We know you’ve been keeping tabs on this one: Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans has made its much-awaited debut on India’s Havelock Island.
Beyond the lobby, guests will find the crescent-shaped Radhanagar Beach and a 164-foot-long infinity pool. Fun Fact: Taj has set up an onsite bottling plant eliminating the use of plastic bottles, a waste disposal system, converting wet waste to gas and compost, and a sanitation treatment plant to limit its carbon footprint. Developers didn’t remove a single tree during the construction of the 72 villas.
An in-house naturalist is available to help guests of the island with experiences such as snorkeling, scuba diving and night kayaking. What makes night kayaking so appealing? The mangroves are filled with bioluminescence-phytoplankton.
Dining options include The Settlers, serving dishes inspired by the settlers who’ve made the Andamans their home; Shoreline, offering coastal curries from the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal; and The Turtle House, dishing Indian, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
The spa opens in April with three single and three double treatment rooms with Ayurveda, Indian therapies, body rituals, facials and meditation. The Soundarya Beauty treatment includes a scrub and wrap, an aromatherapy massage, an hour-long facial and a mani / pedi.
Taj Exotica is open year-round but we hear that September to March is the best time to visit for outdoor activities; the other months get tropical rains.
Getting There: Fly in to Port Blair’s Veer Savarkar International Airport. The flight is followed by a two-and-a-half-hour ferry ride to the island and then a 30-minute drive to the resort. For unique requests, contact Ashish Dattani (ashish.dattani@tajhotels.com), director of sales.
Related Articles
Wa Ale Island Resort to Open in Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi Is Now Open
Easter Escapes: 10 of the Best Last-Minute Holidays
The Oberoi Group Announces Reopening of The Oberoi, New Delhi