On a rainy afternoon, as I was lazing around and flicking through a travel magazine, I suddenly came across an article on the pristine beaches of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Within seconds, I remembered the wonderful experience that I had on my visit there.
It was 2013 monsoon, and my husband and I, who love to travel at every given opportunity, planned for the Andaman as an ideal monsoon gateway. I started looking for resorts in Port Blair and Havelock for our 4 nights stay, and we finally booked Palm Grove Eco Resort in Port Blair and Symphony Palms Beach Resort in Govind Nagar Beach, Havelock.
We landed at Port Blair and checked in our Palm Grove Eco Resort’s Canopy Top Bungalow, which offered us the perfect rustic feel through its room décor and beautiful eco-friendly surroundings. In the evening, we went for the light and sound show at the Cellular Jail which is definitely worth a visit. The 45 minutes show brings up the dark history of the Kalapani. The fact that every time a prisoner was noosed, a bell was rung, which could be heard by both the island people as well by the sailors on passing ships, gave us goosebumps.
The next morning we headed for the nearby Corbyn’s Cove beach which gave us the first feel of the blue – green water amongst the small curve of sand backed by palm trees. Tourists were enjoying by zipping across the ocean in jet skis and motor scooters.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to dense mangroves, clear water and exotic flora and fauna. The pristine Havelock Island which is a two hour boat journey from Port Blair, offers enough reason to just get lost in the world of aquamarine.
The Symphony Palms Beach Resort offered us exclusive cottages surrounded by palms all around and a private beach with deck chairs and hammocks.
The shallow waters made sea bathing absolutely effortless and in the sparkling clear water we were able to see our feet on the powdery white sand. We soon realized that our stay in Havelock will rejuvenate our mind, body and soul. The resort’s friendly staff brought us welcome drinks and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly sitting on the deck chairs as the sun dipped into the horizon overlooking the ocean. We finally called it a day after having a nice dinner at the specialty Indian restaurant of the resort, The Charcoal.
Next day we went to the Radhanagar Beach in Havelock which has been ranked as the world’s seventh best beach by Time magazine. We took an auto and enjoyed the quiet and peaceful surroundings of the region. On the way we also spotted some small shops that were selling local handicraft made out of coconut shells and sea shells. We bought a nice pair of salt and pepper shakers set made out of sandstone and coconut shells.
Then we reached this place, the unforgettable curve of white sand with turquoise waters, lined by lush forest and palm trees. Its breathtaking view and tranquility is bound to make one mesmerized. The most amazing part was- in spite of the beach being so popular, during the time we visited, it was mostly empty and as we walked down the beach we were almost left all alone. It was a wonderful feeling to be just amidst the blue water and feel the absolute calm of being away from everything.
Later on, we tucked into a meal of fresh Italian food in a shack style restaurant. The chef was a young boy who had a chat with us and shared his experience of how tourists from all over the world come to his restaurant and praise his delicious food and cooking style.
The next morning we had to catch the boat back to Port Blair. So, in the evening we soaked in the last few moments of the tranquil blue on the hammocks of our private beach. The sheer romance of this beautiful moment in The Andaman shall always stay with me.