Ferry, seaplane, or helicopter: getting from Port Blair to Havelock
The three ways to make the 60km crossing. In practice, ninety-five percent of travellers take the ferry. Here is when the other options make sense.
The three ways to get from Port Blair to Havelock are fast ferry, seaplane, and helicopter. In practice, ninety-five percent of travellers take the ferry. Here is when the other options make sense.
The fast ferry
Three operators run multiple daily sailings: Makruzz, Green Ocean, and Nautika. There is also Sealink, which is slightly cheaper. Travel time is ninety minutes to two hours depending on the boat and the sea conditions.
Departures: roughly 6:30am, 8:30am, 10:30am, 2pm, and 5pm from Port Blair's Phoenix Bay jetty. Return ferries from Havelock are at similar intervals.
Pricing (one way, December rates):
Economy class: ₹1,050 to ₹1,250. Plastic seats, indoor lounge, air-conditioned.
Premium or Royal class: ₹1,500 to ₹1,700. Reclining seats, more legroom, complimentary water and biscuits. Worth the upcharge.
Luxury or Imperial class: ₹2,000 to ₹2,500. Leather seating, snacks. Diminishing returns above premium, in our view.
Pros: cheap, frequent, reliable in calm weather, you can see the sea.
Cons: cancellations on rough days (June through September especially), motion sickness for some, queueing at the jetty an hour before departure.
The seaplane
Pawan Hans runs a six-seater seaplane on the Port Blair to Havelock route. Travel time is fifteen minutes door to door. Including check-in and arrival, allow forty-five minutes total.
Pricing: around ₹15,000 each way. So ₹30,000 round-trip for one person.
Departures: morning only, weather dependent. Only one or two sailings per day, and they cancel if the wind is over twenty knots or if the cloud base drops.
Pros: spectacular aerial views of the islands, fast, novelty, dry.
Cons: expensive, limited seats (book three weeks ahead minimum), weather-dependent, no big luggage.
Handles the ferry holds, the resort coordination, and the 24-hour WhatsApp during peak season. Has personally booked over 3,000 trips and knows every Phoenix Bay jetty staffer by name.
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