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Havelock
is the largest island in Ritchie's archipelago, and the most intensively
cultivated, settled like any in the region by Bengali refugees after
Partition. Thanks to its regular ferry connection with the capital, it is
also visited to greater numbers than anywhere else in the
Andamans. In Peak season, as many as
three hundred tourists may beholed up here, and at sun times Havelock's
much-photographed Radhnagar beach, often touted as the most beautiful in
India, can feel overwhelmed.
On the plus side, the boat journey here from
Neill, skirting a
string of uninhabited islets with shadowy views of
Middle Andaman
to the west, is wonderful, and wildlife, both on land and in the sea,
remains abundant despite intensive settlement and deforestation.
Havelock's main jetty is on the north side of the island, adjoining the village known as Havelock. If one has booked a room at the ANIICDO Dolphin Yatri Niwas, 5-km south along the east coast, then one will be whisked away in the hotel minibus. Otherwise, rent a moped or cycle for a few days and head straight inland through the bazaar, turning right at the first T-junction one will come towards Radhnagar, 12-km southwest. An intermittent bus service also covers the route.