Raja Laut

Location: Andaman & Nicobar Islands (India)
Embarkation: Port Blair
Disembarkation: Port Blair
Duration: 7 days
Optional Activities: Scuba Diving, Fishing, Kayaking

Please remember our sample itineraries are samples only and may be subject to change; extended, shortened, or re-arranged to suit your private yacht charter preferences or the weather conditions, captain's advice, and so on.

Day 1: Embarkation aboard the yacht Raja Laut in Port Blair, set sail and head south for the Cinque Islands. Here there is a great area for anchorage and exploring, with underwater coral gardens and unspoiled beaches, trekking through the islands where rare birds, spotted deer and wild boar can be seen. In South Cinque there are dolphins, turtles, and manta rays and the islands are ideal for your first diving experiences in Andaman. Yacht anchors here for the evening.

Day 2: Two great dive sites. Fish rock, near Passage Island offers an extremely colourful dive, with millions of fish. The topography consists of rocky slopes, boulders and drop-offs, featuring huge fan corals and may basket sponges. At Invisible Bank the concentration of fish is incredible, and the topography is fairly dramatic, with scattered rocks over a sandy bottom. Grey and Whitetip reef sharks are almost always in the vicinity, as are nurse sharks. Yacht anchors here for the night.

Day 3: Sailing to north to the Havelock and Lawrence Islands. There is a village on the North coast of Havelock where you can swim with an elephant* in the ocean. There is good fishing around these islands, as well as sea kayaking through pristine mangroves. Dugongs live in the waters surrounding these islands and have been seen on several occasions. The yacht anchors nearby.

Day 4: Early morning the yacht departs to Barren Island, the only active volcano in India, with sheer sided walls that drop to great depths. The surrounding waters are gin-clear and offer some great drift dives for experienced scuba divers. The fishing is incredible; this is the place to catch big fish. There is no anchorage here for yachts so we will return to north Havelock before nightfall.

Day 5: Sail through the Lawrence Passage to the Button Islands. Explore the mangrove habitats in the passage where massive crabs and sea eagles abound. The Button Islands have lovely deserted beaches and underwater life. The horseshoe shaped bay on the Southern side of North Button Island is a truly stunning spot. Off the beach is excellent snorkeling and swimming and wild animal tracks are often founding the sand. Great anchorage here for the yacht.

Day 6: Long island offers beautiful long sandy beaches and evergreen forests. The seas around this island are frequented by dolphin convoys, diving is recommended at Campbell shoals with its magnificent underwater ledge. From there we can sail north to visit the village of Rangat. Yacht anchors here for the night.

Day 7: Sail back to Port Blair. Disembark and if you have time before flying home it is worth spending an extra day in Port Blair where you will have the chance to explore the remnants of the British Raj Headquarters on Ross Island, while in Port Blair itself you can visit the infamous Cellular Jail where Indian freedom fighters were held during British colonial times.

BEST TIME TO GO: Fine weather between late-December and April.

PORTS OF EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION: Port Blair or Phuket.

HOW TO GET THERE: Fly to Port Blair by direct flight from Chennai or Kolkata (India) or travel by yacht sailing from Phuket or Langkawi.