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Port
Blair
Pop: 78,000 Area Code: 03192
Port Blair
is the capital and the only decent-sized town on the islands. It is
a pleasant town located on the east side of South Andaman Island.
The Island Tourism Festival is a cultural event lasting ten days. It
is held at the end of February.
Orientation
Port Blair is spread out over several hills, so it is difficult to walk
around. Most of the hotels, boat docks, and bus stations are in the
main bazaar area called Aberdeen Bazaar. The closest beach is Corbyn’s
Cove, 8km south of the center of town. The airport is 3km south of Aberdeen
Bazaar.
Information
The helpful Government of India Tourist Office (ITDC)
(233006) is in the Super Shoppe complex, near the airport (Mon to Fri
9 am to 5 pm). The office provides a printout of useful practical information.
The Andaman
and Nicobar Tourist Office (232747) is near the GPO (Mon to
Sat 9 am to 5 pm). They have information on tours and ferry schedules.In
the south part of twon opposite Indian Airlines
There is
a tourist counter (03292/232414) at the airport, which
provides information about accommodations and sites on South Andaman
Island.
The Chief
Wildlife Warden (33549, 31371) in Haddo, west of the Phoenix
Bay Jetty, can give information on wildlife, and travel to places such
as Chirya Tapu and Mount Harriet. Permits for various places are also
issued in this office.
You can
reserve rooms in APWD guesthouses at the APWD Office
(30215), near the Shompen Hotel.
The Superintendent
of Police, (33590) in Aberdeen Bazaar, can extend permits.
Camping
equipment can be rented from Andaman Teal House (A&N
Tourism) in Port Blair.
Reference
books about the Andaman Islands are available at the State Library,
near the GPO (noon to 7 pm).
Travel Agencies and Tours
Well-established travel agents are A&N Tourism (32642)
at Andaman Teal House; Island Travels (21358) at Aberdeen
Bazaar; and Shompen Travels (32360, 33028) in the Shompen
Hotel. Sunshine Tours arranges good tours of Port Blair.
Island Travel (233358) is an agent for Indian Airlines
and Thai Airways. They also do foreign exchange and rent cars.
KLM
Travels (32111; fax 34255) gives good environmental freely
tours of the islands.
A tour boat departs daily at 3 pm from the Phoenix Bay jetty for a 1½
hr ride around the harbor. It stops briefly at Viper Island. You book
it at the Marine Dept (20725).
Money
The State Bank of India changes cash and travelers
checks (9 am to 12 noon, 1pm-3pm).
Island
Travels (33034), near Sampat Lodge & the clock in Aberdeen
Bazaar, changes money efficiently daily except Sun 9am-1pm, 2 to 4 pm.
The higher-class hotels usually change money.
ICICI Bank ATM (Moulana Azad Rd & Foreshroe Roads)
accepts MaterCard, VISA and Cirrus.
Most hotels
do not acceot credit cards.
Post,
Internet and Faxes
The GPO is about 1km south of Aberdeen Bazaar. Next
door, at the Telegraph Office (fax 21318), visitors can send and receive
faxes.
Internet
facilites at Holiday Resort (9am-11pm Rs 30
hr), or at Cyber Point (9am-11pm, 35 per hr) &
Kembu's netJoint (9am-8pm, 35 per hr), both on Moulana Azad Rd.
Cellular
Jail National Memorial
The British built this jail at the beginning of the 1900s. It once had
seven wings, but only three remain. Many Indian freedom fighters were
imprisoned here. It has a small museum. Open daily 9 am to noon and
2 to 5 pm. Admission free. There is a Sound and Light Show in English
on Wed, Sat and Sun at 7 pm. (Rs 25).
Zoo
There are over 100 species of animals on the Andaman Islands found nowhere
else in the world. Some of them are in this zoo, including Andaman pigs
and Nicobar pigeons. They have a successful saltwater crocodile-breeding
program. Open daily except Mon 8 am to 5 pm. Admission Rs 1.
