Andaman & Nicobar
Private luxury tours through the Andaman Islands' coral reefs, colonial history, and beach coastline.
Plan My Andaman & Nicobar TripWhere To Go
Andaman & Nicobar
The Andaman Islands scatter across the Bay of Bengal. Coral reefs and turquoise water ring every shore. Port Blair holds the Cellular Jail, a colonial-era prison. It once held India's freedom fighters in solitary cells. Today it stands as a national memorial. Havelock Island, renamed Swaraj Dweep in 2018, holds Radhanagar Beach. Time magazine once named it Asia's best beach. A private boat reaches reefs far from the crowds.
Havelock Island
Home to Radhanagar Beach, a long white crescent backed by forest, plus reef snorkelling, diving and mangrove kayaking off the Andamans' most visited island.
Neil Island
The smallest and calmest of the three main Andaman islands, with the Natural Bridge, shallow Bharatpur Beach and a sunrise beach at Sitapur.
What To See
What A Private Guide Actually Shows You
Andaman & Nicobar's real highlights are what a private guide builds each day around.
Radhanagar Beach
A long white crescent backed by rainforest on Havelock's west coast — best at sunset.
Elephant Beach
Havelock's snorkelling beach — live coral starts a few metres from the sand.
Kala Pathar Beach
Havelock's quiet eastern beach, named for the black rocks at its northern end.
Scuba Diving off Havelock
Try-dives and certified dives on Havelock's reefs — the best-known diving in India.
Sea Walking at Havelock
A weighted helmet lets you walk the seabed among the reef fish without knowing how to dive.
Game Fishing off Havelock
A chartered boat out past the reef line for trevally, tuna, barracuda and the odd sailfish.
Mangrove Kayaking
Paddle the mangrove creeks at dusk, when the water itself lights up.
Natural Bridge
A coral rock arch on Neil Island's shore, walkable only at low tide.
Bharatpur Beach
Shallow, calm and clear — Neil's main beach, a short walk from the jetty.
Sitapur Beach
Neil Island's eastern beach, the one to come to for sunrise.
Glass-Bottom Boat at Neil Island
A short ride over the coral gardens off Neil for people who would rather stay dry.
Snorkelling at Bharatpur
Reef and fish a short swim from Bharatpur's sand, with gear hired on the beach.
Cycling Neil Island
Neil is small and flat — a bicycle covers the whole island in an afternoon.
Cellular Jail
The colonial prison where India's political prisoners were held in solitary confinement.
Chidiya Tapu
The southern tip of South Andaman — 'Bird Island' — known for its birdlife and its sunset point.
Ross Island
The old British administrative capital, now colonial ruins held together by jungle roots.
Cellular Jail Light and Sound Show
The jail's own history told after dark, in the courtyard where it happened.
How To Travel
Journeys Through Andaman & Nicobar
Every journey here comes with a private guide and driver for each day on the road — full pricing lives on each journey's own page.
Andaman Family Island Holiday — Luxury
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Family Island Holiday — Premium
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Grand Island Circuit — Luxury
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Grand Island Circuit — Premium
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Adventure & Watersports — Luxury
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Adventure & Watersports — Premium
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Barefoot Luxury — Luxury
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Classic Highlights — Luxury
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Classic Highlights — Premium
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Beach Escape — Luxury
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Beach Escape — Premium
Arrival in Port Blair — Cellular Jail & Light and Sound Show — Port Blair to Havelock Island — Ferry Crossing
Andaman Havelock Dive Retreat — Luxury
Arrival & Fast Transfer to Havelock Island — Radhanagar Beach — Once Named Asia's Best
Where To Stay
Real Stays, Chosen City By City
A private itinerary through Andaman & Nicobar is anchored by real, handpicked stays — heritage palaces and boutique properties chosen city by city, not a single hotel chain repeated everywhere.
