Samudrika Marine Museum, Port Blair

One of the most beautiful and famous beaches in Andaman, Wandoor Beach is located to the east of Port Blair. Because of the presence of colourful corals on the beach, tourists find it attractive and catchy. Besides, the large thickets in the surrounding give the beach an amalgamated charm. Tourists select Wandoor Beach to simply relax by looking at the crystal clear water and the blushing white sandy stretch on the shore.

A major island in Andaman, Viper Island got its name from the vessel H.M.S. Viper which was met with an accident and the ruins of the vessel were found near the island. Before the Cellular Jail was built, the jail at Viper Island was the place where the British inflicted the dark form of torture to those freedom fighters of India.The tranquilizing island is a favourite tourist destination in Andaman and Nicobar now. The aching beauty of nature along with the historically significant attractions has made the island a throbbing tourist attraction. There is also another saying that the island got its name from the presence of numerous Viper and similar snakes on the island.Highlights: Anyone who loves to visit the island would make it mandatory to take a tour of the old jail. A boat journey to the island will enable one to see the ports and Navy ships of Port Blair. Also, the exotic sights of seven points from the harbor are overwhelming.Activities: Boating is the favourite activity done by the tourists coming to Viper Island and strolling along the long beaches would satiate your passion for spending time at a relaxed pace.Distance from Port Blair: Viper Island lies 4 kms west of Port Blair and ferries are always available from city of Port Blair to reach the island.

One of the famous religious places to see in Andaman, Sri Vetrimalai Murugan Temple is located in Port Blair. Attracting a dozen of devotees, this temple is a must visit during the festival season which are celebrated here. The temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan and offers a tranquil respite from usual tourist places to visit in Andaman. There are also other shrines dedicated to other Gods and Goddesses like Ganapathi, Lord Shiva and Parvati at the temple reflecting the strong cultural and religious diversity of the country.Built in 1926, the temple has many Tamil visitors and celebrates important festivals like Kanda Shashti and Panguni Uthram. It is maintained by by Sri Vetrimalai Murugan, a Tamil businessman and is one of the quintessential places to see in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on your vacation. The temple is built in Dravidian style with many familiarities to Kanda Kottam temple of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and showcases many intricate paintings inside the gopuram.Highlights: One of the striking features of visiting this temple is to celebrate some famous festivals like Kanda Shashti, Thai Poosam, Panguni Uthram etc. This is when it sees a great influx of devotees and charity works are undertaken at the temple to feed more than 40000 people.Another highlight of this temple is its Dravidian architectural style which is one of the reasons for its shine even after so many years of standing. There are also many intricate paintings that add to the heritage value of the temple.Activities: SightseeingDistance from Port Blair: The temple is located at a distance of 6 km from the main city.Timing: 5:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

The Indian Navy is guarding the famous Samudrika Marine Museum which exhibits the richest collection of Andaman’s animal and floral lives and it is one of the best places to visit in Port Blair. The rare species of fish, other animals, plants, corals etc are preserved well over here and there is a small aquarium also. Rather, the different attraction on the island is this museum if you are completed visiting the beaches and the relishing islands.A lot of tourists have recognized this museum as a perfect representation of what the island can offer to surprise the visitors but in a miniature form. The museum located just opposite to Andaman Teal House is occupied with five sections displaying the history of the islands, the geographical features, about the people and their lifestyles, the less explored archaeological information and of course the marine life.The museum is established with the idea of creating awareness among people on various aspects regarding oceanic life and the importance of preserving this sensitive ecosystem well for a balanced future of human beings.Highlights: Outside the museum, there is a skeleton of a blue whale preserved and it is a marvellous sight to look at. The first room shows facts like volcanoes, tribes, different types of woods, insects etc. The second room is displaying the reverberating underwater beauties through an aquarium.Coral Reefs have an entire room that is the third room. Seashells in abundance have persevered in the fourth room and you will be surprised to the tremendous collection. Last but not least is the fifth room that is dedicated to the tribes of Andaman, the butterflies’ and the insects’ specimens as well.Timing: The museum is open on all days from Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 am to 01:00 pm and from 02:00 pm t0 05:00 pm.Entry fee: For adult: INR 50 and for child: INR 25. If you wish to take camera or video to the inside, you will have to pay INR 20 and INR 50 respectively.Distance from Port Blair: The museum is situated in Port Blair itself, walkable distance only.Experience the best of the place in our Port Blair tour packages.

Close to Port Blair is the beautiful island of Rutland, which used to be the home for Jangil, an indigenous Andaman tribe. The Jangil groups were found in the major interiors of the island. The lighthouse situated on the slopes of the hill on the north of the island is about 2 km. A part of Rutland Archipelago and is located across the Macpherson Strait. Duncan Passage separates Little Andaman from Rutland Island and from North Clinique Island by the presence of Manner Strait. There are two major peaks, Mount Ford which is 433 meters high and mount Mayo, 227 meters high, located in the North and South parts of the island respectively.Highlights: The major villages on the island are Rutland Villages, R M Point Village, Bamboo Nallaha, Kichad Nallaha, Bada Khari and Dani Nallah or east jetty. This island houses 119 households which have 347 inhabitants who speak Hindi, Bengali and Tamil. Cultivation is an identified livelihood activity on the island. Around 53 hectares of land is cultivated and 237 cattle heads and 157 goats are found on the island. The rich marine life appear on the island is yet another attraction. Both the smaller fish species and coral reefs are the prime attractions. Though there are a number of hills, the island offers the beautiful section of open jungle and bushes. The government has decided to open an underwater pipeline across Mac Pherson Strait to bring water from Rutland to Port Blair and from R. M Point to Phongibalu is South Andaman.Activities: Tourists are really fond of Rutland because it is an ideal base for divers to get training in open water diving. The major tourist spots here are Jahaji Beach, Bada Balu, Photo Nallah and Dani Nallah which are offering the best space to just relax and have fun. The vast beaches are giving the tourists a lot of opportunities to do swimming and snorkeling along the stretched coral reefs.Distance from Port Blair: From Port Blair, Rutland Island is located at a distance of 20 km and you can take a boat from Port Blair to reach the island.

The most unique feature of Andaman is the distinct vegetation the island supports. Rubber is one of the most significant cultivation the natives on Andaman Islands are so happy about. A place near Wandoor has the largest areas of rubber trees planted and those who would like to do something different and unique on the island can choose a visit to this large plantation. The entry to the plantation will itself give you a clear picture of the interiors. Thousands of golden colour rubber sheets and the collecting jars fitted on each tree are together exhibiting a mesmerizing view of the large areas. A total of 931 hectares of rubber plantations are found on the islands as a whole.Highlights: You will be able to watch the processes of taking the rubber milk and placing the coconut shells on each tree and other important procedures before producing the final rubber sheet. Manglutan is the largest producer of rubber in the region, located very close to Port Blair. This was established in the year of 1960 and now the plantation is a 60 acre wide production centre of quality rubber.Manglutan village is the prominent rubber plantation space in Andaman and this village has a school, a hospital, a police station and other major centres as well.Activities: One can indulge in rubber plantation activity here.Distance from Port Blair: Manglutan Rubber Plantation is located about 21 kms away from Port Blair, the south east part of the island. To reach the village, you can hire a cab or auto or bus from Port Blair.Want to experience camping in Andaman Islands? Here is the list of best Havelock camoing experience curated just for you.