blair travel reviews

• Briar Travel – Best Bahamas Vacation Packages
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vacation packages for EVERYONE

We are able to give our travelers affordable and discounted vacation packages because we work directly with cruise lines, hotels, and resorts in the Bahamas.

Briar Travel

“the best bahamas vacation package”.

Are you looking for a superior trip with fantastic deals? For over 20 years, Briar Travel has been working with hotels, cruise ships, and travel partners to provide our travelers with unique discounts for their perfect Bahamas vacation.

Your dream is to have a perfect Bahamas experience. With our help, your dream vacation will soon become a reality! Providing inexpensive Bahamas cruise vacation packages is not just an addition to what we do—it is the only thing we do! We work to create the most comprehensive travel packages available. We keep up-to-date with all costs for cruise tickets, hotel rates, and tourism events. With every seasonal change, small or large, we pay close attention. We guide you to pick the right time of the year and days that offer the best enjoyment on your vacation in the Bahamas.

WE ONLY PARTNER WITH THE BEST!

Award-winning margaritaville at sea cruise line.

EVEN MORE WAYS TO

Love the bahamas.

Build your unique itinerary and experience the magic of the Bahamas. No matter how many passengers you have, everybody’s needs are fulfilled with your Bahamas travel package. Throughout your trip to the Bahamas, you and your traveling party are assigned to a travel agent who will provide helpful assistance. You choose dates and we will do everything possible to make sure your journey is smooth.

IT’S AMAZING!!!!

The best travel agency to book a Bahamas vacation with is Briar Travel! We had a lot of fun and were delighted by the quality of service we receive every part of the trip. From the booking, cruise, hotel, and activities, we had the best experience possible. Truly advise anyone searching for an easy and exceptional way to travel to the Bahamas is to use Briar Travel.

INCREDIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

We had a perfect time in the Bahamas. Everything was just simply amazing. It all started the second we booked through Briar Travel that paved a perfect path for us to get to the Bahamas. They do anything they can to make sure we are happy before and after we leave. Thank you Briar Travel, you are vacation angels!

5 – STAR EXPERIENCE

I am pleased to have had Briar Travel organize our entire trip to the Bahamas. We could not believe how easy the process was and how everything was just like our agent said it would be. Every question was answered, every detail was explained, and every expectation was met! Thank you for your amazing help in getting us to the Bahamas!

5 - STAR EXPERIENCE

"I need to let Easton Vacations know how grateful we are to have gone through this travel agency for our Bahamas trip. We had the best time and were overwhelmed with excitement on every part of our trip. Sending too much time in the sun is never enough in the Bahamas. I will be filling... " Continue Reading

“I need to let Easton Vacations know how grateful we are to have gone through this travel agency for our Bahamas trip. We had the best time and were overwhelmed with excitement on every part of our..." Continue Reading

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Cruise & stay packages.

Port of Palm Beach – Grand Bahama Island

An Easy & Fast Getaway

The start of your travel experience will be an evening cruise from Palm Beach Port to Grand Bahama Island. You can feel the high-end of a luxurious cruise while you are overseas. Every moment on a cruise ship you can enjoy the excellent service, elegant dining, and enjoyable entertainment packages.

INTRODUCING

Margaritaville at sea paradise.

Get ready to set sail aboard Margaritaville’s first-ever vessel, the Margaritaville At Sea Paradise ! This spacious cruise ship features 10 passenger decks, 658 cabins, and endless entertainment. Dine at one of the ship’s gourmet restaurants, or gather your friends for a good time at the 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar. Then get your game on at the casino or relax at the St. Somewhere Spa. No matter how you choose to cruise, the Margaritaville At Sea Paradise has something for everyone!

Margaritaville At Sea Paradise is your ticket to the beautiful Grand Bahama Island! Experience a taste of paradise on your way to your dream Bahamas vacation.

Popular Travel Packages

Viva wyndham fortuna beach, free vacation monthly drawing, cruise & stay special, taino beach resort & clubs, why choose us.

We know you have other travel options to book your perfect Bahamas vacation. Using a travel agency, you will NEVER pay more than what you discover online. We work directly with the properties as a wholesale option to get you remarkable choices and save you money.

WIDE VARIETY OF DESTINATIONS

With Briar Travel, you’ll find the perfect destination.

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

Our tens of thousands of clients recognized our high quality of service.

HANDPICKED HOTELS

We pick hotels with remarkable reputations and positive reviews.

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

Activities available, local restaurants, winning awards, a few of our center beliefs to consider to offer you, the experiences you’re searching for:, creating moments.

Having the ideal vacation experience includes spending valuable time with your fellow Bahamas travelers. We promise to plan your trip to be as perfect as possible.

EFFORTLESS EASE

We have your best interest in mind and will make the most of your hassle-free trip. You don’t need to worry—we have you covered!

Briar Travel is dedicated to offering you the best travel assistance. We will be with you during every step of the planning process.

The Cruise Line International Association has been around since 1975 and has a membership of over 14,000 travel agencies and 26 cruise lines. The CLIA represents over 97% of the cruises marketed in North America and is a premier resource for cruise information and verification. Briar Travel is a CLIA accredited company, dedicated to bringing you the best value in Bahamas travel.

OUR MISSION

Briar Travel is committed to providing the most amazing Bahamas Island experience to all our travelers. Our travel experts want to every traveler’s dream Bahamas vacation a reality. Our mission at Briar Travel is to ensure our clients and their loved ones will have a smooth, entertaining, memorable, and unforgettable Bahamas Vacation. Our continuing promise is to provide the best possible service and reliability. We can help address any questions you have about departures, transport, activities, and anything else you want to know. We are pleased to deliver a special vacation in the Bahamas and are more than delighted to be part of your forever Bahamas memories.

OUR APPROACH

Briar Travel promises to give its customers exceptional service, which makes us one of the best travel agents for Bahamas vacations. Our staff provides each client with a customized experience so you can make the most out of your Bahamas vacation at an affordable price. We believe it is important to fulfill the wishes of any Bahamas vacation seeker and create the perfect itinerary with all the unique cruise packages to satisfy every expectation. We pay careful attention to every change in the seasons small or large, and we will be your experts on when to experience the best of the Bahamas Island weather. If any prices change for cruise tickets, hotel rates, or events, we pledge to be up-to-date on all these changes.

HAVE QUESTIONS? DON’T HESITATE TO REACH OUT!

Briar Travel is devoted to excellent customer service. If you have any concerns or need extra support, you can in touch with us at your convenience. If you prefer to text us, we will text you back.

Briar Travel is celebrating 20+ years of maintaining remarkable customer experiences through travel. While traveling in the Caribbean, over 80,000 travelers have trusted Briar Travel to care for their needs, comfort, and safety.

GET IN TOUCH

(561) 424-7355.

© 2023 BY BRIAR TRAVEL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Blair Travel Group

Location & hours.

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Converse, TX 78109

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Blair Hoffpauir

Travel professional.

Introducing Blair, a dedicated travel professional with a passion for Disney.  As a Mother/Baby RN and loving mom to three young children, Blair understands the unique needs of families and brings a nurturing touch to trip planning.  Drawing from her own magical Disney experiences and genuine love for organizing and planning, Blair looks forward to crafting unforgettable moments for clients, sprinkled with pure Disney joy. 

Specializes in...

Disney destinations, universal studios, all inclusive, royal caribbean, behind the agent, hi, blair tell us a little bit about yourself.​, if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why​.

If I could travel anywhere, I would take a Disney cruise around the Mediterranean. I’ve always dreamed of seeing Greece from the coastline with the beautiful blue and white buildings!

Why did you become a travel planner?​

I am the Disney girl. It is so exciting to turn my obsession into a way of helping others. I love sitting down and thinking through the perfect Disney vacation. I want to make sure everyone has a such a special time and leaves feeling the magic after a well planned trip.

What is the most memorable trip you planned?

Our most memorable trip was our destination Disney wedding. It was only 20 people and so special. I was incredibly proud to be a dining pro and to get a 20 person reservation to Ohana, at the Polynesian resort, for our reception!

How would you describe your travel style?

My travel style is first all about the food. I have been known to plan my days around where I want my dining reservation. Second is strategy. I love to plan and use my time as wisely as possible. Third is Resort. A place to relax between the fun is such an important balance to me (and my tired husband).

What is your favorite place to eat when you visit the parks?

My favorite Disney restaurant would have to be Storybook Dining with Snow White. The atmosphere is delightful, and seeing the characters puts you right into a fairy tale. I love the unique menu options and variety to the courses. It is the full package.

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The charmingtravel co., © 2024 the charming travel co. llc. all rights reserved. as to disney artwork, logos, and properties: © disney | ships' registry: the bahamas | as to universal orlando resort artwork, logos, and properties: © nbc universal fl seller of travel ref. no. st42679..

• Home & Kitchen
• Kitchen & Dining
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• Insulated Beverage Containers
• Cups & Mugs

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Pinky Up Blair Travel Mugs, 16 oz, Garden

About this item

• INFUSE YOUR TEA ON THE GO - This travel infuser mug lets you bring and infuse loose leaf tea on your morning commute, your evening dog walk, your hair appointment, and wherever else you want to go.
• DOUBLE-WALLED INSULATED GLASS KEEPS CONTENTS HOT OR COLD LONGER - The slim, sleek design of the Blair travel infuser mug houses an inner glass chamber with double wall vacuum insulation. This keeps your tea hot while the exterior wall stays cool.
• HIGH-QUALITY BOROSILICATE GLASS CONSTRUCTION - The double-walled glass shows off your loose leaf tea in all of its colorful glory, making this a stylish tea accessory. A bamboo lid and stainless steel detachable infuser complete this useful mug.
• REMOVABLE STAINLESS STEEL LOOSE LEAF TEA INFUSER BASKET - Choose your tea, infuse, and easily clean up after with a removable tea basket that fits right into the top of the double-walled infuser. A silicone gasket keeps everything safely sealed.
• CUTE, GIFT READY PACKAGING - Looking for a gift for a tea lover who has it all? Let them take their hobby on the go with this infuser mug! Makes a perfect going-away to college gift, teacher appreciation gift, and more.

