PORT BLAIR

GATEWAY TO THIS AQUATIC HEAVEN

This is where it starts and stops as far as your trip is concerned. You start here and you finish here. So it makes sense to take a good look around. I didn't the first time and was poorer for it; then I woke up and smelled 'the roses'. Do the same and you will enjoy this unusual melting-pot of a unique outpost in the middle of these azure blue waters.

GO LOOK AROUND

In and around the town is a maze of up-hill-and-down streets, lanes, alleyways and markets. Narrow & chaotic, horns consistently 'hooting' even though any form of transport rarely exceeds 30klms/hr , the old and decrepit trucks, tuk-tuks, ancient English cars & intricate forms of the bicycle are abundant. Pedestrians, sacred cows & goats all mingling together with the transport road system. No 'road-rage' here! Everybody appears to be going somewhere; fascinating in itself because there's nowhere to go..

The buildings generally are on an equal with the trucks, but somehow exhibiting artistic fervor with the use of materials and paints from a bygone era. Yet in this washing-machine of life, the locals maintain their shop interiors invariably of organization and cleanliness. Every time I now go into 'town' I discover something different. If you love taking pics, this place will satisfy a 'pic-fix'.

GO SHOPPING

Shopping for anything really Indian is easy, fun & hassle-free. Not a 'can't-get-rid-of' hawker to be found. Just locals buying at fixed retail prices so no annoying 'haggling'. Pop into a local pharmacy or a supermarket and all the prices are market by the government. The lady's Saree is an exquisite & flowing piece of femininity in a myriad of colours, fabrics and stunning designs at never to be seen elsewhere prices. Perfect gifts for the lady-in-charge or romantically welcomed for sure by the girlfriend.

WHERE TO STAY

Accommodation in Port Blair is very limited! Ranging from very basic 'digs' to a maximum 3 star. The English would call it 'cheap & cheerful', Australians 'outback', Americans be 'shocked' and most Europeans just don't worry and make the most of every day. Accommodation here is for sleeping - not indulging.

NIGHT TIME FUN

Entertainment. Meaning Bars, Niteclubs, Karaoke, Live Bands and entertaining ladies. Brace yourself. Not one of the above enjoyable options. Not even a place down 3 back alleys & off to the right. None. Which necessitates discussing restaurants. There a just a few, all offering unusual, tasty, fresh and inexpensive Indian delights. But don't expect to indulge your senses in any form of artistic ambiance. Just a polite Indian male waiter invariably sporting a bow tie. Nearly forgot. No serving of beer at the table without a lady in attendance (but there are none unless you bring BYO). Strange but true! But all is not lost as most of these dining venues have a miniscule bar attached where you can enjoy the wonderful is hardly important. You come to get out amongst the rawness of these yet unruined expanses of blue saltiness.

ENJOY

Don't forget to visit the infamous Cellular Jail; the striking monument to those who fought for this unique outpost. The Museum, animal and bird sanctuaries are worth a visit also.

The people of Port Blair are the vital ingredients of this diverse recipe. Super friendly, ever obliging and polite. No hungry beggars here, yet clearly not many are well-off. The crime rate is embarrassingly low and you never feel uncomfortable or threatened. Astonishingly all religions co-exist harmoniously to the extent that non-muslim may marry muslim and not convert and any intermix of any religion or belief is acceptable. The ever present holy cow is testament to just one who offer their blessing.

Your taxi driver is a vital tool in your armoury of enjoyment and he will honorably take care of your every need. We have a real gem; he nods his head incessantly (the unique Indian gesture), stutters as bad as his 1958 diesel taxi, is scrupulously honest and is ever at our side. Without Gurmeet (Gary) life would not quite be the same.

HOW TO GO

Getting to Port Blair is not so simple, but assuredly worth it. Plane or Boat. The boat option is thoroughly explained in my section "Your Boat" so here we shall just talk about air travel. As of writing (March 2008) the International flights have not yet begun into this thriving little airport which thankfully is not some 40-60 minutes from town like most places in the world, a modest 15 minutes at most and most security/boarding etc is kept to a minimum of annoyance. Flying in/out to the mainland is very well serviced by no less than 5 efficient Indian domestic carriers servicing Chennai, Delhi & Calcutta direct. The websites shown from a quick google search have all the schedules. Kingfisher Air is becoming increasingly aggressive with their prominence and we are told by local government officials that before long the much awaited Bangkok-Port Blair direct flights will become a reality.

BEFORE YOU GET THERE

Given that Bangkok is the hub of most easy travel into the region and that the likely scenario that the weary traveller will be forced to overnight at least once in the city for a well earned sleep, and rejuvenation in some pleasant way.

We certainly will avail ourselves of this minor inconvenience because after the long 1¼ hour flight from home in Phuket this pitstop is absolutely necessary before being at sea for about a week of non-stop fishing alone. We know that most anglers gather for exchanges of tales in Soi Cowboy or meet up at Club Eden before departure to India.