Located 70 KM away from Port Blair, Havelock Island is the main tourist attraction in Andaman which is officially known as Swaraj Dweep. It is a picturesque natural destination with dense tropical forest, world-class beaches, rich marine life and adventurous water sports.
Havelock Island has a very low population density which allows you to get close to nature and taking a needful break from urbanization. Narrow road surrounded by the tropical jungle from one side and blue water from the other side makes it the best places to visit in Andaman.
Table of Content:
- Is Havelock Island Worth Visiting?
- Best Places to Visit in Havelock Island
- Top Things to do at Havelock Island
- Top Places to Stay at Havelock Island
- How to Reach Havelock Island?
- Best time to visit Havelock Island
- Havelock Island Tour Packages
- Havelock Island Faq’s
Is Havelock Island worth visiting?
Yes definitely, Havelock Island is home to some world-class beaches such as Radhanagar Beach which is rated as the most famous beach in Andaman Island and the best beach in Asia by Time Magazine. Along with it boasts the best infrastructure for water sports like Scuba Diving, snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing and banana boat ride. Therefore, it is a perfect place for those who are looking to seek some peaceful time in the lap of nature away from home, mobile, internet and commercial life.
Best Place to Visit in Havelock Island:
1. Radhanagar Beach or Beach No. 7:
Radhanagar beach is the most famous beach not only on Swaraj Dweep but on the entire Andaman Island. And it is described as the best beach in Asia and the 7th best beach in the world by Times Magazine in 2004. Also In 2016, it is included in the list of top 25 beaches in Asia by the Tripadvisor Traveller Choice Award.
As soon you enter the gate you will amaze to see the most beautiful sceneries of your life with the wide blue sea, shoreline with white sand and tall tropical trees.
Surrounded by the tropical jungles and hugged with coconut trees from all sides, the Radhangar beach is a perfect getaway for family, friends, and honeymoon couples. There are lots of wooden benches, huts and chairs spread all over the beach which gives you the perfect place to relax under the tall tropical trees with snacks, drinks and stunning beauty of the wide blue ocean.
It is one of the beaches in Andaman where you have no restriction on swimming. The medium waves and low current makes it the best place for swims. Apart from swimming here, you can enjoy the beautiful sunset.
Famous For: White Sand, Beautiful sunset and Swimming
How to Reach: It is located on the western coast in Havelock Island, around 11 KM from the Havelock Island Jetty and one can easily get here by taking SH4 road. You can easily hire a cab or rickshaw from Havelock Jetty which takes around 10 to 20 minutes to reach there.
You can also take government buses for a budget trip. The timings aren’t fixed but buses run in every 2 hours. For more information, you can ask the locals people who are very helpful. And if you’re here to stay for more than one day then rental bikes are the best way to reach here. As the internet is slow here so make sure you’ve got an offline map.
2. Elephant Beach:
Elephant beach is one of the major tourist attractions on the Havelock Islands. It is considered the heaven of water sports in the Andaman Islands. This beach is famous for its mesmerizing location surrounded by dense tropical jungles and greenery from all sides, complemented by the white sand.
Elephant beach is a public area and anyone can access it but we recommend you to visit it during the first half of the day, to get the best time on these beautiful white sandy shores and all water sports that beach has to offer. After a day full of adventurous activities here you can find refreshment shops where you’ll get delicious seafood and snacks.
It is a perfect getaway for all kinds of trips whether you’re on a solo trip, family trip, or honeymoon vacation.
Famous for: Elephant beach is famous for swimming, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking and other water sports in Andaman. Along with water sports here you can explore the famous underwater world of Andaman and enjoy the exciting marine life such as beautiful coral reefs, turtles, colorful fishes, sea anemones and other beautiful creatures of the sea.
How to reach: Elephant beach is located around 9 KM from the Havelock Ferry Ghat and can be reached by boat and trekking. The Boat is the most convenient way to reach here, one can take a boat from the ferry ghat which takes around 20 minutes to reach here.
