Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are usually three to four sailings a month between Port Blair and Chennai (60 hours) and
Kolkata (64 hours), plus a monthly ferry to Vizag (56 hours). All ferries from the main-
land arrive at Haddo Jetty.
»
For Chennai you can book tickets through the
Andaman Shipping Office
( 25226873;
www.and.nic.in
;
2nd fl, Shipping Corporation of India, Jawahar Bldg, 17 Rajaji Salai, George Town;
9am-1pm &
2-3pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat)
»
Kolkata and Vizag are booked through
Shipping Corporation of India
(
in Kolkata 033-22484921,
in Vizag 0891-2565597;
www.shipindia.com
; 13 Strand Rd, Kolkata)
Take sailing times with a large grain of salt - travellers have reported sitting on the boat at
Kolkata harbour for up to 12 hours, or waiting to dock near Port Blair for several hours.
With hold-ups and variable weather and sea conditions, the trip can take 2½ to five days.
You can organise your return ticket at the ferry booking office (
Click here
)
at Phoenix
Bay. Bring two passport photos and a photocopy of your permit. Updated schedules and
fares can be found at
www.and.nic.in/newtourism
or
www.shipindia.com
.
Classes vary slightly between boats, but the cheapest is bunk (?2160), followed by 2nd
class B (?4280), 2nd class A (?5540), 1st class (?6320) and deluxe cabins (?7640). The
MV
Akbar
also has AC dorm berths (?3620). Higher-end tickets cost as much as, if not
more than, a plane ticket. If you go bunk, prepare for waking up to a chorus of men
'hwwaaaaching' and spitting, little privacy and toilets that tend to get…unpleasant after
three days at sea. That said, it's a good way to meet locals, and is one for proponents of
slow, adventure travel.
Food (tiffin for breakfast, thalis for lunch and dinner) costs around ?150/200 per day for
bunk/cabin class, though bring something (fruit in particular) to supplement your diet.
Some bedding is supplied, but if you're travelling bunk class bring a sleeping sheet. Many
travellers take a hammock to string up on deck.
There is no ferry between Port Blair and Thailand, but private yachts can get clearance.
You can't legally get from the Andamans to Myanmar (Burma) by sea, although we hear
it's been done by those with their own boat. Be aware you risk imprisonment or worse
from the Indian and Burmese navies if you give this a go.
FERRY CANCELLATIONS
Bad weather can seriously muck up your itinerary, with ferry services often cancelled if the sea is too rough.
Build in a few days' buffer to avoid being marooned and missing your flight.
