Port Blair

Photo: Jomesh / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Weather Now

Port Blair

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Ironic Truth

November to April is the only reliable Andaman operating window — monsoon shuts ferries and reduces island access.

Inter-island ferry availability is the binding constraint, not flight load. Once SW monsoon kicks in by mid-May, Havelock and Neil ferries are routinely cancelled day-of.

10%

Peak

Dec · Jan · Apr

Christmas/NYE + winter break + post-board-exam summer family travel — book Havelock hotels 60+ days out.

Shoulder

Feb · Mar · Oct · Nov

Best balance: ferries running, weather stable, prices 20–30% below peak. Sell to honeymoon and small-group travel.

Off-Peak

May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep

SW monsoon — Makruzz/Nautika often cancel day-of, scuba operators shut, beaches red-flagged. Avoid.

Actually. Port Blair itself stays accessible year-round (flights run), but if Havelock/Neil are on the itinerary, build in a 2-day weather buffer at PB between May and September.

Weather Profile

Port Blair

Tropical maritime — hot and humid year-round with two monsoons (SW May–Sep, NE Nov–Dec). Cyclone risk in transitions.

Daily range (high → low)

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23°

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32°

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32°

25°

30°

25°

29°

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29°

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29°

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29°

23°

Best comfort

Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr

Wettest stretch

May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep

Hottest stretch

Apr · May

Tip. Humidity stays above 75% year-round — pack linen, not synthetics, and budget for laundry every 3 days.

Arrival

Arriving IXZ

Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair

Airport to hotel

Aberdeen Bazaar / Cellular Jail area10–15 min by prepaid taxi (≈4 km, ₹200–300)

Marina Park / Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex12–18 min (≈5 km, ₹250–350)

Corbyn's Cove resorts15–20 min (≈7 km, ₹350–450)

Haddo Wharf (for Havelock/Neil ferries)15–25 min (≈6 km, ₹300–400) — different from Phoenix Bay jetty

Phoenix Bay jetty (for Ross Island/Bambooflat)10–15 min (≈4 km, ₹200–300)

Local movement

Prepaid taxi counterInside arrivals at IXZ — fixed rates posted. No Uber/Ola on the Andamans.

Private taxi / day rate₹2,500–3,500 for 80 km / 8 hours including fuel — covers Cellular Jail + Chatham + Corbyn's Cove + Anthropological Museum

Scooter rental₹500–800/day with deposit. Requires valid driving licence. Useful for Port Blair only — not allowed on ferries to outer islands.

SIM and connectivity

BSNLThe only carrier with usable coverage on outer islands. Buy a prepaid SIM at the BSNL counter in IXZ arrivals — bring a printed photo + Aadhaar/passport.

Jio / AirtelWork in Port Blair town but degrade fast outside it. Don't rely on roaming for ferry-day connectivity.

Wi-Fi realityHotel Wi-Fi in Port Blair is generally 5–10 Mbps; Havelock and Neil are often offline after 22:00.

Tourist emergencyPolice 100, Ambulance 102, Fire 101, Coast Guard 1554, General 112

Budget

Delhi NCR (metro avg) vs Port Blair

Your money goes ≈ 1.3–1.5× Delhi for groceries and transport — every consumable is shipped from Chennai or Kolkata further

Delhi NCR (metro avg)

Port Blair

Local meal (Tamil/Bengali thali)

₹250

₹220

-12%

Mid-range dinner for 2 (seafood)

₹1,800

₹2,400

+33%

Taxi / 5 km

₹180

₹280

+56%

Bottled water 1L (imported supply)

₹20

₹40

+100%

Mid-range hotel / night (3-star)

₹3,800

₹5,500

+45%

Inter-island ferry (Makruzz one-way)

—

₹1,400–2,400

Daily budget: ₹4,500–8,000 / pp comfortable (excl. ferry/scuba) — supply-driven premium on water, dairy and vegetables

Local currency: INR (₹). No exchange needed.

Events

Festival Radar

Andaman & Nicobar Islands — This year

26 January 2026

Republic Day flag-hoisting at Cellular Jail

medium

The Lieutenant Governor's annual flag-hoisting at Cellular Jail's main tower at 09:00, followed by a ceremonial parade on Marina Park. The Cellular Jail compound waives entry fees for the day.

Aberdeen Bazaar and the seafront are closed to traffic 07:00–11:00 — walk in from your hotel.

