[Last updated: January 10, 2012]

What's new for 2011-2012?
For starter, all new tents, yet again. The ones from 2009 are starting to catch a bit of mildew and while there is a good chance that some sun will fix it, we'd rather not risk a repeat of last year (when it rained through most of the season). So new ones. These ones should, hopefully, put an end to all those issues caused during rainy weather. Imported fabrics, apparently (cue suitably impressed noises).

We are also looking forward to the opening of our new resort, the Dancing Dugong, offering significantly more upscale accommodation but with the same quirky good humor (albeit without 2 nosy, overgrown dogs that still think they are puppies, atleast for now).

And starting January 2012, we are pleased to announce kayaking expeditions and lessons offered through our resident kayaking pro.

When are you open?
We are open year-long, both for accommodation and diving.

When is the best time of the year to visit for fun diving?
The most popular time of the year to visit is from December to May, when the water is warm, the sun is shining, seas are flat and diving is the best.

Serious divers should also consider a trip between August and November. We get occasional to frequent rain during this time (although it varies year to year, especially in August and September), but the bulk of the monsoons are over and so the seas are quite calm. The post-monsoon warm sea means that fish population is at its peak during this time of the year. Some of the best diving we have done has been during this period.

What about June and July?
June and July are monsoon months, and it does rain a lot during these months. However, even during this rainy season, there are periods of calm mixed with occasional storms, and diving is very much possible. Surprisingly, visibility is not too badly affected during the monsoons - and the fishlife is also very good. So provided there isnt a big storm brewing, you should be ok to dive.

To give you an example: this FAQ was originally written in June 2006, in the midst of the monsoons - at the time of writing, it had been raining daily for atleast 2 hours a day and the sky has been overcast. But the seas were flat calm, and the diving had been very good, with the prior day's dive turning up 2 mantas, a shark and a school of barracudas. And the 3 monsoons since then have had similar weather (although the seas have been middling-to-very rough, the weather has actually been very good!).

How do I make a booking?
Drop us an email or send us an SMS to inquire about availability. We will reply back to you within 24-48 hours, along with our deposit payment sheet. If you would like to proceed with the booking, let us know and we will block off the rooms for you. Easy as that.

We do request that you consider these options instead of calling, unless it is really urgent - odds are quite good that when you call, we will not be near a computer and will have to call or SMS you back later anyway. And yes, we do answer emails (especially if you say nice things about dogs)!

I want to learn diving - when should I come?
Short answer - whenever you want. Diving courses can be conducted at any time and all the sites that we take our Open Water students are accessible year-long (and these aren't lousy sites by any means - our Open Water students have seen sharks, mantas and dugongs on their training dives!)..

How does one get to the Andamans?
There are daily flights to Port Blair from Kolkata and Chennai. Check MakeMyTrip.com for schedules, fare and to purchase tickets.

Most long-haul flights from Europe get into India in the early AM - if you catch a flight that lands in Kolkata or Chennai, you can catch a connection, early-morning flight to Port Blair on arrival itself.

You can also take a ship from Chennai or Kolkata, but unless you take a bunk, you wont save much over a flight ticket. And the bunk accommodation is not recommended unless you are a very hardy traveller.

What is the deal with getting to and fro Havelock?
Ok, here's the scoop: there is a daily ferry boat from Port Blair to Havelock, departing at 0600. Needless to say, this boat leaves before your flight gets in. Then there are 2 afternoon boats - one sails at 1130, going via Neil Island en route (it takes an hour longer and we do not use this option except as a last resort or unless specifically requested) and the second leaves at 1400 hours. There is also a high-speed catamaran which departs at 0900 and gets in by 1015 - so it is very convenient for those arriving by 8am.

Thus you should be able to make it to Havelock on the same day.

On the way back, you have to get into Port Blair the day before your flight departs (no, there is no way around it). There are boats leaving Havelock between 1400hrs, and 1630hrs. The evening ferry is the best way to do so - and if you want to squeeze in 2 extra dives on that day, you are welcome to do so. We'll get you back in ample time to catch your boat. However, what boat you get will depend on relative availability. We will advise you of this beforehand, so that you can plan accordingly.

The catamaran returns to Port Blair from Havelock at 4pm, so you can definitely book that if you want.

