Jalakara 

Havelock's boutique villa hotel

Set amid the rainforest on a former banana and betel nut plantation, Jalakara is located in the heart of Havelock Island in the Andaman Islands.

Jalakara has a wonderful location on Havelock Island set against virgin rainforest and with wonderful ocean views from its elevated position. This boutique property neatly combines the privacy of staying in a villa yet with all of the services of a hotel. It's a 25-minute walk or you can take the shuttle to Radhanagar beach. Each room has been stylishly decorated. There aren’t televisions in the rooms, instead the owners would prefer you log on to the sounds of the surrounding tropical rainforest. Beyond the beach, Jalakara offers a chilled swimming pool, daily yoga sessions, bird watching trails and private cookery classes.

Why we love Jalakara

  • This is a wonderful combination of a boutique hotel and holiday home

  • The owner is a chef so expect some wonderful Indian/Thai fusions

  • The owners are keen divers and can recommend the best diving spots

  • Sustainability is a key focus here and it has been named one of the world's greenest hotels by Tatler

Set in the tropical surroundings of a banana plantation. It’s a 25-minute walk to the nearest beach and the local market is just 20-minutes away
There are direct flights to Port Blair from mainland India. Havelock Island is reached by a 2-hour ferry ride from Port Blair

Facilities

  • Restaurants & bars
  • Spas & wellness
  • Activities
  • Sustainability

Food is a central part of Jalakara with meat and fish sourced locally and fruit and vegetables grown on the property. Jalakara’s signature three-way papaya and coconut curry, spiny lobster platter and sugar-cured tiger prawns are popular choices. Whilst beer and wine may be limited on the Andamans, this is more than made up with the impressive cocktail list created by the resident mixologist.

The spa offers a range of organic treatments.The signature Three Senses Massage includes a deep tissue, Swedish, head and shoulder massages as well as a reiki and reflexology session.

There's a trail from Jalakara which is great for bird watching and there is boules and badminton. If you want a night at the movies there is a film projector and the stargazing here is a magical experience.

Sustainability is a huge part of the vision for Jalakara. Heating is from a biomass wood burner, they've got reed beds for grey waste and the drinking water is purified from a well.