Tradition · Oct - May
The Penal Colony in Two Days
Walk the Cellular Jail wings with an island historian, cross to the ruined British capital, and stay for the evening show.
From US$675 per person
Overview
Port Blair sits on a deep natural harbour on the east coast of South Andaman, with the town climbing low hills around the water. It holds roughly 100,000 people, which is about a quarter of the territory's population, and nearly everything official happens here: the airport, the ferry terminals, the hospitals and the permit desk. The settler population traces back to Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Punjab and Burma.
The British established a penal settlement here in 1858 after the uprising of 1857, and completed the Cellular Jail in 1906, with seven wings radiating from a central tower so that no prisoner could see another. Administration was run from tiny Ross Island across the harbour, which an earthquake in 1941 and then the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945 reduced to jungle-covered ruins.
Visitors from Europe and America find the place unexpectedly sober. The jail is a national memorial rather than a tourist attraction, the evening light-and-sound show is sincere and affecting, and the Anthropological Museum is the right place to learn about the islands' indigenous peoples. Allow two nights here before you move on to Havelock, and treat it as part of the trip rather than a layover.
Hand-held, every step
You travel as our guest, not as a booking number. One named person looks after you from the first video call to the drive back to the airport, and explains the meaning behind everything you are looking at.
In Port Blair that matters most where the crowds are thickest and the customs least familiar.
- Airport welcome with a name board, a local SIM and your first rupees sorted
- One trip manager on WhatsApp for the whole journey, answering within the hour
- Guides who explain each ritual, dish and carving as you meet it
- Reserved, safe places at festivals rather than the crush
- A real part in a puja, a wedding or a family celebration if you want one
- Female guide on request, vetted drivers, and no shopping-commission stops
Festivals worth planning a trip around
Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Islamic dates follow lunar calendars, so each year shifts. We confirm every date against the panchang before a departure goes on sale.
| Festival | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Island Tourism Festival | Jan | Ten days of performance and food stalls at the exhibition ground, with troupes representing every settler community in the territory. |
| Subhash Mela | Jan | Marks Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 1943 visit, with a fair, parades and talks on the islands' wartime years. |
| Republic Day | 26 Jan | A substantial parade for a town this size, with the Cellular Jail floodlit and a naval presence in the harbour. |
| Durga Puja | Sep-Oct | The Bengali settler community builds full pandals across the town, the biggest community event of the year. |
| Pongal | Jan | Tamil settler neighbourhoods cook new rice in open pots and lay kolam patterns at the doorways. |
| Christmas | Dec | Churches across the town hold services for a large Christian population, including Karen and Nicobarese congregations. |
Food to try in Port Blair
Ranked the way a local host would feed you, starting with the dish you should not leave without.
- Grilled fish at Aberdeen BazaarSnapper and trevally straight from the harbour auction, grilled at the market stalls with lime and chilli.
- Andaman mud crabMangrove crab cooked with butter and pepper; order it ahead at the harbour-side restaurants.
- Tamil-style coconut fish curryThin, sour and mild, cooked by the Tamil settler families who run many of the town's eating houses.
- Amritsari fish fryBattered and fried in the Punjabi settler style, an odd but excellent Port Blair speciality.
- Shorshe machBengali mustard fish, cooked exactly as it would be in Kolkata, by families who came three generations ago.
- Prawn coconut curryLocal prawns in pressed coconut milk, the standard restaurant dish across the islands.
- Chaat at Aberdeen BazaarMainland street food from six states in one market, which is the fastest way to understand who lives here.
- Tender coconutSold at every jetty and roadside; island-grown and the sensible thing to drink in the humidity.
- Barbecue at Corbyn's CoveBeachside grills on the town's own stretch of sand, best at sunset which here means about five o'clock.
- Note on supply shipsMost produce, dairy and meat arrive by sea, so menus are fish-led and some items vanish after rough weather.
Heritage sites in Port Blair
- Cellular Jail National MemorialThe 1906 prison built so no inmate could see another; three of the original seven wings survive, with the central tower and gallows.
- Cellular Jail light and sound showAn evening narration projected onto the wings, in Hindi and English on alternate nights; book or arrive early in season.
- Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep)The British administrative capital across the harbour, ruined by the 1941 earthquake and the Japanese occupation, now overrun by deer.
- Viper IslandThe earlier penal site with gallows ruins, used before the Cellular Jail was finished; reached by boat.
- Anthropological MuseumThe territory's museum of its indigenous peoples, and the appropriate way to learn about communities you cannot visit.
- Samudrika Naval Marine MuseumNavy-run galleries on island geology, coral and marine life, worth an hour before you snorkel or dive.
- Chatham Saw MillFounded in 1883 and among Asia's oldest, with a forest museum and visible Second World War bomb damage.
- Japanese bunkers and Mount HarrietOccupation-era defences along the coast, and the colonial hill station above the town with its viewpoint.
Places to visit in Port Blair
- Aberdeen BazaarThe town's commercial centre, market and the place to eat; everything in Port Blair is measured from here.
- Corbyn's CoveThe town beach, 7 km out, with casuarina trees, a sea wall and bunkers behind it.
