HAVELOCK (SWARAJ DWEEP) -Andaman Travel Guide Part 2
HAVELOCK (SWARAJ DWEEP)
Andaman Travel Guide Part 2
Table of Content
- What to Expect at Havelock Island
- How to Reach Havelock Island ( Swaraj Dweep)
- Government Ferries Timings for Havelock Island
- Places to Visit In Havelock Island
- Radhanagar Beach in Havelock Island
- Kalapathar Beach in Havelock Island
- Elephant Beach In Havelock Island
- How The Trip to Elephant Beach Is Conducted
- Underwater Activities in Elephant Beach
Think of Andaman, and you see Havelock Island in your dreams. Not just saying, we know that when you gear up to head to Andamans as your next holiday destination, you unknowingly think of staying in Havelock and admiring whatever it offers. The honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi officially renamed it as SWARAJ DWEEP on 30th DEC 2018. The new name, yet not known by many travelers, gives a cultural essence to the place. Havelock Island is one of the most visited and preferred islands to stay in the Andaman. If you are visiting the Andaman Islands this is one destination that you shouldn’t (or we should say – you wouldn’t) miss out.
What makes this island very special is that Havelock Island is home to the stunning RADHANAGAR BEACH which is one of the best beaches in India and gives access to the most amazing sunset viewpoint, the famous Elephant Beach where the water sport activities take place and the beautiful KALAPATHAR BEACH being the sunrise view of the islands.
Havelock Island is considered as a major tourist hub irrespective of the rural locality because of the amazing features it possesses. Havelock Island has all the necessary amenities and developed tourism infrastructures to support and meet all your needs. There are various properties for accommodations, a great deal of restaurants, cabs, buses and share autos for internal transfers and several cruises and ferries operating from Swaraj Dweep to other islands. The island has all the modern facilities and beaches that will entice you! The only drawback on the island is the poor network connectivity, as of now, the fastest internet speed is limited to 3G. As of 2020, the only functioning mobile networks in Andaman are Airtel, Vodafone, and BSNL. All the other networks will shut down once you reach the Andaman Islands. Numerous hotels are available for accommodations under different categories. There are first aid kits on the beach and there are hospitals and medical clinics that are available on the Island. If you take any specific kind of medication, we recommend you carry it along with you.
HOW TO REACH HAVELOCK ISLAND (SWARAJ DWEEP)?
Havelock Island is located about 57 km from Port Blair can be reached via sea only. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach the island from Port Blair. Some numerous ferries and cruises operate from Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep and are frequently available. Both government ferries and private cruises are available. All ferry leaves from Phoenix Bay Wharf.
GOVERNMENT FERRIES
The government ferries in the islands are the lifeline of the Andaman Islands as it caters to the needs of the thousands of passengers during the transfer from one island to another. The ferries are taken by both the residents and the visitors; therefore, the tickets of this ferry get sold out fast. Government ferry can be booked only a couple of days in advance. If you wish to take a government ferry you will have to book your tickets manually at the STARS counter by standing in a queue and you will have to book the tickets 3 days before your trip. You can ask your hotel or your tour operator to book the tickets on your behalf against an extra payment for the booking. The government ferries can seat up to 145 passengers and the seating categories are chairs and seats.
PRIVATE CRUISES
Several companies are offering high speed and spacious cruises in the Andamans for internal transfers to other islands. The private cruises are the most preferred by the tourists because it is convenient and the booking is process is easy. These cruises are faster and comfortable compared to the government ferries and the cruise tickets can be easily booked online. The private cruises are pricy compared to the Government ferry.
The following cruises are available for Havelock Island
- MAKRUZZ
It is the first-ever high-speed luxury catamaran cruise introduced in Andamans that is dual-hulled and offers you more space and stability during your journey. It is fully air-conditioned and very comfortable. Two decks can hold up to 280 passengers. It has three categories for the guests – Premium, Deluxe and Royal.
As on today, in 2020, Makruzz has 2 succeeding edition that has joined its fleet by the names Makruzz Gold and Makruzz Pearl. These new vessels of the Makruzz fleet are more advanced and spacious and operate in various routes.