23 January 2026

Subhash Mela (Netaji Landing Anniversary)

medium

Marks the 1943 anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisting the first Indian tricolour on liberated soil at Ross Island. Cultural performances, naval band, lamp ceremony at Netaji Stadium and a guided morning ferry to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep (Ross Island).

Ross Island ferry slots fill — book the 08:30 government ferry the day before.

5–14 January 2026 (10 days)

Island Tourism Festival

high

The flagship Andaman cultural festival held at the Andaman Public Works Department's Exhibition Ground and Megapode Resort — Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Nicobarese and tribal-influenced dance, regional food stalls, water sports demonstrations and a craft mela.

Hotels in Port Blair sell out for the opening weekend; aim for arrival 6 Jan or after 12 Jan.

Late February 2026 (3 days, dates announced 4–6 weeks ahead)

Beach Festival, Corbyn's Cove

low

Tourism-board-run beach carnival at Corbyn's Cove — sand sculpture competitions, kayaking and parasailing demos, evening live music. Family-friendly and the easiest local festival to drop into.

Late July 2026

Monsoon Festival (Varsha Utsav)

low

Counter-seasonal festival at Cellular Jail and Marina Park promoting low-season tourism — heritage walks, sound-and-light show in Hindi and English nightly, food trails through Aberdeen Bazaar.

Plan flexibly — ferries to Havelock/Neil may still be cancelled day-of due to weather.

Culture

India (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) Etiquette

Carry a printed ID at all times — defence-area checkpoints around the harbour and Chatham still ID-check visitors.

Remove shoes before entering the Cellular Jail martyrs' shrine and the Anthropological Museum's tribal gallery.

Photograph the sound-and-light show at Cellular Jail without flash; pre-book the 18:00 English-language slot.

Respect the indigenous-area rules — no photos, no interaction, and never approach the Jarawa Tribal Reserve along the Andaman Trunk Road.

Carry cash for ferry counters, taxi unions and small eateries — UPI works in malls but is patchy at jetties.

Don't

Do not photograph naval installations, the harbour, or anywhere around INS Jarawa or the airport approach.

Do not attempt to visit North Sentinel Island or any restricted tribal reserve — entry is a criminal offence under the ANPATR Act.

Do not litter on beaches or in mangroves — single-use plastics are restricted on the islands and fines apply.

Do not bargain at the government-run Sagarika emporium or at jetty ferry counters — prices are fixed.

Tipping Guide

Restaurant (no service charge)5–10% or ₹50–100

Hotel porter₹30–50 per bag

Private taxi (full day)₹200–300

Boat/jetty hand for luggage₹20–50 per piece

Scuba/snorkel guide₹200–500 per session

Housekeeping (per night)₹50 per night

Key Phrase

Namaste / Kemon achhen

Hello (Hindi) / How are you (Bengali — widely spoken among Andaman settlers)

Crowd Intel

Cellular Jail (Kala Pani) — main tower & cells

LIVE

0/10

Quiet

~Sound-and-light show queues 30–45 min at the 18:00 English slot in Dec–Jan; arrive 17:15 to claim a centre row. wait

Today's Forecast

09:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

14:00

15:00

16:00

17:30

19:00

Best window: 09:00 – 10:30

Updated 2026-05-13T08:00:00Z

Photography

Golden Hour Today

Port Blair (May)

05:00

17:35

Sunrise

05:00

Golden: 05:00 – 05:45

Sunset

17:35

Golden: 16:50 – 17:35

Sky quality

76/100

Nearby Photo Spots

Corbyn's Cove Beach7 km · east-facing sunrise

Cellular Jail backlight from Marina Park1 km · west-facing sunset

Mount Harriet (Mount Manipur) summit55 km road · panoramic harbour view

Chidiya Tapu (Bird Island)28 km south · west-facing sunset

Ross Island jetty looking back at PB2 km offshore · skyline sunset

Hidden Gem

GEM 78Rarity Score

Chatham Saw Mill & Forest Museum

“Asia's oldest working saw mill (est. 1883) on its own bridge-connected island — still cutting padauk and gurjan logs.”

Built by the British penal administration to process Andaman hardwood, Chatham was bombed by Japanese aircraft in 1942 (the bomb crater is preserved). A working tour shows the original steam-era machinery alongside the on-site Forest Museum of indigenous timber species.

Locals Say

“Visit on a weekday before 11:30 to see the actual sawing in action — Saturdays the mill is shut and the bridge is the only thing left to walk across.”