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From the brand

Pinky Up tea is about guilt-free indulgence — a way to enjoy great flavor without the calories. Do it in style with our line of on-trend tea time accessories.

The brand was created in 2016 in Seattle by a group of women who love tea and want high-quality ingredients packaged with fun, feminine flair.

From brewing, to serving, to sipping, Pinky Up has tea time nailed down.

Loose Leaf Tea & Sachets

Tea Accessories

What makes our products unique?

We use real, whole ingredients—like whole leaf tea, dried fruit and nut pieces, white chocolate shavings—for mouth-watering flavor and a delicious sipping experience. Guilt-free indulgence is just a mug away.

What problem are we solving?

Our dessert-inspired tea flavors are the perfect way to treat yourself without worrying about calories or sugar. We provide a fun, healthy alternative to a cinnamon bun or bowl of ice cream in the form of tea that tastes amazing and is good for you, too!

From the manufacturer

Product information

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Pinky UP Blair Travel Infuser Mug and Ice Tea

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Product description.

What you drink is as important as what you eat! Most beverages today are either loaded with too much sugar, or offer very little or no nutrients at all. With our Pinky Up Blair Travel Infuser mugs you take back control. Instead of buying herbal infused beverages all the time, brew your own healthy drinks whenever, wherever by using our tea infuser mugs. Pinky Up Blair Travel Mug and Infuser supports the environment and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the appearance of the drinking cup, mentioning it's very pretty. However, some customers have reported that the cup breaks easily and is fragile.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the drinking cup. They mention it's very pretty and nice.

"Loved it so much I ordered a second it’s super cute too" Read more

"It’s very pretty and works perfectly. It’s heavy because it’s well-made glass, so that’s both good and bad. Overall excellent." Read more

" Very nice . I love it!i" Read more

"...I love the Christmas lights design and an glad to be enjoying my tea on the go again." Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the durability of the drinking cup. They mention that it breaks easily, is fragile, and shatters into pieces. Some customers also say that the inside of the double wall smashed.

"...This one 3rd use, fell 18” off of a coffee table and shattered literally into 100’s of pieces ...." Read more

"...sitting on the floor next to my couch and my cat knocked it over, it shattered . Had it for like a week 😭 I’m not meant to have glass things I guess...." Read more

"...this 4 stars because, as other reviews have pointed out, it is pretty fragile ...." Read more

"...Each time if it even taps a surface - it completely SHATTERS into a ton of pieces . After the 3rd I’ve totally given up. Made me so sad...." Read more

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Reviews 1.4.

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BLAIR Grade is a D.

All clothing prices are inflated. You're not getting anything on sale. I bought two tee shirts which are very low quality. Plaid shirt also purchased is very thin material. Done.

Date of experience : September 29, 2019

Outrageous return fee not disclosed prior to purchase

Ordered a $16 vest that did not fit when it arrived. I had checked the return policy on the web site and no mention was made of a $9.99 return shipping charge. I called customer service to get return instructions when this return charge came to my attention. I could throw the vest away and only loose $6. Guess you can imagine that's what I'll choose to do! Never ever ever buy from this outfit!!!

Date of experience : November 14, 2019

Wake up Blair

Customer service is the absolutely the worst. Shipping is the worst Ordered pjs from them that was supposed to be delivered over a week ago. Now they said that I must wait another week. They never told me about the delay. Just did it without telling me!

Date of experience : May 24, 2023

Once again I am having problems with…

Once again I am having problems with this site. After losing my order (birthday present) and having to re-order- this place has billed me twice. Once for $26.96 and then for $19.97. I was assured that the first order (the lost one) was canceled. Oh no. They charged me almost $7.00 for shipping the throw to the twilight zone then charged me $19.97 again 15 days later. Unbelievable! I will tell everyone who doesn't run away from me how horrible this company is.

Date of experience : October 28, 2018

I WILL NEVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN

I WILL NEVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN. I ORDERED PRODUCT ON JUNE 16 AND NEEDED IT FOR A BIRTHDAY ON JUNE 25. ON JUNE 20TH I GET A NOTE THAT IT HAS BEEN SHIPPED VIA UPS. I CHECK THE UPS TRACKING INFO AND BASICALLY THEY PUT A SHIPPING LABEL ON IT AND NEVER EVEN DROPPED IT OFF AT THE SHIPPING FACILITY. ITS FRAUDULENT TO SAY IT HAS BEEN SHIPPED AND SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH THIS INFO WHEN IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN DROPPED OFF. UPS SHOULD STOP SAYING SOMETHING IS SHIPPED UNTIL IT IS AT THEIR FACILITY. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ARE CLOSED ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. WHAT ONLINE COMPANY CLOSES DURING THE WEEKEND? NEVER AGAIN...........

Date of experience : June 22, 2019

Shipping from this company used to take…

Shipping from this company used to take a week. It's been 3 weeks and the order is still not here. They really need to change the shipping method from DHL to some other company. Sadly, Blair is just not worth the aggravation.

Date of experience : March 07, 2023

I've been a Blair customer for years

So far, I've had a good experience with Blair. Perhaps because I stick with classic items that have worked very well over the years. I especially love their all-cotton cords.

Date of experience : January 09, 2022

I rarely write negative reviews but my…

I rarely write negative reviews but my dad asked me to order him a catalog. He is in assisted living and can’t call for himself. They would NOT send to his name because I was a woman!! WHAT THE HECK! I will sure never do business with this company

Date of experience : May 06, 2022

FRAUD ALERT!!! THIS COMPANY IS A RIP OFF!!

THIS COMPANY IS A RIP OFF!!! Not only did they not send my item. They agreed to refund all of my money only to start the negotiations of refunding my money again. It's been 4 months. I never received my item or my money. Reporting them to the federal trade commission and the BBB.

Date of experience : December 08, 2021

Total scam!

Ordered a riding lawn mower lift. Received email after email showing shipping and tracking. Finally received an oven mitt one month later. Total scam company. Don't waste your time.

Date of experience : August 26, 2021

Blair charges too much for postage

Blair charges too much for postage. They tell you postage is free but if you have to return an item you will be paying at the very least $9.99 or more. Plus, if you are ordering a cotton knit dress and also order a shrug/jacket to match it, IT WILL NOT MATCH IN COLOR! and the two items are OVERPRICED! BLAIR is not a consumer friendly company......

Date of experience : November 09, 2018

All clothing

I have bought a lot of clothing from Blair Co. and never been disappointed.Their clothes are true to size and are very good quality..never been disappointed-with anything from Blair.

Date of experience : March 24, 2019

I rarely ever post a negative review

I rarely ever post a negative review. I believe as long as Customer Support is of excellent quality if needed, that shows a Company cares about their Customers. A must to post a comment here. Was very happy with my account and ordered quite often. Great prices and never unhappy with product. Got a notice from them about my Credit line was being decreased. Had account for 3 years with payments on time every month. Line of credit paid in full multiple times during as well. Did fall behind, where score did lower, but no late payments to my Blair Credit. On time, with a notice lowering by $100 due to checking my Credit Report, that was not authorized. Still making on time payments for months, letter again received, lowering again. Score increasing, still lower my credit available. Needless to say, advised them to close my account. With one more payment, its again Paid in Full. And it doesn't matter to them, that they lost a Customer, that's poor business. They should look more into the account history than credit scores. Customers don't matter and will never recommend to anyone.

Date of experience : June 28, 2019

What a rip off on there free shipping

What a rip off on there free shipping. We spend more than the amount for free shipping, After placing the order they said one item is on back order. So they charged shipping because of the back order lowered the amount, and have to pay shipping again for what was back ordered. Free shipping no double shipping charge YES

Date of experience : June 09, 2021

First time I ordered. What a scam.

First time I ordered. I don't know how this company stays in business. Ordered 6/22/20 and I wanted to return the item. I could not access my online account. After 5 phone calls to India and 15 emails, IT still has not fixed the problem. I returned the item 8/01 enclosing the Blair return/refund forms using their return label which cost me $9.99. It is now 8/10 and they say they have not received the item but when they do it will take 4-5 weeks to process my refund. A total of 6-7 months of hassle with this company.

Date of experience : August 10, 2020

Overnight order - didn't ship

Ordered a gift to be overnighted. An email was received immediately: Your order is being processed. Inside the email it said: Your purchase is confirmed. So, when I didn't receive a tracking number the following business day - I called. They had problems with my billing address. We fixed it over the phone. It was too late to ship that day (after 12 EST), so it would go out next day. Still no tracking number. I called back. They said it may go out tomorrow. So 3 business days to process an overnight order. That was supposed to go out after 1 business day. I asked to cancel, since it was a gift and it would arrive too late. Sorry we can't cancel it, it's too late. It hadn't been shipped, they charged my card, and I could not get a refund. They are rude on the phone, don't know anything about customer service, and can't deliver as promised. Never shopping here again.