We arrive by ____. Can we make it to Havelock on the same day?
Yes. There is a 2pm ferry, which is the last ferry over, and you can take that. And of course, if you are arriving earlier, there are earlier ferries as well.

Our flight is at ____. Can we make it back to Port Blair the same morning?
Nope. Doesn't matter what your flight time - you have to spend the last night in Port Blair, b/c as of now, the last flight leaves well before the first ferry from Havelock reaches Port Blair. The day this changes, we will update this FAQ and trip planning page.

Are you really good value?
Oh yes. We figure you are coming to the Andamans to enjoy the islands, not the hotel amenities. So we've designed a resort which is comfortable, clean and offers all the amenties needed to make it a good base from which you can explore the islands. We dont have a flat screen TV in the room, we don't have expensive carpets, nor do we use half a rainforest's worth of wood for our rooms (unlike so many so-called "eco" resorts). If you want all those things, we are not the resort for you.

Our activities are designed around the needs of the participatory traveller - we provide a comfortable place to sleep, a good, social vibe in the restaurant/common area, the most experience dive team in the Andamans and advice on how to get the most of your time in Havelock.

You could pay a lot more for a room, but you won't necessarily get a better experience. (sorry, we couldn't help tooting our horn a little bit).

Tell me about the diving in Havelock
[Answered by the DIVEIndia team] Ok, the word "best diving in the world" gets bandied about a lot. We haven't dived the entire world, but we have dived Sipadan, Maldives, Red Sea, Florida, Carribean, North Atlantic, Mozambique, Thailand, Mediterranean, Zanzibar, Oman and a few other places, and as of now, we still think that the Andamans is among of the best places we've dived. Some people may prefer Sipadan, some prefer Maldives, some prefer us.... but this is a great diving destination regardless.

There are places with more consistently clear waters (we get 15-20m mostly, but occasional 10m days as well); there are places with more big fish action (we do get sharks and mantas however) - but when all is said and done, the variety of fishlife, the wealth of coral and the overal ambience and tranquility of the islands makes this a truly unique destination. We are still finding new sites, and seeing fish species that we hadn't seen before!

Most of the diving is in the 12-30m range, suitable for all levels, but we do have a few deeper sites for the experienced diver. We feel that there is something for everyone.

Do you have an office anywhere?
Nope. In this day and age of Internet communication, we don't see the benefit to having a brick and mortar office or fancy brochures (which aren't eco-friendly either). All the information is on the web and current, and the cost savings get passed on to you.

Do you offer tribal tours to see Jarawas or such?
No, we most certainly DO NOT offer trips to see tribals. It is exploitation, and we will not be a part of it, nor will we encourage it in any shape, way or form. Please do not ask us about it. We also reserve the right to cancel the booking, at any time (including mid-stay), of any guest who we believe is arranging an illegal tour to see the tribals.

This is something we feel strongly about and is not negotiable or open for discussion, sorry!

Is there a catch or any hidden charges?
Nope. Atleast, we don't think so. However, please read our Terms and Conditions. It contains all the fine print that we can think of. Mostly, we like to operate on the basis that we are all reasonable people, we want our guests to leave happy and we are willing to find a reasonable solution to anything that goes wrong (sadly, we do make mistakes occasionally and blaming it on the dogs doesn't always work).

What's the deal with you guys and why are you so hard to get a hold on the phones?
Vinnie, who runs the resort and handles emails/bookings, is also teaching diving, handling day-to-day issues of guests staying here and staring at shiny objects (and occasionally, even taking a holiday) and also handling phone calls. We could hire an anonymous person to be the bookings manager, but then we become Yet Another Faceless Resort. So we have made the decision of putting all information you need to plan your trip: information on rooms, rates, how to get to Havelock, ferry timings, diving options for beginners, etc. in neat little links on the left and kept them up-to-date.

We check email several times a day on the laptop, and get continuous updates on a Blackberry, and if you have an urgent inquiry, we'll get back to you as soon as possible (typically 24 hours or less). And there is less chance of confusion and miscommunications over email. As such, we operate primarily over email.

If you have an urgent question that is not listed on the website, please feel free to call Vinnie between 10am and 8pm Indian time on +919932082204 (or later, if it really is an emergency). In case you cannot get through, please send a text message and he'll call you back as soon as he is free. Please note that he is not able to take phone bookings and most likely will not be able to give you availability information on the phone. Did we mention - consider sending an email? :)