Travel Dates: Apr. 9th 2021 – Apr. 21st 2021
Trip Overview
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a set of islands in the Bay of Bengal off the east coast of India. Surprisingly, these islands are closer to Thailand even though they are an Indian Territory. Traveling there from Bangalore was still considered a domestic flight which made it a more manageable vacation destination during the COVID pandemic. This is also another reason we are itching to return after understanding how easy it was to travel there from India.
The first and last nights of our trip we stayed in Port Blair due to the misalignment of our flight and ferry times. The remainder of our trip was spent on Havelock island (Also called Swaraj Dweep) at two different hotels, which is detailed in this post. There are other islands as well that can be visited for tourism, mainly Neil Island, but due to the overwhelming online resources for Havelock, it was clear this was the most sought-after destination for tourism.
Whether you are looking for an exotic resort to be wined and dined to the backdrop of beautiful beaches and tropical rainforests, or just looking for a budget trip for water activities and beach relaxation then Havelock Island will satisfy all your expectations.
Getting To Havelock
Before booking your flights, check on Ferry times from Port Blair (PB) to Havelock (HL) so you can ensure your flight lands at least 2 hours before the Ferry departure time. It takes about 20 min to get to the main Jetty where the Ferry departs and you will need to check-in through multiple checkpoints at the Jetty before boarding. They claim to close the Ferry boarding gates 30 minutes before the Ferry departs and during our return ferry, we left early, so it is best to not risk missing the ferry and making sure you have adequate time to get to Havelock for the first night of your trip.
There are private and government-owned Ferry companies. The private companies are easier to book online and the main mode of transport for tourists. We recommend Makruzz as this was easy to book online and the most widely used.
Where to Stay?
Jalakara
We ended our trip at Jalakara to treat ourselves to a nicer hotel while celebrating Allison’s Birthday. We spent two nights and close to three days here, and to put it simply we were blown away. This boutique hotel has become our favorite hotel of all time. So what made it so great!?
For starters, every room they have (6 total) is unique and different from the others. The highlights are a Premium Villa with a private pool and Tower Room with a private terrace for stargazing. We stayed in one of the two sunset rooms with a private patio complete with lounge chairs, a hammock, and a private snack bar with coffee and cookies. The room also included a lofted reading nook which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Due to limited rooms, they promote a very community-friendly and intimate setting amongst the other travelers. They typically vet out their guests before confirming bookings to make sure eco-friendly and like-minded guests are going to enjoy all they have to offer. Unplugging and disconnecting while enjoying the surrounding nature, watching sunsets above the tree line from one of the highest points on the island, eating incredible food, swimming in the infinity pool, sipping on unique cocktails, and playing board games may not be for everyone if there is no TV, internet, or chain restaurants…..
The on-site staff is incredibly friendly and we felt like we made real connections to each of them and now consider them all friends. They genuinely enjoy showing their guests a good time and we enjoyed multiple meaningful conversations with them.
During our 3 days at their location, we felt there was not enough time to do all the activities we wanted and this doesn’t even count the other activities they offer on the island off-site.
Both mornings we woke up early to start our days off with healthy activity. The first-morning Rozzy led us through a 1-hour private yoga session poolside while the second morning was reserved for a private 1-mile hike through the rainforest to a private beach.
We also booked a private cooking class with the head chef at Jalakara to learn how to make his famous Veg and Chicken Momos (Steamed filled dumplings). This was a highlight for Allison to continue to enhance her cooking skills while learning unique styles across cultures.
We ate extremely well while we stayed here. We even booked a private poolside romantic dinner for one of the nights and we were blown away with the food and general ambiance of their location. Sitting under the stars for dinner inspired us to take some star photos as well, which ended up becoming one of our favorite photos of all time.
Havelock Farms
For a more affordable stay, we would recommend Havelock Farms. They are located directly across the street from Dive India (Dive India shifted locations in early 2021 and they are now across from Havelock Farms instead of across from Green Imperial) and very near all of the popular restaurants and east coast beaches. They are a smaller establishment with about 8 private rooms, each being a standalone structure. The AC was a huge selling point for us and a nice added benefit was the movie channels so we could relax and unwind in the evenings after the 5:30 pm sunset to prepare for another early morning.
Most importantly, the owner Jafar and his wife were the nicest hosts and made our trip pleasurable by helping book a scooter and make sure we were as comfortable as possible. They even offered us a free massage one afternoon because we had booked so many nights with them. AND they made Allison a Cake for her Birthday!
What to Do?
