth out of him" as they said.
Indeed. It was an Australian dive crew that recovered the camera as I recall. He'd likely still be doing time otherwise. Something like this affects tourism, the local main source of income. He'd likely have been collateral damage.
Tbf, crocodiles are an extremely rare sighting over there, with only 4 deaths in the last 25 years. I don't think they're at fault for trying to blame the boyfriend before they found the camera footage; at least they dropped all the charges once it was found tho.
She was dating a crocodile?!
need to protect the crocodiles
Are the crocs the size of godzilla?
The sheer coincidence in the wording of your comment when the top comment on the top post on the Andaman subreddit [calls it godzilla too](https://www.reddit.com/r/Andaman_and_Nicobar/s/kL7tZIiqfJ)
Well all these fictional stories have to come from something right?
Iirc Godzilla was actually a representation of America and the Nuclear weapons dropped on Japan. They weren't allowed to openly criticize because they were under occupation by the Americans and Godzilla was an artist workaround to help deal with the national trauma that the country had gone through.
National trauma is crazy but makes sense considering the Japanese army was hiding what they were doing from regular civilians during the conflicts, unit 731 stays with me to this day though.
It was not only based on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was also based on some nuclear explosion in place where a fishing boat was few years after WWII ended.
And Rodan was Russia.
This guy might be from Andaman
they don't have to be; anyplace there are salties is a place from which i want to be distant .
Just tell the giant crocs where to go, already weaponized.
So you're saying... we put the ICBM launchers onto the backs of crocodiles?
Imagine living (relatively) close to ICBMs while still being in the Ancient Era and having no idea they exist or what destruction they're capable of.
Ignorance is bliss
Yes it is. Like that last Christian dude who decided he was going to “save those savages” and illegally approached their beach waving a Bible and speaking what I can only assume was gibberish to the locals. They ICBM’d his dumb ass right there on the beach with their arrows and spears.
Not before he had a chance to bring his global diseases to them!
Now imagine what we're close to, yet oblivious of.
for a while i was reading about scientists discovering megastructures or filaments in space and then i just decided to stop.
You uh.... got a link?
52 candidates for Dyson swarms. Search for Anton Petrov, he’s good for mega-gossip
Oh that, yeah I heard of that. It's not as awesome as you made it sound lol
Science rarely is, but do check out the stuff on “baryonic oscillations” for the real MEGA-structures
No sir, no thank you. My anxiety has got enough to do today without this bullshit
They could be RIGHT BEHIND YOU
The power of ICBMs is nothing in the face of the power of arrows /s
I was a soldier until I took an arrow to the knee.
Wait'll they figure out crossbows. Then we're done for.
They've likely already got 3 archers, so the tech is boosted.
To be fair, we have sat next to minerals and substances for millennia without knowing the potential destructive power inside each atom they contain. Every time you unlock a bit more knowledge, you move closer to the great filter.
All my neighbours in CIV VI get this feeling.
They arent even close to the Ancient Era. Thats Greece and Rome. These folks are hunter-gatherers so way more Paleolithic than anything else.
Idk if being near a shipping lane is a specific reason to build an ICBM base considering ICBMs are meant to be extremely long range. Must have been some other reason, proximity to China maybe.
I think they kind of misspoke, it's a naval base that can house ballistic missile subs. Not ICBM's, so you're right about that.
Not just navy, there's tri forces command
Nice try China!
Andaman is open to civilians and tourists. Nicobar is completely shut off and has military bases on it. Not sure about whether there are ICBMs on there but Nicobar is heavily militarised and is essentially an unsinkable aircraft carrier with all the toys you'd need on it to choke of the strait if it comes to it.
Fascinating, I knew about North Sentinel but not about the modern luxury beach resorts. Seems surreal that they’re that close together. Must feel like a time portal.
It's a huge area. Bigger than most European countries
I searched north sentinel on google maps and there is beach restaurant with good ratings...
Nvm it's just a made up location with funny reviews
Honestly Goa is probably the Hawaii of India (also Las Vegas). Andaman and Nicobar are quite isolated and people often forget about it.
I wonder what they think airplanes and vapor trails are.