Chatham
Sawmill and Forest Museum
Timber is processed at the Sawmill. Open 8 am to 2.30
pm.
In the
Forest Museum near the zoo, there is an exhibit of
woods grown in the Andaman Islands. Open Mon to Sat, 8 am to 3 pm. Admission
free.
Anthropological
Museum
This small, interesting museum contains photos of indigenous tribal
people, native dress, and tools. Open Mon to Sat 9 am to noon and 1
to 4 pm. Admission free.
Fishery
Museum
This interesting museum and aquarium contains over 300 species found
in the Andaman Sea, including exotic fish and coral. Open daily 9 am
to 12.30 pm and 1.30 to 5 pm.
Samudrika
Marine Museum
In this museum there are exhibits of coral, shells, and displays on
the history of the island. It is opposite Andaman Teal House. Open Tues
to Sun 9 am to noon and 2 to 5.30 pm. Admission Rs 15.
Water
Sports Complex
At this place, near the Fisheries Museum, visitors can hire sailboats,
rowboats, and windsurfing equipment. Snorkels can be rented, but you
can use them only here. Water skiing for Rs 250 for 20 minutes.
Viper Island
Viper Island, at the mouth of Port Blair Harbor, is where prisoners
were kept before the Cellular Jail was built.
Where
to Stay—Lower
Checkout time is often as early as 7 am in the morning, so you may want
to ask about this.
The Youth Hostel (32459) has dorm beds for Rs 50 (Rs
60 for nonmembers) and a few private rooms for Rs 125.
Sampat (33752, 30752), Aberdeen Bazaar, has basic rooms
with common bath for Rs 90/175 and with bath for Rs 250. The rooms with
balconies are best.
Central Lodge (233632), Middle Point, is a popular,
inexpensive hotel with basic rooms with common bath for Rs 100/125 and
Rs 175 with bath. There is camping in the garden for Rs 75.
Hotel Jai Mathi (30836), 78 MI Rd, has rooms with bath
for Rs 200/240 and up. Hot water in buckets in the morning.
Jagannath Guest House (32140. 32148), Moulana Azad
Rd, has good, clean rooms with bath for Rs 100/250 and up. It is a well-managed,
friendly place. It is a good value. Recommended. It is near the bus
station and Phoenix Bay Jetty/
Shah and Shah (32331), near Aberdeen Bazaar & the
bus stand, has large clean rooms. It is a new, nice, friendly, recommended
place.
Where to Stay—Middle
Hotel Shalimar (33953), on the road to Haddo, has rooms
with bath for Rs 300/325 and Rs 350 with A/C. You can ask for a discount.
Hornbill Nest Yatri Nivas (232018; fax 233161; E: hornbillresort@rediffmail.com),
around 1km north of Corbyn’s Cave, has clean rooms with two/four/six
beds for Rs 900 to deluxe rooms for 1300. It has a great location with
good views.
Hotel Shompen (32360, 32644; fax 32425), 2 Middle Pt,
Kamaraj Rdhas rooms for Rs 400 and Rs 800 with A/C.
Hotel Abhishekh (33565) has clean rooms with bath for
Rs 450/500 and Rs 550/600 with A/C. It is a friendly, well-managed place.
Andaman Teal House (A&N Tourism) (234060), on the
road to Haddo, has clean double rooms with bath for Rs 500 and Rs 700
with A/C. It has good views and is a good value. Iti is on a hill overlooking
Haddo port. Off-season discounts
Hotel Dhanalaxmi (234963-4; fax: 238698), in Aberdeen
Bazaar, has large rooms with bath for Rs 500/750 to Rs 850/950. The
rooms in front can be noisy.
Holiday Resort (230516; fax 234231; E: holidayresort88@hotmail.com
or info@aboutandamans.com), Premnagar, has clean large rooms with bath
and TV for Rs 550/600 and Rs 700/900 with A/C. It is a good place. Has
a good Internet cafe.
