Neil (Shaheed Dweep) Sightseeing

Neil Sightseeing

This lovely island, with its lush green vegetation and white sand beaches, is the Andamans’ vegetable bowl. Four days a week, it is connected by boat from Port Blair, making it a perfect vacation destination for eco-conscious travelers. The Directorate of Tourism’s Hawabill Nest guest house is located here. Here, one can sense the authenticity and tranquillity of country life. Attractions include beautiful beaches at Laxmanpur, Bharatpur, and Sitapur, as well as a bridge formation (Howra Bridge) on the seashore.

Geography of Neil Island

Neil – the little, beautiful island situated south of the Andaman Islands, with undiscovered coral reefs and stunning bio-diversity, white sand beaches, woodland, and greenery – is one of the top tourist destinations in the Andaman Islands. Neil is one of the closest island locations to Port Blair, being 37 kilometers away. Ritchie’s Archipelago includes Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island) and Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island). Daily connections by speedboat from Port Blair make it an attractive vacation spot for eco-conscious travelers seeking natural surroundings. The water that surrounds the island is shallow and teeming with vibrant corals.

Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island) is also referred to as Andaman’s ‘Vegetable Bowl’ due to the fact that it is here that native veggies are grown and distributed to neighboring islands. The settlers called the beaches after the epic Ramayana’s mythological figures, such as Bharatpur, Laxmanpur, Sitapur, and Ramnagar, and they are particularly popular due to the hammocks hung under shade trees.

History of Neil Island

Past writings make little mention of Neil Island’s ancient and medieval history. According to locals, the island was not inhabited by native Indians until the 1960s. With regard to its demographics, the island has a population of around 3000 people as of the 2011 census. The locals communicate in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and English. Agriculture and fishing are the primary occupations of the inhabitants. Neil Island’s terrain is organic and nutrient-dense, making it ideal for bumper yields; thus, residents farm fruits and vegetables without utilizing fertilizers or pesticides. Another remarkable aspect about Neil Island is that it supplies fresh fruits and vegetables to Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as other neighboring islands.

Importance of Neil Island

On this tranquil island, life goes at its own speed. Individuals are either engaged in agriculture or tourism-related endeavors. The culture is a fusion of rural and semi-urban elements, showcasing tropical living at its finest. The welcoming culture invites people to remain on Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island), a testament to the warmth and kindness that pervades this region of Andaman.

At Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island), the lifestyle is neither ultra-advanced nor entirely primitive. This little island is dominated by a kind of semi-developed flair. The populace is kind and hospitable. While there is nothing specifically associated with Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island), this location has recently borrowed fashion patterns from Port Blair and Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island).

Suitable For Which Type of Tours

Neil Island receives the majority of its visitors throughout the summer and winter seasons. We get many inquiries on our affordable to luxurious Andaman tour packages for Honeymoons, educational, and recreational visits to this island during these seasons.

Winter in Neil starts in early December and lasts till the end of February. It is not harsh and mostly the day is sunny with less humidity than usual. The temperature usually ranges from 22°C – 30°C, which is quite comfortable for a tour.

This is the best time to visit Neil as the weather is perfect and you won’t sweat as much when you are sightseeing and exploring the attractions. There are usually no delays in ferries and water sports timings and everything runs smoothly.

Summer in Neil starts from March and goes all the way to May. At this time the weather is moderately hot and a lot humid, but mostly comfortable. The temperature usually ranges from 23°C – 27°C. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can have light showers of rain at this time and can have wide rainbows near the beaches. The season is considered the second-best time to visit the island as the heat is manageable and the tour goes great, especially if you are planning for some water sports adventures. So, if you are planning to visit Andaman to experience some Water Adventure then get the best deals on Andaman and Nicobar Tour packages to Neil Island at

How To Reach Neil Island Aka Shaheed Dweep?

Neil Island is easily accessible through inter-island boats from both Port Blair and Havelock Island. While the majority of visitors choose the Port Blair – Havelock Island – Neil Island – Port Blair route, we took the other route and would suggest it: Port Blair – Neil Island – Havelock Island – Port Blair route. It makes little difference, however, we always want to avoid crowds, and the proposed path means fewer people on boats and on the Islands.

While government ferries link these islands year-round, we advocate private ships since they are significantly quicker, cleaner, and more pleasant. Makruzz and Green Ocean are two operators that provide daily services between Port Blair, Havelock, and Neil Island. We strongly suggest Makruzz, an experience in and of itself. You can read our in-depth blog article about our experience with Makruzz exclusively here. The Makruzz ship travels about 1.5 hours from Port Blair to Neil Island.