The trekking path starts from the middle of the road to the Radhanagar beach (8.6 KM from Havelock Jetty) which means you have to take a cab or bus to reach there. After that look for the sign of “Way to Elephant Beach” which takes you from the dense tropical jungle preserved by the Andaman Administration. The whole trekking path is 2 KM. We don’t recommend you to take this path without a tour guide.
3. Vijaynagar Beach or beach no.5:
Also known as Lone Mangrove Beach, Vijaynagar beach is one of the less frequented places in Havelock Island due to its remote location. It is a perfect place for those who want to spend some time away from urbanization in the lap of nature. The clear crystal blue water with fine white sand and beautiful seashells create an amazing contrast of blue, green and white on the canvas of nature.
It is one of the best places in Andaman if you want to experience picturesque sunrise and sunset.
Famous for: Vijaynagar beach is famous for its remote location, miraculous sunrise & sunset, swimming, hiking, fishing and trekking. Along with it is also famous for its exciting underwater world.
How to Reach: Vijaynagar beach is located roughly 9 KM away from Havelock jetty. From there you can take bus or cab to Vijaynagar beach. The rental bike is the best way to reach there.
4. Kala Pathar Beach:
Located 10 KM from Havelock Jetty, the Kalapathar beach is a continuation of beach no.5 or Vijaynagar beach. The way to the beach is itself very picturesque as it is surrounded by the tall dense tropical trees on one side and open wide blue ocean on another side.
Once you reach there you’ll get to see the open area with the long stretch of white sand and a relaxing environment where you can just sit down and experience the charming beauty of nature. There are some wooden benches and umbrella on the beach. In season you can also have fresh mango and coconut juice as well.
The water here is perfect for swimming but there are some rocks and corals so be careful while going inside the water.
How to reach: The Kalapathar beach is located 10 KM from Havelock Jetty and there are many options to getting here. If you’re fit enough then you can take a long walk to the beach with the mesmerizing beauty of nature around you. Otherwise, you can also hire a cab or taxi to reach there. But the rentals bike is the best way to reach the beach because you don’t want to miss the journey.
Things to do at Havelock Island:
1. Kayaking:
Kayaking at Havelock Island is the best thing to do in Andaman. The way through the dense mangrove forest will give you a lifetime experience. Kayaking is the best way to experience the beauty of the mangrove forest at Havelock Island. In the middle of everything, shaded by the dense forest with the chirping of birds and animals makes the experience both thrilling and relaxing.
You can also join the night kayaking tour. Imagine, billions of stars dancing above your head in the dark and sky reflecting blow your feet, night kayaking will give you memories for life.
2. Try Different water sports:
Water sports are something you will find on everyone’s bucket list who visits Andaman. And Havelock Island is the best place to try such as snorkeling, scuba diving, banana boat rides, game fishing, sea walking, parasailing and jet skiing.
3. Romantic Candle Night Dinner:
Under the night sky full of stars where you can hear the sound of waves, treat your loved one with a romantic candlelight dinner on Havelock Island. Havelock Beach resort, wild orchid resort and Munjoh resort are some of the best resorts to enjoy a magical candlelight dinner.
Places to Stay on Havelock Island:
From the last few years, Havelock Island is developed as the tourism hub in Andaman. Therefore, you can find a stay according to your budget. From budget resorts to luxurious cottages this place has multiple staying options. However, fares can vary according to season, during peak season price can shoot up and best place can fill up fast while in low season you can find stay very easily.
So, here we’ve collected some of the best places to stay in Havelock island on the basis of price and customer reviews:
Barefoot Resort at Havelock:
Rating: Fabulous on Booking.com (8.8/10)
Situated right next to Beach no.7 or Radhanagar beach, Barefoot Resort is one of the luxurious jungle stays on Havelock Island. It offers stay with restaurants, luggage storage, a private beach area and private parking. The price may vary according to your room and the services you need.