Date of experience : April 27, 2021

I have ordered once before but will not…

I have ordered once before but will not order again. I washed following directions on tag. Cold gentle cycle. When it came out of the washer one sleeve was unraveled at the shoulder and a hole about 2x3 inches was unraveled near the front placket. Very poor quality. Now I am out this money.

Date of experience : September 26, 2020

Rated -0 STARS!!!

If I could, I would give a -1 star!!! If you need an item for an occasion, don't count on getting it in time. The tracking is completely off. I ordered an item and never received it. I had to call, they said they would resend it... the tracking kept getting pushed back, now it hasn't been updated for days. BUYER BEWARE😤😤😤!

Date of experience : December 24, 2021

NEVER AGAIN

I ordered slacks for my mother, who lives in a nursing home in Illinois. Eleven days later the package was tracked to the post office in that city. The next day it was in Memphis, TN. Why? Very poor customer service.

Date of experience : June 25, 2020

Customer service...none.

Customer service...none. I have been trying to get a credit for an item not recd for over 6 weeks. All I get is pre typed email responses from Kay Blair.???? 2 items where suppose to be in the pkg, but only one. How difficult is this to understand.

Date of experience : January 28, 2021

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Blair Castle Tour & Trip Reviews

5 reviews Average rating 4.4 8 trips

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Blair Castle Tour & Trip Ratings

Tour Reviews

BE WARNED CANCELLATION FEE ALWAYS CHARGED

BE WARNED THEY CHARGE 10% CANCELLATION WITH ANY CANCELLATION. We have 7 months before we leave for our trip and just made the reservation less than a week ago and th...

Wonderful experience

It was our first experience with a guided tour. We didn't know what we could expect. We came back with wonderful memories. Matt, our guide was marvelous! He always t...

The trip is worth-taking.

The tour was comfortably-paced tours and covered most of the best sights around the Isle of Sky. It was better than expected because our guide had us experience bits...

A fabulous tour with fabulous people!

I just got back from a 3 week trip in the UK, where I actually took two Rabbies tours. The Isle of Sky was my first tour with them, and it exceeded my expectations. ...

Everything Great but the Guide

The Scottish Highlands is an incredible place, and there isn't much that can take away from it. Rabbie's 3-day tour to Skye makes the surprisingly far distance manag...

1 - 5 of 5 Reviews shown

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Top Blair Castle Travel Packages

Tours, Cruises & Private Trips

Blair Drummond Safari Park Review

Blair Drummond Safari Park Review – When we drove away from Blair Drummond Safari Park Mr Toddler, who isn’t known to say much, uttered very clearly, ‘That was an adventure”. A profound statement. And he’s right. The last time I was at Blair Drummond I was about ten, and I hoped it would live up to my rose-tinted memories. It did.

Drive Through Safari – Blair Drummond Safari Park Review

Starting with the ‘drive through safari’ the highlight is definitely the lions with their cubs, which are as cute as they sound. Drivers enter through double gates to access the lion enclosure so there is a clear sense of anticipation before you meet the king of beasts. From there you drive into the gated monkey enclosure, with warning signs that the monkeys may well jump on your car. Visitors get very close to these lively animals – though we didn’t see one jumping on a vehicle or yanking off windscreen wipers which was hugely disappointing.

Chimp Island

Having left the gated lion/monkey danger zone we parked up and took our buggy everywhere. Where Blair Drummond excels is that it’s split into areas and each one is an experience/mini adventure in its own right. Sailing to chimp island is a fantastic example – take to the water and float past the chilling chimps (which are ‘apes, not monkeys’ we were told over the tannoy as Mr Toddler continued to shout ‘Monkeys’ loudly regardless of what anyone told him).

Animals on View – Blair Drummond Safari Park Review

We went high in the sky to the viewing platform to see the giraffes at their own height. The elephant, tigers, rhinoceros and its baby were other headline beasts that kids and adults are equally mesmerised by.

Mr Toddler was delighted to meet Peso (the penguins), Mr Husband’s highlight was the birds of prey and I liked walking through the forest to find the lemurs and finding the most spaced out meerkat enjoying the unusually hot autumn sun.

These are just our highlights, there were many more animals to see – sea lions, zebras, deer, bison, antelope, llamas, alpacas, giant tortoises, wallabies and a farmyard area with the more familiar hens, rabbits and goats etc.

Bearing in mind that we were having such a chilled day we didn’t go to any of the feeding times, keeper talks or demonstrations there’s clearly so much more to do and information to gain if visitors timed their walks to coincide with scheduled events.

Child Friendly – Blair Drummond Safari Park Review

Lastly Blair Drummond needs to be recognised for how exceptionally child friendly a destination it is. With the animals on show people will come, they will visit regardless, the venue doesn’t have to make the exceptional effort that it does, but this attraction has thought of almost everything.

On the big scale the play areas are epic, even I enjoyed the slides, there are pedaloes on a boating lake and there’s a sandpit with hidden tokens which represent a prize. But it’s the small things that count – when I took Mr Toddler to the toilet there were little inner toilet seats for small people and little steps to help them reach the sinks to wash their wee hands. This is the very first attraction I’ve visited that catered for him in this way and it made my life just a little bit easier – he is clearly a valued customer, not just a kid.

Another key point is that Blair Drummond was mobbed when we visited, but it didn’t feel busy.  There is ample parking, the restaurant and its young staff power out hearty food at a rate of knots, there are lots of toilets – this venue can accommodate a lot of people without taking away from your individual experience as it’s a slick operation.  As we sat in the sun outdoors eating lunch with lots of other families I realised how lucky we were.

There were tears that day as the kids didn’t want to leave the lions, the play park etc. but as we drove away, and after Mr Toddler muttered his memorable ‘That was an Adventure’, he and his brother promptly fell asleep. An exhausting adventure no doubt.

For a map, prices and opening hours click here.

When visiting Blair Drummond Scots2Travel stayed in a log cabin in the forest at Strathyre with Forest Holidays. To find out more visit here .

 If you like what you read then don’t miss a post, please subscribe or buys us a coffee . Join the conversation on Facebook , twitter, pinterest and instagram. For any queries or opportunities please email [email protected] .  All photos copyright of Scots2Travel. We received complimentary tickets to Blair Drummond Safari Park for review purposes – our toddlers let out a roar in thanks.

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Dundee Hotel with a Pool – From a city centre gem to a Scottish mansion house, a swimming pool is a fab luxury. Here are Dundee’s highlights.

Loved the captioning!! Thanks for sharing 🙂

Thanks. The captions is where I act my shoe size rather than my age. 🙂

Hehe.. smaller the size bigger the imagination and thought process!

Brought back great memories of a trip we had to Blair Drummond when our son was little. We loved it.

I loved it when I was little too. Great day out.

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Port Blair & Havelock – Itinerary with costs, reviews, schedules etc.

Updated on: 18th October 2019

Andaman and Nicobar (especially Havelock island) had been on our radar for long. In one of the Spicejet sale, we saw that the Chennai- Port Blair return was costing ~Rs.11500 for all of us (2 adults and 1 child). We grabbed the opportunity and tickets were booked for Sep 2015.

Planning for it started almost 6 months before the actual travel. We read reviews on Tripadvisor, followed many travel blogs to settle upon the hotels and activities we wanted to do. We also got some quotations for Andaman tour packages, to see what they cover and how much they charge. Since the time we have started travelling with our son, we do most of our bookings in advance to avoid any inconvenience. We wanted to make sure this was a memorable holiday.

Our itinerary for 6N/7D was:

Day 1: Chennai to Port Blair by flight

Day 2, 3 and 4 : Havelock Island

Day 5, 6 : Port Blair, Ross Island

Day 7 : Port Blair – Chennai- Hyd

We choose to travel in the off-season since the rates are low and the crowd is less. Andaman tourism picks up in Oct and Sep was the perfect time to travel. We decided the hotels based on the activities we wanted to do and convenience from kiddo’s point of view. 6 days was less for a place like Andaman, but we didn’t want to plan very hectic.

Accommodation/ Hotels in Andaman:

Day 1, Port Blair: Hotel Sentinel . We chose this based on the hotel reviews on Tripadvisor. Our criteria was to be close to the Phoenix Bay Jetty (where Havelock ferries start), close to the Cellular Jail (since that was the first place we wanted to visit) and kiddo-friendly (pool and garden area).

Day 2, 3, 4 in Havelock island: Dolphin Resort . This booking was a tricky one. No. 1 on TripAdvisor was Barefoot and some friends gave a great review about it too. But it was too costly. We didn’t want to spend so much on hotels. We were oscillating between Silver Sand Resort and Dolphin (which is promoted by Andaman tourism). Dolphin is a Govt property so we assumed service would be non-existent. Reviews said the view was fantastic but the beach in front was rocky. The rooms in Silver Sand that face the Vijay Nagar beach were too expensive and the rest of the rooms were on the other side of the road, so we finally settled for Dolphin Resort. Glad we booked Dolphin resort finally.

Day 5, 6 in Port Blair : The only resort that had beach access in Port Blair was Peerless Sarovar Portico. It was little far from the attractions, but beach access was our criterion for choosing it.

Bookings for the hotel:

We booked Sentinel and Sarovar Portico online through yatra.com. We got good deals during holiday sales. Do check out online deals before booking the hotels. Also, if you have time in hand, wait for festivals. MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip, Travelguru etc have deals during festivals. Don’t be too greedy, though. If you wait too long and a better deal, you may not get any deal. 50% off, Rs.1500 off per night etc are good deals to grab.

