Port Blair, India - 1 of 2

Port Blair is an island and the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. Yes, it is India but a union territory seems to mean they have their own rules as there was much paperwork to get visas and get off the ship. Sadly this meant that some that had previously got off in India could not get off here at all. We were welcomed by being sprinkled with marigolds, fragrant water, and receiving “dots” on our foreheads (bindi).

There are 572 islands here and 38 are inhabited. The area is known for Padauk wood, 2200 plant varieties, 58 mammals, 242 birds, 93 reptiles and 750 varieties of fish. With a history that goes back to the Andamenese over 2,000 years ago, there was established a penal colony here in 1789, in 1824 it was a place for the fleet in the First Anglo-Burmese War, then another penal colony in 1864 and finally between 1896 and 1906 the Cellular Prison was built here for political prisoners to be put in solitary confinement. In 1942 during WWII the Japanese occupied the islands and finally the British returned in 1945. What a messy background to a place that is now in recovery mode with a lot of activity and growth on the way.

We first visited Port Blair’s naval museum as it is a major base for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard to see examples of sea life in the area, the fish and the shells and coral. We also toured the Zonal Anthropological Museum, with their collection of tribal artifacts about the four main tribes. No photos in either museum.Read more