INDIALINE
Complete India Travel Guide

Attractions of Port Blair

Anthropological Museum

Tools, clothing, photographs and models of the aborigines of Andaman and Nicobars are on display at the Anthropological Museum at MG road.

The museum remains closed on Mondays and holidays.

Aquarium

The aquarium or fisheries museum, near the Andaman Water Sports Complex, exhibits more than 300 marine species peculiar to the islands and those found in the Indo-Pacific and the Bay of Bengal.

The aquarium is closed on Mondays and holidays.

Cellular Jail

Cellular Jail located in Port Blair was built by the British to jail the freedom fighters and other convicts brought to the island to serve their sentence. Construction of the building started in 1890 and took 18 years to complete. Individual cells were built in the jail for solitary confinement of the prisoners and thus it acquired the name 'cellular'.

The jail is now a memorial and a national museum. A moving sound and light show, narrating the saga of the freedom struggle is staged every day in the jail.

Chatham

A small island, connected to Port Blair by a bridge. It is famous for a sawmill, considered to be on of the oldest and the largest in Asia. The mill was built by the British in 1836, and today employs more than 2000 people. The island also has the second largest wharf in the Andamans.

Chidiya Tapu

Chidiya Tapu or Bird Island is a tiny village on the southern most tip of South Andaman, about 25km from Port Blair. Its lush green mangroves and sandy beaches make a picturesque site. The island also provides astounding views of other islands and submerged corals, especially at sunset. Some of the best snorkelling in the area is offered at an island, a couple of kilometers south of Chidiya Tapu.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park

The Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor comprises 15 islands, creeks and open sea spread across 280 sq. km. It includes mangrove creeks, tropical rain forests, more than 50 types of corals, and rare under-water marine life. Glass bottom boats and snorkels are available on hire to watch these colourful marine animals.

One can reach Wandoor by bus from Port Blair, 29 km away. It is a convenient base for visiting the near by Jolly Buoy, Red Skin and Cinque Islands.

Mount Harriet

Mount Harriet is 365 meters high and the highest peak in South Andamans. It is across an inlet north of Port Blair, about 55 km by road. The peak offers marvelous views from on top. A nature trail from here leads to Madhuban. Mt Harriet was the summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner during the British rule.

Sippighat Farm

A Government Research farm where research into spices such as cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut and pepper are conducted. The farm sprawls across 80 acres of land, 15 km from Port Blair, on the way to Wandoor.

Zsi Museum

Run by the Zoological Survey of India, the museum has on display a variety of sponges, corals, butterflies and centipedes, besides other animals. Situated near the Andaman Teal House, the museum also has a research library.

Samudrika (Naval Marine Museum)

The museum has on display shells, corals, and many species of fish, and historical and geographical information on these islands. It is run by the Indian Navy and is located near Teal House at Port Blair.