Sea Shell Resort and Spa
Rating: 8.3/10
Located just 1 KM from the ferry station, Sea Shell Resort offers a comfortable stay with beautiful views of Havelock Island. It is located just 8 KM away from pristine Radhanagar beach. They offer candlelight dinner, spa, infinity pool and a 24-hour current desk to help customers.
The Flying Elephant
Rating: 7.1/10
Located just 250 meters away from Kalapathar beach, the flying elephant has restaurants and room services. You can also relax in the garden with an amazing view of the beach.
Silver Sand Beach Resort
Rating: 7.4/10
Located on Vijaynagar beach or beach no.5, Silver sand beach resort offers beautiful views of the jungle along with a swimming pool, beachfront, free wifi and satellite TV. The resorts can organize your day trips and boat tickets on request.
How to Reach Havelock Island?
Havelock island is located at a remote location that means you can’t reach here by road. Despite this, you can reach here by the water and air. And you can easily get ferries and seaplane from the neighboring islands like Port Blair and Neil Island.
If you don’t want to waste time in the waiting line then private ferries are the best option to reach Havelock but expensive too. All ferries leave from the Phoenix Bay Wharf and take you to havelock island is just 2.5 hours. But ferries via Neil Island take around 4 hours to reach there.
Government ferries also known as the lifeline of Andaman Islands, are the most pocket-friendly and easily available way to reach havelock island.
Best way to roam around Havelock Island?
Rental bike is the best way to getting around havelock island because the roads here are well set and straight. Also, locals are very helpful and village & beaches are divided with the help of number so it is impossible to lose the way in this beautiful island. You can rent a bike on daily basis at around 500 INR per day. All fuel stations shut by 5 PM so make sure you have enough fuel. Apart from the bike, one can opt for public transport, auto-rickshaws and tourist taxis as well. All you can take from Havelock Jetty.
For renting the bike you can ask the hotel manager, as havelock island is pretty small and they have contacts to manage these things for guests. You can also pre-book your bike during the hotel booking.
Best time to visit Havelock Island:
Andaman island enjoys pleasant weather all year round so any time will be the best time to visit Havelock Island. But you should avoid visiting during the monsoon season (July to September) as most of the islands get heavy rainfall which makes the sea unpredictable and rough to enjoy water sports.
The best time to visit Havelock island or peak season is between October to March when the weather becomes perfect to enjoy this beautiful island. Feb and March are considered as the best month to enjoy water sport due to low tides and better visibility.
Havelock Island Tour Packages
Havelock Island FAQ’s
Q1: How do you spend 2 days on Havelock Island?
Do scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming in Radhanagar beach, cycling on Kalapathar or Radhanagar beach, witness sunrise on Kalapathar beach and sunset on Radhanagar beach. Visit Radhanagar beach which is rated as the best beach in Asia in terms of quality of sand, water and surrounded by lush green trees.
One day for water sports and another day to relax on beaches will be good.
Q2: Which is better havelock or Neil island?
Both are great places to visit but Havelock has better facilities. Radhanagar beach is rated as the best beach in Asia and that means lots to tourists. Likewise, Elephant beach, Kalapathar beach and Vijaynagar beach are also part of Havelock Island.
Q3: Is havelock island expensive?
The stay in Havelock would cost you around 1000 to 5000 INR per night as per your accommodation type while a basic meal for 2 times would cost around 500 INR. Thus a day in Havelock could cost you around 2000 to 10000 including your food, stay and activities.
Q4: Is havelock island safe to visit?
Yes, Havelock Island is a very safe place to visit even if you’re a solo traveler. The locals here are very calm and helpful. Also, the crime rate is negligible with no political issue and another religious issue. But keep in mind that most of the island locate at distance and sunset occurs around 5:30 PM so plan your day ahead to return back on stay before dark. Because most of the part of island settle down by 8 to 9 PM.