Hotel Blair Port Blair

... you off and charge you way too much, especially in Chennai for some reason. He wanted us to know that not all Indians are like that and was offering us advice on how to cheaply get to the post office so we didn't leave India with a bad taste in our mouth. I thought it was really sweet of him to be so candid and look out for us. We ended up taking his advice when we got back from the Islands and rode the train all the way in to the Beach area. We arrived at the ...

... lined the road from the pier to the foot of the hill that the road would climb on it path into the town. We felt like seasoned seaman as we could smell the land and it was different from the smell of the sea. But as we closed the distance from the ship into town we realized that the smell was strong enough to not require the seasoned traveler to discern. We gradually climbed up the hill on the little bus that strained as it made the crest of the hill and began the downward section of ...

... of stings in the South of France as a young boy (I blame the parents). Clearly the jellies knew of my fear and decided to have a lot of sex with each other this year, the water was chokka with them. Johnnie, our divemaster was watching me making a fuss and laughed. "No sting" he says. And then he leapt off the side of the boat into the middle of the mass of jellies! I didn't trust him and spent about ten mins hesistantly poking jellies with my ...

... called Ocean Pearl and met Christian, an instructor there, who is Bavarian, "not German" (he wouldn't be the first person to make that distinction to us - what does that mean, do Bavarians not like to pee on each other or something?).   He and his brother Ollie had recently began running the shop and hardly had anyone on their board, so we signed up. I like boats with 3-5 people, not 8+, and it looked like we'd be rolling out with them solo some days.  Their rooms looked pretty ...

... of treading water with the last two minutes with your hands out of the water, and somehow I don't remember the last one :) I'm an excellent diver but I'm not a strong swimmer so wish me luck!! Next I'll be taking certified divers out and leading dives. I lead a couple dives the other day with students who just finished their beginner's course and I didn't lose anyone so I think I'll do fine ...

... friendly elephant. ELEPHANT LUMBERING AND TRAINING CAMP One can view the elephant lumbering activities inside the forest. Also there are camps where elephant calves are trained in lumbering activities. This can be seen with the help of ANIFPDCL. BOATING THROUGH THE CREEK Boating facility has been provided by ANIFPDCL in the creek near the Butler Bay beach resort. It helps one to ...

... Port Blair, is known for its pristine beaches, lush green rain forest and exotic marine life. The island has become a major tourist destination these days with many Indian & foreign nationals thronging in. Indian families mostly arrive by the morning ferry and depart by the evening with a 'must-see' visit to Radhanagar beach. Foreigners take to unwinding themselves by spending weeks at a stretch and imbibing in the slow paced life in the island. The authorities ...

... on to the large ferry, along with us. The next stop, a mud volcano, is about 15mts up front. We alight after this short ride and walk past a board on our left, towards the forest. A demarcated path, bordered on each side by wooden rails, leads us to a clearing in the woods to where the site appears to be. The last major eruption happened in March, 1983. Since then, a fissure had appeared here and begun simmering since February, 2003, with mud and ...

... of Indian freedom fighters were sentenced to Kalapani. Men and women alike found their way here, imprisoned in a building that is well into the island. The strict ferry departure schedule meant that we would have to restrict ourselves to the gallows. Built on a hillock just above the entrance - for good effect, evidently - this is where many freedom fighters, including Sher Ali, the bold Pathan who killed Lord Mayo, were hanged to death. As we head back ...

... meters and had only received half on both counts. This was brushed aside. I won't mention any more of the debacles we encountered under the 'supervision' of this unqualified individual. Suffice to say we didn't pay Andaman Adventure Sports a return visit.<br><br>At lunchtime we were deposited on a small island and given some plastic boxes filled with fried rice for lunch. Where's the water, asked the German. 'Oh, sorry, we forgot to pack it.' said the South African. I ...