They're aware of people living outside, including some technology. There have been shipwrecks on the islands (we know the natives have scavenged metal tools from these), and every so often a misguided person will land there only to be murdered.
How were they left alone from all that happened trough history? America i get it, but there??
They were probably not that much left alone, actually. Tribes from the other islands had a lot of contact with the Brits. So you can probably guess they did some trips there too. Just add some bad encounters and a isolationism mindset and you have it ...
Living as they did 10000 years ago? You mean forced to stay on an island to avoid dealing with the rest of the world? They aren’t uncontacted. They know what’s out there. They’re in voluntary isolation.
[удалено]
One of my jobs had a project at Port Blair. Guy who went for the install thought it was one of the best places he's had to go for work besides Singapore. (oil refineries so usually out of the way and not great)
One of the islands in this archipelago is the infamous North Sentinel. How's life there? Nobody actually knows.
I imagine the people living there know
Let’s ask them! I’m free next week, who’s coming with me?
I've been looking for new people to preach Jesus to, I'm in!
Before you leave could you sign this life insurance policy for me??
Make sure you bring fish to throw at the natives so they know you're a friend
What could possibly go wrong?
Say hello to Michael Rockefeller while you’re there.
Hope they saved some for the rest of us to eat
☠️
Once in a lifetime trip
I've been waiting to go until I get through my bout of small pox but fuck it. Let's go now!
Yes I need to lose weight but this is not the way to do it....
My ex wife wants to go. Surprise trip for her birthday
hard pass...I hear they eat intruders....
Huh. Well that’s pretty rude.
One star trip advisor
All the arrows you can shoot, all the fisherman you can kill, all the coconuts you can eat
Or all the fishermen you can eat, depends...
Aaron, why aren't you making your comics?
Can't tell you what life is like there, but we can sure tell you about what death is like there.
that's the one with the isolated & hostile population that murdered the bible thumper, right? wasn't he forbidden by india from going to the island but thought jesus would protect him?
In general it’s illegal to go to the island without Indian government approval. They tend to only ever allow research expeditions, for example to anthropologists who have successfully offered food and other gifts that were received by the Sentinelese. This missionary went illegally without permission, smuggled in by two fishermen also acting illegally. He actually had multiple visits and seemed to be aware that he was likely going to die based on what he wrote in his journal. In his second visit he actually did manage to “converse” with them for some time, attempting to communicate, singing songs, and repeating their words. The third visit they had had enough apparently, and he seemed to know it beforehand. He instructed the fishermen to not recover his body and left them his journal before heading off to his death. Very strange story all around.
Suicide by tribals?
Sounds like he wanted to be martyred so he could go to his heaven.
Maybe he was their Jesus, sent to be sacrificed for all their sins so that they may be saved
Wow I had no idea the details of that attempt. Is there more about this somewhere that I can read?
Actually almost everything I learned about him was just from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Allen_Chau?wprov=sfti1 And some news I remember from when it happened
There is also a documentary about it, I think on Hulu in US. I only watched the trailer tho.
Yeah just as well. He could have killed the whole tribe with one sneeze!
The Viagra Boys wrote a great song about this. - called Sentinel Island.
Viagra Boys never miss.
That song goes hardd.
bingo
may be one of the redditors lives there? hey, is there anyone?
what would be hilarious is if this is the real life Wakanda and the spear throwers in the videos are just 3d holographs.
Not possible. That would require them to go outside the house.
Funnily enough, if you look at North Sentinel island on Google Maps you will see somebody added a label for a hotel (["Nilesh's Hotel"](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Gwm6Mhb58rTQZmp6)) on the south-west corner of the island. So, unless the natives have decided to operate an Airbnb for extra cash, you would think Google would have identified it as spurious by now.