GREEN-OCEAN
The second most popular cruise is Green Ocean 1. The built of this cruise is pretty similar to the Government ferries, but Green Ocean has better seating facilities, it is Air-conditioned and is more spacious. This cruise has an open deck where you can freely move around have a look at the open seascape during your trip. The seating capacity is 220 passengers and has three categories for the guests – Executive, Luxury and Royal. It has a catamaran version of it as well. The Green Ocean 2 is the faster version and the new edition.
SEA LINK CRUISE
Sea Link Cruise is the latest cruise to be introduced in the Andaman Island, it was imported from Singapore. The cruise has distinctive looks and spacious interiors which will surely give you a journey of a lifetime. The different categories are Premium, Business and Premium plus. Sea Link cruise has begun to become the travelers’ requirements due to its convenient timings and amazing looks.
4. ITT-MAJESTIC
This is another high-speed luxury cruise that transfers passengers to Swaraj Dweep. This cruise is fully air-conditioned and has comfortable seats. Huge transparent glass in the ITT Majestic window runs through the entire length of the cruise which enables you to enjoy the beautiful sea views from your seats. This cruise can has seating for 200 passengers under two different categories.
All the ferries and cruises that function to Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) are available from both Port Blair and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep).
PLACES TO VISIT IN HAVELOCK (SWARAJ DWEEP)
RADHANAGAR BEACH
Radhanagar Beach is considered the most excellent beach in the entire Andaman Islands and not that just we say this, it was ranked the 7th best beach in Asia in 2004 and in 2020 it has been awarded with the Prestigious Blue Flag certification from “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark”. Even today, it is one of the best beaches in India.
The beach lies on the western coast of Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island) that is away from the city’s hustle-bustle that makes it calm and a quiet place. The silky white sands stretched across the entire area with the thick trees around and the bluish-green waters offer a heavenly view. This beach will be on almost all the visitors’ lists as this is the most preferred and sorted beach on this island. The curvy shoreline and the gorgeous waters allure people into visiting this beach. And it has a lot more to offer. There is a restaurant that is set up close to the beach and amenities such as eco changing rooms and washroom facilities are provided and these are well maintained. Sagarika, a Government shopping emporium is set out close to the beach for the tourists.
DO NOT MISS OUT RADHANAGAR BEACH!
Here’s why you shouldn’t miss visiting this amazing beach. The Radhanagar beach has one of the most striking environments and the sunset view is mind-blowing. You can admire the beauty of the sun as it hides away on the horizon and the changing color tones of the skies is a breathtaking view that will amaze you! There is a short watch tower kind of structure built right on the beach which lets you take some aerial pictures of the place.
During the day, you can visit this sugary white sand beach for swimming or basking under the sun. The waves are pretty bumpy if you are a good swimmer you can take a few dips here or you can just play in waters as the waves keep you moving. Safe zones are made and are covered by nets for swimming. Lifeguards are available for supervision and guidance. The clean blue-green water, the white silky sands and the beautiful white froth of the waves softly embracing the shoreline make the beach an area that must be visited. So, while you are on your visit to the Andamans do not miss the mini paradise in Swaraj Dweep. Get on to this beach and experience the beauty of this one of a kind beach and the take back home some fond memories.
KALAPATHAR BEACH
The Kalapathar Beach is a small quaint beach in the Kalapathar Village, Swaraj Dweep. It is a beautiful beach with silky golden sands, blue waters, and lush green trees around. This beach is not a very popular destination and is secluded most of the time because there are no water sport activities that are available here. The way towards the beach is a very beautiful one; you can catch glimpses of the stunning coastline. The beach goes just by its name numerous black rocks are present inside the water and on the shore as well.
The black rocks are the reason why swimming is prohibited on this beach. This is the beach is just the right place to relax and spend some time with nature as this place is not at all crowded. The remains of the trees that were uprooted during the 2004 tsunami are still scattered on the shore making the beach even more attractive.
You can take tiny strolls or long soulful walks along the shore and enjoy the marvelous view of the beach. You can carry hammocks and tie it around the trees lay on it and enjoy the sight of the foamy waves coming forward and retreating to the sea.
Since water sport activities aren’t available here it makes the beach less populated but water sports are not only what you come to Andaman for. Take a break from the ordinary and go spend some time alone staring at the tides and breathing in some fresh air away from the pollution and population.
