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Getting to Havelock requires first getting to Port Blair, the capital city of the Andaman Islands, and then taking a ferry from Port Blair to Havelock.
Port Blair, the capital city of the Andamans, is connected to Chennai and Kolkata by both air and sea. The most convenient and quickest way to get to the islands is to fly. Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Aiways and Indian Airlines have daily flights into Port Blair from Calcutta and Chennai. The fares range from Rs. 5’000 to Rs. 12’000 depending on the airline chosen, and the flying time is about 2 hours. Tickets can be purchased online. For current flight schedules, fares and baggage allowances visit these sites:
Kingfisher and Indian Airlines have daily flights to Port Blair from Chennai. Jet Airways and Indian Airlines have daily connections to Port Blair from Kolkata and passengers from Delhi have the option to fly to the Andamans with Jet Airways via Kolkata.
Ships also ply between the mainland and Port Blair, with departures from Kolkata, Visakhapatnam and Chennai. Tickets for the ships do need to be booked in advance and the 3-day journey can be arduous given the basic amenities on board. For ship schedules to the Andamans visit www.and.nic.in/spsch/sailing.htm or call +91-22-2202 2431.
Although the ship is an option for travellers on a low budget and without time constraints, we recommend flying into the Andamans. With the advent of low-cost airlines flying into Port Blair, ticket prices have reduced significantly, and the short durations, greater convenience and comfort of the flights compared to the ships justifies spending the extra money. Also, spending 3 days on a ship means that you get 2 days less diving!!
Once you have landed in Port Blair, Havelock is approximately a two-and-a-half hour ferry ride away. There are two to three ferries that ply between Port Blair and Havelock on a daily basis. The morning ferry leaves Port Blair at 0600 hrs and the afternoon ferry leaves at 1400 hrs. All incoming flights arrive in Port Blair in time for travellers to catch the afternoon ferry, allowing you to reach Havelock on the same day. Havelock has one jetty at Beach No.1, and Barefoot Scuba at Beach No.3 is a 10 minutes auto-rickshaw or taxi ride away.
Barefoot offers to meet its guests at the Port Blair airport transfer them to the Phoenix Bay jetty from which the ferries depart, organise ferry tickets to Havelock, and transfers from the Havelock jetty to the resorts. Private transfers to Havelock on Barefoot’s motor-launch are also available upon request. This way, you can relax and leave the running around to us. If you are staying and diving with us, and wish to avail of these services then simply e-mail us at dive@barefootindia.com.
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