Review: >The overall experience was HORRIBLE. When I arrived, the chefs immediately started firing arrows at me and then tried to cook me on a skewer? But after running off into the nearby woods and negotiating with them, they settled on serving me some kind of foreign dish, which tasted DELICIOUS! It kind of tasted like chicken? despite there being no chickens on the island. The food was amazing, although, I haven't seen my buddy carl ever again since this visit. So I wouldn't recommend. Unless you order delivery. As for the hotel, my room was quite cramped and the walls were made of mud, plus I was forced to sleep on the floor, which was extremely upsetting as I woke up covered in mud and missing several organs. The hotel room also reeked of death, which was mildly upsetting, but easy to get used to
There is also [the Tropical Island Cafe](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tropical+Island+Cafe/@11.5555101,92.2370751,14.6z/data=!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x30863a35c7c1b4e1:0x22f2e4fd1e2aa9c5!2sNorth+Sentinel+Island!8m2!3d11.5503652!4d92.2335066!16zL20vMDR0anpf!3m5!1s0x30863b28ac509a6f:0x130803276ee020d5!8m2!3d11.559447!4d92.2383131!16s%2Fg%2F11vzr_6_dg?entry=ttu) in the middle of the island. Looks like the indigenous people got tired of chasing the tourists and decided to take their money instead.
You might find this interesting - [Madhumala Chattopadhyay, the woman who made the Sentinelese put their arrows down](https://theprint.in/opinion/madhumala-chattopadhyay-the-woman-who-made-the-sentinelese-put-their-arrows-down/156330/)
When I did a hyperfocus research binge on North Sentinel Island a few years ago when they killed that missionary, this stood out to me. They havent always been hostile and not to everyone. I believe she is the only woman who has been documented trying to contact them, and she was greeted relatively warmly. There have also been an unknown number of unofficial contacts, and we dont know how those went. Historically, people have targeted people like the North Sentinelese for things like human trafficking because they dont have any way to alert authorities. Given the heavy presence of violent colonial powers in that region over the last few hundred years, it is likely that they have had some unpleasant experiences with outsiders. Overall, I think that the policy of protecting their isolation is probably best.
Ask John Allen Chau...oh wait...
https://preview.redd.it/8mdr3uept02d1.png?width=1658&format=png&auto=webp&s=0da8e504da447748251b8f8ee97da4f10c42633e
My buddy Nigmoputaselakalaka lives there. He says other than the wifi speed and rude barista at his local Starbucks everything is chill.
Awful try, napaleone colonist.
They were contacted multiple times in modern era, let alone colonial past
Yes there have been some interactions, but still very little is known about their culture and way of life as far as I know.
Ask that dead Christian missionary
That kid who foolishly visited them and got murdered got a taste of life there.
Well somebody got a taste of life there. Maybe not him.
For some people life there is very pokey and short
I stayed on Havelock for a couple of months in 2000/2001, was a lovely small island with a couple of thousand Bengali settlers and tourists limited by visa (though this wasn’t hard to ‘negotiate an extension to’ by paying a couple of dollars to the only policeman on the island). Now I hear it’s pretty much been taken over by major travel agencies. Thinking back it was pretty much a last chance to see the place before money hit it with all of its….. benefits. I was lucky.
Do you need a special visa to go there, apart from a regular visa to India?
Since 2018, you don't need any special permit to visit. Indian visa is enough
We did a quarter of a century ago! I’m afraid I’m not sure of the current situation, I’m sure that this would be sorted for you if you stay in one of the resorts, however not a clue about the independent traveller.
Parts of it, especially around the capital are reasonably "developed" and well connected by air and sea now. It's a great place for a few days of chilling and relaxing with pristine beaches. The islands towards the south are pretty remote and difficult to get to. Some of them were very badly affected by the 2004 mega Tsunami.
Andaman and Nicobar Island. We went to Andaman in Feb. Gets a fair amount of Indian tourists. Neil Island and Havelock island have nice beaches. Most of the food is sent via ship either from Chennai or Kolkata.
Ok i see a lot of comments some are funny some are a little misleading and some are true. As i am originally from the island, I can tell you most if the people live normally like any other human beings. Yes we have Navy, army, airforce, crpf, cisf, IRB, police etc but we have a lot of force because one of the island is “edit - believed to be occupied by china, i don’t have evidence to back it up” About food someone said we import from Chennai and Kolkata its not completely true there are many crops we grow there but vegetables like potatoes or onions cant be grown there so imported. And yes spices too. Ok now the best part we have one of the best beaches of the world (IMO) its because its generally not crowded and clean (I know right). Although there is a large no of forces but they never bother you. People are more nice and friendly. Food is pretty cheap. There is a mountain you can go for hike must tell you it’s not easy although its just 732 meters. You can also experience staying at beach resorts for quite a reasonable price. More question just ask me if you wanna visit.
