FROM THE DIARY
HAVELOCK
The Andaman's are probably the nicest place that I have ever been to. Nothing can compare to this place.
Its such a shame that very soon, charter flights will be coming here straight from Bangkok to start with, then later, flights from Heathrow. PLEASE, NO!.
I think that it will be such a shame. I cant imagine how it will be in a few years time. There is one thing that I love about the Indian government and that is the fact that they are really trying to preserve the Nicobar Islands. Visas are given to only a few people per year, and then they are very specific visas, only given to certain people ( Doctors, scientists etc). I think that's wonderful. They are really keeping the tribes safe from this other world.
After the tsunami, rescue workers went to one of the Islands to check the damage, but were shooed away by the Nicobarese who threw sticks and stones at the approaching boats, they still don't know the death toll on that Island. On another, probably quite close to the Andaman Islands, apparently the death toll was not very high at all as they are so at one with the nature, they have nothing to distract them, so when the bird sounds changed and the sea acted differently, they all escaped to higher ground to avoid the coming Tsunami. Unfortunately though, other Islands were terribly destroyed, cutting the number of these tribes even lower.
Its hard to imagine that such 'simple' people are basically only a few islands away, with no contact to the outside world, apart from maybe a few boats passing by very occasionally, and maybe aeroplanes flying over head. I guess some may know what aeroplanes are but how can they know what kind of world we are getting away from to visit these beautiful Islands?
Do they even have electricity? despite us wanting to 'get away from it all', we still have TVs with DVD players, latest movies to watch, sodas, Beer, telephones and even the Internet at our fingertips, while they are totally primitive. I'm sure Havelock was not long ago like this, and we have slowly made it more livable for the westerners.
That's why I am finding it hard to get used to the idea of Charter flights. We have ruined this Island enough.
Of course I cant be selfish, and scorn people that do come here in the future on a package holiday, but I will do my best to get them to come ere on their own. Having no pre aranged accommodation, choose your own hut, which camp, eating in different restaurants, for example. Basically just 'spreading the love' with your money, going to all the locals pockets instead of a faceless and sterile hotel.
I love the fact that my ear problem is not effecting my enjoyment of the sea life here. I dont feel like I HAVE to scuba dive as the coral is so so close that you can almost touch it (not that you would want to though)
The beach that we are staying on (beach number 5, and all the way down to beach number one is beautiful, but a little annoying that it is quite rocky to get into deep water, and that water is so so warm! Its really surprising how warm the water is, so its not much good to sunbathe and try t cool down in! Its lucky that our hut is so close to the beach that its not far to take a quick cold shower to cool off!
We went on a boat trip 2 days ago, to an Island called 'South Batten' and snorkeled for hours, fished, snorkeled, fished..... it was a beautiful day and well, well, worth the uncomfortable journey there and back on the boat. We caught a few fish, and took it to our favourite local restaurant (small, popular, flies everywhere, slow service, but great staff and fab food!) where they cooked it for us.
We had done some snorkeling a few days earlier, on another beach, elephant beach (no Elephants) and I had used some flippers there. What a difference it makes! I didn't have them on South Batten and really regretted it, as I am not a confident swimmer and I wasn't too sure if could make it the whole way round in one go as the waves were quite rough (for me) towards the north part. I still absolutely loved it though, and it was much more impressive than the Great barrier Reef in OZ, Much more fish!।
So basically, the Andamans have everything. Wonderful chilled out natives, great company, nice huts, good food, long stretches of squeaky white sand, pure blue sea, fantastic underwater life , and just a handful of tourists.
Need anything else?
Swinging on a hammock out on the balcony of our beach hut after a night out drinking on my first 'Full moon party'.
This is a really peaceful afternoon.
Most of the people that are staying in this camp are here at the moment, we are all recovering and trying to sty away from this heat.
The Finish couple are outside their hut, having a small picnic, Helen is swinging away on her hammock listening to music, as are Laura and Sam, in the hut next to us. Lars, on the other side of us, is also in his hammock, on his laptop.
I am watching everyone.
Maurice is in the hut, fast asleep under the mosquito net. The two Swedish girls have just pulled up outside their hut on their scooter.
The stay dogs are starting to gather round the Finish couple, looking for a stray tomato or a few loose crumbs from their crackers, while the camps pet puppy, Buso is lying flat on his belly under one of the palm trees, panting his little heart out.
Despite there being ten of us here at the moment, the whole camp is silent. All I can hear is the sound of the electric fans swirling away in Lars and our huts.
Before the party started last night, we had a little pre-party with Sam and Laura, our neighbours, and some Danes, in the camp next to us, over a few bottles of Rum, we got to know them and had a great time.
Its been a long time since we had a drink, and although the music was not wonderful, we still had a great party.
It was wonderful having all of the travelers on Havelock, all in the same place for once.
