SWARAJ DWEEP
What does HAVELOCK mean? Havelock Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is named after Sir Henry Havelock, but I feel it means ‘heaven locked’ somewhere in the Andaman Sea. Havelock is a scenic paradise, with pristine sandy beaches, abundant coral reefs and lush green forests. Havelock, now called Swaraj Dweep, can be covered in 3 nights.
How to reach Havelock is also adventurous. Havelock is well connected by inter-island ferries from other main centres of Andaman, Port Blair and Neil Island. We took the Makruzz Catamaran Ferry from Port Blair to Havelock.
While Government ferries do connect these islands throughout the year, I recommend private ships, which are much faster, cleaner and more comfortable. Makruzz and Green Ocean are 2 operators, the former one being the better choice. There are three classes of seats, go with the Deluxe one (the middle one) as it is upstairs.
TRAVEL TIP —Before booking the ferry, do check the flight schedules of reaching Port Blair, if you plan to directly go to Havelock, as the ferry only runs on specific timings and also keep in mind the distance to the jetty, the Phoenix Bay jetty. The ferry takes about 90 minutes to reach.
When you get off the ferry, the blue water of the sea and the cool breeze are so welcoming to the eye, body and soul. Havelock to me was love at first sight. Both my kids are beach bums, the first thing they said after reaching was lets hit the beach. We had booked the Seashell hotel on the Vijay Nagar beach. Our resort was close to the jetty and provided an excellent view of the clear emerald waters and the coconut trees studded beach.
Two-wheelers and four-wheelers are easily available on rent throughout. We rented one as soon as we got out of the hotel. Petrol is available at petrol pumps as well as some of the shops in the market. The main market of Havelok is in Govind Nagar, where there are banks, ATMs, small and big eateries, and shops. Out of the 5 main beaches in Havelock, 3 lie on the east coast in a single line, whereas Radha Nagar & Elephant beach are located towards the western ends of the island. TRAVEL TIP– One has to be very careful as to when to leave for the beach, as the entry to the beach gets closed in the early evening, around 5 pm [we visited early October].
We decided to go to Kaalapathar beach, had the least idea that time that it is on one corner of the island and would take a good time to reach there. The beach gets its name from the surrounding village, which is Kalapathar Village and the black rocks that adorn the white, silky coastline there. We were a little late to spend much time there, but the sunset was beautiful. The shore was strewn with trees that were uprooted, and it gave a beautiful spot for a perfect photograph. Families can spend some peaceful time there, while children can enjoy sand digging. There were a few sellers selling fruits, coconut water and things for kids. On our way back, it got dark, and we stopped at Anju Coco restaurant for dinner. It is a great place with good food quality and a comfortable ambience.
The beaches in Havelock are all numbered, so our next day early visit was to the beach no 7, Radhanagar beach, which has been named as the best beach in Asia. The approach road towards the beach is hilly, bumpy and a little narrow, and would take a good time to drive if you stay on the east coast. There are only 2 good resorts that lead to Radhanagar beach, Taj Exotica and Barefoot. TIP– My personal suggestion is to stay on the East Coast if you are travelling for the first time to Havelock.
Radhanagar beach is really serene, a pristine stretch of sand with turquoise water in the backdrop of tall trees, which is a treat for the eyes. There is a lot of parking space, and small shops are lined up on both sides of the road. There are also proper changing rooms on the side of the entrance. There are no water sports at Radhanagar beach, although you can swim. It is advisable not to venture too far into the wild, near the mangroves or the bushes. There is a nice secluded tourist hotspot called Neil’s Cove, try to get there. The expanse of the beach takes your breath away. Beautiful or any other adjective is an understatement for the beauty of Radhanagar beach.
Also, it is very well maintained by the authorities, unlike many commercial beaches in Goa. We had a great time at the beach, but seriously, time comes to a standstill, and what one can hear is just the rustling of the waves; no wonder the beach is the most romantic place in the world. Post the amazing time at Radhanagar, do have lunch at the Barefoot resort, it’s really good. So, the plan was to go to Elephant beach after beach no 7, but we got late as the time for the last boat was missed by us. Elephant Beach is the most commercialised beach of Havelock, where various water sports are available. It is famous as an elephant (who is now old and retired) that used to swim to this beach along with its mahout each day. The beach can be reached in 2 ways: one by taking a boat and the other by trekking. If you choose to trek, a path to the beach starts from the road to Radha Nagar beach, and you could ask a local for directions. But nevertheless, we changed back at our resort, had coffee and were off to Full Moon Cafe for dinner. Full Moon Cafe is on the main strip of restaurants and shops. We had been there earlier in the day to make our bookings at Dive India. Seafood was really good, and also quite a good menu for both veg and non-vegetarians and also a couple of cats just loitering around.
It is really different and peaceful when you just look at the sky at night, filled with stars. Husband and I had a glass of wine while sitting outside on our balcony at night.
Our next morning was booked, as my son and I were to go snorkelling, and my husband wanted to see deep down the sea, so he had booked deep-sea diving. The experience is out of this world. His was of longer duration, so the kids and I spent time on Govind Nagar beach and some time at a cafe. Do try Fat Martin Cafe.
Well, post the rendezvous with the corals, it was time to say goodbye to Havelock. We had booked the last Makruzz ferry of the day back to Port Blair. As we reached a little early and the ferry was delayed by half an hour, we decided to have lunch at Dakshin by Barefoot, which is just next to the jetty.
The varied colour of the ocean as the sun rises or sets on the island is a must-watch and is appreciated. We left Havelock thinking we should have booked it for a couple of days more to imbibe the essence of Havelock fully…but there is always the next time….Enjoy
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