Imagine waking up to swaying palm trees, the sound of the ocean waves crashing, and a faint birdsong in the distance. Now, that sounds like an ideal summer vacation. But in Jalakara, located on Havelock Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, it is a regular day.
Years ago, when Mark Hill and Atalanta Weller came across an abandoned banana and betel nut plantation while discovering the quiet bylanes of the island, the couple instantly knew that they found just the right place for their “off-grid paradisiacal hideaway,” as Hill likes to put it.
While the Island will please an adventurist, Jalakara is just the right place to be if you want to genuinely unwind over the summer and treat yourself to some of that much-needed TLC. To be more precise, this spacious villa actually compels you to disconnect from the digital world, as the rooms strictly don’t have WiFi and audio-visual entertainment options. If you are wondering why, then it is all in the name—“We want our guests to feel re-energised by their stay at Jalakara and leave with a renewed lust for life. Our name means “the source” in Sanskrit – and we want the property to be the source of good times and happy memories and rejuvenation,” says Hill.
The property, which houses three rooms, three suites, and one private villa, is an ode to the natural beauty surrounding the property. Designed by the celebrated Indian architect Ajith Andagere and inspired by the works of greats like Geoffrey Bawa and Oscar Niemeyer, each room is spacious and airy, reflecting the aesthetics of “tropical modernism” brilliantly. “We wanted to blur the lines between the interiors and the outside—so open-to-sky showers, tropical prints, and well-furnished, expansive verandahs are common throughout,” says Hill. To add to it, even the interior curated by Weller is replete with earthy and cool-toned colours, bespoke block-printed fabrics, tropical hardwood furniture made on-site, and antique accents.
While Weller’s background in fashion design reflects brightly throughout Jalakara’s interiors, Hill’s training as a chef shines through in Jalakara’s unique culinary offerings. “We have designed a menu that is truly an island-to-table gastronomic experience with unusual tropical ingredients gathered from the forest; spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables that we grow at the property and ultra-fresh seafood,” says Hill. Some must-haves at Jalakara include signature three-way papaya and coconut curry, a spiny lobster platter with nimbu hollandaise and sugar-cured tiger prawns.
If you want to give water sports a try, the island offers ample activities to choose from. You can go snorkelling at the nearby Radhanagar, Elephant and Turtle beaches. You can also take a boat trip around the uninhabited island of Ritchies Archipelago and to the Rani Jhansi Marine Nature Reserve. The staff at Jalakara can also arrange for guided forest walks through Havelock’s rainforest. If you want to stay in and relax, Jalakara offers a long menu of massage therapies to choose from, in addition to guided yoga sessions.
Tariff: The room starts from INR 19,000; suites from INR 26,500; and the private villa from INR 49,000
Getting There: Flights to Port Blair are available daily from Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Mumbai. Havelock Island is about 90 minutes away by ferry from Port Blair. The last scheduled boats from Port Blair to Havelock leave at 2 pm, so book a flight landing before 12.30 pm to ensure you don't miss the last boat.