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Voykit pocket guide · India
Port Blair
Sri Vijaya Puram
Give Port Blair 2 nights as an arrival base, not a beach stop: Cellular Jail, Ross Island, then ferry out to Havelock or Neil.
Port Blair is the Andamans' capital, airport and ferry hub, not the reason you came. Two nights covers the Cellular Jail, the Anthropological Museum and a Ross Island boat trip, and positions you for the ferries to Havelock, Neil and the outer islands. The city itself is a busy small Indian town on steep hills; the beaches worth swimming are elsewhere.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- Sri Vijaya Puram
- Best months
- Oct–Mar
- Avoid
- May–Sep (monsoon, rough seas, ferry cancellations)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,500–3,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹3,000–6,000 excl. bed · High ₹6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Police 100
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Green coconut | ₹30–45 |
| South Indian vegetarian meal | ₹150–350 |
| Seafood main, mid-range restaurant | ₹400–900 |
| Auto-rickshaw, short hop in town | ₹20–40 |
| Ross Island return ferry | about ₹75 |
| Cellular Jail entry | ₹20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- IXZ · Veer Savarkar International Airport
- About 2 km from the centre; no scheduled night flights, the field is handed to the air force after 15:00.About 2 km from the centre; no scheduled night flights, the field is handed to the air force after 3:00 PM.About 1.2 mi from the centre; no scheduled night flights, the field is handed to the air force after 15:00.About 1.2 mi from the centre; no scheduled night flights, the field is handed to the air force after 3:00 PM.
Typical fares
- Airport → Aberdeen Bazaar, auto
- about ₹30
- Aberdeen Bazaar → Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex
- about ₹10
- Ross Island return ferry
- about ₹75, 15 min
Get around
Auto-rickshaws are the default: short hops in town run ₹20–40, airport to Aberdeen about ₹30. Agree the fare first or name your stop and climb in. Local buses are very cheap but routes are hard to read. Private cars with driver are the easy option for a day of South Andaman sightseeing. Walking works in Aberdeen but the hills are steep and look alike.
See and do
Known for
- Cellular Jail and its light-and-sound show
- Ross Island day trip
- Ferry hub for Havelock and Neil
- Aberdeen Bazaar and seafood
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ross Island | Ferry from Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, about 15 min | About 1 h each way with boarding |
| Wandoor and Jolly Buoy | Road about 30 km, then the single morning ferry to Jolly BuoyRoad about 19 mi, then the single morning ferry to Jolly Buoy | 2–2.5 h |
| Baratang Island | Bus or car via the Andaman Trunk Road, convoy through the tribal reserve | About 2.5 h |
| Rangat | Bus from the STS terminal, about 6 h | About 6 h |
| Diglipur | Bus about 8 h, or the ferry when it runs | About 8 h |
Sleep
- Aberdeen Bazaar
- Clock tower, restaurants, shops and the bus stand; walkable, best for a short stay.
- Marine Hill
- Quiet, near the jetty and Aberdeen; good for early ferries.
- Phoenix Bay
- Next to Phoenix Bay Jetty, where the Havelock and Neil ferries leave.
- Corbyn's Cove
- Resort strip 7–8 km south of town; taxi needed for everything.Resort strip 4.3–5 mi south of town; taxi needed for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | कितना है?kitna hai |
| That is too much | यह बहुत ज़्यादा हैyeh bahut zyada hai |
| Take me to Aberdeen Bazaar | मुझे एबरडीन बाज़ार ले चलिएmujhe Aberdeen Bazaar le chaliye |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavaad |
| Where is the ferry jetty? | फ़ेरी जेटी कहाँ है?ferry jetty kahan hai |
| Is this vegetarian? | क्या यह शाकाहारी है?kya yeh shakahari hai |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Agents push a three-island tour including Viper Island, which is a landfill; take the two-island North Bay plus Ross trip instead.
- Ferries to Havelock and Neil sell out in peak season (Dec–Jan): book on the official portal as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Currents at Corbyn's Cove are strong and part of the beach was lost in the 2004 tsunami: swim with care.
- The airport closes to civil traffic in the afternoon, so a delayed arrival can mean an overnight on the mainland.
- Auto-rickshaw drivers overcharge visitors who look unsure; say the destination and pay the local rate.
Port Blair is calm and safe for tourists by Indian big-city standards; the real risks are ferry cancellations in monsoon, strong currents at Corbyn's Cove, overcharging auto-rickshaws and boat-tour touts pushing Viper Island.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Port Blair yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cellular Jail and its light-and-sound show
- Ross Island day trip
- Ferry hub for Havelock and Neil
- Aberdeen Bazaar and seafood
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands Tourism: www.andamantourism.gov.in/
- Wikivoyage: Port Blair, revision 5316061 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5316061
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Port BlairSri Vijaya Puram
इस पते पर ले चलिए
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Port Blair; most countries are represented in New Delhi or Chennai.
The city was officially renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in 2024; both names are in use.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/port-blair). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.