Barefoot at Havelock
Barefoot at Havelock sits behind Beach No. 7 — Radhanagar — the beach Time magazine once named the best in Asia. The resort is a short walk through forest to that sand. It is built as an eco-resort, from thatch, wood and local materials, and it holds sustainability certifications that most Andaman properties do not. Accommodation ranges from air-conditioned tented cottages up to standalone Andaman and Nicobari villas, all set among rainforest rather than in a row. The dive centre on site has been rated Havelock's best, and the resort arranges diving, snorkelling, kayaking and paddle-boarding directly. The OMA Spa runs treatments in an open thatched pavilion. Dining is at The Swimming Elephant, a large thatched hut, with a focus on island seafood. This is the rustic-luxury alternative to Havelock's polished five-star — closer to the forest, and on the island's best beach.
Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans
Taj Exotica sits on Radhanagar Beach No. 7, once named Asia's best beach by Time magazine. The resort spreads across 46.5 acres of tropical forest on Havelock Island, known locally as Swaraj Dweep. Every stay here is a villa stay. There are no standard rooms, only 72 pool and garden villas raised on stilts among the trees. The architecture borrows from the design language of the Jarawa tribe, native to these islands. Thatched roofs, natural wood, and wide balconies keep the resort in conversation with its forest setting. Villas open onto private plunge pools or shared garden views, depending on category. Interiors mix minimalist comfort with local craft touches. Dining follows the same island-forward approach. Restaurants serve fresh local seafood alongside international menus, often under open sky. The Jiva Spa offers treatments drawing on Ayurvedic tradition, set within its own garden pavilion. An Olympic-length infinity pool overlooks the sea, and a second pool sits closer to the beach for quieter mornings. Active travellers have plenty to do. The resort runs snorkelling trips to nearby reefs, and Havelock's dive schools are a short trip away. Kayaking, cycling, and nature walks through the surrounding forest round out the activity list. A kids' club keeps the resort family-friendly without disrupting its quiet luxury feel. Reaching Havelock takes some effort. Most guests fly into Port Blair, then take a ferry of roughly ninety minutes to two and a half hours depending on the vessel. That journey is part of the appeal. Few five-star resorts in India feel this remote, or this untouched. For travellers chasing a genuine barefoot-luxury escape, Taj Exotica delivers a rare combination: five-star service on one of the world's most celebrated beaches.
SeaShell Havelock
SeaShell Havelock sits on Govind Nagar Beach, a quieter stretch of Havelock Island's coastline shaded by coconut groves. TripAdvisor has repeatedly rated it a top beach resort in India, and the accolade shows in how the property is run. It is polished without feeling formal, and relaxed without feeling careless. Accommodation spans several distinct categories rather than one repeated room type. Nicobari Cottages are wooden duplexes inspired by traditional Nicobari houses, with a two-storey layout that suits couples wanting something different from a standard room. Andaman Bungalows sit closer to the water, sea-facing, with private sit-outs and a soaking tub in the bathroom. Between these sit Andaman Cottages tucked into the coconut groves, air-conditioned Andaman Chalets under lofty wooden roofs, and Havelock Cabanas with high wooden ceilings and their own balconies. Dining runs across three venues. Bonova Cafe & Pub covers casual all-day eating, White Lotus serves Indian and continental fine dining, and High Tide is an alfresco bar right on the beach for evening drinks as the sun goes down. Sattva Spa handles wellness treatments, and there is a dedicated yoga space for guests who want to start the day with something quieter. Havelock's diving scene sits right at the resort's doorstep. SeaShell runs its own certified dive shop, so booking a reef trip or a beginner's course takes no real planning. Snorkelling, kayaking, and beach walks round out the activity list for guests who prefer to stay closer to shore. For travellers who want genuine island character alongside four-star comfort, without the price tag of Havelock's ultra-luxury properties, SeaShell Havelock is a well-regarded, dependable choice.