Megapode Nest (233659, 235098; fax 32702: pblanitco1@sancharnet.com),
at Haddo, has spacious double rooms with bath, a TV and A/C for Rs 1100/1400
and Rs 1800 for a cottage. It is peaceful, has a good view from the
terrace, and is a good value. It is on top of the hill Price includes
breakfast. overlooking the bay.
Nicobari Cottages (20207), next door, has rooms with
bath and a good view for Rs 1100. It is a good place and has a good
restaurant.
Where to Stay—High
Sinclairs Bay View (232937 233159; fax 231824; E: sinbview@cal3.vsnl.net.in
or pblsinbview@sancharnet.in), on a clifftop on the road to Corbyn’s
Cove, has clean rooms with a good view of the sea for Rs 2000/2200 and
Rs 2000/3000 with A/C. It has a good Indian restaurant. Located here
is the Samudra Diving Centre. Has a nice garden. A good top-end choice.
Has a hotel shuttle bus
Peerless Resort (233461; fax 233463; E: pblbeachinn@sancharnet.in),
Corbyn’s Cove, is located in a quiet area next to the beach. It
has A/C rooms for Rs 2400/3800 and A/C cottages for Rs 5000. Discounts
available during the off-season. You can book this place on the mainland
at their Chennai office (044-2435-3079; fax 24320605 In a great location
with rooms with balconies
Andaman Beach Resort (32463), Corbyn’s Cove,
is in a great location surrounded by palm trees, next to a nice beach.
It has rooms with balconies and nice cottages.
Welcomgroup Bay Island Hotel (32112; fax 31555; Email:
sripadshir@yahoo.com), Marine Hill, has rooms for Rs 3400/5000, which
includes meals. It has a nice garden, a good view and a pool.
Fortune Resort - Bay Island (234101; fax 231555; E:
sripadsudhir@yahoo.com. bombayisland@email.com) has rooms with balconies
for 3600/5500 and up. Has great viences and the rooms are fairly good
for the money. Has a salt-water pool. Have great service and an excellent
location.
Where to Eat
Islet Restaurant serves good Chinese and Indian food.
New India Cafe, on the ground floor of the Hotel Jai
Mathi, serves inexpensive thalis.
Dhanalaxmi Restaurant, in the Dhanalakshmi Hotel, is
a popular place with good vegetarian food.
Delhi Cafeteria, across from Mountbatten Talkies, is
a good, inexpensive place.
Ananda Restaurant, near the Hotel Dhanalaxmi, has low-priced
thalis.
China Room (230759), near the Phoenix Bay Jetty, serves
good Chinese food. Should be booked in advance.
Chinese Restaurant is a good outdoor place. Recommended.
Annapurna Cafe, Aberdeen Bazaar, is a popular place
with great dosas and good breakfasts. Recommended.
The Waves, Corbyn’s Cove, is a good place.
Mandalay Restaurant, in the Bay Island Hotel, is a pleasant place to
eat with good food.
Local
Travel
Taxis wait at the west end of Gandhi Rd, across from the bus station.
A taxi to Corbyn’s Cove should cost about Rs 60. There are regular
buses to Wandoor (1½ hr).
Shompen
Travels (32360), at the Shompen Hotel, can charter a boat for
about Rs 10,000 per day.
Riding a bicycle can be difficult because of the hills.
You can hire a bike at Aberdeen Bazaar for Rs 20 per
day. Jagannath Guest House rents bikes.
Motorcycles
can be rented from TSG Travels (232894), Babu Lane,
in the center of Aberdeen Bazaar. Suzuki 150 or scooters are Rs 150
to Rs 250 per day. Jagannath Guest House and Singh
Travels (33757) in Aberdeen Bazaar, rent motorcycles for Rs
200 to Rs 300 per day. GDM Tours (232999) also rents
motor bikes.