Tip 1 : Flat Rs.1500 off etc are on the total booking amount. So book the hotels for individual nights in different names (could be your name on 1st and 3rd night and your spouse’s on the 2nd). This would ensure you get the max benefit. Mail the hotel later to tell them they are all your bookings and you want to continue in the same room for all nights.

Tip 2 : When doing online bookings, ALWAYS mail the hotel to make sure your bookings are confirmed. Send the hotel voucher(s) in the mail. If they don’t reply, call them. With these huge discount deals online, there is a small chance hotel may not honour them. Also, carry a print out of the booking vouchers.

Tip 3 : If you have any loyalty cards like JP Miles Card etc., carry them. I did not carry my JP Miles card since we were not travelling by Jet Airways but Sarovar Portico had a 10% discount for Jet customers. They finally gave me the discount with only the number, but many might not.

Dolphin Resort : Booking this property requires patience. Their official website is http://aniidco.and.nic.in/dolphin-resort.php . You can either book online or call up the Andaman Tourist Info Center at Port Blair on 03192- 232694/ 03192-231664/ 03192- 232380 / 03192-282066 and/or mail them at [email protected] or [email protected] . Check their website for latest room rates.

Travel Ticket Bookings:

Hyd – Chennai: By Train. The available flight was at 5:45 am, and we didn’t want to take a flight that early. Decided to visit relatives in Chennai and then proceed to Port Blair.

Chennai – Port Blair: Spicejet flight at 11:45m. Reached Port Blair at around 1:45 pm.

Port Blair – Havelock island: The only way to go to Havelock is by ferry.

If you are on budget or are looking for an adventure; you can take a cruise ship from Kolkata, Chennai or Vizag. It takes almost 3 days. We met backpacker Shawn Pady in Auroville who did exactly this for his Andaman Trip. Check out his youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/TaxiMotionPictures and his Andaman videos playlist here .

Ferry from Port Blair to Andaman:

Coastal cruise: Private operator. They do not sail in the off-season , though. We went in September end and they were not sailing.

Makruzz: Private  operator. We took this for our Port Blair  – Havelock leg. They have 3 categories -. We took the Deluxe Class which had upper deck seating and complimentary breakfast. The Deluxe class has only the side view from glass windows. Captain’s cabin is on the upper deck so front view is completely blocked. The Royal class is on the upper deck towards the back and has a huge glass window at the back. The lower deck has a better view because of the side windows  as well as front window. It’s more crowded though.

MV green ocean: It’s also a private operator. We didn’t take it since the timings were not comfortable for us.

Govt ferry: Unless you have no other option, don’t opt for this. You may get lucky with the seats, but if you are stuck in a cabin where AC is not working, your day is ruined. We took the govt. ferry for our Havelock- Port  Blair travel and got a seat in the lower deck where AC was not working. The cabin was stuffy with insufficient number of fans positioned badly. Ticket is priced at Rs.400 per person and the booking starts 4 days in advance. Booking for 27th for eg. will open on 23rd. And you have to stand in queue to get it. Its much better to get this done through an agent or your hotel. Most of the hotels get it done for their guests. Hotel Sentinel charged us Rs.100 extra per seat and got it done.They got it sent to Silver Sands Resort in Havelock and we collected it when we were in Havelock.

Ferry schedules are as follows (as on March 2019):

Ferry Schedule for M.V Makruzz

(Thursday: 02.00 pm, 10.45 am Makruzz do not sail)

Ferry Schedule for M.V.Coastal Cruise

Ferry schedule for m.v.green ocean, ferry timings for government ferry.

Contacts for Andaman ferry bookings:

Coastal Cruise : [email protected] / http://coastalcruise.in (The site seems to be suspended now, but they did revert on our email query)

MV Makruzz : [email protected] /  http://makruzz.com/

MV Green Ocean :  [email protected]/ http://greenoceancruise.com

Govt Ferry : Check with your hotel or travel agent to book tickets. Some online travel agents like  https://trip.experienceandamans.com/ferry/government-ferry.html seem to sell tickets too. No personal experience with them, though.

Travel inside Port Blair and Havelock Island:

Port Blair : Autos are available in plenty in Port Blair. We spoke to the auto guy who dropped us from Cellular Jail to Sentinel on the first day and took his number so he could be with us through our Port Blair stay. His name is Partho and his number is +91 9474243638/ 9679532110. Very friendly guy from Kolkata and charged us very nominal too. Cellular Jail to Sentinel was Rs.30, Sentinel to Phoenix Jetty was Rs.50. When we returned from Havelock, we called Partho again at Phoenix Jetty. We stayed at Peerless Sarovar Portico which was quite far (by Port Blair standards) from the jetty. He dropped us there and went back. Again came back in the afternoon and took us to the Water park side and dropped us back around dinner. For this, he charged us Rs.500, which was very fair. Last day also we called him in the morning at checkout and he stayed with us until 2pm, even took care of our luggage when we were site-seeing or dining; and charged us Rs.850.

Havelock Island: Autos are available in Havelock. There are buses too from jetty to Radhanagar beach. If you are planning to stay in Havelock for more than a day and can drive, hiring a two-wheeler is the best option. Scooty and bikes are available at Rs.300/ 24hrs and petrol is Rs.70/litre (Update May 2017: I am told the tariff has now increased to Rs.400 – Rs.500). We hired a scooty from the shop outside Dophin resort. It was called Bappa Travels and their number is +91-9474222180/ 9679532542. There are small shops where petrol is available. Even the supermarket stocks it. Auto charged Rs.100 to the Dolphin resort. Most of the resorts are in the same stretch and auto fares are similar; except for Barefoot which is towards the Radhanagar beach. Our auto driver’s name was Bidhan and his number is +91-9476004046. His rates are same during off-season and season. Charges Rs.500 from resort to Radhanagar beach and back. He charges Rs.400 from resort to Kala Pathar beach and back.  The rates almost double for foreigners.

We reached Port Blair at 2 pm. Port Blair airport is very small and becomes very chaotic if more than 2 flights land around the same time. They have only 2 conveyor belts for checked-in baggage and everyone crowded around them. Same with the restrooms. Its super crowded. There is a small tourist help centre in front of the conveyor belts where you can book prepaid taxi and get some basic info. Prepaid to Sentinel was Rs.120 and we booked it.

Hotel Sentinel is located quite centrally and is a well-maintained place. We were very hungry and to our relief, lunch was available even at 3 pm. Veg Meal for 2 (1 curry, 1 dal, 1 rice, few rotis) at Sentinel costs close to Rs.600.

We had heard and read stories about the role of Andaman in India’s freedom struggle and it was only fitting to start the travel by visiting Cellular Jail.

Cellular Jail is open from 9 a.m to 5 p.m except on Mondays. The ticket is Rs.30 per person and is available until 4.15 p.m. We went on the World Tourism Day and entry to the jail and museum was free.

Hindi light and sound show is at 6.15 p.m and English at 7.15 p.m. Ticket for the light and sound show are available from 5.15 pm for Hindi show and 6.15 pm for English show. The duration is 55 mins and seats are first come first so be sure to get in the queue early. 

Tips for Cellular Jail light and sound show:

• There is a separate ladies queue, which is usually shorter.
• Carry mosquito repellents.
• If you have kids along, carry some time pass activities for them. They get bored waiting, first at the ticket counter, then in the entry line and finally waiting for the show to start.
• Use of camera or camcorders is strictly prohibited.
• The ticket is priced at Rs.50 per seat. If you want a separate seat for your kiddo, buy a separate ticket. The seats are limited and even on a weekday, the show is houseful.

The show could have been better, given the subject.

Sun sets by 5.15 p.m and it usually gets dark in Port Blair by 6 p.m. The water sports centre is close by and the Children’s park there is open until 7 pm. They have a traffic park, slides, swings etc. Good time pass for kids. Water sports, however, closes by 5 pm. We visited the park again after our return from Havelock.

Travel to Havelock by MV Makruzz was quite pleasant.

Havelock is rightly called the Pearl of Andamans. The moment you step into Havelock, you can see the crystal blue sea, white sands and friendly people. We had booking at Dolphin Resort which is a govt. owned property.

Dolphin Resort is best located to see the beautiful sunrise at Havelock. Its heaven if you are a morning person. We booked a super-deluxe room. There are 8 super deluxe rooms, all of which have the sea view. However, 4 of them are reserved for VIPs. Some of the deluxe rooms also have sea view, but one can never be sure which room would be booked for you. Some deluxe rooms are also reserved and do not get booked for tourists.

It is best if you can book a super deluxe room. It has a kettle, fridge and intercom. And an LCD TV (yes, other rooms have CRT TV it seems). Though there is a kettle, there are no tea bags, sugar etc. We had read in one of the TripAdvisor reviews that they charge Rs.50 for that so we carried our own. These things are easily available in the shop outside Dolphin.

They serve buffets for all 3 meals. Breakfast is Rs.75, lunch Rs.150 and dinner Rs.150. They didn’t charge anything for our 4 yr old kiddo, but otherwise the charges are same for kids. All meals are very home-like. Breakfast usually has poori bhajia, toast and 1 more dish (upma/ idly etc). Lunch and Dinner are 2 veg curries, 1 dal, 1 sweet, papad, rice and chapatis. There are some ala-carte dishes available (veg and non-veg), but you need to tell them in advance if you need them. We read in reviews that you need to tell in advance if you want to have buffet too. However, we never saw anyone being denied meals because they didn’t tell in advance. We ourselves had 2 breakfast and 2 lunches without informing them earlier. The only room service available is Bed Tea (chargeable).

