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Havelock Island is the most visited of the Andaman Islands. It’s becoming
popular for its pristine beaches, coral reefs and great scuba diving. The pace
of life is slow and relaxed, the locals are friendly and still not too affected
by tourism, and the facilities are moderately basic for the most part.
Havelock Island is a small Island and most of the population are Bengali
settlers. The distance between Port Blair and Havelock Island is 30 kilometers.
Get There
Ferries are the major way on or off the island. 2-3 arrive daily from Port Blair
(2-4 hours) and one from Rangat, one of which comes via Neil Island. Schedules
vary according to day and season, so enquiry locally, and see Andaman and
Nicobar Islands about the differences between the ship types.
Government Operated Ferries are always booked in advance its highly unlikely
that you will get seats in these for the same day or the next day so plan your
travel accordingly, rates are 250 for “Chair” class and 350 for “Seat” Class.
These ferries are AC and can be booked in advance from the counter at the DSS in
port Blair. Booking Counter at also available in Havelock at the Jetty and these
open at 9:15 to 12:15 and 14:15 to 16:15.
See
Radhanagar Beach (Beach #7) is the most beautiful on the island and was rated as
the best in Asia by Time in 2004. Gorgeous, silky white sand backed by a forest
that provides welcome shade looks out over turquoise water, some stretches with
a sandy bottom good for swimming and some with excellent coral reefs that are
great for snorkeling – a great combination indeed.
Sunsets here are often spectacular and it’s a popular time to be at the beach,
but be careful not to miss the last trucks back if you’re not staying here. A
man with an elephant walks through the forest occasionally, offering rides for a
fee. Buses run throughout the day until sunset, as do auto-rickshaws and shared
4 wheel-drive trucks. There are a few food shacks where the road hits the beach,
all of which rent snorkels and fins.
Elephant Beach is further north from Radhanagar and is popular with Indian
tourists. The shoreline here was largely swept away by the 2004 tsunami and the
beach is a fraction of what it used to be; however, the coral here is probably
the best on the island, making this an excellent spot for snorkeling. It’s
reachable on foot from Beach #7 or by fishing boat from the east side of the
island; many resorts arrange snorkeling and diving trips here.
Do
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is probably the biggest activity on the island other than lying
around and eating great seafood. Both operators on Havelock, Barefoot Scuba and
Dive India are PADI certified dive centers, provide good equipment and offer
training up to instructor. They share pretty much all of the same discovered
dive sites, and prices are more or less standardized at Rs.4000 for discover fun
dive for non-certified divers, with a 10-15% discount for your own equipment.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is also popular, with several options at various beaches.
Trekking
If you’ve had enough of the beach, try a little hot and sweaty jungle trekking.
If you’re into confluence hunting, you can find it just 800 meters away from the
end of beach #5.
Sleep
The majority of accommodation on offer are cheap palm-thatched beach huts. High
season is from mid October to March, although these dates vary depending on
demand. Most of the budget and mid range places double their prices in this
time.
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