SeaShell, Neil
Neil Island — Shaheed Dweep on the map now — is the small, slow one. It is a fraction of Havelock's size, and it has stayed largely agricultural. SeaShell, Neil is the most serious hotel on it. The group already runs SeaShell on Havelock and in Port Blair, so the standard is known: clean, well-serviced rooms, reliable food and staff who can actually organise an island day. That reliability matters more here than it does on the mainland, because the island has very little else in the way of infrastructure. Rooms are in low cottage-style blocks set back from the shoreline, among palms and open ground. They are simple and comfortable rather than grand. Air conditioning, hot water and a proper bed after a ferry crossing count for a lot. The island's three beaches are the reason to come. Laxmanpur is where the sunsets happen, and it has a long shallow shelf you can wade out over. Bharatpur is the snorkelling and glass-bottom-boat beach. Sitapur catches the sunrise. Natural Bridge, the coral arch at Howrah Bridge beach, is reachable at low tide. Getting here means a ferry — around an hour from Port Blair, or a short hop from Havelock — and that filter is exactly why the island still feels empty.
Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Bay Island, Port Blair
Welcomhotel Bay Island stands on Marine Hill, a wooded promontory jutting into Port Blair's harbour. The legendary architect Charles Correa designed it, and that pedigree still shows. Sloped roofs and timber pavilions step down the hillside toward the water, built to work with the terrain rather than flatten it. The hotel holds just 46 rooms and suites, a small number by five-star standards. That scale keeps the place personal. Public areas open onto the sea on nearly every side, and much of the property is built around covered, breezy pavilions rather than sealed corridors. It feels closer to a well-run island retreat than a conventional city hotel, despite sitting only a few kilometres from Port Blair's airport and the Cellular Jail. Rooms split into three categories: Deluxe Rooms facing the garden, Superior Rooms facing the bay, and Executive Suites that add a separate living area with sea views. All come with high-speed WiFi, an electronic safe, and modern bathrooms finished in local tile work. WelcomCafe Bay Leaf, the main restaurant, opens onto al fresco seating with harbour views and serves a fresh-seafood-forward menu alongside Indian, Chinese, and European dishes. Swizzle Bar takes over in the evenings, an open-air lounge built around timber columns with the sea visible past the railing, pouring a solid range of Indian and imported spirits. An outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness centre, and a full-service spa round out the amenities. For travellers who want proper five-star service and a genuine sense of place on their first or last night in the Andamans, before or after island-hopping to Havelock or Neil, Bay Island remains one of Port Blair's most established addresses.
Sinclairs Bayview Port Blair
Sinclairs Bayview sits on South Point, built down a sloping hillside that drops straight to the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the few hotels in Port Blair where most rooms genuinely face open water, and that view is the property's defining feature. The hotel holds 43 rooms and 3 suites across a series of stepped levels, a layout shaped directly by the hillside site. Rooms range from straightforward Deluxe options to sea-facing Premiere Rooms and Suites, up to the Valentine Room with its full-height glass windows on two sides, and a two-storey Premier Attic option for guests who want something different. Egyptian cotton sheets and proper bedding run through the room categories, a nicer touch than the four-star tier usually offers. The Bayview restaurant serves multi-cuisine meals on a garden deck that runs right along the sea, a genuinely pleasant spot to eat as the light changes over the water. Alto Espirito, the hotel's Spanish-themed bar, handles evenings with cocktails and snacks in a more elegant setting. An outdoor pool with its own sea view rounds out the property's main amenities. Corbyns Cove Beach and Port Blair's harbour attractions sit a short drive away, making Sinclairs Bayview a practical, well-placed base for exploring the city before heading onward to Havelock or Neil Island. For travellers who want a genuine sea view without paying five-star rates, this hillside property remains one of Port Blair's most consistently well-reviewed choices.
From the Journal
Andaman & Nicobar travel guides
Places to Visit in the Andaman Islands, Island by Island
Where to Stay in the Andamans: Port Blair, Havelock or Neil
Wandoor and Jolly Buoy Island: Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park Guide
Continue Your Journey
Kerala
Kerala trades forts for backwaters — palm-lined canals, spice-scented hill air, and a houseboat cruise that turns travel itself into the quietest part of the trip.
Goa
Goa pairs sunlit beaches with Portuguese-era churches and villas, so a private guide can carry you from a quiet cove to a UNESCO basilica in the same afternoon.
Tamil Nadu
Dravidian temple towns and colonial hill stations, toured at a private, unhurried pace.
Kashmir to Kanyakumari
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