The Andaman-Nicobar Islands, also called Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are an archipelago in the Indian Ocean with a population of around 430,000. The archipelago consists of a total of 573 islands, which are located approximately 1,200 kilometers from the Indian mainland. Politically, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands belong to India, but have their own parliament. The two official languages of the islands are Hindi and English. Around 70 percent of the total population are Hindus, 22 percent are Christians and there is a small Muslim minority.

The largest cities in the archipelago include Port Blair, Prothrapur, Garacharma, Bakultala and Bambooflat. The Andaman Islands are about four times the size of the Nicobar Islands, and around 92% of the population live in the Andaman Islands.

The island group has a consistently tropical climate; the highest elevation is Saddle Peak in North Andaman at 730 metres.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are rich in natural resources such as gold, nickel, diamonds, sulphate and selenium. Tropical timber is an important export commodity. In agriculture, coffee, bananas, coconut palms and rice are mainly grown for domestic consumption.

Another important source of income is tourism, although this is only possible in the Andaman Islands. There are a total of nine national parks and, along with the capital, they are among the most popular tourist destinations.

The capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Port Blair with about 130,000 inhabitants. Port Blair, located in the South Andaman Islands, is by far the largest city in the archipelago and has an important seaport and a military base.

Some of the attractions of Port Blair include Rajiv Gandhi Statue, Aberdeen Clock Tower, Cellular Jail, Gandhi Park, Veer Savarkar Park, Wandoor Beach, Marine Museum, Joggers Park, Chatham Saw Mill, Murugan Temple, Marina Park, Aquarium, Local History Museum and Phoenix Bay Ferry Terminal.

In May 2017, I visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the only time so far. I arrived from the Indian city of Chennai and stayed one night in an amazingly good and inexpensive hotel in the capital.

After a tour of several hours outside of Port Blair, with many interesting insights into the island, I ended the evening comfortably in my hotel restaurant.

The landscape and the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are actually very interesting, but there is not much to offer in terms of tourism. I would therefore not recommend the island group for a longer holiday stay.