HOW TO REACH KALAPATHAR FROM HAVELOCK ISLAND?
The ride to the beach is about 15 to 20 minutes from the harbor and the Havelock marketplace. You can take either a boat or hire a cab to go to the beach.
WANT TO STAY NEAR KALAPATHAR BEACH?
There are some properties where you can stay on the way towards Kalapathar Beach and they are Blue Island beach resort, Silver Sand resort, Emerald Gecko, Flying Elephant etc.
BEST TIME OF THE DAY TO VISIT KALAPATHAR?
Since Kalapathar beach is a sunrise point, the best time to visit it is before 5 AM. If you just want to chill in this place for a picnic or relax for a while you can visit it anytime during the day. It is a good place to spend the layover time between your hotel check-out and the ferry boarding.
ELEPHANT BEACH
Water activities at Havelock mean thinking of going towards Elephant beach. The Elephant beach offers more than just amazing views and natural sceneries, you can take part in various water sports activities or relax or just laze around. Elephant Beach is one of the most distinctive beaches in the Andaman Islands. This stunning beach is situated in Havelock Island and it is the most visited beach in the Andaman. Once upon a time, there were elephants on the islands they were spotted roaming around on the shores of the beach that is how the beach got its name. There was an elephant training camp close by back then but now there are no elephants that can be seen around the beach.
Surrounded by coconut and palm trees and sugary white sands the blue water beach attracts tourists in large numbers annually. Elephant Beach at Havelock Island is a neat and serene area with amazing views. The emerald green trees shed plenty of shadows where you can get shelter from the sun, you will find uprooted trees lying on the shore, and these are the remains of the tsunami that hit the island in 2004. The beach is very famous for the variety of untouched corals and a rich marine life with diverse species. The coral reefs of this beach start about a meter or two. A little deep into the sea you can spot vibrant corals and schools of colorful fish swimming around elegantly, must admit it is an amazing view!
HOW THE TRIP TO ELEPHANT BEACH IS CONDUCTED
Tourists who have booked their trip are attended at the hotel and brought to the Havelock Island jetty from where boats to Elephant beach depart. The boat is ready by the time you reach Elephant beach and then you board the boat to Elephant beach. The boat then reaches Elephant beach where you can sit, relax, and swim. Snorkeling at Elephant beach can be availed by paying extra on the spot. Usually, the ticket contains your ride to the beach and return. Water activities can be done at Elephant beach.
Elephant beach offers a variety of water sports and activities to you. If you are an adventure junkie then beef up and get ready to get into the amazing waters of this beach and peep through to see the amazing marine life hidden here. The various activities that can be done here are Sea Walking, Snorkeling, Glass Bottom Boat Ride, and Jet Ski ride. Please note Scuba Diving is not done at Elephant beach.
All these activities can be availed at the beach, you will be provided with all the essentials that are required for the particular sport you are indulging in. If you want a thrilling experience of the underwater marvel then you should try snorkeling and sea walking. You will get to explore the beautiful corals and the colorful fish and other aquatic creatures of the sea around you.
If you are not a fan of going underwater then you can go for the glass-bottom boat ride, Jet Ski or Banana Boat rides. Snorkeling used to Elephant Beach, you can purchase a session of snorkeling on reaching the island at reasonable pricing. Elephant Beach is also a great place for some amazing photography, carry your camera kit and capture your happy moments and the stunning views of nature. There are eco-friendly changing rooms and washroom facilities available at the beach for the tourists; you can use these facilities during your visit.
The best time to visit Elephant Beach is between September to May. Sometime between June and August the Elephant beach gets closed by administrative orders so that the island can revive and flourish itself away from human activity. This helps the island maintain itself in its purest and natural form. The best alternative (when allowed by administration) would be the nearby Lighthouse beach which is a replica of Elephant Beach. It is just 15-20 minutes away from the Havelock harbor and has a good collection of corals to serve you with. When Elephant Beach is closed the boats can be used to take you to the Light House Beach, wherein you can enjoy snorkeling and other fun rides that are made available thereby the activity providers.
1 Comment
Dipmala Das · at
Informative writeup. Thanks a lot. I am planning my Andaman trip. Is Andaman open for tourists ? Any new rules and regulation regarding covid 19 ?