Port Blair on South Andaman Island is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an Indian territory in the Bay of Bengal. Its seafront Cellular Jail, completed in 1906, hints at its past as a British penal colony and is now a memorial to Indian independence activists. Inland, the Samudrika Marine Museum showcases local marine life. The Anthropological Museum focuses on the islands’ indigenous tribes.

Havelock Island is part of Ritchie’s Archipelago, in India’s Andaman Islands. It’s known for its dive sites and beaches, like Elephant Beach, with its coral reefs. Crescent-shaped Radhanagar Beach is a popular spot for watching the sunset. On the island’s east side, rocky sections mark long, tree-lined Vijaynagar Beach. The island’s forested interior is home to birdlife such as white-headed mynas and woodpeckers.

Neil Island is one of India’s Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal. Bharatpur Beach has coral reefs teeming with tropical fish. Laxmanpur Beach is known for its sunset views. Howrah Bridge is a natural rock formation accessible at low tide. Near the island’s wharf is Neil Kendra village, with a curving, sandy bay dotted with boats. Off the southeast coast, the tiny Sir Hugh Rose Island is a sanctuary for turtles.

Rameswaram is a town on Pamban Island, in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It’s known for Ramanathaswamy Temple, a Hindu pilgrimage site with ornate corridors, huge sculpted pillars and sacred water tanks. Devotees bathe in the waters of Agni Theertham, off the beach east of the temple.

Gandamadana Parvatham is a hill with island views. A chakra (wheel) here is said to bear an imprint of Lord Rama’s feet.