Date : Feb 05, 2013
After an almost 2 hours of sea journey, we reached the Havelock port. Even from a distance, the beautiful blue sea water was a pleasant sight to see. As we got down and collected our luggages and grouped outside the port, we were greeted by another Barefoot Holiday representative, Shawn. We were given tender coconuts and then boarded the 3 jeeps which awaited us. The roads in Havelock are pretty old, and needless to say, we had quite a bumpy ride for the next 20 minutes before we reached our destination - TSG Blue Resort.
If anyone in our group did have complaints about the TSG Emerald stay, that must have been resolved by the stay at Havelock. The TSG Blue is a fine resort at 5 minutes walk away from Beach No 7 - Radhanagar beach.
We checked into our wooden cottages and since it was already noon, proceeded for lunch. We were told that sun sets at Havelock at 5:00PM, and hence the 4 of us walked to the beach without wasting any more time. What I did not know was that I was going to see the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my life so far.
The beach was a cool turquoise blue lined by white sands and greenery. Without hesitation we got into the waters and soaked ourselves up for the next 2 hours
Date : Feb 06, 2013
It was time for us to board Macruzz and return to Port Blair. This was officially our last day in Andaman. Those were the most fulfilling and energizing 5 days of my life so far. We saw new places, met more people and made new friendships. The best part of travelling in a group were the last 2 - meeting people and making new friendships. We realized that there is so much more in life when we do the unthinkable and travel to exotic places like these. And its a matter of pride when I think that its home, its India.
As I sat in my window seat the next day in our return flight to Chennai and watched the islands of Andaman become smaller and smaller as we gained altitude - I was promising myself, "I will come back, another time..."
Trip Details:
Tour Operator : Thomas Cook, Barefoot holidays
Duration : 6 Days and 5 Nights.
Group size : Max 25, we had 16
Accommodation : Hotel TSG Emerald(Port Blair), TSG Blue Resort(Havelock)
Cost : 62000/head - All inclusive(3 times meals, transport, accommodation, air tickets, entry to museums, snorkeling)
Scuba Diving : Ocean Pearl Diving Institute, 3500/h
Start point : Chennai
Location : Port Blair to Havelock
The atmosphere was charged with excitement as we woke up and packed our backpacks to leave to the port to board the ship that would sail us to Havelock. We finished our breakfast in a jiffy and reached the port in our vehicles. The 16 of us stayed together and had our luggages checked in and waited at the jetty to board the Macruzz, the cruise liner. This ship would be anyone's best option to reach Havelock from Port Blair. Since all the reservations were done upfront by Thomas Cook, we did not have to worry about the availability and charges. So, if anyone is planning their trip themselves, it would be a better idea to make bookings in advance.
The cruise liner is built in such a way that even when it sailed at top speed cutting through waves, we never felt we were actually sailing. This should be a plus for anyone with sea sickness. The only flip side of this cruise ship is that you do not have permissions to venture out of the seating space to enjoy the sea journey, even if you wish to.
After an almost 2 hours of sea journey, we reached the Havelock port. Even from a distance, the beautiful blue sea water was a pleasant sight to see. As we got down and collected our luggages and grouped outside the port, we were greeted by another Barefoot Holiday representative, Shawn. We were given tender coconuts and then boarded the 3 jeeps which awaited us. The roads in Havelock are pretty old, and needless to say, we had quite a bumpy ride for the next 20 minutes before we reached our destination - TSG Blue Resort.If anyone in our group did have complaints about the TSG Emerald stay, that must have been resolved by the stay at Havelock. The TSG Blue is a fine resort at 5 minutes walk away from Beach No 7 - Radhanagar beach.
We checked into our wooden cottages and since it was already noon, proceeded for lunch. We were told that sun sets at Havelock at 5:00PM, and hence the 4 of us walked to the beach without wasting any more time. What I did not know was that I was going to see the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my life so far.
The beach was a cool turquoise blue lined by white sands and greenery. Without hesitation we got into the waters and soaked ourselves up for the next 2 hours
The beauty of the beach was complimented by small huts built all along the shore to escape the sun.
As the shades changed in the sky heralding the arrival of sunset, Dawn and Vijay decided to unleash their photographer instincts. It was to be the most beautiful evening of our lives.
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The sky was painted in a vast array of colors as the sun set across the horizon. Not even a finely captured photograph can justify the actual beauty of the moment.
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And the world is a much more beautiful place to live in when you hold the hands of your friends.
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Location : Havelock Island, Andaman
Today, the itenary had an item that we were looking forward to - snorkeling After breakfast, we headed to the port once again for our boat ride to Elephant Beach for snorkelling. We got into our swimming gear in a makeshift changing room(a hut) which had various types of hermit crabs running around inside it. We changed while keeping an eye on the crabs lest one of them got too near! Snorkeling is a beautiful experience, especially for people who always want to keep their head above water but also wish to see the underwater life!
Post snorkeling, I and Rama relaxed by the beach side while Dawn and Vijay went exploring the area which had an eerie beauty because of the numerous fallen tree trunks.
Barefoot holidays provided us with packed lunch boxes and snacks before we returned to the resort. 2 days of sea water and hot sun was taking its toll on me and I was already feeling sick and feverish. We freshened up at the resort, and after a short nap walked to the Radhanagar beach once again to watch another sunset. This time, myself and Rama had sworn not to get into the waters. Dawn and Vijay on the other hand behaved more like "mermen" and were completely in the sea already while I walked with Rama on the white sand watching the setting sun.
At times, it takes such walks to realize how rejuvenating vacations can be. We were away from everything, tucked away in a beautiful island among friends and corals.
