Elephant beach and snorkeling....

Day 7: Havelock island

After the normal start of the day and a heavy breakfast, we visited DiveIndia. Havelock island is known for scuba diving and snorkeling. After a good amount of research, we zeroed on DiveIndia. Its located near Full Moon cafe on the main road. I think they do offer stay options since it offers courses on scuba diving as well. After some inquiries, we enrolled for the next day's morning dive!

The best thing about island vacation is you have lots of time and very few things to do! We next visited Elephant beach. Take the road to Radhanagar beach and around 2.5 kms before Radhanagar beach, you will find the base to trek for Elephant beach on your right (if you are traveling from market area). It's approximately 7-8 kms from market. As you park the vehicle, you will find locals offering you to take to Elephant beach for a cost. We decided to just follow the trail and we dint take any guide. It's easy if you follow the trail but for a first timer, you might get lost as well in the forest. Almost near the beach, you will find a marshy land where you need to be careful. I think the land is covered by water in high tides because of which it is always marshy. Trek for half an hour and you reach the beach!

Route to Elephant beach

There are many water activities here like snorkeling, glass bottom boat ride, sea walking etc. But since an incident had occurred near Ross island where a private ferry sank killing a few passengers, there was an inspection going on over Andamans because of which activities involving boats were stopped. So the only option we were left with was snorkeling. I was a little scared after the previous experience but my better half was all game for snorkeling! For INR 300 you get a short snorkeling route and a longer one for INR 500. According to Mr. Husband, it was a good site for snorkeling since you get to see the under water world from a much shorter distance. So do head to Elephant beach for a good snorkeling experience.

Scenery on the way to the beach 

Elephant beach

It was lunch time by the time we returned from the beach and we headed straight to Anju Coco for a lip smacking thali! A small break at the resort and we headed back to Radhanagar beach. Visiting Radhanagar beach in the evenings was kind of a ritual now at Havelock island!

The endless stretch of Radhanagar beach

On the way back, we stopped at the market for some fruit shopping. We used to stock up on fruits in case of some hunger pangs at mid night! your senses are in for a treat when you visit the vegetable market since the market is surrounded by lots of small eateries! We saw a weird drink called coconut milkshake at a restaurant called Welcome. The drink looked inviting and we thought of trying it. Its a must drink if you happen to stop at the market. Just remembering the drink is taking me back in time!

Dinner as usual was at Anju Coco and here we were at the end of another day at the Andaman.

Kala Pathar beach and Vijaynagar beach........

Day 6: Havelock island

The day started with a walk on the Vijaynagar beach. The cool breeze and the sound of waves were soothing to the mind. The agenda of the day was to visit the Kala Pathar beach, laze around Vijaynagar beach and another visit to the Radhanagar beach.

Breakfast was complimentary and was the regular fare of juice, eggs, toast, parathas. Freshened up and left for the first place on the agenda - Kala Pathar beach. Its just a few mins drive from the resort. The beach gets its name from a nearby village with the same name. The sea gives you company on one side decorated with black rocks and the other side of the road is lined with tropical forest. The beach was deserted with the presence of one coconut vendor. Since mornings are high tides and we were told of not entering the waters because of strong currents and rocks, we just took a small stroll on the beach, had water from a really huge coconut(haven't seen this huge a coconut until now) and off to the Makruzz office to book for the onward journey.

Kala Pathar beach during high tide

The Makruzz office is located near the jetty on the left side coming from the jetty. We booked premium class tickets which were priced at INR. 950 per person. Premium class is located on the upper deck. A colleague of mine had advised against the lower deck seats to avoid sea sickness.

Kala Pathar beach

We then headed back to the resort and it was time to get into the waters! The resort has a private beach with trees lined on the shore. Mr. Husband enjoyed swimming and I was just lazing around the shore. The best thing about Andamans, according to us, is just lazing on a beach under the shade of a tree and reading your favorite author! It was just what we needed after a hectic schedule back at Bangalore. Lunch was at Anju Coco and we retired to reading books by the shore.

It had become a ritual to witness sunset on beach while at Neil island and how could we miss the spectacular scene at Radhanagar beach. All our evenings at Havelock island were spent watching the sunset at Radhanagar beach. We reached Radhanagar beach by 4:45 pm, went for a long walk on the beach and saw the amazing sunset.

There are lots of shops and eateries lined up near the parking. On our way back, I was tempted to buy some jewelry and souvenirs. The items are expensive compared to Neil island and do not forget to bargain! In case you visit Neil island and have some time for shopping, do it at Bharathpur beach in the mornings.

On our way back, we stopped at Anju Coco for dinner. It was a relaxed day with nothing much to do or roam around but well spent.  

