The hilly city of Port Blair, also known as Emerald Islands, is on the east coast of South Andaman Island, and is reachable from Kolkata, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam. Named after Lieutenant Archibald Blair who tried to establish a colony here in 1789, this exquisite island was previously associated with British colonial rule and the Independence struggle. The infamous Cellular Jail is located on the Ross Island. Port Blair was also headquarters of Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army.

The islands are a treasure house of marine life that thrives in the deep waters of the Bay of Bengal. Port Blair was made popular by the Hawaii-born musician, filmmaker, and surfer Jack Johnson's song Holes to Heaven that describes his surf trip here.

Port Blair is connected to Chennai and Kolkata by air.

There is a regular passenger ship service from Port Blair to Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam (less frequent than to the other two cities). The journey takes about 50 to 60 hours (three days).

The voyage takes about three days and the ship normally berth at Port Blair for about two days.

There is a fascinating mix of natural and man-made sights to explore. Gandhi Park at Port Blair is an amusement park for children with water sport facilities. The Cellular Jail at Ross Island is a national memorial, and has a Sound and Light show on the freedom struggle.

Among the museums are the Anthropological Museum, Forest Museum, Fisheries Museum, Zoological Survey of India Museum, and the Naval Marine Museum Samudrika with its display of corals, fishes, etc. The Chatham Saw Mill one of the oldest mills in Asia is a historical site.

Corbyn's Cove (7kms), Ross Island, North Bay at the foothills of Mount Harriet, and Chidiyatapu (26kms) at the southern-most tip of South Andaman, are nature lovers delights.

Outside Port Blair there are many islands and beaches such as Karmatang Beach (12kms), Havelock Island (54 kms), Rangat Island (170 kms), Cutbert Bay beach, a turtle nesting ground, Avis Islands, and Mayabunder (70 kms).

Little Andaman (120 kms) has exquisite waterfalls, dense evergreen rain forests, and a lovely beach to savor.  

There is ample scope for water sports activities like snorkelling (especially around the volcanic Cinque Island), scuba diving (Snake Island), fishing, harbour cruises (Chatham Island, Viper Island, etc).

You can see magnificent underwater views of coral and marine life at the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, or go trekking at Mount Harriet (55kms by road /15kms by ferry).