NORTH SENTINAL ISLAND

North Sentinel Island is one of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It lies to the west of the southern part of South Andaman Island, and has an area of 72 km².[1] Officially the island is administered by India as part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory (since 1947).

Detail of 2003 NASA image of North Sentinel Island; the island's protective fringe of coral reefs can be seen clearly. Note this image pre-dates the 2004 tsunami, which caused the uplift and exposure of much of the reef.

North Sentinel Island is home to a tribe of indigenous people, the Sentinelese, whose present numbers are estimated to be anywhere between 50 and 400 individuals. They reject any contact with other people, and are among the last people to remain virtually untouched by modern civilization. Because there has never been any treaty with the people of the island, nor any record of a physical occupation whereby the people of the island have conceded sovereignty, the island exists in a curious state of limbo under established international law and can be seen as a sovereign entity under Indian protection. It is, therefore, one of the de facto autonomous regions of India

The local government (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) has recently stated that they have no intention to interfere with the Sentinelese's lifestyle or habitat. Although the island is likely to have suffered seriously from the effects of the December 2004 tsunami, the survival of the Sentinelese was confirmed when, some days after the event, an Indian government helicopter observed several of them, who shot arrows at the hovering aircraft to repel it.

BARATANG ISLAND

Baratang is an island in the Andaman Islands, India, with an area of approximately 238 km². It is one of the main islands of the Great Andaman group, a closely-set archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, adjoining the Andaman Sea. Middle Andaman is to its north, and South Andaman to the south. The islands of Ritchie's Archipelago lie some 20 km to the east. Port Blair, the capital of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is located approximately 100 km to the south.

Also known as Baratang Island, but it is more commonly referred to as simply "Baratang".

Baratang contains the only known examples of mud volcanoes in India. These mud volcanoes have erupted sporadically, with recent eruptions in 2005 believed to have been associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The previous major eruption recorded was on 18th February 2003.

There are other volcanoes in the area, the Barren Island volcano which is the only active volcano in South Asia and the Narcondum volcano which is considered to be a dormant volcano.

INTERVIEW ISLAND

Interview Island is one of the Andaman Islands, India. It has an area of 99 km2 and is situated to the west of Austen Strait which separates North Andaman Island and Middle Andaman Island.

Mayabunder is the jumping off place for Interview Island, a windswept nature sanctuary off the remote northwest coast of Middle Andaman. Only opened to tourists in 1997, it's large and mainly flat, and completely uninhabited save for a handful of forest wardens, coast guards and policemen, posted here to ward off poachers. 

As foreigners aren't permitted to spend the night on the island, few tourists ever make it to interview, but those that do are rarely disappointed. If one comes to the Andamans to watch wildlife, this should be top of one's list. 

JOHN LAWRENCE ISLAND

John Lawrence Island is one of the islands, which come under Ritchie’s Archipelago in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Occupying an area of 42 sq km, the island is a part of Rani Jhansi Marine National Park. It is an ideal place for the trekking enthusiast.

Other islands included in Ritchie’s Archipelago are Outram Island and Henry Lawrence Island.

Boat services are available from Port Blair.

NARCONDAM ISLAND

Narcondam or Narcondum Coordinates:  13.43°N 94.25°E is a small volcanic island located in the Andaman Sea. Its central peak rises some 710 m above mean sea level. It is considered to be part of the Andaman Islands, the main body of which lie approximately 114 km to the west. The island is part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island is small, approximately 3 km×4 km.

The island is formed from a volcano, which is not known to have been active in recent times. However on June 8, 2005 there were reports of "mud and smoke" being ejected from the volcano. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake is thought to have caused magma to move underground and may be related to the current activity. It is currently classified as a dormant volcano by the Geological Survey of India. Further to the south east (approximately 150 km) lies the active volcanic island of Barren Island, the only active volcano in the region.

The name means "pit of hell", although this may be the result of confusion between it and Barren Island.

STRAIT ISLAND

Strait Island is a small island of 2 sq. km located in South Andaman, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Strait is a small, comma-shaped, and forested island, known for its caves of birds' nests and plentiful deer (though now they are now rare to find). The settlement for the Great Andamanese, one of the the indigenous people of the Andaman Islands, was built and is managed by the Andaman administration.

The Andamanese settlement was constructed like a model village in India. The Great Andamanese settlement was constructed with concrete houses in rows. The other half is occupied by welfare personnel and police quarters. There is a school for children and a small dispensary for primary health care. All around the houses are coconut palms, tamarind, and mango trees.

VIPER ISLAND

Viper Island is adjacent to Port Blair. It is named after the British trading ship that was wrecked nearby in the 19th century. A path leads to the remnants of the yellow coloured brick jail and the gallows built by the British in 1867.

Viper Island is of much historical importance because the first jail was constructed at this island where the offenders were sent to serve their punishment. After the Cellular Jail was made, the convicts were transferred there. 

You can go and explore the cells where the prisoners were kept in Viper Island at Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The gallows is sited at the top of the mound. It is the place where the people sentenced to death were hanged till death. One of the very famous freedom fighter Sher Ali, who killed the Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of India in 1872 , was hanged here.