Deep in the lush hillside in the heart of tropical Havelock Island, adjacent to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, this concept-driven hotel aims to merge the charms of private villas with the comforts of boutique hotels. The result is a welcoming experience that affords abundant privacy, while still retaining the service and staffing expected of a small hotel. Each room and suite at Jalakara is uniquely designed, but what they share in common is the sense of calm they instill and the spectacular views they offer. There are no televisions or Wi-Fi routers to speak of in the rooms, as the hotel hopes that guests will instead connect with nature, fellow travelers and themselves. Jalakara’s central gathering point is the terrace-ringed infinity pool, located beside the hotel’s bar and restaurant. The carefully crafted dinner menu lists Indian-inspired dishes, along with a few other Asian and British elements. Breakfast is complimentary and lunch can be enjoyed on the pool terrace. There is a small spa on site and the hotel offers yoga lessons as well. Beyond the hotel, guests can explore Havelock – and any of its beaches – by bike, scooter, or on foot. Snorkeling and diving expeditions can also be arranged, as can fishing and boating trips.

This long-anticipated luxury resort destination is set on Havelock Island in the Andaman Sea and covers 46 acres of property. It is the first luxury beach resort to grace this tropical collection of picturesque islands, and it was created with the utmost care for the environment. Not a single tree was felled during construction, and an on-site bottling plant was erected to prevent the use of plastic bottles and to cement the resort’s status as eco-friendly. Fringed by a strip of mangroves and a river, the resort gloriously opens up to the famed Radhanagar Beach. Pristine beaches lie before guests while wildlife sanctuaries and ancient tribal sites await them inland. In terms of accommodations, the resort boasts 50 modern villas on stilts. These villas are inspired by Jarawa tribe dwellings and are luxuriously appointed with king-size beds and comfortable furnishings. The five-fixture bathrooms are fitted with rain showers and bathtubs, and decks receive an abundance of sunshine. As for dining, there are three restaurants that offer an array of gourmet regional and international dishes, and there is also a pool bar serving guests lounging around the Olympic-size infinity pool. The spa is exceptional with an array of treatments that range from Ayurveda therapies to aromatherapies. A 24-hour fitness center is on-site; yoga classes are offered in the mornings, and guests are encouraged to get away from the resort to kayak, scuba dive, hike, and snorkel. There is plenty of fascinating wildlife and enchanting ecology to see nearby, and the resort’s staff is more than happy to help guests discover it.