One cannot swim in front of the beach in front of the resort. It is not all rocky, though. The portion in front of the super deluxe rooms is rather pleasant to walk in low tide. It has live corals and you can see sea cucumbers and some small fishes too if you walk patiently and quietly! The beach in front of the deluxe rooms is rocky.

Sunrise happens at around 4:30 am in Andamans. Its worth waking up though 🙂

Attractions at Havelock:

• Radhanagar Beach : This is one of the most talked about beaches in Havelock. Its in the west and crowd usually gathers there to watch the sunset. When we went there, the beach was not that clean. Though its shallow and one can easily go inside the water and play, the waves are big.

The green sphere like thing is a Swiss Dome at Radhanagar Beach. 2 of them are let out to tourists by the Andaman Govt (booking process is same as Dolphin resort). However, the place is secluded and there is nothing to do after dark. There are no restaurants closeby. If you fancy staying with the sound of the crashing waves, this might be a good accommodation for you!

Kiddo had more fun with his beach toys since the waves were big and lot of foliage was coming with the waves.

The beach is around 12kms from Dolphin Resort. The roads in Havelock are very narrow and it takes around 30mins to reach the beach. Sun sets at around 5 pm, so we started at 3 pm so we could spend some time playing on the beach too.

• Kala Pathar Beach : This is one of the less talked about beaches in Havelock. That has its own advantages – less crowd and cleaner. Its on the east coast so no sunset view. But the waves are low and its easy to play with kids. Its around 5kms from Dolphin Resort towards the south. We were so impressed with Kala Pathar Beach that we went on both 3rd and 4th evening. Kiddo had fun in his swimming ring and forgot his beach toys 🙂

• Market@ Havelock : Evening market at Havelock is good if you want to have some snacks. Its like a mini-Kolkata 🙂 You get good Pani Puri, Samosa (I heard someone calling Samosa ‘Singhada’ after ages), Chaat etc.
• Island tours : Island hopping to Elephant beach is another activity available in Havelock. The tour usually costs Rs.150 per person. Unfortunately, the tour was not available on the day we went because of the weather.
• Scuba Diving: There are many Scuba Diving Centers at Havelock. Most of them like Dive India, Ocean Tribe, Barefoot Scuba etc offer diving courses as well. They have their own basic accommodations as well for people opting for long term courses. We inquired with Dive India and Ocean Tribe. Dive India has 2 packages – Rs.3500 for 25min which includes training as well and Rs.4500 for 60min dive excluding training. Ocean Tribe has 40min dive excluding training at Rs.3500. All of them give a CD with photos and 1 min video. We felt Ocean Tribe was better and went with them one morning. Since we do not know swimming, we could go only as deep as 8-9mts. Kids above 8yrs are allowed to dive. There was something called Bubble play also for kids above 8 yrs of age.

• Vijay Nagar Beach : Silver Sands Resort is on the Vijay Nagar beach. Its away from the rocks and corals in front of Dolphin Resort and is maintained beautifully. Its a private beach of the resort. We went to get our tickets for Govt. ferry and went to the beach too. I don’t think they allow outsiders, but you can dine with them and use the beach I guess.

• Sea Walking : Sea Walking is somewhat similar to Scuba Diving. In Sea Walking, you need to wear a helmet and oxygen is pumped inside the helmet. You can breathe normally and walk on the sea bed. The difference from SCUBA is that you cannot move your head. So you see fishes that come in front of the helmet. You can feed the fishes so they come close to you. Also, they have a vast net inside which the fishes are there. In Scuba, you are free to move around. The charges are Rs.3200 per person and kids above 7 yrs of age can do it. It was closed for monsoons when we went.

Dining options in Havelock:

There are many restaurants in Havelock and almost all are priced at-par. Veg Meal for 2 (1 curry, 1 dal, few rotis/ rice) would cost around Rs.600. A non-veg meal would close to Rs.1000.

• Anju Coco : It’s on the main road and close to most of the resorts. It has a good seating area and ambience is also good. The food was one of the best we had in Havelock. We tried it on 2 nights – Chinese on one night and South Indian the other, both were good.
• Fat Martin : Close to Anju Coco. The place is small but decent. We had only Pizza there, which was good. We wanted no spices for the kiddo on the pizza, but the Margarita came with pepper. Make sure they take instructions properly. Condiments were also not provided for take-away.

• Full Moon Cafe : This one is also close to Dolphin resort. Its inside the Dive India premises. We ordered take-away since kiddo was very tired. Food was surprisingly quite good. Dahi Baigan masala is worth mentioning 🙂
• Welcome Restaurant : This one is in the market area. Some local guy suggested it and we went with high hopes about the food. We didn’t expect much in terms of ambiance and we were right. It was like a small dhaba. Food was great disappointment though. We ordered Dal, Bhindi Masala, Chapathi, Rice and Dahi. Nothing was up to the mark. Even chapathis were very thick. Pricing is similar to other restaurants though. They had Italian and Arabic food also on their menu, maybe they are popular for that.
• Dakshin : Dakshin restaurant is maintained by Barefoot Group. It’s at the Havelock jetty. We had to take the 9 am government ferry so we decided to have breakfast there. The food was quite good, ambience is okay.

There were some today’s special items too.

Most of the resorts in Havelock have a restaurant too.

Accommodations with beach access in Havelock:

Most of the resorts in Havelock have a beach access; the key is to have sea view. All resorts on the east side of the island, have direct access to beach. Some part of Govind Nagar beach is rocky. Vijay Nagar beach is very good, with turquoise water and less wind. Silver Sands Resort is located very strategically with private access to Vijay Nagar Beach, but none of their rooms have sea view. Even the best rooms they have face each other instead of facing of beach. Most of their rooms are on the other side of the road and don’t have direct beach access.

Munjoh Ocean resort, Emerald Gecko and Wild Orchid are also on Vijay Nagar beach.

Day 5, 6 : We returned back to Port Blair on the Government Ferry. The journey was as uncomfortable as it can get. ACs not working, fans positioned wrong. It was very stuffy inside and many passengers spent their time on the deck.

After we reached Phoenix Jetty, Port Blair, Partho picked us up and dropped us at Peerless Sarovar Portico. It has direct access to Corbyn’s Cove beach.

Rooms are comfortable with all amenities, and our room had the sea view. The beach in front of Sarovar Portico is on the east and sunrise happens around 4:45 am.

We had our lunch at Corbyn’s Delight, the in-house restaurant at the hotel. The food was good, though expensive. Veg Meal for 2 is close to Rs.1000. Room service is available too. There is a KTDC restaurant “The Waves” at the beach itself. It was reasonably priced, though we did not get a chance to try it (Meal for 2 would have costed close to Rs.400).

Things to do in Port Blair:

• Cellular Jail : We had been to the Light and Sound Show on the first day of our trip, but did not have enough time to see the museum and the jail. So we proceeded to the jail after lunch.

• Children’s Park : This is walkable from Cellular Jail and Water Sports Complex. We went to the park after Cellular Jail. It is open until 7 pm and has traffic park, slides, swings, lawn etc. On the lane behind the park, cultural program was scheduled at 6pm. This program happens on 2 Sundays of the month. It has a yoga program by children and bengali songs. Local people put up stalls selling snacks, toys etc.

• Andaman Water Sports Center: We went to Sports complex in the morning on 6th day. Plan was to finish water sports and then proceed to Ross Island. Sports complex is at Aberdeen Jetty from where Ross Island ferry goes. It is maintained by a private operator and has water sports activities priced atrociously high. There is a water slide which looks interesting. However, since the slide is high, you come down at a very high speed and get inside the sea. It can get scary though you are wearing life jacket. We did that but didn’t get on the slide (was a waste of Rs.350 per person for 45min). There is a bumper boat which costs Rs.200 per person for 7mins.

• Ross Island:  Ross Island has to be visited from Abredeen ferry. It takes hardly 10 min to reach there. There are govt ferries at specific times ( the last ferry is at 2pm from Port Blair) and private operators too. Ferry costs Rs.100 per person and the entry ticket to the island is Rs.30 per person. We went by the 12:30 ferry. You need to come back by the same ferry after 2 hrs.

There is a small shop on the inland which sells chips, cold drinks etc.The place is full of ruins, which look amazing. It takes an hour and a half to walk. Elderly might find it difficult to visit some places which need a climb. There is a small children’s park, which is not much to talk about. Our 4yr old kiddo’s got little bored, for him only attraction were the animals. There are rabbits and squirrels and deer in plenty,who are not scared of visitors.

• Science Center, Port Blair:  This was a surprise discovery for us. Its on the way to Sarovar Portico. Since our flight was at 2:25p.m and we had time to kill in the morning, we decided to visit it. We could not attend any show since all are in the evenings. But the center itself was very interesting, especially for young kids.

• Corbyn’s Cove Beach : The beach less than ordinary to say the least. Its a small beach and the water is dirty. The beach is clean though, free of plastic wastes etc. Water sports also happens here. Its also away from the main city area so you need to have your own vehicle or keep the auto for the entire duration of your stay.

There are other attractions like Chidiya Tapu, Wandoor Beach, Marine Museum etc; but we wanted a relaxed holiday so skipped them. Scuba Diving and Sea Walking happen at Port Blair also.

Restaurants in Port Blair:

The ones we dined at-

• Ananda Restaurant: Its near the clock tower in the Abredeen Bazaar. Good and economical food. Veg Thali is Rs.180, non veg thali Rs.230. Ambiance is okay.
• Annapurna Hotel: Decent option in the market. Its a vegetarian restaurant. Curries are priced in the range of Rs.120-130 and meal for 2 would be close to Rs.500. They have Indian and Chinese.
• Corbyn’s Delight:  Its a fine-dine restaurant inside Sarovar Portico. Food is good, though its expensive. Veg meal for 2 would be around Rs.1000 and non veg would be close to Rs.2000. Ambiance and service are good though. Since we stayed at Sarovar Portico, we had breakfast as well; which was decent.