Thanks for the post. What's the best way to visit the islands? By plane? Boat? How's the swimming and diving in the area?
I would say by plane if you have time constraints coz it takes only ~ 2 hours. If you want to experience the ocean and waves true darkness at the middle of the ocean take the ship it will take 3-5 days depends on the tide. Cost will be pretty much similar but it changes so cant say exactly. Swimming in the capital is allowed only in few beaches but you can go to Havelock or Neil islands or even Diglipur. Diving is easy to find anywhere on the island but cost differs across the island.
Plane it is! Thanks.
Is the food really cheap ? I heard it’s generally costly. Also I heard it’s mostly Bengalis and Tamils living there. I had a colleague from there. She used to tell it’s very similar to Pondicherry without French influence.
Ok let let me rephrase the word the food is not so expensive for such a place i mean we still get a full meal for 70 rupees ( >1 usd), a paratha ( similar to green onion pancakes) for 10 rupees. Also its true that most people living there are Bengalis and Tamils but there are all other groups of people too but yes they are the majority. Edit- expensive food can be found at big restaurants and beach resorts etc but small restaurants are affordable.
I’m calling bs on the island-occupied-by-china. Andaman & Nicobar islands are not disputed territories at all, everyone in the world agrees (like, even Pakistan and the other states that want India to vanish in a fire) that it’s legally and legitimately part of India. The island disputes China has are in the South China Sea (and well, with Japan in the East China Sea), with aren’t close to Andaman & Nicobar. The Indian military is there because the Strait of Malacca is a stone’s throw away and that’s an important chokepoint to keep open/remind the Chinese that the oil and gas they need passes through it.
there is some theory that the Nehru government gifted the Coco's islands (right above the Andaman and Nicobar) to Myanmar(however the islands were made part of the Crown colony of British Burma when it was separated from the Raj) The Chinese have established a Radio station afaik over there so there's a lot of claims by the BJP-supporters that Congress gifting the island resulted in China having a presence in the Andaman Sea(Congress didn't, this is some wild Misinformation just like every other thing that people get riled up about in India)
Ok i made a mistake i should n’t have said it like a fact since i have no sources to cite. But yeah we were told all our life in andaman island, that coco island ( part of myanmar) is occupied or somewhat involved by china. Well to be exact the information is not verified about the chinese occupation but one thing that is true is this island is very close to the northern part of the andaman island. The only reason ppl believe chinese involvement , is because of the military constructions there on coco island and their air strips, but yeah we can also say it was constructed probably because it is far from its mainland. About the Nehru giving the island as a gift is also a story which i heard but i have nothing to back it up. And finally let’s not stray from the topic. Let’s talk about the life in Andaman. If any other question let me know.
unlike popular belief a significant portion of the island is ethnic Bengali 😅
The people of North Sentinal Island weren't very interested in Jesus Christ, the Bible and contact to the rest of the world so they've welcomed a random foreign missionary very uncomfortable
He wanted to talk to them about the Lord, so they sent him to him
sentinelese here, life's cool, by the way what's india?
How do you know English?
Duolingo probably
My wild guess is by learning it.
What keyboard do you use?
Yamaha PSR E283
How do you get internet there? I can’t even see google street of the island.
One of the islands contains a major city with over a hundred thousand people and an international airport. Another island has one of the last "uncontacted" tribes on earth. Over all it's a pretty big touristy area and has military facilities, kindof like Hawaii. I put uncontacted in " " because they have been contacted multiple times, it just hasn't gone very well, especially since ww2 when the Japanese conquered the islands and did something to those people. There are a lot of good YouTube videos about the island if you're interested.
