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Places to Visit in Port Blair in February

Also known as Kala Pani, Cellular Jail is one of the unmissable tourist attractions located at Port Blair in Andaman. The three storied building has 698 cells that are connected to each other in the shape of a starfish. The place is famous for offering a fantastic sound and light show in the evening offering a delightful insight into the historical struggle for independence.

It is one of the remnants of past colonial rule in India and today stands as a testimony to all those brave hearts who laid down their lives at the hands of British atrocities. Some of the famous freedom fighters who were captured here include Veer Savarkar and Bakuteshwar Dutt.

The place was one of the most infamous prisons of the past as the freedom fighters were punished inhumanly by the Britishers. The place is a must visit for history lovers to have a sneak peek into the history and struggle that went down in the construction of this jail. The place is recognised as a national memorial monument and owned by the Government of India.

Highlights: Tourists should try to explore the jail by visiting the picture gallery that houses a number of photos of freedom fighters. Often used as background for filming Hindi movies about the colonial past, the place has many fascinating remnants of history like the hanging cell and condemned cell. Some of the other unmissable attractions of Cellular Jail included its Exhibition Gallery, Art Gallery, Old Photographs Gallery, Gallery on First War of Independence and Netaji Gallery. There is also the Swatantrya Jyoti, an eternal flame of freedom keeps glowing in the memory of freedom fighters

Activities: One of the popular activities to do here is sightseeing and revisiting the history of the grim colonial past Of India.

Distance from Port Blair: It takes around 15 kilometers to go there from Port Blair.

Timing: National Memorial: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Closed on Mondays)

Entry Fee: INR 30

Andaman Island’s tribes and their life stories are thoroughly displayed in the vast anthropological museum in Andaman. The museum exhibits the knowledge of four different and major tribes of Andaman named Jarawas, Sentinelese, Great Andamanese, and Onges and it is one of the popular places to visit in Port Blair. This museum was established with the aim of showcasing the cultural importance of the major tribes lived and continued to live here in Andaman.

Highlights: Jarawa chest guards that have geometrical figures embalmed on them are one of the most attractive items in the museum. It depicts the lifestyle of the simple Jarawa tribes. The gothic lifestyle followed by the Sentenelese tribes is portrayed by keeping a skull recovered from the place they lived.

Another important item is the different types of boats with different sizes that explain the life of coastal people and natives. 

Activities: Handicraft items made of coconut or palm leaves showcase the artistic culture prevailed among the tribal groups in the forests. Some clothing materials and apparels preserved in the museum tell us that there was no gender bias among the tribal people as both men and women were using the same type of dresses. The huge library inside the museum throws light upon the unknown facts and knowledge of tribes, the old natives and their life styles, the cultural transitions and livelihood followed by almost all the people on the island.

A collection of weapons and armors used in the ancient time depicts how important and fearful the maritime attacks and insurgence happened during the time and the way the tribes prepared to face them.

Timing: The museum is opened on all days from Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 am to 01:00 pm and from 01:30 pm to 04:30 pm.

Entry fee: Entry fee is INR 10 and for camera the fee is INR 20.

Distance from Port Blair: It is located at Pheonix Bay, which would need a drive of 7 kms or for 8 minutes from Port Blair.

One of the most prominent tourist places in Andaman, Mount Harriet National Park is a place which will leave you speechless with its natural beauty. There is an awesome collection of places here that are sure to offer you some fantastic memories of Andaman holiday. Located at the second highest peak of Andaman which is the Ferargunj Tehsil, it is a great spot to catch the sunrise and bask in the glorious views of Andaman Sea.

A nice getaway if you seek relaxation away from all the noise and chaos, Mount Harriet National Park should not be missed when you are there. The natural beauty will leave you in surprise as you watch birds chirping and the soft wind blowing against your face. November to May is the most ideal time to pay a visit here when you are planning a holiday to Andaman. The park has watch towers, children's park, deer park, guest house and tourist sheds offering you everything for your recreational holiday. There are also long nature trails where you can savour an adrenaline rush by indulging in trekking.