- Chidiya TapuThe island's southern tip, 25 km away, for sunset, mangroves and birdlife.
- Mount Harriet (Mount Manipur) National ParkA forest reserve across the harbour with the view that appeared on the old ten-rupee note.
- Wandoor and the Marine National ParkThirty kilometres southwest, the access point for reef islands and glass-bottom boats.
- Ross and Viper IslandsShort harbour boat trips to the penal and administrative ruins.
- Sippighat and the tsunami-sunk fieldsFarmland permanently flooded by the 2004 subsidence, a quiet and sobering roadside stop.
- Phoenix Bay and Haddo jettiesThe ferry terminals for Havelock and Neil, and where the mainland ships dock.
Waterfalls, lakes and wild places
December to April gives the calmest harbour and the clearest reef water, and the marine park islands rotate access to let the coral recover. Swim at Corbyn's Cove rather than the rocky southern coast, do not stand on coral at North Bay, and expect boat trips to be cancelled outright in monsoon weather.
- Corbyn's CoveSeven kilometres from town; the town beach, shallow and swimmable with a modest shore break.
- Wandoor and Jolly Buoy or Red SkinThirty kilometres southwest in the marine national park; reef islands with controlled landing on a rotating basis.
- Chidiya Tapu and Munda PaharTwenty-five kilometres south; rocky sunset coast with mangrove channels behind.
- North Bay IslandA short boat ride across the harbour; glass-bottom boats, snorkelling and basic watersports.
- Carbyn's Cove to Snake IslandBoat trips to a small island off the coast, popular for snorkelling in calm weather.
- Harbour and Phoenix BayWorking water rather than swimming water, but the dawn fish auction here is worth seeing.
Where to stay in Port Blair
Properties we would put our own guests in. Your package includes the level you choose, and we hold rooms before festival dates.
- Fortune Resort Bay IslandMarine Hill; a long-established ITC-group hotel with harbour views and timber interiorsUpscale
- SeaShell Port BlairNear Marine Hill; modern and convenient for the airport and the Phoenix Bay jettyUpscale
- Sea Princess Beach ResortCorbyn's Cove; the town's beachfront option, 7 km from the centreMid-range
- Sinclairs BayviewSouth Point; older property with the best harbour outlook in townMid-range
- Welcomhotel Bay IslandMarine Hill; the ITC group's island presence, central and reliableUpscale
- Hotel Sentinel and central business hotelsAberdeen Bazaar area; practical air-conditioned rooms close to the market and ferry desksMid-range
- ANIIDCO and government guest housesTerritorial accommodation around the town, plain and useful when the hotels are full in JanuaryMid-range
- Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, HavelockNot in Port Blair, but the territory's luxury option, two hours away by ferryLuxury
Evenings out and culture
| Place | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cellular Jail light and sound show | The town's one essential evening, with the prison's history narrated against the floodlit wings. |
| Hotel bars, Marine Hill | Alcohol is legal and served at the hotels; the harbour-view terraces are where visitors end the day. |
| Island Tourism Festival performances | Ten days in January of settler-community dance and music at the exhibition ground. |
| Aberdeen Bazaar after dark | Not nightlife exactly, but the market stalls and chaat carts are the social centre until about nine. |
| Note on the early sunset | Darkness falls close to 5pm all year, so evenings start early and the town is quiet well before ten. |
Getting to Port Blair by air
| Airport or route | Detail |
|---|---|
| Veer Savarkar International (IXZ) | Four kilometres from Aberdeen Bazaar, 15 minutes by taxi; the territory's only passenger airport. |
| Flights from mainland India | Direct from Chennai and Kolkata in about two hours, and from Delhi and Bengaluru with longer durations. |
| From the UK and Europe | No direct service exists; fly to Chennai, Kolkata or Delhi, overnight, then take a morning flight on to IXZ. |
| From the USA | Three flights in total via a Gulf hub and an Indian metro; allow 30 to 34 hours including a mainland overnight. |
| Permit on arrival | Foreign nationals are historically issued a Restricted Area Permit at the airport on arrival; carry passport and visa copies, and check current rules. |
| Morning arrivals | Almost all flights land before midday because of afternoon weather and the early sunset, so plan your first day accordingly. |
Trains and road to Port Blair
| Route or station | Detail |
|---|---|
| No railway in the territory | There is no rail line anywhere in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; travel is by road, ferry and air only. |
| Ferries to Havelock and Neil | Private catamarans and government ferries leave Phoenix Bay daily, taking 90 minutes to two hours; book ahead in season. |
| Passenger ships from the mainland | Government vessels sail from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, taking roughly 50 to 70 hours and running to a sparse schedule. |
| Andaman Trunk Road buses | Buses run north to Rangat and Diglipur, travelling in convoy through a tribal reserve under no-stopping rules. |
| Mainland rail connections | Chennai Central and Howrah are the rail hubs serving the two main air gateways for Port Blair. |
| Local buses and taxis | Town buses from Aberdeen Bazaar and metered taxis cover Corbyn's Cove, Chidiya Tapu and Wandoor. |
Weather, seasons and best time to visit Port Blair
December to April, when 23-32°C days come with a calm harbour and dependable ferries to the outer islands. June to August is the month range to skip, and in every season plan sightseeing before four because darkness arrives by five.
