“Memories are timeless treasures of the heart”

And a memory of something that happens for the first time…that particular memory is the most special. There have been quite some vacations when I have stayed in luxury resorts but it was on a vacation to Andaman Islands in January 2009 that we first splurged on our stay.

For most of our vacation at Andaman Islands, we had booked our stay with resorts affiliated with the government tourism department but to make our holiday special the last two days were booked with Fortune Resort at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Fortune Resort is a member of ITC group of hotels and is located at the Marine hill overlooking the vast blue Bay of Bengal.

Overlooking the deep blue Bay of Bengal

We checked in when day was almost over after the light and sound show at Cellular Jail. I remember stepping into a warm earthy reception area with wooden flooring. The large area connected to a shaded deck with wooden railing that extended towards the sea.

Tired though we were from the entire day’s sightseeing itinerary, but we still preferred to dine at the open deck restaurant ‘Mandalay’ with the sea breeze gently easing off our tiredness. As night proceeded, we retired to our room that had a gorgeous sea view….that I realized only when we woke up the next morning! One thing that I caught my attention was a note to resort guests about water conservation on the island and regulated timings of the supply…. indeed a brave and commendable decision for a hospitality business.

We rose up with a lazy start to the next day…nothing on our itinerary except relaxing in the lap of luxury. Breakfast was a lavish spread….a first for me honestly with all kinds of cuisines vying for attention and I didn’t know where to start from!

While I roamed the property and enjoyed watching the changing shades of blue, the motor boats and the lighthouse   from the shaded deck, the kids made most of it in the small play area and the pool.

Cooling off in pool…

Resort overlooks the Bay of Bengal

Sun is quite harsh at Andamans…..even at eight in morning, it seems like noon with sun almost overhead. Touring around the property made me thirsty and to my relief the bar had opened by the time so I chose to lounge in the lawn with the most wonderful drink served in the green coconut shell, a mix of fruity flavours!

Surrounded by swaying coconut palms and the deep ocean with ever changing myriad hues of blue, my stay at the beautiful property was the perfect way to end our week long vacation. As time advanced, so did our ability to spend on a luxury stays….But this memory will always remind me of the first time we  could afford a grand luxurious stay.

Published by Shoma Abhyankar

I believe "Life is short and the world is wide"and travel is best possible solution to make the best of this life. I am Shoma Abhyankar. Welcome to ASTONISHING INDIA. View all posts by Shoma Abhyankar