Port Blair - E jewel in the Bay of Bengal

When speaking of fabulous beaches with talcum like sand and aquamarine waters in context with India, the first place that comes to your mind is Goa. Very few consider Port Blair as a holiday destination when it comes to fun in the sun and sand. Low key advertisement and lack of proximity to big cities may be held responsible. But the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar islands sweeps you off your feet.

The beaches are pristine and thankfully, free from litter. One grants full marks to the government for maintaining the cleanliness of the archipelago of islands. Port Blair itself gives the feel of a foreign country with its clean and wide streets. Waste baskets and boards prohibiting littering are prominent throughout the city.

The charm of Port Blair lies not just in its offering of privacy and unsullied environment, but the plethora of places to visit and things to do while there. A visit to the Cellular Jail is a must. Completed in the year 1906, the Jail is so named because it is made up of individual cells for the solitary confinement of prisoners. The Son-et-Lumiere (sound and light) show takes you back through the pages of history to the times when it housed many of our pre-independence revolutionaries. The National memorial also has a museum and Art gallery.

Any trip to Port Blair is incomplete without a visit to the islands of Havelock and Jolly Buoy. Like pearls set in the oyster of the ocean, these lush islands with sandy beaches and waters teeming with corals are extremely beckoning. While Havelock acts as the extreme stress buster with secluded beaches and relaxing atmosphere, Jolly Buoy is the isle for those yearning for underwater adventure. You can hire Snorkelling and Scuba diving equipment and surrender yourself to the splendours of the ocean. If you’ve enjoyed watching underwater shows on Discovery channel, then this is the thing for you. The resplendent isle harbours some of the most beautiful corals one can find in the Bay of Bengal. For the less adventurous, a glass-bottomed boat can afford you a view of the marvelous ocean floor which is teeming with corals, schools of fish in every hue imaginable, sea anemones, jellyfish, sea horses, starfishes and the like. However, the tsunami of 2004 seems to have affected Jolly Buoy island the most, leading to a marked decline in the coral and aquatic life.

Ross Island, nestled in Port Blair’s harbour, can be reached by ferry. Tourists can be dropped on the island in the morning and picked up later in the afternoon. The island has the remnants of a British cantonment. The ideal thing to do is to pack a lunch and spend the morning exploring the decaying visage of the houses, church, club and even a cemetery. The feeling of intrigue is all pervasive. The island also offers an insight into history. Built on Ross Island are Japanese bunkers constructed during the Japanese invasion of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the Second World War. The best part about touring the island is the privacy. Adding to the spook element is the undeniable ruin the buildings are in. Over run with roots and branches of trees and playing host to squirrels and other furry animals, the houses seem to hold echoes of the people who once lived there.

Also on the itinerary is a visit to Viper Island which houses gallows where the condemned prisoners were hanged. At an hours drive from Port Blair is Chidiya Tapu, a bird watcher’s paradise that offers an enchanting view. It is best visited at sun rise or sun set. 120 km northeast of Port Blair is Barren Island, the only active volcano in India. While in Port Blair, the Samudrika Marine Museum and the Anthropological museum are must-sees. The water sports complex provides speed boat and water scooter rides for the ultimate adrenaline rush.

Prices in Port Blair are a tad bit higher than the mainland. Mineral water is available in plenty. Shopping basically comprises of shell and coral souvenirs as well as wooden artefacts. Port Blair is connected by air to Kolkata and Chennai. The Best time to visit is in the winter months.

No amount of words can do justice to the beauty of this emerald island chain. It has been known to convert first time visitors to life long admirers.