Havelock Island

One of the most beautiful beaches on the island and rated as the best in Asia by Time in 2004. Gorgeous, silky white sand backed by a forest that provides welcome shade looks out over turquoise water, some stretches with a sandy bottom good for swimming and some with excellent coral reefs that are great for snorkeling ; a great combination indeed. Sunsets here are often spectacular and it's a popular time to be at the beach, but be careful not to miss the last trucks back if you're not staying here. A man with an elephant walks through the forest occasionally, offering rides for a fee. Buses run throughout the day until sunset, as do auto-rickshaws and shared 4 wheel-drive trucks. If you are fit, you can bicycle from Govind Nagar but the journey is quite bumpy and steep. There are a few food shacks where the road hits the beach, all of which rent snorkels and fins.

• Elephant Beach is further north from Radhanagar and is popular with Indian tourists. The shoreline here was largely swept away by the 2004 tsunami and the beach is a fraction of what it used to be; however, the coral here is probably the best on the island, making this an excellent spot for snorkeling. It's reachable on foot from Beach #7 or by fishing boat from the east side of the island; many resorts arrange snorkeling and diving trips here. Since the tsunami, the path ends in an expanse of uninviting looking swampy water. Rather than attempting to go around, wade straight through it — the beach is only 100 meters straight ahead, the water is rarely above knee-height and the ground is solid. As you enter the swamp, you would see a small red board ahead, to your left; bear towards it. Wear sandals when crossing to avoid sharp shells. During high tide, water may be a foot deeper in last 6 metres or so. While snorkeling, keep an eye out for the glass-bottom boats. If trek and get to the beach and are tired to trek back an option would be to take a boat ride from there to jetty, normally they charge ₹100 per person, only challenge is finding someone who is willing to take you and then take an Auto ride for ₹100 again to the point where the vehicle is parked.

Located on one corner of Havelock, this beach gets its name from the surrounding village Kalapathar and the black rocks (Kalapathar Rocks) that adorn the coastline here. The emerald seas, the tropical forests on one side of the road the coastline, and on other side the silken smooth silver sands and the sheer solitude make this beach a great place to relax.

Pool table is available at Havelock island at Pearl Beach Resort for ₹400 per hour.

A well run dive shop with confident dive masters, Bubbles provides extensive dive courses and a few selected fun dive spots. It is limited in the dive sites offered which also means contending with diving crowds, and a lack of exploration. The equipment may not be the most recent, but this is one of the cheapest options on the Island. An on-site café (Fat Martin) offers early breakfasts and late lunches before and after the dive trips. The equipment centre is a 5-minute jeep-ride further south. You may have to carry your equipment to the boat, 100 metres across the beach.