Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans — Hotel in Havelock island

This is one of the best resorts of the Taj Group it is located on Havelock Island in the Andamans.

From the airport you can take a taxi to Port Blair Jetty and from there you take ferry to Havelock Island also known as Swaraj Deep. Taxi from the airport to the Port Blair ferry would cost around 300 Rs. We took 10:45 am ferry by Makcruzz which was delayed by 45 mins. The cost of a basic ticket was around 1425 Rs and it takes around 1 hour and 30 min to reach Havelock Island. Book the ferry tickets in advance. The resort is around 20 mins by taxi & would cost 700 Rs. Once you reach the resort you are welcomed by a fresh refreshing coconut cold water and traditional song sung by the employees. Mr. Basu at reservations was very helpful and managed our bookings so was Mr. Nivkruti at the Front Desk.

We stayed 1 night in the Deluxe Villa and 2 Nights In the 2 Bedroom Villa. The Deluxe Villa is generally priced between 35000/- to 40000/- Rs per night. The Deluxe Villa is huge, the bed can easily accommodate 3 persons. huge bathrooms and vanity area and very comfortable to stay. Outside you have sunbeds where you can chill & relax. The 2 Bedroom Villa is priced between 95,000/- to 1,20,000/- Rs per night. It has 2 huge bedrooms, separate bath, toilets and vanity area. The highlight of this villa is the private pool which is huge & its 4 ft deep. Infact we didn’t feel the need to go to the resorts main infinity pool. If you are 2 families or 2 couples I highly recommend you go for the 2 Bedroom Villa instead of 2 Deluxe Villa it’s worth it!!

The property has an Infinity Pool overlooking the Andaman sea but there are huge trees surrounding the Infinity Pool and you do not get a clear complete view of the Andaman Sea.

The best part of the property is the beach with white soft sand and clear blue waters its just mesmerizing. I would suggest you go to the beach early in the morning around 7am before going for breakfast as the sun rises really early in this part and in the morning you wouldn’t find even a single person on the beach so you get to enjoy the beach as your own. Get into the blue water, click instagrammable selfies, just enjoy as if its your private beach. The water is just the perfect temperature and much more clear than what it is in the evening. In the evening the beach gets crowded with hotel guests as well as general public.

From 4:45 pm to 5:15 pm the hotel serves free tea & snacks for hotel guests everyday so don't miss the treat. The property has two restaurants, Shoreline where you get served breakfast & multi-cuisines which is open from 7am to 10 pm. The restaurant manager Mr. Mahendra is very efficient and helpful. The staff is also very helpful, Nadeem at the restaurant did an excellent job in serving us. The other restaurant is called Settlers and is open only for lunch and dinner, the restaurant manager Mr. Vikas is fantastic at his job and goes out of the way to make you comfortable not just with regards to the restaurant but any help you require at the resort. In the evening they have entertainment here with 2 singers performing. Zoe being one of the singers is a powerhouse having an amazing voice.

We tried the Jiva spa and the therapy was top notch and so relaxing that you would almost fall off to sleep. We have been to other Jiva Spa in other Taj properties but this one was the best and I recommend that you book the Spa in advance cause it's always booked and it's very difficult to get a booking so do advance booking.  The cost of the Spa is around 7K approximately per person for a 60 minute treatment.

This was an unforgettable experience and thank you everyone at the Taj Andamans for making this trip as one of the best trips we ever had.

P.S: If your looking for a cheaper option there is Barefoot resort on the same beach and rooms would be around 15K- to 20K per night, we went and had a look, its just not worth it.  SeaShell is 2nd best after Taj suggested by our driver but its closer to the jetty and we have not seen it so cannot...

Be prepared to be pampered in the purest Andaman-style hospitality.

From pick-up on Day 1 to welcoming us at the reception, room allocation, briefing on various preferred activities, local tips, drop-off at the ferry on our last day, and many other arrangements, the services were impeccable. Oh yes, they really know how to pamper their guests. Some of the little gestures which absolutely took us in awe: An entourage of cheerful smiling faces welcomed us with earthly humility the moment we were seated at the reception lobby. The service heads personally joined the group to welcome us giving it a very personalised experience. Welcome drinks were tender coconut juice from real coconuts presented in flower-shaped handmade jute baskets. A 1000-point for the eco-friendly and creative thought! A soulful welcome song (in local language) by the entourage. The song was about Andaman and the island’s beauty. The ‘chilled-out’ check-in process, unlike the usual long formalities at 5-star properties. It was all done even before we realised, all while we were seated at the huge airy reception lobby sipping our coconut water. When they heard that it was my bucketlist wish to do scuba on my birthday, they arranged for a special scuba diving slot despite all regular slots being full. A complimentary framed photo that completely took us by surprise. They took a photo of you after your check-in process was complete. In the evening, they came and handed the photo placed inside a delicately shell-decorated frame. A surprise goodbye flower bouquet by the housekeeping staff, made from flowers grown at the property garden. A surprise bon-voyage cake-cutting arrangement after breakfast on the check-out day. A surprise manta ray memento from the Taj as a bon voyage gift before we got into the car for our return journey. And this one is our favourite and the sweetest ever: the entire staff crew dropped us at the car and bid us a heartfelt goodbye by waving with both hands and kept waving until the car was out of sight from the property.

