Havelock Island

Havelock Island

Havelock Island, a part of the Andaman Islands, contains tranquil and pristine beaches that provide a magnificent view of the Bay of Bengal.

Havelock Island, consisting of an area of around 113.93 sq km, is amongst the islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Havelock Island includes a chain of islands to the east of Great Andaman, known as Ritchie's Archipelago. The island is located 57 km to the North East of Capital town of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Port Blair.

Havelock Island, with its pristine beaches and peaceful atmosphere attracts several tourists to this region of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The over all environment of Havelock Island provides the tourists with a picturesque view of the Bay of Bengal and the chance to explore nature and marine life. Havelock Island is named after the British General, Henry Havelock.

Demography of Havelock Island
According to the 2001 census, the population of the island is around 5,354 and consists mostly of Bengali settlers. Only 1/3rd of the Northern Island is inhabited. There are five villages in the Island, namely, Shyam Nagar, Govinda Nagar, Radha Nagar, Krishna Nagar and Bejoy Nagar.

Tourism of Havelock Island
The authorities of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India have planned for the development of the tourism industry in the region. Moreover, the administration has also encouraged the expansion and promotion of eco-tourism. Some of the already available and popular tourist attractions of Havelock Island are as follows:

Havelock Island, Andaman Island

Beaches
Havelock Island is most popular for its pristine white sandy beaches, greenish azure water and the coral reefs that contain several aquatic creatures like dolphins, saltwater crocodiles, turtles etc. Radhanagar Beach or Beach No.7 and Vijaynagar Beach or Beach No. 5, are the two most popular beaches in Havelock Island. The other renowned beaches include Beach No.1 on the east coast, Govind Nagar or Beach No.3, Elephanta Beach on the northwest coast and others. Radhanagar Beach, on the western coast, was named as Best Beach in Asia, in 2004, by the "Time" magazine.

Adventure Activities
The beaches of this island provide ample opportunities to indulge in water and adventure sports like scuba diving, snorkelling etc. Moreover, excursions in to deep jungles, for experiencing the local wildlife, are also conducted for the convenience of the tourists. The island is reachable only via waterways. Speed boats and Ferries are available regularly from Port Blair, to reach the island.

Havelock Island was mostly unaffected and unharmed by the 2004 Tsunami that occurred due to an earthquake in the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, no casualties were documented either. But there have been reports of casualties due to attack of saltwater crocodiles in and around the Island.

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