As the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, we knew it was time for us to return. Deep inside our hearts, we wished we could have more of this everyday. Alas, we were returning to Port Blair the next day.
Date : Feb 07, 2013
Location : Havelock Island, Andaman
The day was special due to another reason - it was our second wedding anniversary. Though the trip was not planned around it, I was personally glad we were having such a good time together. And this was the day we were doing something out of the box - scuba diving. We were ready by 6:00 AM and took the ride to the Ocean Pearl Diving Institute. We were given the pre-diving pep talk and then we slipped into our diving gear. It was excitement plus a lot of questions about breathing underwater that went on during our short boat ride to the diving area. Once there, we were all launched into the shallow waters by the instructors and then, like in the Bollywood movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, we learnt the underwater signs 'Okay, Not Okay, Up, Down'!
With the diving goggles secured around the face and oxygen tanks in place, we were led into the deep water by the instructors. Very soon, I was seeing all that I have so far seen only in NGC and Discovery unveil right in front of my eyes. I was swimming along with beautiful fishes of every color. Schools of fishes came towards us and In one deep corner of the ocean, swam the largest fish in the area. It gave an uninteresting look towards us and swam on. We touched the immensely beautiful corals, and the beautiful "Nemo" that lived inside it. They playfully swam around our fingers as we touched the corals they homed. We found Nemo after all!
It was 30 minutes of diving, but a life time of memory to cherish. These 30 minutes made us want to do more. And I am sure we will. Trust me when I say that its a much more beautiful world under water!
We proceeded to our next destination for the day - The Kalapathar beach, another one of Havelock's finest. Since it was noon, the colors of the sea were at its best. We spent another one hour here just sitting and watching the colors of the sea.
The serene beach derives its name from the surrounding village, known as the Kalapathar village, and the black rocks embellishing the coast line.The waters were shallow with large coral reef population making this place ideal for snorkeling.
Today, the itenary had an item that we were looking forward to - snorkeling After breakfast, we headed to the port once again for our boat ride to Elephant Beach for snorkelling. We got into our swimming gear in a makeshift changing room(a hut) which had various types of hermit crabs running around inside it. We changed while keeping an eye on the crabs lest one of them got too near! Snorkeling is a beautiful experience, especially for people who always want to keep their head above water but also wish to see the underwater life!
Post snorkeling, I and Rama relaxed by the beach side while Dawn and Vijay went exploring the area which had an eerie beauty because of the numerous fallen tree trunks.
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| Numerous fallen trees which lined the coast of elephant beach added an ethereal beauty to the place. |
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| The beaches of Andaman are a perfect for those who love fishing. |
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As the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, we knew it was time for us to return. Deep inside our hearts, we wished we could have more of this everyday. Alas, we were returning to Port Blair the next day.
Date : Feb 07, 2013
Location : Havelock Island, Andaman
The day was special due to another reason - it was our second wedding anniversary. Though the trip was not planned around it, I was personally glad we were having such a good time together. And this was the day we were doing something out of the box - scuba diving. We were ready by 6:00 AM and took the ride to the Ocean Pearl Diving Institute. We were given the pre-diving pep talk and then we slipped into our diving gear. It was excitement plus a lot of questions about breathing underwater that went on during our short boat ride to the diving area. Once there, we were all launched into the shallow waters by the instructors and then, like in the Bollywood movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, we learnt the underwater signs 'Okay, Not Okay, Up, Down'!
With the diving goggles secured around the face and oxygen tanks in place, we were led into the deep water by the instructors. Very soon, I was seeing all that I have so far seen only in NGC and Discovery unveil right in front of my eyes. I was swimming along with beautiful fishes of every color. Schools of fishes came towards us and In one deep corner of the ocean, swam the largest fish in the area. It gave an uninteresting look towards us and swam on. We touched the immensely beautiful corals, and the beautiful "Nemo" that lived inside it. They playfully swam around our fingers as we touched the corals they homed. We found Nemo after all!
It was 30 minutes of diving, but a life time of memory to cherish. These 30 minutes made us want to do more. And I am sure we will. Trust me when I say that its a much more beautiful world under water!
We proceeded to our next destination for the day - The Kalapathar beach, another one of Havelock's finest. Since it was noon, the colors of the sea were at its best. We spent another one hour here just sitting and watching the colors of the sea.
It was time for us to board Macruzz and return to Port Blair. This was officially our last day in Andaman. Those were the most fulfilling and energizing 5 days of my life so far. We saw new places, met more people and made new friendships. The best part of travelling in a group were the last 2 - meeting people and making new friendships. We realized that there is so much more in life when we do the unthinkable and travel to exotic places like these. And its a matter of pride when I think that its home, its India.
As I sat in my window seat the next day in our return flight to Chennai and watched the islands of Andaman become smaller and smaller as we gained altitude - I was promising myself, "I will come back, another time..."
Trip Details:
Tour Operator : Thomas Cook, Barefoot holidays
Duration : 6 Days and 5 Nights.
Group size : Max 25, we had 16
Accommodation : Hotel TSG Emerald(Port Blair), TSG Blue Resort(Havelock)
Cost : 62000/head - All inclusive(3 times meals, transport, accommodation, air tickets, entry to museums, snorkeling)
Scuba Diving : Ocean Pearl Diving Institute, 3500/h
Start point : Chennai
we shall go another time......
ReplyDeletei wen tto MArina day before n we(me n vj)spoke abt hw nice radha nagar beach was..
yes...another time when you WILL scuba dive!
Deletehaha.. nice !!! :)
ReplyDelete