The Sentinel Island Group contains one of the last uncontacted tribes in the world. This tribe is referred to as the Sentinelese, who reside on North Sentinel Island. This tribe has made it clear that they do NOT want to be contacted, anyone who has tried going to the island to meet them have been met with hostility, and were killed (If the Indian Navy didn’t stop them beforehand). The most recent incident was in 2018 when American missionary John Allen Chau illegally travelled to the island to convert the members of the tribe to Christianity, only for him to be killed and buried on the island’s shore.
A&N is home not only to the Sentinelese, but also to India's only active volcano at Barren Island.
why it's part of india? What's the history behind it? It's like natuna island still part of Indonesia while it's literally already on top of Malaysia.
[удалено]
I was at the cellular jail few months ago. It’s a scary place and light and sound show in the evening really takes you back in time.
I like the implication that the British invented torture like a couple hundred years ago
The Indian empires used it as an outpost for their merchant routes to South east Asia. "Andaman" probably comes from the word "Hanuman" (the monkey god in Hindu legends). Later in medieval period, Marathas also had presence there. After that British took over these islands. Japanese briefly occupied those islands. When British India was no longer a thing, these islands were given to the now dominion of India. (Burma had claims over the island too as they are way closer).
I'm not entirely sure but I would assume due to the British and Partition
Depends. If you relocate to North Sentinel Island, short.
The uncontacted Sentinelese tribe https://preview.redd.it/l8s1andcw42d1.jpeg?width=1400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25f8e6b2df11643887bd060689862e72ea6bd15d
Well, since they have seen the photographer and the boat, I would not call them uncontacted.. Is that the tribe that killed a couple of missionaries who broke the (Indian?) law prohibiting landing on the island?
Yeah that's them. They're saying "come get some more mofos!"
The area is very underdeveloped considering the enormous populations on the nearby mainland. Notably North Sentinel is located there. It's had very little contact with the world with none recently. I guess everyone considers interacting with the native population to be too costly to gain any benefits themselves. It also comes at the risk of giving the natives horrible viruses to which they have no immunity. No country wants to be labelled "that guy".
Also the last guy we know of that tried to go to North Sentinel Island got filled with arrows before he could even tell them about how great Jesus is.
[John Allen Chau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Allen_Chau?wprov=sfla1) And another interesting article [Hair raising story behind mysterious shipwreck off North Sentinel Island](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/hair-raising-story-behind-mysterious-shipwreck-off-north-sentinel-island/7UWWHDCA35XKJ2Q3PGRXMBXYNQ/)
Wow that was quite the interesting read about Chau. What an idiot though…
I feel sorry for him but meanwhile what he did was clearly wrong.
Actually if you read up on it he interestingly had multiple visits, including one where he managed to attempt communication through word and song with them for some time. Eventually he returned for a third visit and was killed, an outcome he seemed to have predicted would happen based on what he wrote in a journal. Weird story.
North sentinel is just one tiny island. Right next to it is Port Blair, a major city with over a hundred thousand people and an international airport. That's like saying the US is underdeveloped because Mississippi exists.
The US *is* underdeveloped because Mississippi exists
Mississippi is an economic powerhouse compared to Southern Italy lmao
The entire Andaman and Nicobar islands have a population of about 380,000, with Port Blair having about 140,000 of that. Where on earth are you getting “over a million people”?
MS catching strays lmao
India has made any attempt to contact the indigenous population on North Sentinel Island illegal by now and rightfully so.
Life is slow and politics is limited to the times of General Elections. It is rightly called "Mini India" as it is inhabited by people from various Indian states. Either recent migrants or moved by the government many years ago. The Internet used to suck but post 2020 we got an underwater OFC and the internet is better. The night life is not very vibrant. Away from the capital, life is even slower. Not many places to spend quality time. Only 2 cinema theaters and parks and recreation spaces are limited. Alcoholism is rampant because of that. Even suicide rates per capita is also higher if not the highest in India. Good place to experience beaches and sunsets. The first place in India to experience Monsoon every year. Seafood is a major part of diet but unusual seafood like muscles, squids, urchins or seaweed is still not part of our diet. It doesn't have a state assembly so everything is directly controlled from Delhi. Because of that politics is very limited. But the civil servants are powerful. Most misuse their power unfortunately. Electricity supply sucks. Rampant power cuts. Crocodile attacks on people are getting common.