• Restaurant inside Hotel Sentinel : Good ambiance, nice food, friendly staff. Veg meal for 2 would be around Rs.600 (1 curry, 1 dal, few rotis/ rice).
• Ocean Blue, Abredeen Jetty: It delivers too.

Tips for travelling to Andaman:

• Carry umbrella all the time, it starts raining all of a sudden (and stops all of a sudden, too!). We had a 12:30pm ferry ticket for Ross Island. It started raining heavily at 11am and we were thinking of cancelling Ross Island plans. But it suddenly stopped raining at 12:25 pm 🙂
• Carry cash. There are not many ATMs in Port Blair, and not many hotels/ restaurants swipe cards. Though Sarovar Portico had swiping machine, their was no connectivity and we had to pay by cash. There was no ATM closeby. Most of the ATMs are in Abredeen Bazaar. In Havelock, there is one SBI and one Axis Bank ATM. We never saw the Axis Bank ATM open though. Nobody in Havelock accepts card payment.
• Forget connectivity: Airtel and BSNL have phone connectivity at Havelock. However, there was no signal inside Dolphin resort. Rarely any resort/ restaurant has wifi (Anju Coco has). Even if wifi is there, net is pathetically slow. At Port Blair, all phone networks work. But internet connectivity is bad. Some hotels have wifi in their lobby/ restaurant, but again very slow.
• Take Map: Buy Port Blair map from the airport tourist information center at Rs.10. It helps, given there is no net connectivity on phone/ tab.
• Take print of all tickets/ hotel vouchers: Given that we don’t even need to carry print tickets at airports these days, we hardly print any tickets. But that does not work in Andaman since internet is not available.
• Buy Ross Island ticket and Cellular Jail ticket as soon as you reach: Ross Island ferries have limited capacity so buy your ticket as soon as you reach (for whichever ferry you want to take). Same goes for Cellular Jail light and sound show.

Breakup of our expenses during Andaman trip:

Our trip overall was good and relaxing. However, if we had more number of days, we would have planned to visit Neil island, Wandoor Beach, Bartang Island, Chidiya Tapu too. There is an active volcano at Barren Island too, but it takes a night journey by ship to reach there and tourists are not allowed on the island. The ship takes a few rounds and returns.

A second visit to Andaman is not ruled out 🙂 Especially after looking at Shawn’s Andaman adventures and his visit to Indira Point; I am inspired to visit the beautiful archipelago again!

If you have been to Andaman and feel I have missed out on something, please leave a comment and I will add them with due credit 🙂

If you think someone can use this blog post in planning their Andaman holiday, do share the post.

80 Comments

Thanks a lot. The amount of time and effort you would have taken to recollect all this, write it and organize it, awesome. Am planning a trip and was searching for these useful bits like time lines etc.

Glad it helped Rahul. The post is little old so some info; esp prices might have gone up. Enjoy your trip:) Priyanka

A detailed account of the main issues are covered beautifully.thanks for the effort.

very much helpful. Thanks for writing.

Hey priyanka… m planning to go der wid my wife and a 3 year old daughter so my question to u is where did u leave ur kid while u both were doing scuba diving???

We did SCUBA one at a time. Our son was in the boat with us.

Dear Priyanka, We are planning a visit to andaman in last week of July with visit to port blair, Havelock, neil and ross island. I have booked all the hotels but still I could not book the ferry as the online booking is available only on Makruzz website and it is the expensive. Also I read that Makruzz cruize gets frequently cancelled during rains. So can you please suggest whether we should wait and reach port blair and do the booking as I will reach at 11 AM on first day and I need the cruise tickets from the second day to Havelock and 4th day to Neil and so on. Thanks in advance.

You can ask your hotel to book tickets for you in the govt ferry. They run everyday and the tickets are reasonable compared to Makruzz. However, they can get little uncomfortable depending on the seats you get 🙁 We also had to opt for govt ferry while returning from Havelock because Makruzz was not available on that day. The hotels usually charge Rs.100 more per ticket, but getting the tickets at the counter one day in advance could be risky.Also, you can visit other places in Port blair in the time you save by not standing in the ticket queue.

Hope this helps! Priyanka

Hi priyanka Thanks for such informative blog. I m also planing to visit andman in last september . So i m worrying about weather in september . In mansoon activity like scuba diving and sea walk are open or not . Should i carry umbrela from home or available in rent . For 7 day tour how many days minimum for havelook stay and others island . I have discounted air ticket and gov hotel at port blare so can you suggest accordingly my travel plan as i m not a frequently traveler Thanks

Hi Indrajeet,

September is still monsoon in Andaman so some water activities may not happen depending on the weather at that time. We did SCUBA, but sea walking was closed. Also weather has been little unpredictable in the last few years and it’s difficult to say anything. Usually rain in Andaman last for few mins and then stop, so unless you hate being out in rainy season you should be fine. For a 7 day tour, 1 full day in Port Blair should be enough. 3 days should be good in Havelock and 1-2 at Neil.

Thank you Priyanka for writing with so much details. we did all bookings by own and i and my wife had a wonderful time at andamans. Thank you again.

just to update: hotel number of Dolphin Resort is 03192-282066

Thanks Anand for posting a comment after your trip:) I am glad the post was useful and you had a wonderful time. I have updated the blog with latest info you provided.

Narrative is simple and well organised with visuals. Your travelogue is helpful, specially online booking tip to earn maximum discount in a deal.

Thanks Pralay. Some of the prices would have gone up because we visited few years back.

We planning trip to andaman next mont April 2019. We have a lady in our group 7 month pregnant. How safe it would be for her – like ferries and crusie?

Please check with her doctor if she can travel at this stage.

Yes she can till week 28. Only worried about how safe ferries are? Are they bummpy?

Ferries go fast so yes they are little bumpy. But pregnancy differs from person to person in terms of nausea and sea-sickness so am not sure if I can advise on anything. In my case I was travelling till the end without any issues. That is why I recommend you check with the doctor specifically if she can make this trip.

Hope it helps! Priyanka

Hi priyanka, I had read tht there was a cyclone during 3-4 jan 19 also there was an earthquake on 16 th jan 2019 ..as i m visiting andaman from 23-28 jan 19.m bit worried…

You will have to check with your hotels for the current situation and how safe it is to travel now. You can also post on TripAdvisor forum ( https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowForum-g297583-i9941-Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands.html ) where tourists/ residents who are there or travelled recently can reply back.

I am planning a trip to Andaman in April this year. Would you suggest I go ahead? It’s a trip for 2 and I am expecting expenses of about 40k-45k inclusive of EVERYTHING, for 4 days.

Major part of your expense will be travel tickets and hotels. If you let me know what these 2 are amounting to, I can help you with the total budget. 45K all inclusive looks little less to me though!

Regards, Priyanka

Hi Priyanka , I had a great time reading your adaman blog. It would be great if you could address my below queries : 1. Trip to Ross Island : One has to pre book or you can reach there and book . If yes , how? 2. Cellular Jail : We can book the tickets on the same day from the spot?

Thanks Sijo. Some of the prices will be outdated because we went couple of years back. Please keep that in mind when planning.

To answer your questions: 1. Trip to Ross Island : One has to pre book or you can reach there and book . If yes , how? You do not need to pre-book. You can reach there and take next available ferry. They run every 2 hrs I guess. If you are particular about timing, they go little earlier. The afternoon ferries usually get full an hr in advance. 2. Cellular Jail : We can book the tickets on the same day from the spot?: Tickets are available outside the museum. Ticket for the light and sound show are available from 5.15 pm for Hindi show and 6.15 pm for English show. The duration is 55 mins and seats are first come first so be sure to get in the queue early.

You have written such a nice blog with complete information. Thanks a lot for the same. I have already booked my trip with Sucheta from yestourismindia.com and we are traveling in Nov 2018. It was through a reference and franky saying your blog helped a lot to bargain. Well their website seems to be new but their online reviews are great. I hope I can share my reviews when i come back.

great blog @Priyanka. thanks for the guide and the cost details.

hi Rini, we are planning for the sep end trip for 5N 6days. I have been enquiring with different vendors and there is no even single vendor gives the best quote. most of them are over priced. would like to know how much did a yestourismindia.com vendor charged you. it will help bargaining to the best.

How do we book for ocean tribe ? Is it on the spot or prior booking.Also is it in a place called nemori ?

Thanks in advance priyanka !

You can book Ocean Tribe by visiting their center. You need to book a day in advance because dives usually happen in the morning. It is near Govind Nagar Beach (search for Ocean Tribe Scuba, Andaman and Nicobar Islands) on Google Maps. I am not sure where Nemori is…is it a resort on Havelock??

Hi Priyanka, Excellent blog i must say.to be frank i am following your plan to the T.The issue is i am just 2 months away for my andaman trip.All the hotel and flight prices are very high.How would you advice us to go ahead with booking.

All the prices you mentioned,the same ones cost 3 fold more.

btw i am also from hyderabad.Would like you to guide us.

Regards, Vidya

October is peak season for Andaman. All resorts have discounted prices till Sep end and then the prices increase almost 2-3 times. I can see that the Dolphin resort rates are 4700+tax, which is still not that high compared to their usual rates. But their rooms are booked well in advance. We went in off season and booked our fight tickets almost a year in advance, so were kind of lucky. Its not possible to get low fares in such a short time,but you can wait for offers around 15th Aug. You can put an alert on cleartrip and book when the fares are in your budget.