The very popular Havelock island....

Day 5: Neil Island to Havelock Island

We had spent almost 3 days at the calm Neil island and the serenity of the place din't made us feel like leaving from this island! It was time to say goodbye to Neil island and hello to Havelock island. Havelock island is a lot more popular island among the tourists. It is also more expensive and crowded as compared to Neil island. The places are more touristy.

As was the routine in the Andaman for us, we got up early, took a stroll on the beach and were ready to leave for the jetty by 9:30 am. The ferry to Havelock island was at 11:00 am and we had booked Coastal Cruise for this journey as well. There are local ferries as well though they take some time. We reached Havelock by 1 pm and the pick up was arranged by Emerald Gecko.

Waiting near the Neil island jetty

We had booked Emerald Gecko for the stay at Havelock and the place looked amazing as we entered. But, we were not much impressed by the service. The place had a nice look and feel to it with bamboo bungalows and a private beach with a nice restaurant in the middle of the property. The rooms also looked good with an open air bathroom and a good ambiance. But the cons included expensive food and there were bugs on the bed which made the stay a little uncomfortable here. But that's just my opinion.

Bamboo cottage interiors at Emerald Gecko

You can roam around this island with a 2 wheeler which costs around INR 400 on a 24 hour basis. But since we wanted it for 4 days, bargained it for INR 350. Petrol is a little expensive priced at INR 80 for a litre and it would be advisable to carry an empty 1 litre bottle to measure the petrol while filling the tank since it's available in shops and there are no petrol bunks.

Since it was evening by the time we made some plans to roam around, we thought of visiting Radhanagar beach. Radhanagar beach is very famous in Havelock since it was crowned as 'Asia's Best Beach' by Time magazine. It is a very large stretch of white sand with blue waters and lush forest. The sunset looks amazing from the beach. The beach is so huge that it can accommodate a huge crowd and still look empty! There is also a changing room available at the beach. The route to Radhanagar beach is also very scenic with paddy fields and forest to give you company. Approximately 15 kms from the market.

I had read some reviews on a restaurant Anju Coco. Its near Dolphin resort, easy to locate and well known. The restaurant had decent options for vegetarians and the food was tasty as well. We enjoyed veg sizzlers there. Not to forget the good service. Also, it was less expensive compared to the other places. This restaurant was the place for our lunches and dinners by default for the next few days at Havelock.

And it was the end of another day at the Andaman.

Serene Neil Island

Day 2: Neil Island

The plan was to explore Neil Island and Havelock Island..Port Blair has many interesting places to visit but we were keen on Neil Island and Havelock Island..We left from the hotel at 6:00 AM in the morning on 1st March..Coastal Cruise is a private ferry to Neil and Havelock Islands..It was first time for me and my husband on a ship..And we were too excited to start the journey..!!

Coastal Cruise

It took us four and a half hours to reach Neil Island..!! We need to reach the jetty atleast by 6:45 AM since there will be luggage check-in and other stuff..There are 3 different classes in the ship..It was a good experience overall..:)

Inside the ship

We had booked Tango Beach Resort at Neil Island..After reaching the jetty, we took an auto to the resort..There are very few resorts in this island and very few people know of this island..Many people come to this island for a day's visit..But I would recommend to stay here atleast for 2 days as this island is a little less commercialized and more serene..Again the bookings were done in November to avoid the last hour rush..!!

View from our cottage

The cottages in the resort are sea-facing giving you a brilliant view from the room..The food was included in the tariff and it was too good..Lovely food and beautiful white beaches with crystal clear water...!! What else could you ask for..!!

Corals seen during low tide

The resort is on the Lakshmanpur beach..The beach is full of corals and you can actually see them when there is a low tide..During the low tide in the noons, the water level goes down completely and you can see the corals in different shapes..!!

Beach in front of the resort with corals

Brain coral seen during low tide

We took a stroll on the beach and then had lunch..There are cycles and 2-wheelers available for rent at this island..We hired 2 cycles.. :) The roads are more or less straight with no up-hill or down-hill which makes it easy to ride a cycle..We again took a long stroll on the beach..It was a refreshing feeling to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city life..The sound of the waves and the sea-birds were music to the ears..!! The sunset point lies on this beach..You can take a walk on the beach till the point from the resort which is hardly a km..

Sunset at Sunset Point

And here we were at the end of the 2nd day at Andaman..!!
Auto from jetty to Tango Beach Resort - INR 60/-
Cost per cycle per day - INR 100/-
Cost of 2-wheeler per day - INR 400/- without fuel
Breakfast, Lunch and dinner was included in the tariff..