Port Blair

About Port Blair — Gateway to the Islands

Port Blair is the capital and entry point of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands — and home to the haunting Cellular Jail (Kala Pani), where India’s freedom fighters were once imprisoned in solitary confinement. From Port Blair, ferries depart to the famous Havelock and Neil Islands with their crystal-clear waters and pristine beaches. While most travellers rush through Port Blair to reach the islands, the city deserves a 1–2 day stop for the powerful Cellular Jail experience, the Samudrika Naval Museum, the Anthropological Museum, the Chatham Saw Mill, and the gentle Corbyn’s Cove Beach. The Sound & Light Show at Cellular Jail is one of the most moving experiences in Indian tourism.

Best Time to Visit

• October – May — perfect (24–30 °C). Peak tourist season.
• December – February — best weather (no rain). Crystal-clear water for diving.
• April – May — slightly hotter; cheaper rates.
• June – September — heavy monsoon, ferries often suspended, diving conditions poor.

Top Attractions

Cellular Jail (Kala Pani)

The defining experience of Port Blair. The 1906 colonial prison — known as Kala Pani (“Black Waters”) — was where the British exiled and tortured Indian freedom fighters. 693 cells, 7 wings radiating from a central tower (only 3 wings survive), each prisoner held in solitary confinement. Famous prisoners: Veer Savarkar, Batukeshwar Dutt, Yogendra Shukla.

• Cellular Jail Sound & Light Show — 5:00 PM (Hindi) and 7:15 PM (English) — narrates the history through spotlit cells, prisoner voices, and the iconic Peepal tree at the centre. Heart-wrenching and essential.
• Open 9 AM – 12 PM, 1 PM – 5 PM
• Entry ₹30 + ₹200 sound & light show

Corbyn’s Cove Beach

7 km from town — Port Blair’s main beach. Coconut palm-fringed, calm waters. Sunset is gorgeous. Touristy but lovely for a relaxed afternoon. Water sports available (jet ski, banana boat).

Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

Excellent overview of the Andaman ecosystem — coral reef displays, marine life, indigenous tribes. A useful intro before snorkelling/diving.

Chatham Saw Mill

The largest sawmill in Asia (1883) — runs on tide-turbine power. Tours include the museum and timber processing.

Anthropological Museum

Detailed exhibits on the indigenous tribes of the Andamans — Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese, Great Andamanese, Nicobarese. Ethnographic displays of their tools, art, ritual life.

Ross Island (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep)

15-min ferry from Port Blair — the former British administrative headquarters (1858–1942). Abandoned and now beautifully overgrown with massive banyans and ferns. Ruins of churches, the cemetery, the chief commissioner’s house. Atmospheric, eerie.

Viper Island

Where the British hanged executions before the Cellular Jail was built. Ruins of the original gallows. Often combined with Ross Island ferry tour.

North Bay Island

30-min boat from Port Blair — famous for coral reefs. Snorkelling, scuba diving, sea-walking, glass-bottom boat. The bay is calm and the reefs accessible to first-time snorkellers.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park

15 islands of pristine coral reef south of Port Blair. Glass-bottom boat tours from Wandoor jetty. Excellent snorkelling.

Things to Do

• Cellular Jail tour + Sound & Light Show (essential)
• Sunrise at Corbyn’s Cove
• Ross Island half-day ferry (10 AM ferry)
• North Bay snorkelling / scuba diving / sea-walking
• Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park glass-bottom boat tour
• Visit the Samudrika & Anthropological museums
• Chatham Saw Mill tour
• Buy Andamani pearls and shell crafts at Aberdeen Bazaar
• Ferry to Havelock Island (the highlight of the trip — see Havelock destination)
• Ferry to Neil Island
• Photo at the iconic Marina Park signboard

Local Food

• Fresh seafood — fish curry, lobster, crab, prawn (every restaurant)
• Bengali cuisine — large Bengali settler population (machher jhol, mishti)
• Tamil & Andhra meals — Tamil-speaking population
• Best places: Lighthouse Residency, New Lighthouse, Excel Restaurant, Sea View, Hotel Sentinel, Annapurna (veg)
• Try the local bombil (Bombay duck) and red snapper

How to Reach

By Air

Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) — direct flights from Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad. The only practical way to reach the Andamans.

By Sea

Cargo passenger ferries from Chennai, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam — 60–66 hours. Cheap (₹2,000–10,000) but slow and uncomfortable. Schedules are unreliable.

Travel Tips

• 1–2 days in Port Blair, then ferry to Havelock + Neil for the highlight
• Stay at Sea Shell, SeaShell Resorts, Fortune Resort Bay Island for upscale; Hotel Sun Sea Resort, Aashiana for budget
• Cellular Jail Sound & Light Show — book ticket on arrival, sells out
• Book Havelock ferry (Makruzz, Green Ocean) 30 days ahead via official portal
• Carry cash — limited ATMs once you leave Port Blair
• Permits: Indian citizens need only a permit, issued on arrival; foreigners need RAP (Restricted Area Permit) — issued free at airport
• Avoid monsoon (June-Sept) — ferries cancelled often, diving impossible
• Strong currents at most beaches — only swim where local lifeguards approve
• Combine with Havelock (3 nights) + Neil Island (2 nights) for a 7-day trip
• Tribal visits (Jarawa Reserve) are strictly forbidden — illegal and unethical

Ready for the gateway to the Andamans? Use the booking card or message Prithvi on WhatsApp — we’ll plan your full Andamans trip with Cellular Jail Sound & Light, Havelock ferry, scuba diving and a luxury beach resort.