| Months | Season | Day temperature | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec-Feb | Dry and clear | 23-30°C / 73-86°F | The best months. Calm harbour, reliable ferries, comfortable humidity and good light for the jail and Ross Island. |
| Mar-May | Hot and humid | 25-32°C / 77-90°F | Dry into April with warm water; May brings heavy squalls and the first ferry disruptions of the season. |
| Jun-Aug | Southwest monsoon | 24-31°C / 75-88°F | Persistent rain and rough water; boat trips to Ross and North Bay are frequently cancelled. |
| Sep-Nov | Retreating monsoon | 24-31°C / 75-88°F | Rain tapers off through October, the sea settles, and November is a quiet and inexpensive month to visit. |
Port Blair tour packages
Per person, twin sharing, excluding international flights. Hotels, private transport, guides, entries, your trip manager and 24-hour support are included.
Location · Nov - Apr
Port Blair, Chidiya Tapu and the Marine Park
Museums and the jail, then a marine park reef day and a dawn mangrove paddle at the island's southern tip.
From US$975 per person
Festival · Fixed dates, Jan 2027
Island Tourism Festival in the Capital
Four evenings of settler-community performance and food at the exhibition ground, with daytime history and beaches.
From US$1,112 per person
Wildlife · Nov - Apr
Harbour Reefs and Mount Harriet Forest
Snorkelling at North Bay, then forest trails above the harbour with a naturalist and the old ten-rupee-note viewpoint.
From US$925 per person
Take part, don't just watch
Add any of these to a tour. A host stays beside you and tells you what is happening and why it is done that way.
Cellular Jail with a settler family descendant
Someone whose great-grandfather was transported here takes you through the surviving wings, the central tower and the gallows, reading the prisoner registers. The evening light-and-sound show afterwards lands very differently once you have heard that.
Dawn fish auction at Phoenix Bay
You arrive with a restaurant buyer as the night boats come in, watching snapper and trevally change hands by shout and nod. He explains which fish the islands keep and which are flown to the mainland the same morning.
Ross Island ruins with a historian
A guide who has worked the island for years shows you the ballroom, the church and the bakery under the roots, and explains the 1941 earthquake and the Japanese years. The spotted deer that now own the place follow you around.
Mangrove dawn at Chidiya Tapu
A naturalist paddles you into the southern mangrove channels before sunrise, watching for white-bellied sea eagles and mudskippers. He points out which of the islands' bird species are endemic and which arrived with the settlers.
Questions travellers ask about Port Blair
Why should I visit Port Blair?
Because the Cellular Jail is one of the most powerful historical sites in India and most visitors give it an hour. Seven wings were built so no prisoner could see another, and the evening show tells that story well. Add the jungle-swallowed British capital on Ross Island and you have two serious days.
Do I need a permit, and where do I get it?
Foreign nationals can visit the permitted islands, and historically a Restricted Area Permit is issued on arrival at Port Blair airport once you present your passport and Indian e-Visa. Rules have been revised more than once in recent years, so verify the current position before flying and carry printed copies of everything.
Which areas am I not allowed to visit?
The Nicobar Islands are entirely closed to tourists, with no permit obtainable. Tribal reserve areas in the Andamans are also closed, and North Sentinel Island is strictly off-limits, where any approach is both illegal and lethally dangerous. On the convoy road north through a reserve, stopping, photography and any contact are forbidden.
When is the best time to visit Port Blair?
December to April, with 23-32°C days, a calm harbour and ferries that actually run. June to August is the southwest monsoon, when boat trips to Ross Island and North Bay are often cancelled. October and November are improving and cheaper. Remember that it is dark by about five all year.
How do I get here from the USA, UK or Europe?
There is no international flight to Port Blair. Fly London, Frankfurt or Paris into Chennai, Kolkata or Delhi, stay the night, then take a morning flight of roughly two hours to IXZ. From North America that means three flights and 30 to 34 hours. The airport is only 4 km from the market.
Is Port Blair safe for solo female travellers?
Yes, it is one of the easier places in India for a woman travelling alone, being small, policed and used to visitors. Keep to the lit main roads around Aberdeen Bazaar after dark, which comes early, and use licensed taxis. Boat safety matters more than personal safety, so check life jackets before any harbour trip.
What does a Port Blair tour cost?
Our ground cost is about US$540 for the two-night penal colony itinerary, US$740 for the reef and forest programme, US$780 for three nights with the marine park, and US$890 for the January festival dates, per person sharing. Island prices run above the mainland because supplies arrive by ship. Flights and visa are extra.
How many days do I need here before moving on?
Two nights is the sensible minimum: one day for the Cellular Jail, Ross Island and the museums, one for Chidiya Tapu or the marine park. Three if you want Mount Harriet too. Then take a morning ferry to Havelock, around two hours, and allow a buffer day before your flight home for weather.
Nearby and related
Most guests pair Port Blair with one or two of these on the same trip.