Highlights: The astonishing feature of visiting Mount Harriet National Park is to capture the breathtaking sunrise over the panoramic blue ocean waters. The place is famous for its rainforests and all the nature lovers are in for a treat when they visit here.

Activities: It offers many enthralling activities like trekking, hopping on nature trails between the Guest house complex and kala pathar viewpoint. Other famous trekking route in Mount Harriet National Park is from Madhuban Beach- one till Mannarghat (10 km long) and the other till Guest house (15km long)

Distance from Port Blair: It is at a distance of 48 km from Port Blair Bus Stand.

Timing: 7 AM to 5 PM

Entry Fee: INR 25 for Indian Adult, INR 10 for Child

Close to Port Blair, a superb, silent beach is Corbyn’s Cove Beach. The fringes of coconut leaves make the beach look adorable. The clear white sandy beach hearing lullabies from the azure water is a remarkable bed for complete relaxation. The shallow water does not support a lot of adventure activities. Still, Corbyn’s Cove Beach is a favourite beach for many due to the calmness and cherish-able time it can provide and it is one of the famous places to visit in Port Blair.

Famous for the underwater corals, North Bay Island located near the Pheonix Jetty of Port Blair is yet another favorite places to visit in Port Blair. Multiple clubs providing exhilarating scuba diving, snorkeling and sea walking at the island give it a special space in the hearts of adventure lovers. And because of this factor, North Bay Island is crowded all the time. 

If you wish to do a tour of North Bay Island, then you have to come at the Andaman Water Sports Complex where it starts from and the boats can accommodate up to 60 people and every boat will have a guide as well. The glass bottom boat ride to the island will give you a lot of chances to see the world of fish, typical sea flora and reefs inhabited underwater in harmony.

Highlights: Scuba diving and snorkeling are the most important activities available at the island and along with those, glass bottom ride is also has significant importance. The coral reefs and the marine animals make the underwater world enthralling.

Also, sea walk is considered to be a mind blowing activity and it opens up the doors to mingle with the colourful, rare species of sea. To do sea walking, you will be taken to the spot from the stationed sea walk paltoon and the experience of walking along the soft sea bed is memorable for a lifetime.

Activities: Sea walking and scuba diving in Andaman are considered to be the best adventure activities that can be done, as there are umpteen number of travelers do these activities regularly.

Distance from Port Blair: The island lies at a distance of about 42.4 kms from Port Blair and it would take around 1 hours and 30 minutes to reach there.

A great park that has been accepted well by international tourists and is one of the best places to visit in Port Blair. It is a distinct idea and execution in India to preserve the sensitive and endangered species of marine species is Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park in Andaman. It consists of 15 islands of mangrove creeks, rainforests, splendid coral reefs which have around 50 types and a huge collection of rare but colourful fish etc. 

This park came into existence in the year of 1983 under the solid Wildlife Protection Act of 1973 to keep the lives of marine animals safe and preserved as the underwater ecosystem was on the verge of destruction. The best time to visit the park is during the months from November to February and during monsoon, it remains closed.

Highlights: The park is comprised of two major island groups known as the Labyrinth Islands and Twin Islands which are situated about 16 km away from Port Blair to the south of it. This park boasts of the unimaginable size it spreads that is about 281.5 sq.km which have 17 small islands and the open sea creeks.

The fringing reefs are abundantly found in the park and that is one of the special reef species found on the island. Each island holds different type of vegetation. Tarmugli is the highest island in the park that displays the vast area of mangrove vegetation, sand covered beaches, sheet rocks etc.

Activities: One can get knowledge of marine species after visiting national park.

Distance from Port Blair: The park is located in Wandoor which is lying about 29 kms away from Port Blair. There are ferry services every 30 minutes from Port Blair boat jetty. The park is easily accessible via road as well.

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: Sightseeing

Distance 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