Why you must stay in Taj Andamans if you are planning for an Andaman Island(s) trip: The property is built with eco-consciousness. The property has private access to Radhanagar Beach. Spacious and huge villas with all modern amenities, walk-in closet, his & her wash sinks, separate shower and wash areas. The villa deck is the perfect place to start the day with a variety of exotic birds chirping and flying around freshly bloomed flowers. You will be showered with countless thoughtful little gestures and cute surprises by the staff to ensure your holiday is going perfectly. The staff extends help with car/bike rentals.

A few unimpressive realities: The breakfast buffet spread was very disappointing and limited unlike any other 5-star properties. The restaurant staff needs training in food knowledge and basic serving etiquette. Overall, very limited food options on the restaurant menu with below-average taste and exorbitant prices. In-room housekeeping services and cleanliness should be improved. Post-scuba experience with the photo-sharing process was pretty unprofessional and disarrayed. They almost lost my spouse’s photos and completely lost his solo videos from the scuba dive activity. Upon continuous follow-up, we finally received only photos (no videos) after 4 days. The beach towels were mostly stained.

Special shoutout and gratitude to Biswajit(front desk), Abhishek (front officer manager), Santosh (beach manager), Imran (restaurant), and Gopal (housekeeping) for adding that extra magic that further elevated our stay experience at Taj Andamans. Biswajit was outstanding with his prompt and thoughtful services from start to end.

My spouse and I were out of words to appreciate, and express our delight and gratitude for the world-class hospitality extended by every staff at...

We were at the Taj Exotica Havelock in April 2018, and thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

The facilities, food, room, staff and customer service are all top notch and match international standards.

The resort is located at Radhanagar beach with a private stretch of the sand all for the guests. Although it’s not a private beach, almost no one else use it, except the hotel guests.

The resort is literally carved out of the beautiful thick tropical forest, with immaculate care so as to preserve the natural island foliage in its entirety. In addition to tall trees and coconut plantation, additional local trees and plants have been added by Taj.

We were surprised to see a decent speed internet connection at the resort - especially because the rest of Andaman island including port Blair still has extremely poor internet connectivity. Although WiFi Internet at this time is restricted to the lobby area, we could access it from the balcony of our room which was nearby.

The infinity pool is perhaps one of the most picterisque swimming pools you will see in India. Olympic size in length but sheltered from the sun by tall trees and shrubs. A lifeguard mans the pool at all times, and the adjacent restaurant turtle house is excellent. They serve you drinks and food at the pool side, which is a plus. Although they do not currently have a bar license, the knowledgeable staff is happy to fix you any cocktail you want, provided you supply the alcohol.

The food is amazing and is something which stands out. Chef Kaushik has mastered the island cuisine and blended it well with the regular fine dining menu options. Must try items on the menu include the lobster and the crab dishes, although everything that we tried from breakfast to dinner were exceptional. The food and beverage manager Avinash Srivastava was extremely knowledgeable and takes special care of each guest. Moreover, they are willing to serve you any ‘off the menu’ dishes - almost a personal butler service.

There is a well stocked play/entertainment area below the turtle house restaurant, which houses games like table tennis, pool, Xbox, minigolf, carrom etc. Also had kids movie options.

It was our kid’s (3 year old twins) first trip to India and the staff made sure that they had a blast. Taj Havelock has an extremely courteous group of staff all around. Moreover, the hospitality training is immaculate. Special shout out to Algira, Dinesh and Kashish who made sure our kids were always entertained. Kudos to the manager Abnash Kumar, who is running the show there.

All in all, Taj exotica is a second to none option for a great island vacation in India. The facilities and service are not only the best that you will find in Andaman Islands, but also one of the best in India and match international standards. With the ongoing expansion - addition of more private rooms, family rooms, presidential villa and more restaurants, I have no doubts that Taj Exotica Havelock will become one of the prime tourist destinations in India. Andaman Islands, although one of the most beautiful beach destinations in the world, had thus far lacked a quality luxury resort. Taj Exotica Havelock fills that gap and is a much needed needed feather in the cap for the majestic torquoise Andaman Islands.

We...