Port Blair

Introduction

Port Blair, officially named Sri Vijaya Puram, is the capital of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the territory's only notified town. It sits on South Andaman Island, with the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east, and serves as the headquarters of South Andaman district.

The city lies far out in the bay, roughly 1,190 km from Chennai and 1,255 km from Kolkata on mainland India, so reaching it is a journey in itself. Use it as your base for understanding the territory's administration and as a starting point for the island.

Before you go

Port Blair is a city of people from all over India, and you can expect to find a mini-India atmosphere rather than the postcard beauty of the rest of the Andamans. The seaside has been spruced up somewhat, but the city itself is an up-and-coming smaller Indian city. Note that the Indian government officially renamed the city Sri Vijaya Puram in September 2024, so you may see both names in use.

Beyond the Cellular Jail, the area's draws include Ross Island, Barren Island (known for its active volcano) and other sites of historical importance. A week's trip is enough to cover the must-see places on the islands, and you can also make day trips to nearby spots such as Wandoor and Ross Island.

Getting there

Most travellers reach Port Blair by air, landing at Veer Savarkar International Airport, which sits a short distance from the city centre and opened a modern terminal in 2024. Only domestic flights operate here, with Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet connecting the islands to mainland cities such as Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. There are no night flights, as the airport is handed over to the Indian Air Force after dark. Fares are not especially low-cost by the standards of the same airlines' mainland routes, and they swing widely with demand, so if your dates are flexible you can save by choosing your travel days carefully. Note that Air India charges foreign passengers considerably more than Indian residents. Outside the terminal, taxis and autorickshaws meet arriving flights, and public buses can be flagged down on the main road just across from the airport, including services to Aberdeen Bazaar. The terminal is small but reasonably modern, with an air-conditioned departure hall; beyond a kiosk selling chai and snacks, there is little to occupy you if your flight is delayed.

Buses also link Port Blair with other points on Grand Andaman, including Baratang Island, Rangat and Diglipur; for the longer runs the road grows bumpy, so avoid seats over or behind the rear axle and skip the rear bench in favour of a public bus. By sea, regular passenger ships sail from Chennai a few times a month, with the crossing taking a couple of days and the ship usually berthing in Port Blair for several days. Two jetties serve the town: Phoenix Bay Jetty for Havelock and other far destinations, and the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex for smaller ferries to Ross Island, North Bay and Viper Island. Helicopter services to Havelock, Neil, Car Nicobar, Hutbay, Campbell Bay and other islands have historically operated from a base near the airport, but seats must be booked in advance.

Getting around

Auto-rickshaws are the most straightforward way to cover short distances around town, and they are abundant. Fares within town are low, and short hops between the main landmarks — Aberdeen Bazaar, the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex and the Marine jetty — are cheap. The catch is that tourists are frequently overcharged, especially if the driver can tell you do not know where you are going. A simple way to reduce the risk is to climb in, state your destination confidently (for example, "Aberdeen Bazaar"), and agree on the fare before setting off. Private hire cars are available for local sightseeing around Port Blair and South Andaman, and chauffeured car rental suits groups and families who want to cover more ground comfortably. Ride-hailing apps are not a dependable option here, so plan on hailing autos or arranging a car through your hotel or a local operator instead.

Local buses run for both inter-city and intra-city travel and are very cheap, but routes are poorly marked and timings are not reliably published, so you will often need to ask around to figure out which bus goes where. Public buses can be flagged down on the main road just outside the airport — cross the road to catch one — and a bus to Aberdeen Bazaar costs only a few rupees. "Deluxe" bus tickets are sold at the small row of shops across the road from the bus station; ask around for the right shop. For journeys beyond Rangat the road is bumpy, so it is best to avoid seat numbers above 20 and the rear bench seats. Walking works well for short hops in the centre, with Aberdeen Bazaar and its clock tower a useful reference point, but the terrain is mostly steep hills that all look alike, so remember landmarks or expect to get lost. Boats are part of everyday movement: Phoenix Bay Jetty serves Havelock and other far destinations, while the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex handles smaller ferries to Ross Island, North Bay and Viper Island, with the crossing to Ross Island taking about fifteen minutes. Tickets for island tours are sold at the aquarium jetty booths shortly before departure, so arrive early and book ahead in peak season.

Where to stay

Because most flights and ferries leave Port Blair early in the morning, many hotels set their checkout accordingly, and the upside is that early check-in is usually easy to arrange. If you stay outside the main city and don't have a taxi or travel agent collecting you, getting around can become expensive; the hotels near Corbyn Cove, such as Fortune Bay, Sinclairs, Peerless Sarovar and Megapode, are a case in point, since auto rickshaws are hard to find there.