Hope it helps. Priyanka

Hello ! It is indeed a very very informative blog. Congratulations… Pl guide whether it is suitable to take active parents above 80 plus there ? What kind of difficulties we may face? Pl guide. I am planning to visit in November 18 with my old mother .

Thanks Rupal. Andaman experiences retreating monsoon during November and many activities in Nov are weather dependent. If it rains/is stormy, ferries do not ply. I remember reading about cyclone in Nov 2013 and tourists had to be evacuated. You may want to reschedule if you are travelling with your mother, if you still have a choice.

If the weather is fine, Port Blair / Havelock are good with active parents. You may want to take the phone no. of taxi driver/ auto drivers and call them when you need to go somewhere, because finding an auto as soon as you come out of hotel may not happen. Havelock did not have Airtel/Vodafone connectivity when we went. We were told only BSNL works there. Except for Cellular Jail and Ross island, not many places require lot of walking. Cellular jail has some steps but you can cover it in your own time. Ross island ferries require you to come back by the same ferry after 2 hrs (though its not strictly followed if the crowd is less). There is decent walking required on the island, but we saw elderly waiting in a shaded are while their family explored the island.

I have gone through lot of posts and comments , I must say this blog is the best one…Really Informative..I am planning to visit in the first week of December and don’t want to stay in Port Blair, Want to spent time in Havelock only….Would like to know your opinion on this. Would it be hectic or manageable ?

Glad the post helped 🙂 December would be a good time to visit Andaman. Staying in Port Blair is mostly required because of ferry tickets and timings. You can check the timings in the blog. If you are reaching Port Blair at a time when you can directly go to Havelock, you can definitely do that. Also, you may have to get the ferry tickets online or through some agent because Dec could be crowded.

Hi Priyanka,

I must say this is amazing blog, I am planning a trip for my parents in march 2019 mostly first or second week, mostly for 5 or 6 days. Do you think it is good to travel in March?

Hi Tasneem,

March is dry but hot and humid (though its humid through the year). Most of the activities will be operational, so yes its a good time. If you can make it in Jan, it would be little better.

GIve me some Itenary for 5 days. How is january month for visiting this place?

January is usually good. You plan an itinerary based on your interests and post it here. I can suggest if that is feasible.

Very nice description..can u tell me when and how you book tickets for ferry? as i am planning tour in September end and makruzz schedule is not open for it.

Hi Shubhanshu,

Its too early to book ferry tickets for Sep end. Makruzz site is http://www.makruzz.com . You can mail them and check when they will open the bookings. If online booking is not happening / they do not reply; it is best to ask your hotel to do the booking for you. Most of them do this and charge a nominal fee per ticket.

very well written and informative blog post!

Thank you Garima 🙂

Wonderful description of your outing. In giving out so detailed a description of all the aspects of your journey: the places you stayed at, the places where you ate and all the beautiful sights that you saw, you have helped us a lot. May you travel more and share with the world. More power to you

Glad it helped Amit! Thats a very sweet comment 🙂

Wow! The post is very informative and exactly what i was looking for, since I am planning a visit in the 3rd week of August. Would like to know your opinion on an August visit. Is the weather ok during that time?

Hi Saranya,

I am glad the post helped :)Some of the prices may be outdated though because we visited couple of years back.

Regarding August, I know a few friends who have travelled to Havelock and Port Blair in Aug. The main issue in August is some of the private ferries are still closed and you may have to take the govt.ferry which is not very comfortable choice. It is still monsoon so you may encounter some rain. However, most of the time the rain is not continuous and stops after a while.

Enjoy your trip:) Priyanka

Is it worth traveling in June 1st week with family. How is the weather in june … any help will be appreciated.

June is monsoon season in Andaman. Monsoons are getting unpredictable with every passing year and I won’t take a risk going there in peak monsoon. Usually Port Blair should be okay, but ferry services to other islands may stop during heavy rain. Kerela may be a better option in Monsoon.

Hi Varun Try the services of Discover Andaman Holidays, a local tour operator based in Port Blair. You may contact Ms.Prithi on 7063955900. Hope that helps. All the best.

Hi Priyanka, Like you i got a deal on tickets and i am planning to go for my honeymoon on Andaman’s, I am really confused about the agencies and scared about doing it by my own.Its my first trip with my fiance(now). I have booked tickets on august 17-21, 5 day 4 nights. Can you please suggest a plan including the hotels, water activities, 2 wheeler contacts? I don’t have big pockets so i am not planning to make it luxurious on hotels, mostly i would like to enjoy the feel of Andaman.

Aug is still monsoon season in Andaman and the weather can be very unpredictable. The prices are less because its low season. However, SCUBA diving and some water sports are closed during Aug. Also, private ferries to Havelock and Neil are closed so you will have to rely on govt.ferry. If you want to go for tour operators, I can’t help you much because we do all the planning ourselves.

I would suggest you go for Dolphin Resort or Silver Sand in Havelock and Peerless Sarovar Portico in Port Blair. Peerless has sea view and water sports happen on that beach so it would be convenient for you as a honeymoon couple (don’t forget to mail them in advance to check for honeymoon freebies/ discounts).I have listed contacts of auto, 2-wheeler, hotels etc in the blog post; that should help you.

Feel free to reply if you need any specific detail. And do involve your fiance in the planning. Happy planning 🙂 Priyanka

• Pingback: Andaman (Port Blair and Havelock) – A perfect place to relax! – We travel!

Hi Priyanka Thanks a lot for such a detail description.It will be great if you kindly give me some details like:- 1.I f i am planning thorugh any travel agency and they are asking for 19500 per head for 7 days including scuba diving,snorkelling etc, so will that be worthy ?? 2.If i am planning in Mid of december for 1 week,so at that time does the cost increase?

Hi Debojyoti,

1. If you let me know the inclusions in the package (airfare/ferry tickets/hotel/meals/ activities etc), I will be in a better position to suggest if its worth it. 2. Private hotels increase the cost during peak season (Dec is considered peak). However, Dolphin resort’s tariff is fixed. Also, activities like island hopping/ snorkelling etc may be slightly expensive. However, if you know the correct prices and can bargain, that should not be much of an issue.

Hope it helps. Regards, Priyanka

Thanks priyanka!. hi debojyoti patra can u give travel agency name which is good .I am planning for trip in June

Hi Gokulraj,

We did not use the services of any travel agency. As you can read, we planned it all ourselves. Will be glad to help if you need any help in planning.

Thanks a lot Prinyanka.Your detailing is great and I am waiting for such details .I wished you would have visited North Bay Island and Jolly Buoy Island .Beacause in other blogs ,there was very little info on those. Appreciate your help

I have one query like what are the means of transport from Port blair to Havelock and Niel Island vice versa and which will be the convenient mode in terms of Cost and Quality

The only way to go from Port Blair to Havelock or Neil island is by ferry. There are 4 ferries available – Coastal Cruise, MV Makruzz, MV Green Ocean and Govt ferry. Depending on your budget and time preferences, you can book any of these. Govt ferry would be the least recommended- one because it is very basic and inconvenient and 2nd because it cannot be booked online. Please go through the timings on this link – https://coveringmiles.com/andaman-holiday-havelock-port-blair/#andaman-havelock-ferry-schedules . I have also written about our experience with MV Makruzz and Govt ferry in the blog. You can check them out and decide which suits you best.

Thanks a lot for your help Priyanka !!!!!!!

thanks for writing this! very much useful

Glad it helped Sagar 🙂

I have booked Dolphin resort with Cottage room and made payment as well, do i need to send any emails to anyone for confirmation ?

Hi Gary.. I stayed at Dolphin resort this month. You should receive your booking voucher by mail from Andaman tourism department. You need to present this voucher at the time of check in at resort reception.

You must have received a confirmation mail from tourist information Center confirming receipt of the DD. You will need to carry a print of that. 14% tax needs to be paid at the resort. Also carry cash because no one in Havelock accepts cards. There is one ATM but with recent cash crunch you can’t be sure if it would have enough cash.

Enjoy your trip!

No need to read any more blogs, complete details in a single blog..thanks…

Glad it helped Manish 🙂

very rare and very informative. much help .. Thanks priyanka!

Well explained . I have already booked my tickets to Andaman for December . This blog has helped me in planning. Very detailed.

Thanks ! Your blog is very detailed and helpful. I have done a fair bit of research for our forthcoming Andamans & Havelock holiday and your inputs are indeed valuable.

I am very impressed by your blog. Thanks for adding up the details with pictures. Frankly speaking, i took a diary and a pen to write down things you mentioned. Very qualitative description. Thankyou.

Glad you liked it and hope it helps you in planning your trip 🙂

Thanks a lot. I am planning a trip. I am sure these tips are handy and valuable. Nicely written. Good photos

Very helpful and informative for those planning an Andaman trip..!! Thanks for sharing.

Nice Explanation on each and everything, I used the tip given for bookings and it worked.

Thanks a lot for sharing.It was very well written.

superb!!!! Firstly thank you for providing us each and every detail bit about the trip as even i was planning to go Andamans on Jan 26(my bday)..

Great !!!! Nicely Written. I am Also planning to go ANdaman On 25Dec’2015.

Brilliant. We’ve been planning for an Andaman trip with our 3 yr old kid and this is exactly what we’re looking for. Very detailed and full of useful information.