People were soon up and dancing to the tunes that a Scottish guy was pumping, dancing round the fire in the center of a clearing on a beach.
This is a really peaceful afternoon.
Most of the people that are staying in this camp are here at the moment, we are all recovering and trying to sty away from this heat.
The Finish couple are outside their hut, having a small picnic, Helen is swinging away on her hammock listening to music, as are Laura and Sam, in the hut next to us. Lars, on the other side of us, is also in his hammock, on his laptop.
I am watching everyone.
Maurice is in the hut, fast asleep under the mosquito net. The two Swedish girls have just pulled up outside their hut on their scooter.
The stay dogs are starting to gather round the Finish couple, looking for a stray tomato or a few loose crumbs from their crackers, while the camps pet puppy, Buso is lying flat on his belly under one of the palm trees, panting his little heart out.
Despite there being ten of us here at the moment, the whole camp is silent. All I can hear is the sound of the electric fans swirling away in Lars and our huts.
Before the party started last night, we had a little pre-party with Sam and Laura, our neighbours, and some Danes, in the camp next to us, over a few bottles of Rum, we got to know them and had a great time.
Its been a long time since we had a drink, and although the music was not wonderful, we still had a great party.
It was wonderful having all of the travelers on Havelock, all in the same place for once.
People were soon up and dancing to the tunes that a Scottish guy was pumping, dancing round the fire in the center of a clearing on a beach.
The Andaman's are probably the nicest place that I have ever been to. Nothing can compare to this place.
Its such a shame that very soon, charter flights will be coming here straight from Bangkok to start with, then later, flights from Heathrow. PLEASE, NO!.
I think that it will be such a shame. I cant imagine how it will be in a few years time. There is one thing that I love about the Indian government and that is the fact that they are really trying to preserve the Nicobar Islands. Visas are given to only a few people per year, and then they are very specific visas, only given to certain people ( Doctors, scientists etc). I think that's wonderful. They are really keeping the tribes safe from this other world.
After the tsunami, rescue workers went to one of the Islands to check the damage, but were shooed away by the Nicobarese who threw sticks and stones at the approaching boats, they still don't know the death toll on that Island. On another, probably quite close to the Andaman Islands, apparently the death toll was not very high at all as they are so at one with the nature, they have nothing to distract them, so when the bird sounds changed and the sea acted differently, they all escaped to higher ground to avoid the coming Tsunami. Unfortunately though, other Islands were terribly destroyed, cutting the number of these tribes even lower.
Its hard to imagine that such 'simple' people are basically only a few islands away, with no contact to the outside world, apart from maybe a few boats passing by very occasionally, and maybe aeroplanes flying over head. I guess some may know what aeroplanes are but how can they know what kind of world we are getting away from to visit these beautiful Islands?
Do they even have electricity? despite us wanting to 'get away from it all', we still have TVs with DVD players, latest movies to watch, sodas, Beer, telephones and even the Internet at our fingertips, while they are totally primitive. I'm sure Havelock was not long ago like this, and we have slowly made it more livable for the westerners.
That's why I am finding it hard to get used to the idea of Charter flights. We have ruined this Island enough.
Of course I cant be selfish, and scorn people that do come here in the future on a package holiday, but I will do my best to get them to come ere on their own. Having no pre aranged accommodation, choose your own hut, which camp, eating in different restaurants, for example. Basically just 'spreading the love' with your money, going to all the locals pockets instead of a faceless and sterile hotel.
I love the fact that my ear problem is not effecting my enjoyment of the sea life here. I dont feel like I HAVE to scuba dive as the coral is so so close that you can almost touch it (not that you would want to though)
The beach that we are staying on (beach number 5, and all the way down to beach number one is beautiful, but a little annoying that it is quite rocky to get into deep water, and that water is so so warm! Its really surprising how warm the water is, so its not much good to sunbathe and try t cool down in! Its lucky that our hut is so close to the beach that its not far to take a quick cold shower to cool off!
We went on a boat trip 2 days ago, to an Island called 'South Batten' and snorkeled for hours, fished, snorkeled, fished..... it was a beautiful day and well, well, worth the uncomfortable journey there and back on the boat. We caught a few fish, and took it to our favourite local restaurant (small, popular, flies everywhere, slow service, but great staff and fab food!) where they cooked it for us.
We had done some snorkeling a few days earlier, on another beach, elephant beach (no Elephants) and I had used some flippers there. What a difference it makes! I didn't have them on South Batten and really regretted it, as I am not a confident swimmer and I wasn't too sure if could make it the whole way round in one go as the waves were quite rough (for me) towards the north part. I still absolutely loved it though, and it was much more impressive than the Great barrier Reef in OZ, Much more fish!।
So basically, the Andamans have everything. Wonderful chilled out natives, great company, nice huts, good food, long stretches of squeaky white sand, pure blue sea, fantastic underwater life , and just a handful of tourists.
Need anything else?
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