There is
a petrol station on the road to the airport, and also
one west of the bus stand.
Ferry The Marine Department (32742)
and the Phoenix Jetty Boating Office have the schedules for boats and
ferries going to other islands. The daily newspaper publishes ferry
schedules. Snacks are sold on board.
There are
boats to Havelock, Rangat Bay, Aerial Bay and Mayabunder. The boats
to Rangat Bay go on two different routes—via Neil, Havelock, and
Strait Islands, and via Baratang, Kadamtala, and Long Island.
Harbor
ferries go from Phoenix Jetty to Bamboo Flats, Hope Town, and Ross Island.
From Chatham Jetty, boats go to Bamboo Flats and Dundas Pt about every
hour. There is a car ferry at 9 am.
Travel
Air Indian Airlines (234744, 233108; Airport: 232983; fax 231483),
near the GPO, has flights from Kolkata (Calcutta)) ($250 one-way) to
Port Blair five days (not Wed & Fri) a week. There are flights from
Chennai ($200) to Port Blair four days a week on Indian Airlines.
There are
daily flights to Chennai ($200) on Jet Air (236922;
Airport: 35911). Flights are often heavily booked and persons on waiting
class do not usually get on. During the high-season flights can be booked
out months in advance, so it is a good idea to book your return flight
before coming to the islands. If your permit has almost expired, you
may be able to go to the airline manager and be put on a priority waiting
list. The office is open Mon to Sat 9 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4 pm.
Shompen
Travels (20360), at the Shompen Hotel, books East-West flights.
The airport
is 5km south of Port Blair. There is a bus run by the tourist office
going to most hotels in Port Blair for Rs 20. From the airport to Aberdeen
Bazaar by taxi should cost about Rs 50-60
Boat
There are usually two to four boats a month between Chennai or Kolkata
(Calcutta) and Port Blair. Boats are operated by Shipping Corporation
of India (SCI) (233347; 233590; fax 233778). There is also
a monthly boat from Visakhapatnam to Port Blair (may not depart).
The SCI office in Chennai is at Jawahar Building, Rajaji
Salai (opposite the Customs House) (044 522-6873; 044 522-0841) and
the SCI office in Kolkata (Calcutta) is on the first
floor at 13 Strand Rd (033 248-2354; fax 033 248-0377). The SCI
office in Visakhapatnam is at AV Bhanoji (0891 565-597), near
the main gate of the port.
In Port
Blair the SCI office for the Kolkata (Calcutta)
boat is in Aberdeen Bazaar opposite the Dhanalaksmi Hotel (233-590).
You may have to go to Phoenix Bay to book the Chennai boat.
To book
a boat in Chennai or Kolkata (Calcutta), you must have three photos
and the appropriate forms. You are supposed to book the boat at least
four days before the boat departs. You may be required by the SCI to
have a permit to visit the islands. It is best to arrange the return
ticket from Port Blair before departing from Chennai or Kolkata (Calcutta).
Bookings should be reconfirmed two days before the boat’s departure.
The trip
from Chennai takes three or four days; and from Kolkata (Calcutta) five
days. Bunk class costs Rs 1500, but foreigners are usually not permitted
to take this class. There is second class (four to six-berth) for Rs
2600, first class (two to four-berth) for Rs 4500, and deluxe (two-berth)
for Rs 3600.
Meals costs about Rs 175 a day (usually a thali served three times a
day). You may want to bring something extra, such as fruit and bottled
water.
Bus
The bus station (232-278) is in the center of town. Buses go to various
places in the area.
There are buses to Rangat and Mayabunder in the morning. Tickets for
these buses must be bought the day before departure at the office near
the Phoenix boat jetty. Tickets go on sale at 2 pm, but you should be
lined up early because the demand is heavy.
Geetanjali
Travels, near the bus stand and Ananda (233-252)
run luxury buses to many places.
If you
know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help
update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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