Travel Guide
Portblair travel guide
Gateway to Andamans where Cellular Jail echoes freedom struggle, island life begins, and pristine archipelago adventures await in turquoise waters.
Language
Hindi, Bengali, English
Currency
INR
Timezone
IST (UTC+5:30)
Best time
Oct-May
Budget/day
$50-100
When to visit
Jan
23 to 30°C
Feb
23 to 31°C
Mar
24 to 31°C
Apr
25 to 32°C
May
25 to 31°C
Jun
25 to 30°C
Jul
24 to 29°C
Aug
24 to 29°C
Sep
24 to 30°C
Oct
24 to 30°C
Nov
24 to 30°C
Dec
24 to 30°C
Safety
Low RiskSafe islands. Tribal areas restricted—respect boundaries.
Women travellers
Port Blair on South Andaman Island is the capital and main entry point. Safe for solo women. Aberdeen Bazaar and the main town areas are busy and manageable. Avoid isolated coastal stretches after dark. Ola/Uber not available — use auto-rickshaws (negotiate rate, no meters) or hotel-arranged transport. Ferry terminals are busy during peak hours.
Culture & etiquette
- + Cellular Jail Sound & Light show is moving history
- + Ross Island shows abandoned British headquarters
- + Inter-island permits needed for some islands
- + Book ferries to Havelock in advance
- - Don't photograph Jarawa tribal members on the Andaman Trunk Road — it is illegal and harmful to an uncontacted community
- - Don't buy coral or sea shells as souvenirs — both are protected and their sale is illegal
- - Don't attempt to approach restricted tribal reserves
- - Don't touch anyone's head
Food to try
Fresh seafood
The Andaman Islands' oceanic bounty—Red Snapper, Barracuda, Giant Trevally and Rock Lobster from the Andaman Sea, landed daily at Port Blair's Aberdeen Bazaar fish market; restaurants at Havelock Island char-grill fish on the beach within hours of catching
Lobster
India's least-known seafood luxury—the Andaman spiny lobster, Kerala red lobster and Lakshadweep rock lobster are available at source for a fraction of import prices; grilled simply at Havelock Island's beach shacks or cooked in coconut masala at Kovalam's restaurants
Coconut-based curry
The foundational South Indian and coastal curry base—fresh coconut milk extracted by pressing grated coconut creates a sweet, creamy base for fish, prawn, chicken and vegetable curries; the first press (thick) for finishing, second press (thin) for cooking; everywhere from Kerala to Goa to Karnataka
Bengali sweets
Kolkata's extraordinary mithai culture—rosogolla, mishti doi, sandesh (chena with flavoring), chum chum, rajbhog, lyangcha and jalebi; Bengal's sweet tradition considers each preparation a textural and flavor art requiring precise chena-moisture control
Fish tikka
Andaman-style marinated fish—fresh snapper or barracuda marinated in turmeric, ginger, garlic and chili, then grilled directly on charcoal; the clean saltwater-fresh fish absorbs the tandoori marinade extraordinarily; available at the beach shacks of Radhanagar and Elephant Beach
Hidden gems
Details are indicative and may change. Verify visa, safety, and entry requirements before travel.