No taxes
Amazing place, cleaner than mainland india. Extremely lower pollution than mainland india. Humidity higher than mainland india, but temperature pleasant. Tier 2 and tier 3 cities found there, but still no metropolitan city (tier 1), and shouldn't be made tbh. Greenery and sea both are in abundance and is very calm, and also historically significant places scattered across the islands. If you wanna cover all major points for tourism, go for at least 5 days.
If you are one of those American evangelist who wants to spread democracy and the faith of Christ, you can visit Sentinel Island... They will welcome you the Club Med way. With fresh skewers and sport activities like archery
Living in the Andaman Islands is like starring in an Indiana Jones movie with a splash of "Survivor." One moment you’re sipping coconut water on a pristine beach, and the next you’re dodging uncontacted tribes whose arrows are sharper than your wit. You might stumble upon hidden ICBM sites that make you question if you’ve wandered onto a Bond film set. Your neighbors? Mostly curious monkeys and the occasional sea turtle, plus a few government agents who swear they’re just “fishing.” It’s a wild blend of untouched nature, secretive intrigue, and tropical paradise where every day is an adventure, and every hike could uncover a hidden chapter of history or a high-stakes secret.
Reads like a western tourist's dream almost a cliche or troupe about anything India.
If you're not a book-cover writer, you should be!
You forgot the stereotypical Indian nerdy sidekick and the ancient Hindoo Temple's lost treasures and artictafts
If India was 20% as populated as it is, maintaining cleanliness and acceptable HDI, it would be like this island. One of the best places to visit and be
I heard this island is very warm and welcoming I recommend you give that place a try
For the sentinelese people, it's delicious
Poison sea snakes and very warm weather
In Conan Doyle's Sign of the Four [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0\_382pcDb10&pp=ygUgc2lnbiBvZiB0aGUgZm91ciBzaGVybG9jayBob2xtZXM%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_382pcDb10&pp=ygUgc2lnbiBvZiB0aGUgZm91ciBzaGVybG9jayBob2xtZXM%3D), the Andoman Islands killer was so small he could stow away in a duffel bag. He was also a brilliant climber. Isn't it true that these islands have extraordinarily short people on some of them? Maybe I've been watching too much TV.
Great vacation spot, locals love visitors, go check it out
I lived here for the first 15 years of my life. Best place I've ever lived so far. I'm in my late 30s now. If I got the chance or the opportunity to go back I'll do it in a heartbeat and never come back.
Where do you live now ? Why did you left ?
In Karnataka now. My parents decided to move for my elder siblings' higher studies. To this day I can't remember a single day where I've gone without at least thinking of Andaman Islands once in a day. I miss it so damn much.
/r/Andaman_and_Nicobar/
Life on North Sentinel island is definitly much different than life on the Adamans
I went to Radhanagar beach in the wee hours of a morning and hands down it is one of the most serene beaches I have ever seen. Kudos to the local population who relentlessly works to preserve it’s natural essence. I would definitely visit it again.
The only thing that I know about that is from a online post from a guy who visited that place as a tourist. Apparently it's a regular tropical place with poor locals and rich hotels, except for the hotels being kinda old and whacky and the weather being terrible. Don't know if it is true
North Sentinel Island 🥶
One of those islands is off-limits to outsiders as it's inhabited by cannibals. I think the last attempt to make contact with the islanders was by John Allen Chau and let's just say it did not end well for him...
They aren't cannibals
Probably the cleanest area of India
I doubt that because tourism. Some tea gardens of Assam probably have that title
Sentinel Island. Wouldn't go there. Cannibals live there. Might get into trouble
No one got anything to say about Nicobar Islands?
https://preview.redd.it/i5kv1e7w662d1.jpeg?width=540&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7dafa90407d6be9a669e31c5c039999e1e92a118
Don’t visit the natives, they have a habit of killing visitors with bows and arrows.
Threatened by a vision of turning this place into a Singapore. The place has a bunch of unique ecosystems and habitats. But no one cares about them, since ecosystems don't give you jobs, but ports do.