North · 8 km from Aberdeen Bazaar away

Best: Mon–Fri 08:30–11:30

Hidden Gem

GEM 82Rarity Score

Mount Harriet sunset viewpoint (Mount Manipur)

“The view printed on the old ₹20 note — over Ross Island and the harbour, from Andaman's third-highest peak.”

Renamed Mount Manipur in 2021 after the Manipur regiment that captured it from the Japanese in 1945, the 365 m summit sits inside a national park reachable by a 15 km road from Bambooflat jetty. The eastward view from the summit is the one printed on the pre-2018 ₹20 banknote.

Locals Say

“Take the 14:00 Bambooflat ferry from Phoenix Bay (₹4 each way, 15 min), then a shared taxi up — far cheaper than booking a Port Blair cab for the whole loop.”

East · 55 km road / 15 min ferry from Phoenix Bay away

Best: 16:00–17:30 for sunset over the harbour

Hidden Gem

GEM 70Rarity Score

Anthropological Museum, Phoenix Bay

“The only public window into the Jarawa, Onge, Great Andamanese and Sentinelese cultures — small, sobering and quiet.”

Government-run museum near the Phoenix Bay jetty with photographic archives, recreated huts and ceremonial objects from the four surviving indigenous Andamanese groups. Curators are happy to answer questions about why direct contact is banned and what 'human safari' tourism looks like in practice.

Locals Say

“Plan 90 minutes minimum and avoid Mondays (closed). The first-floor Sentinelese gallery is the only public photographic record many travellers will ever see.”

Central · 1 km from Aberdeen Bazaar away

Best: Tue–Sun 09:00–13:00 and 13:30–16:30

Hidden Gem

GEM 65Rarity Score

Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep) ruins

“The British administrative capital of the Andamans, abandoned after the 1941 earthquake and the Japanese occupation — now a ruin half-eaten by banyan roots.”

A 20-minute ferry from Aberdeen jetty leads to the ghost capital: the Chief Commissioner's house, the bakery, the printing press, the Anglican church and the bazaar — all reclaimed by strangler figs after a 1941 earthquake and Japanese WWII occupation forced abandonment. Renamed in 2018 for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who hoisted the Indian flag here in 1943.

Locals Say

“Take the 08:30 government ferry (₹100 RT) before the cruise-ship crowds arrive at 11:00; carry water — there's no cafe on the island.”

East · 2 km offshore from Aberdeen jetty away

Best: 08:30–11:00

Flight Connectivity

India → Andamans (IXZ)

Direct from MAA, CCU, BLR and BOM. Delhi is 1-stop via Chennai or Bengaluru. Veer Savarkar International is the only airport in the Andamans.

Delhi

Mumbai

Bengaluru

Chennai

Kolkata

Port Blairfrom Delhi5h 30m (1-stop via MAA/BLR)

IndiGo

Air India

Air India Express

SpiceJet

Vistara

Akasa Air

Fare Intel

DEL → IXZ

₹18500now

Now

Wait82% confidence

DEL→IXZ pricing inverts the normal curve — fares drop sharply into the May–Sep monsoon shoulder and rebound to ₹15–22k in the Dec–Jan peak. Hold off booking unless travel is fixed before mid-October.

Safety

Port Blair

8/10

Emergency

General emergency112

Police100

Ambulance102

Fire101

Coast Guard1554

Tourist Helpline (A&N)1363

Hospital: G.B. Pant Hospital, Atlanta Point, Port Blair — +91 3192 233 224 (the only tertiary hospital on the islands; air-evacuation to Chennai for complex cases)

Embassy: No foreign consulates on the islands; nearest are in Chennai. Indian nationals only — domestic ID rules apply.

Eco Impact

1200kg CO₂

Trip Carbon Impact

≈ 1.7 years of an average Indian household's electricity consumption

Breakdown

Domestic flight DEL↔IXZ (1-stop, economy)

850 kg

Inter-island ferries (PB↔Havelock↔Neil↔PB)

75 kg

Hotels (6 nights, mid-range)

90 kg

Local transport (taxi + scooter)

45 kg

Food (incl. mainland-shipped produce)

110 kg

Activities (scuba, glass-bottom boats)

30 kg

Greener Alternatives

Fly direct from MAA/CCU instead of 1-stop DEL routingsaves 25%

Choose Makruzz / Nautika (catamarans) over private speedboatsaves 8%

Pick a Travel Life / EarthCheck-rated resort on Havelocksaves 5%

Eat at local fish co-op restaurants (no air-freighted meat)saves 6%

Offset for ≈ ₹1,440 per traveller (Gold Standard / atmosfair, ~₹1.20 per kg CO₂)