Havelock Island

If you are in the Andamans it is impossible to get Havelock of your itinerary. It boasts of possessing one of the 10 best beaches in the world - the Radhanagar beach or Beach No-7 as it is called locally. For some strange reason all villages and beaches are called by numbers here.

20th December,2009 8.30 AM on board the M.V. Makruzz

Havelock is still preserved in it's pristine beauty because of it's relative inaccessibility. There are no direct flights or ships, unless of course you have your own helicopter or yacht. If you possess neither the next best bet is the Makruzz a stylish aluminium cataraman taking off from Port Blair a little after 8.30 AM. A seat on the Makruzz costs you twice as much as the regular vessels but takes you to Havelock in half the time. The only problem is that the all aluminium vessel bucks and kicks like a stallion so you also have double the chance of throwing up!!


The other options are the rather staid, steel ships (ferries) like the Bambooka. Starts earlier, by 6.00 AM or in the afternoon at 2.00PM, travels rather sedately compared to the Makruzz, but at a far steadier 16 knots. Reaches Havelock some two and a half hours after leaving Port Blair unless it detours through any other island on the way. The advantage of a vessel like this is that in case you feel queasy and sea sick you could catch some fresh air on the deck. In the Makruzz you are completely ensconced in air conditioned comfort, complete with a barf bag like in an airliner!

The Makruzz dropped us at the Havelock jetty at 10.30 AM. I had slept through most of the trip because I hadn't found my sea legs just yet.I was already worrying about how to get back to Port Blair.

I did not know that there was more surprise in store for us.........