• Budget: Aashiaanaa Residency Inn on Marine Hill sits close to the Marine jetty and main bazaar, with spotless, spacious rooms with attached bathroom and television, and flexible check-in and checkout. Central Lodge on Link Rd is very basic, with some rooms full of character and others dank, so ask to see a couple; it is popular with budget backpackers. Jagannath Guesthouse on MA Rd is very basic and popular with locals and travellers, though some rooms stretch the definition of clean. SKB Lodge in Babu Lane, Aberdeen bazaar, has air-con and non air-con rooms, and the Youth Hostel in Aberdeen bazaar offers dormitories and rooms. Hornbill Nest Resort is at Corbyn Cove.
• Mid-range: Shompen Hotel, opposite Bengali Club at 2 Middle Point, has neat air-con rooms with balconies; avoid the dark, damp air-con deluxe rooms on the first floor and insist on the third floor. Its location in Aberdeen bazaar puts you within walking distance of the Cellular Jail and restaurants, with the market closer still and the bus for Wandoor stopping in front. Diviyum Manor, opposite the airport, has clean rooms, sincere and courteous staff, and a restaurant and bar. Holiday Resort is in the heart of the city with groceries and Uma Bakery House nearby and the bus stop opposite. Lighthouse Residency on MG Rd, Atlanta Point, has air-con throughout and a somewhat haphazard renovation, so ask to see a few rooms. City King Palace has reports of overcharging and disturbing guests. Seven Seas on Marine Hill is a boutique budget hotel with bright, cosy rooms suited to couples, families and groups, and Hilltop International Bay View on Jawaharlal Nehru Rd in Haddo has a rooftop swimming pool.
• Splurge: Fortune Resort on Marine Hill was the first chain hotel in Port Blair, with great sea views but rooms in need of renovation, plus a bar and restaurant. Hotel Sentinel is in the heart of the city with a swimming pool, conference room, game room, internet and business centre. Sea Princess Beach Resort sits on a hilltop facing the sea, with sea-facing cottages, a swimming pool, water sports, a separate beach bar, conference room and internet. Sinclairs Bayview on Corbyns Cove Rd, South Point, Shadipur, is on the seafront but far from the centre.

Food & drink

Seafood is the reason to eat out in Port Blair, and the Aberdeen Bazaar area is where most of the action is. Lighthouse Residency on MA Road is one of the city's best restaurants, with an Indianised Chinese-Thai menu and North Indian favourites alongside fresh seafood - check the price and pick your fish, and try the tandoori masala fish. It also has one of the few decent bars in town. TSG Emerald View on Moulana Azad Road in Phoenix Bay is another strong choice for seafood, with a ship-deck themed bar looking out over the Phoenix Bay jetty. Sea Food Delights on MA Road in Phoenix Bay covers Indian, Continental, Tandoori and Chinese, with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

Vegetarians are well served, particularly around Aberdeen Bazaar. Katubomman is a budget pure-veg spot for South Indian food, while Annaporna Cafeteria offers South and North Indian vegetarian dishes and is one of the few places that accept credit cards. Vegan Creek Pure Veg Restaurant sits on Rina Road inside the Blue Sea Hotel, and Icy Spicy near Junglighat Jetty serves North Indian vegetarian food plus a sweets and chaat counter. Shree Bikaner is another pure-veg option near Goal Ghar in Junglighat. For a drink, coconut water is available everywhere.

What to see and do

Port Blair's history is unavoidable at the Cellular Jail, built by the British to hold political prisoners far from the mainland, where inmates were kept in isolation and subjected to a brutal work regime; it was briefly taken over by the Japanese during World War II. Today it is an immaculately kept national monument with a garden that sits oddly against the earlier horrors, and you can catch a light-and-sound show in Hindi or English in the evenings. The Anthropological Museum is worth a stop for the history of the various A&N tribes, and near Corbyn's Cove you can see Japanese bunkers from the war, with another just down the hill from the jail. Corbyn's Cove itself is the closest beach to town and popular with locals for swimming and sunsets, though part of it was washed away by the 2004 tsunami and the currents can be very strong, so be careful if you go in the water. Further afield, the landscaped Central Agricultural Research Institute shows island farming research along with livestock and poultry farms and fish ponds, and the old Chatam Saw Mill sits by the jetty where ships from the mainland bring goods.

On the water, agents will push a three-island package including Viper Island, but Viper has become a landfill and is a waste of time and money; the two-island trip covering North Bay and Ross Island is the better choice, leaving from the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports complex. Rather than booking through the tourism office, buy tickets at the aquarium jetty booths before departure. You can also pay local fishermen for day trips to mangrove creeks such as Bridget Creek or to Mt Harriet National Park for birdwatching, but check with the Forest Department in advance, as many destinations require permissions. For snorkelling, head to Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor, about 30 km from town, where a single ferry runs to Jolly Buoy; book ahead in peak season. There are no facilities for food or drink at Jolly Buoy, so bring your own, but note that plastic bags are banned.

When to go

Port Blair has a tropical monsoon climate, so the year is shaped by a pronounced wet season rather than by temperature swings. Expect warm, humid conditions throughout, with the rain rather than the thermometer dictating the rhythm of your trip.

• Monsoon season: This is the wet stretch of the year, when heavy rain is a regular feature of daily life. Expect downpours to interrupt outdoor plans, and note that ferry or island trips are more vulnerable to disruption during this period.

Three days in Port Blair

Day one begins in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on South Andaman Island in the Bay of Bengal. Start with the Cellular Jail, the city's defining historic site, then wander Aberdeen Bazaar for local food and supplies. In the afternoon, take a boat to Ross Island, the former British administrative base just offshore.

Day two, head south to Wandoor, the gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, for beaches and snorkelling. Back in Port Blair, visit the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum and the Anthropological Museum to learn about the islands' indigenous peoples. End the day with a seafood dinner near the harbour.

Day three, take a day trip to Barren Island, India's only active volcano, if boat services are running, or explore the Chatham Saw Mill and the Forest Museum. Before your flight from Veer Savarkar International Airport, pick up souvenirs from Aberdeen Bazaar.