Much appreciated. Many thanks!

Amazingly detailed and very informative too. Thanks for sharing…

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Election latest: Starmer incredulous over latest Tory attack line

Sir Keir Starmer has said he "can hardly believe" how the Conservative election campaign has pivoted towards attacking him for spending time with his family, having revealed he doesn't work after 6pm on Fridays and hopes to keep it up if he becomes prime minister.

Tuesday 2 July 2024 12:50, UK

• General Election 2024

Election week

• Starmer 'can hardly believe' latest Tory attack line
• Minister latest to hit out at Labour leader's 6pm Friday finishes
• Reform 'very disappointed' as another candidate quits
• Royal Mail points finger of blame over postal vote delays
• PM delivers? Sunak starts day with 5am Ocado trip
• Explained:  Why 'supermajority' warnings don't add up
• Sky News Daily:  Five things main parties aren't talking about
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler

Election essentials

• Manifesto pledges:  Conservatives | Greens | Labour | Lib Dems | Plaid | Reform | SNP
• Trackers:  Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
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• Read more:  Who is standing down? | Key seats to watch | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency is changing | Guide to election lingo
• How to watch election on Sky News

It's 12pm - time for your afternoon general election update as we enter the very final stretch of a fiery, six-week campaign.

Here's everything you need to know so far today:

• The Conservatives have kept up their attacks on  Sir Keir Starmer  over suggestions he would keep up his commitment to not working after 6pm on Fridays should he become PM;
• Health minister Maria Caulfield told Sky News "it is slightly concerning" that the Labour leader would take this approach;
• Sir Keir - who keeps Friday nights free to spend time with his wife and children - has hit back, claiming the attack is evidence of a "desperation" from the Conservatives which is "bordering on hysterical".
• Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir are busy on the campaign trail today, in a last ditch effort to convince voters to back their parties on Thursday;
• And the government is "urgently" investigating delays to postal ballots being delivered, after postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake criticised Royal Mail for apparently failing to deliver some votes in time.
• Stephen Flynn , the SNP's Westminster leader, today criticised the "complete and utter shambles" of these delays, claiming it "disenfranchises" people in Scotland who have gone on holiday (schools have already broken up there);
• Sir Ed Davey , the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is back on the campaign trail in the South East, knocking down Conservative blue dominoes in yet another stunt;
• And a second Reform UK candidate - Georgie David - has announced her decision to suspend her campaign because of "racism and misogyny" in the party - and back the Conservatives.

Stick with us for live updates throughout the day.

Lord Mann, a Labour peer who was appointed antisemitism adviser by Theresa May, has warned it is "so dangerous" for Sir Keir Starmer's "right to family time" to be questioned.

He said: "The attack on Keir Starmer for asserting his right to family time on a Friday night, as he has done for many, many years, is so dangerous.

"So insidious from those aware of why he chooses to be with his family specifically on Friday evenings."

He pointed out that Friday nights had a wider cultural significance within the Jewish community, likening it to Sundays in Christian communities.

“There’s a reason parliament does not sit on Sundays,” he said.

Sir Keir's wife Victoria is of Jewish heritage.

Reform UK has said it is "very disappointed" that another candidate has suspended their campaign - and instead endorsed the Conservatives.

Georgie David, who was the Reform candidate for West Ham and Beckton, said she is "in no doubt that the party and its senior leadership are not racist".

However, she said the "vast majority of candidates are indeed racist, misogynistic and bigoted".

In response, a spokesperson for Reform UK said: "We are very disappointed with Ms David's course of action.

"We strongly disagree with her sweeping comments about the 'vast majority' of our 600-plus candidates, the vast majority of whom she can never even have met.

"And we find it sad and strange that she chose not to bring up any of her concerns with the party leadership before publicly trashing so many of her blameless colleagues who are giving their all to get Reform UK elected.

"Ms David was a last minute addition to our candidate list, and we apologise to the voters of West Ham and Beckton for any inconvenience."

The other candidates in West Ham and Beckton are:

• James Edward Asser, Labour;
• Lois Austin, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition;
• Emily Bigland, Lib Dems;
• Rob Callender, Greens;
• Sophia Naqvi, Newham Independents Party;
• Holly Alice Ramsey, Conservatives;
• Kayode Shedowo, Christian Peoples Alliance.

By Faye Brown , political reporter

Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman have denied being associated with website domains purporting to be for future leadership bids.

It comes as a source close to Penny Mordaunt told Sky News she kept her domain active from the 2022 contests "for the same reason you'd keep a spare tire in the boot" - and not to mount a challenge against the PM.

With Rishi Sunak widely expected to lose the election on Thursday, there has been mounting speculation about what direction the Conservatives will head in and who could take command.

While Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker has been open about fancying his chances, other senior Tories are keeping their cards close to their chests.

More on one of the day's top stories now - namely reports that some postal votes have not yet arrived at the homes of voters. 

Royal Mail officials have said they "remain confident" that those postal votes that were received on time will be delivered before polling day, adding there is "no backlog".

The Post Office minister said earlier she is urgently investigating delays to people receiving their postal votes.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We have no backlog of postal votes and, whilst we are not complacent, we remain confident that postal votes handed to us on time will be delivered prior to polling day."

It suggested that "stakeholders" involved in "printing and administering" the postal votes could be to blame. 

"Where specific concerns have been raised, we have investigated, and confirmed ballot packs are being delivered as soon as they arrive in our network.

"We would welcome a review into the timetable for future elections with all stakeholders to ensure that the system for printing and administering postal votes before they are handed to Royal Mail works as smoothly as possible."

Sir Keir Starmer has said Tory attacks on his desire to spend Friday evenings with his family were a sign of "increasing desperation bordering on hysterical". 

The father-of-two said he would continue to have "protected time for the kids" at the end of the week if he were to take over the top job on 5 July.

The Conservatives have tried to make hay with the comments, with an attack on social media saying: "Keir Starmer has said he'd clock off work at 6pm if he became prime minister.

"You deserve better than a part-time prime minister. The only way to prevent this is to vote Conservative on Thursday."

Starmer 'can hardly believe' Tory attack line

Asked about the Tory criticism, Sir Keir said: "This is just increasingly desperate stuff. 

"I actually can hardly believe that 48 hours before an election, the Conservative Party has got nothing positive to say as they go into this."

Sir Keir said they were in a "negative, desperate loop".

He added: "My family is really important to me, as they will be to every single person watching this. And I just think it's increasing desperation bordering on hysterical."

The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is now asked about reports that some postal votes have not yet arrived at the homes of voters. 

"I am concerned about the postal ballots because it is really important in this election that every single person has the ability to vote - and I hope vote for change," he says in response. 

"I think it's on all of us on a sort of non-party political basis to say we must do everything we collectively can to ensure that those ballot papers get to people and they can fill them in and have the vote to which they are entitled so that the country can move forward with the change that I hope will be delivered at this election."

Sir Keir Starmer is now taking questions from the media, including from our political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh .

She asks about the cost of living crisis, which has eased because Europe is still reliant on Russian gas imports - with UK companies still facilitating the trade through insurance and ownership.

Would Sir Keir toughen sanctions to clamp down on this?

The Labour leader says the UK needs to have a "clear framework in place when it comes to trade".

He adds: "But what I would say you started with energy. 

"One of the reasons that we've paid such high prices in energy is because we're over reliant on the international market.

"That is precisely why we want to start the work on day one, setting up Great British Energy, a home-grown renewable energy company, because that will give us lower bills for good, because we control it. 

"It will give us independence and security, because whatever happens in Ukraine and Russia will not impact in the way that it has done."

You can read more on how British firms help to keep Russian gas flowing into Europe from our economics and data editor Ed Conway here:

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is also busy on the campaign trail today, addressing those gathered at a rally in Nottingham.

Less than 48 hours before polls open, Sir Keir hails his party for running a "positive campaign... all about change".

"What a contrast to the increasingly desperate, negative campaign that the Tories are running," he says. 

"They have literally got nothing to say to the electorate."

In contrast, the Labour leader says: "We have got plenty to say.

"This campaign is about change, it is about turning the page and rebuilding our country."

Sir Keir says if you don't vote Labour on Thursday, we could end up "on Friday morning with five more years" of the Conservatives.

"Have you seen anything in their campaign that suggests they have changed?"

He adds that "every single vote counts", stressing that some constituencies will go down to "a few hundred votes" either side on election night.

"People want change, but change will only happen if you vote for it."

Still in Oxfordshire, the prime minister is now taking questions from the audience. 

One woman says she's waited three years for an autism and ADHD diagnosis for her son and eventually ended up going private anyway. 

She asks how the prime minister can tackle the waiting lists and support those with diagnoses. 

Rishi Sunak says he's introduced a scheme that allows people to access the private sector via the NHS if the wait times are too long. 

"What I tell the NHS is: 'Look, if there's a private provider that can do whatever it might be, whether it's an assessment or a hip replacement, and they can do it at the same tariff rate, then people should be able to choose where to get their treatment and get it done there'," he says. 

He says this "because I don't have any ideological disagreement with the private sector", in an apparent stab at Sir Keir Starmer, adding that is one of the differences between the Conservatives and Labour. 

He then references the "pharmacy first" policy which should also help cut GP waits, before adding that six million NHS referrals were not carried out during the pandemic, slowing wait times further. 

"We're now starting to see waiting lists come down," he says. 

As for why he can be trusted, the prime minister repeats that he was right when warning of the dangers Liz Truss posed, and "that's why you can trust me now when I'm warning you about the dangers of what Labour would do if they were in power". 

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