7 things to do if you are caught in a bad weather in Andaman

Bad Weather Andaman

No one likes when it rains on their parade… or holiday for that matter. Especially for a place like Andaman known for its sunny beaches and beautiful waters, rain means that you’ll not be able to have the popular or tourist version of a vacation here. Fret not, because there is still plenty of stuff you can do when it rains. Here’s everything you need to know about taking a monsoon vacation at Andaman.

But sometimes, things can go a tad awry with an escalation in the weather condition. A storm or cyclone can put things out of gear and completely turn tables on all vacation plans. During such conditions, your personal safety and that of your family and friends become our priority.

Cyclone Vardha recently had headlines splashing all over on how tourists were stuck on the islands for a couple of days. But even with a cyclone of that intensity, we were fortunate to not witness any untoward incidents. This will tell you how prepared local authorities are in terms of handling the situation.

Bad weather Andaman? Here are some points on what you can do:

1. Check the weather forecast: Ha! Ok.. we aren’t being ironic here. If you checked the weather forecast already, you wouldn’t have booked the trip, right! The thing with weather is that though it is as predictably stable as possible during normal days, a change in weather condition can quickly escalate to a stormy condition. What may have been predicted as mild showers may turn worse suddenly. What’s important is to keep an eye on it and stay prepared

2. Carry essential medical supplies with you: From fever to mild cuts to a sprain or a cold, carry your essential medical bag with you at all times. If you are travelling with kids, make sure you carry ALL their medical supplies without fail. Also keep their paediatrician’s number handy in case you have to buy a local replacement medicine.

3. Carry travel essentials with you at all times: Proper shoes, rain cover, extra plastic bags, ready to cook soups and food packets, hand sanitizers, torch, candles rechargeable batteries, power bank, Swiss knives, physical copy of all essential phone numbers etc. are all must in your travel bag. Don’t think of it as extra luggage. Think of how useful it’ll be if you need it.

4. Keep you documents safe: Keep all you original documents including your id proofs and tickets wrapped in a waterproof bag. If you have a medical condition that has relevant medicine names or documents, keep that safe too.

5. Pay heed to local authorities: Locals know it best. They have seen the weather turn many times and can more or less predict how things will turn out. They know the local roads and travel routes best. So pay attention when they ask you to stay indoors and not to travel.

6. Stay in touch with your tour operator: Speaking of local experts, there is one person who promised you a great trip when they got you in. That person is your tour operator. They are most likely to be local travel experts who are in touch with authorities on every front. Stay in touch with them to know what’s the best way to remain safe.

7. Trudge it out: So… things didn’t really pan out as you planned. That’s really tough luck. The good part is that you should be safe. So trudge out the bad weather. Think of the bigger picture and play it out with a smile – things always happen for a reason. Maybe it is a sign for you to slow down and relax. Maybe it is a sign for you to come back to the islands another time. Flip to the positive side and you’ll be just fine.