Life on Havelock starts with the beaches and ends with the water sports. You can make your trip as active or relaxing as you would like.
Beaches
Below is a list of the five beaches worth exploring in our experience, in order of enjoyment.
1) Radhanagar Beach
This is the most well-known beach among the Andaman and Nicobar islands. This beach was recently declared the top beach in Asia so there is no surprise this was the most popular beach. Located on the west coast of the island, this beach is a must-see for sunset. The main portion of the beach is lined with wooden lounge chairs, with some under shade, making it a nice place to relax. The clean white sand makes this beach a spectacle. There is plenty of open beach space that spreads endlessly in both directions and can provide privacy for those looking to wander farther from the crowds.
2) Elephant Beach
This is the most popular tourist spot for water sports and activities. This beach is surrounded by rainforests making it more remote and harder to locate. The most common way to get here is to pay 1k INR for a 30 min boat ride from the main jetty on the north side of the island. The more adventurous alternative is to take a 45-minute hike through the rainforest and mangroves.
The beach is packed with tourists, so be prepared. There is minimal beach space near the main dock, but there are some open areas off to the side for some privacy and there are many seats and benches in the shade. They offer a variety of activities including parasailing, tubing, jet skiing, and banana boats.
The most surprising aspect of this location was the snorkeling. This is the best snorkeling spot on the island and quite frankly the best snorkeling we have ever seen across all our travels. The expansive coral seemed to go on forever and we saw a larger variety of marine life during this snorkeling than most scuba diving trips. If you bring your snorkeling gear it is free, but they offer lifejackets and snorkeling gear for tourists at an additional cost. They even help paddle you around if you are not a good swimmer.
The beach closes at 3:30 pm so make sure to get there early to make the most out of your day at Elephant beach.
3) Kalapathar Beach
This is the most accessible southern beach on the east coast of the island. Lined with trees and wooden benches in the shade, this is a great beach to relax, especially with fewer tourists compared to the other beaches on the island. There is minimal open sand so unless you are in the water or relaxing in the shade there is limited space for other activities.
4) Vijay Nagar Beach
The drive to Kalapathar Beach along the east coast was a pleasant surprise lined with beautiful trees and open water. Make sure to explore the lesser travelled Vijay Nagar Beach. We stopped at a few locations along the coast to take private photos in more natural and uncontaminated settings.
5) Govind Nagar Beach
This beach lines most of the east coast and is used for most of the diving boats. To find the main entrance to this beach you need to look for a sign that says church (Visible when driving south). However, if you are at any resort along this beach or eating at a restaurant near the beach they will all open up to this beach.
Due to the low tide that exposed a lot of coral and rocks, the beach was not ideal for enjoying the water, but the sand was spacious and clean. We set up a hammock and some towels and relaxed here one afternoon.
Other Activities
Scuba Diving
Dive India is the main PADI dive center on the island and is located directly across the street from Havelock Farms Hotel. We did many days of diving here and Allison got her Advanced Open Water certificate from this Dive Shop. She enjoyed all the skills dives and even a night dive. One of the instructors was a marine biologist so Allison learned a lot more about marine life than she was expecting.
Snorkeling
The best snorkeling is at Elephant Beach. We didn’t snorkel at any other beaches, but Elephant Beach had the best snorkeling we have ever seen. Make it here if you enjoy snorkeling!
Trekking
We took two hikes through the rainforests, one to Elephant Beach and one to a private beach as part of the Jalakara excursion. With various rainforests, there are most likely many hiking options. It is best to reach out to your hotel to ask about available trekking paths if you are interested.
Food and Drinks
Something Different
We ate here twice during our stay on Havelock. They have a long menu of local and Western food so we always found what we were looking for. They also had a happy hour that we cashed in both times we ate here. Very big and relaxing atmosphere to kill some time and enjoy good food and drinks.
Full Moon Cafe
Easily our favorite restaurant we tried during our time on the island, Full Moon Cafe has it all. A large menu with vegetarian and vegan options and a large fresh juice menu made it easy to keep coming back for lunch to try something new. One meal was a chargrilled veggie and chicken dish, chickpea salad, and falafel wrap.
Anju Coco
Even though their menu was reduced due to the effects of COVID (Sadly no pizza) their food was still very good and they had an amazing banana-based pie with vanilla ice cream which was the desert of the day.
Bo Na Va
The fanciest restaurant of our trip, Bo Na Va is a must-try if you want to splurge on a nice night out. We ordered what felt like the full menu because it all sounded so good. Even as we were checking out we were tempted by the desert display, but couldn’t eat anymore.
