Port Blair serves as the capital and the largest city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Opting to stay in Port Blair for one night proved practical, especially considering our early morning flight the next day. Additionally, taking a ferry from Havelock or Neil Island on the same day as your flight can be quite risky due to potential uncertainties like storms or unforeseen cancellations.
City Center
Eager to extend our stay on beautiful Havelock, we did not book the latest ferry because of possible cancellation.we intentionally avoided booking the last ferry due to potential cancellations. After arriving in Port Blair after dark, we quikly took a rickshaw to our hotel, changed, and explored the city. While Port Blair is known for attractions such as the renowned colonial prison, our main aim was to experience the city itself.Unfortunately, the weather was unfavorable with heavy rainfall.
The unfavorable weather somewhat spoiled our Port Blair experience, we still managed to take a walk an explore the main streets on foot where numerous shops and restaurants were located. Port Blair was indeed larger than the city center of Havelock, with a variety of shops. The shops we explored had a wide range of items for sale, including clothing, paintings, kitchenware, and more. Toward the end of the street, there was a substantial market offering a diverse selection of vegetables and clothing.
After walking through the crowded street for a while, we decided to take a rickshaw and find a place to eat. Our choice led us to New Light House Restaurant, an open-air seafood spot on the second floor. The restaurant turned out to be quite satisfying, and it seemed to be a popular choice among foreigners, possibly due to its offering of a view, though somewhat limited. The amusing part of the situation was encountering a Spanish couple we had previously met at the bar at Silver Sands on Havelock – and they were at the same restaurant! The coincidence of sharing the exact time and place with someone from Europe whom we had already met on a different island made the situation quite funny, given the limited presence of non-Indian tourists in the area.
Hotel
The hotel stay in Port Blair was quite disappointing. Our room, inconveniently situated in the basement, was right next to the entrance to the dining hall where breakfast was served. Despite having read numerous positive reviews about this place, my personal experience was completely different. Initially, there was no comforter provided, only a fleece blanket. Upon calling the reception and requesting an alternative, I was informed that they didn’t have any other options available.
In response, I went upstairs and personally requested something to at least wrap the fleece blanket in. Fortunately, they were able to provide me with what I needed. Secondly, as mentioned earlier, the room’s location in the basement with just one tiny window was another drawback. Thirdly, as it was situated right next to the dining hall, we were unable to sleep starting from 5 am, given the staff’s extremely loud conversations while preparing for breakfast. I had never before encountered such a situation. Despite all these challenges, we managed to get some sleep and were prepared for the journey to the mainland of India the next day.
Overall, Port Blair differed significantly from the beautiful and quiet island of Havelock, just a short ferry ride away. The atmosphere was more chaotic, but my less favorable impression of the place might have been influenced by the consistently bad weather.
Anyah Mroz 