Andaman Islands- Port Blair

Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen

If you are dreaming of having sunbath in a beach of foreign land without burning a hole in your pocket then pack your rucksacks , book your tickets and head towards the Islands…Andaman islands. Amid Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea , lie this beautiful and clean Union Territory of India.

Best Time to visit Andaman

The best time to visit this place is October-February. I will suggest carrying a branded sunscreen above SPF 50 as I have seen many travelers experiencing sunburns there especially girls having sensitive skin.

Planning your Trip to Andaman

Plan your journey in a manner that your flight will land at the Vir savarkar airport in port Blair in the morning. My gang took the 5am flight via Kolkata and we landed at port blair @10 am.  The moment you land there you will experience that you are away from mainland India. Do not get scared. You won’t find sentinels right there. But most of us for whom staying connected to the world is utmost important, their heart will skip a beat or two. Network problem is the main concern there. It is advisable to book your hotels beforehand else take a BSNL sim with you. The Airtel girl will not come to your rescue there.
If money is not a problem then you can go for luxury hotels but it is advisable to book budget hotels or OYO Rooms as most of the time you will be hanging out.  Since we visited in March, most of the hotels were giving good discounts. In a range of approx Rs. 2500/-, we got the rooms. Since we landed early , after checking in to the hotel, we left to uncover the beauty of the place.
The Auto walas are unlike the Delhi auto walas there. They are humble and will charge you just the right amount. BUT… why pay for the auto when you can rent a scooty/bike for just 300/- per day. Trust me a scooty ride especially in evening amidst green lush surrounding and cool breeze will make you admit as my friends used to say “THIS IS LIFE!!!!!”

Cellular Jail

You can start your day with the most beautiful tourist attraction of today that used to be dreadful in the past. KAALA PANI…. These two words were enough to send chills down the spine during the British rule. But today this saza (punishment) has turned out to be a jovial trip for selfie lovers.

Port Blair , the capital of Andaman and Nicobar , inhabits the world famous Cellular Jail which  imprisoned our freedom fighters during the British era. The 14.8 ft × 8.9 ft cells filled with tourists posing for pictures were used to torture a man in solitary confinement. The three remaining wings out of seven were once echoed with the tortures of officer David Barry and his attempts to suppress the heroic voices of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Batukeshwar Dutt, Mahavir Singh, Mohit Mitra, Yogendra Shukla and many others who were imprisoned there.

The museum inside the Jail enlightens you with the details of the same.  The first Sound and light show in the Cellular jail starts at 5:15pm for which you must buy tickets before 4pm. The 45 mins show will give you a glimpse of how life was there in prison under British rule. The Hanging cell to end lives , the silent solitary cells to torture men and the tower at the center of jail with guards mocking at the wretched lives of prisoners reverberates the history of Black Water.

Cellular jail entry fee: Rs.10/-
Sound and light show fee: Rs. 150/-