Havelock Island was the second stop on our Andamans and Nicobar Islands trip. We spent seven days in the island region across three locations as part of the trip. To know more about our trip, read our article

Andaman and Nicobar Islands – A Glimpse into the Entire Trip

Havelock Island, an Overview

Havelock Island is one of the islands 572 tropical islands that comprise the Andaman and Nicobar Islands region. It is located east of the main South Andaman Island, about 45 kilometers from the capital, Port Blair, and takes about 2 hours to reach by boat. This is one of the 38 islands in the entire group which is permanently inhabited and part of only a few which have been developed from a tourism point of view.

Havelock Island is one of the largest islands of the island group. Recently in 2018, the island was named Swaraj Dweep by the government to do away with Western Names for a lot of the islands within the group. The island is spread across a 113 square kilometer area and is one of the most populated islands in the region.

A quick look at the governmental brochure for these islands is available at - Havelock Brochure

How to Reach Havelock Island

Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of many small islands and the only air connectivity is to the main island. Port Blair is the only airport in the region and hence you probably would land there. Beyond that, waterways take over as the primary mode of transport. To reach Havelock Islands from Port Blair, you can take ferries. There are government ferries that run as per the defined schedule. Tickets to these ferries open up closer (up to 2 days before) to the departure date.

However, there are a few private ferries that run across the touristy islands and can be booked in advance. These are luxury boats that offer convenience, speed, and comfort for a price. There are three companies that provide this option and all of them have good services. The three companies are Majruzz, Nautika, and Green Ocean. While the first two are similar in their offering, the last one offers access to an open deck during the ride. We recommend trying all of them if you have three legs on your journey. The boat ride from Port Blair to Havelock Islands is about two and a half hours long and takes you through the open seas of the Bay of Bengal.

Internal transport is mainly via hired taxis. There are limited local transport buses available but if you are visiting for a limited time, you will want to avoid the hassle. There are autos also available for some short-distance rides but their availability may be sporadic and limited to specific spots.

What to Explore on Havelock Island

The entire set of islands is a nature's gift and hence that is what you would want to explore across the trip. This island is famous for white sandy beaches, coral reefs, and water sports. This is one trip where you would enjoy one Beach after another, each one with its own flavor. We did appreciate the fact that operations at all beaches are well organized and the purpose is clearly laid out. While there are at least 5 beaches on this island, we would recommend covering at least the three below for specific reasons.

Radhanagar Beach

This is one of the cleanest beaches that I have in India, especially given the touristy nature of the spot. The only other clean beach that matches it is the one in Dhanushkodi before it was open to the public. This is a beach where you can swim and hence come prepared accordingly. There are hutments available for you to change after a refreshing endeavor in the sea. There are adequate lifeguards (who are surprisingly active as well) spread across the length of the beach and provide a sense of safety. To promote cleanliness, authorities have restricted vendors within the beach premises but there are tourists who carry food from the stalls outside which is to say that there are options close by.

It is a great spot to spend your entire evening and you will not feel bored. We were there in the late afternoon (around 2 PMish) and then spent some time just relaxing by the water. We later explored the water and played in there either swimming or simply standing in the cool water. Later we relaxed on the sand while waiting for the sunset. The kiddo enjoyed playing in the sand to the fullest all this while.

When it happened, the views of the sunset were simply awesome. It will now go on to add to our list of best sunsets we have seen across the world.

Elephant Beach

This beach is one which would be of interest if you are in Andamans. This beach is popular for water sports activities. You will find water sports on a few other beaches across the islands but this one is the most organized one. You could either take a speed boat or walk down a half-an-hour hike. The activities on the beach are nicely set up and there is something for every age group and taste. We would recommend trying a snorkeling session if you do not like adventure, and a scuba diving session if you are up for it. The speedboat ticket that you take includes a snorkeling session but that is only an illusion as they only take you into the sandy region with it. The kid enjoyed his submarine ride - which has half of the vessel submerged and provides a glimpse into underwater flora and fauna.

Kala Pathar Beach

We recommend this beach for its wonderful sunrise views. If you can drag yourself out of the bed, then you will get some mesmerizing views and peace. Not a lot of folks are there at the beach that early and hence you could enjoy a good start to the day, all by yourself.

Things to Remember

• These islands have limited cars so generally, your tour operator would piggyback multiple groups on the same car. The drivers would hence push for a recommended time to visit a spot. We recommend that you do your own research and be assertive about the time that you prefer.
• Boats for Elephant Beach are run by a union and during rush seasons, there is a considerable wait involved. Some tour operators know how to "manage" it by working around time and in other ways. Since the beach closes sharp at 4 PM, you may want to start early.
• These islands are small societies with limited means. You may not find all utilities or brands of snacks. Havelock Island for example has only 2 medication shops, both of which remain closed on Sundays. So carry all your essentials with you.
• While a high-speed cable has been set up to provide internet in these islands, the connectivity is still a bit iffy. You may get decent speeds in most locations but may find some black spots as well. We recommend downloading offline versions of your maps and printing any specific information that you may need.
• You may want to carry a separate sim card if your primary one is not from BSNL or Airtel. We always recommend carrying one from BSNL as a backup if you are traveling in remote locations within India e.g. Andamans, North East India, or Jammu and Kashmir.

Stay tuned for our next stop