Our Andaman Honeymoon, Day One: Guwahati, a Durga Puja Night in Kolkata, and the Cellular Jail
Six months of comparing tour packages, refreshing flight prices, and reading one too many hotel reviews and suddenly it was real. Bags packed, boarding passes in hand, we were finally on our way to the Andaman Islands.If you caught the first part of this series, you already know how much planning went into this trip. This part is about the journey itself: Guwahati to Kolkata, an unplanned evening in the middle of Durga Puja, and our first morning in Port Blair.
Read : How We Planned Our Dream Honeymoon Trip to Andaman
Leaving Guwahati
Our flight out of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport was set for around 4:00 PM. I remember looking at my husband right before boarding and just grinning no words needed, we both knew what the other was thinking. Months of spreadsheets and price alerts had finally turned into an actual take off, and honestly, it didn't feel real until the wheels left the ground.
Our flight out of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport was set for around 4:00 PM. I remember looking at my husband right before boarding and just grinning no words needed, we both knew what the other was thinking. Months of spreadsheets and price alerts had finally turned into an actual take off, and honestly, it didn't feel real until the wheels left the ground.
A Lucky Stopover: Kolkata During Durga Puja
We touched down in Kolkata a little after 6:30 PM. Since our Port Blair flight wasn't until the next morning, we'd booked a hotel close to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport easily one of the smarter calls we made while planning. No last-minute traffic scramble, no rushing at 5 AM. Just a night to breathe before the real trip began.
And what a night to have it in Kolkata.
Anyone who's been to the city during Durga Puja knows it isn't really a festival it's more like the whole city switches into a different gear. Lights strung across every street, elaborate pandals on nearly every corner, music spilling out from loudspeakers, and the smell of fried street food following you everywhere. We only had a few hours before we needed to be back at the hotel, but there was no way we were skipping this.
So we went for a walk our first proper outing as a married couple, if you don't count the wedding chaos itself. We wandered through a couple of nearby pandals, took the obligatory photos, grabbed dinner from a street stall, and just soaked it in before heading back. Looking back now, that unplanned evening in Kolkata might be one of the memories we talk about the most. Sometimes the parts of the trip you didn't plan for turn out to be the ones that stick.
The Morning That Actually Felt Like a Honeymoon
The next morning had a completely different energy. We were up earlier than we needed to be, checked out, and got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Our flight to Port Blair was scheduled for 11:30 AM on 30th September 2025.Standing at the gate, it wasn't hard to spot who was headed to Andaman on vacation couples clearly on their honeymoon, families juggling too much hand luggage, groups of friends going over their itineraries out loud, kids glued to the windows watching the planes. The excitement in the air wasn't just ours; everyone waiting at that gate seemed to be feeling it too.
First Look at the Andaman Islands from the Air
The Kolkata to Port Blair flight takes roughly two and half hours, and for most of it there's nothing to see but clouds and open ocean. Then, somewhere near the end, someone a few rows up said, loud enough for half the cabin to hear, "Look the islands!"Within seconds, half the plane was leaning toward the windows. Small green islands ringed by water so clear it looked painted came into view one after another. I don't think a photo really does that moment justice it's one of those things you just have to see for yourself, the kind of view that makes an entire plane go quiet for a minute.
Landing in Port Blair
We landed safely at Veer Savarkar International Airport to cool air and a light drizzle honestly, perfect weather to arrive in. Before getting off the aircraft, the cabin crew reminded everyone that photography was strictly prohibited, as the airport also serves military operations. It's a rule every traveler should respect.
After collecting our bags, we headed to the arrival gate, where our tour coordinator from My Tour Guru was already waiting with a big smile. We'd booked our whole Andaman package through them, and having someone there right from the airport made the whole transition so much easier. A quick round of introductions, and we were off to lunch before officially starting the trip.
What Struck Us First About Andaman
Within an hour of landing, the difference was obvious. No honking, no traffic jams, no general chaos — just quiet roads, a lot of greenery, a light drizzle, and a strange sense of calm that settled over both of us almost immediately. It was exactly the kind of slow, peaceful start we'd pictured while planning this whole trip from our couch back in Guwahati.
First Stop: The Cellular Jail
We hadn't even made it to the hotel yet when our guide suggested a change of plan.
"If you're up for it, let's do the Cellular Jail now it shuts at 5 PM, and we can meet again for the Light and Sound Show tonight."
It felt like the right way to begin. Andaman isn't only about turquoise water and beaches it's also home to one of the most significant sites in India's history.
Walking Through Kala Pani
Stepping inside the Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani, shifted the mood almost instantly. The honeymoon excitement quieted down, replaced by something heavier a real sense of respect for what happened there.
Walking through the long corridors and the solitary confinement cells, it's hard not to think about what the freedom fighters imprisoned here actually went through. This isn't a stop you check off quickly. It's a reminder of what freedom actually cost, and it stayed with us long after we left.
Cellular Jail Entry Fee (2025)
- Indian nationals: around ₹30 per person
- Foreign nationals: around ₹100 per person
Prices can change, so it's worth confirming locally, but either way it's a small cost for how well-maintained and moving the site is. Give it at least an hour if you can.
The Light and Sound Show at Cellular Jail
Later that evening, we came back for the Light and Sound Show — one of Port Blair's most-visited experiences, and for good reason. It walks you through the jail's history using lighting, sound design, and narration, and hearing it while actually sitting inside that same complex hits differently than reading about it later would.Approximate ticket prices:
Adults: around ₹300
Children: around ₹150
Both the jail entry and the show were already covered in our My Tour Guru honeymoon package, so we didn't have to think about tickets at all just showed up.
A Few Tips From Our First Day
- A handful of things we learned first hand, in case you're planning something similar:
- If you have an overnight layover in Kolkata, book a hotel near the airport. It makes the next morning far less stressful.
- Traveling during Durga Puja? Set aside even two or three hours for the pandals. It's worth it.
- Ask for a window seat on the Kolkata–Port Blair leg the aerial view of the islands is genuinely one of a kind.
- Don't take photos inside Port Blair airport; it's a military restriction, not a suggestion.
- Pack a light rain jacket or a small umbrella the weather here shifts fast.
- Book with a tour operator that handles airport pickup and local logistics.
- If you land in the afternoon, make Cellular Jail your first stop rather than saving it for later.
Day one was barely over, and Andaman had already given us more than we bargained for a festival night in Kolkata we never planned on, and a history lesson that put the whole trip in perspective before we'd even reached our hotel. The beaches were still ahead of us.
