Andaman & Nicobar for a week - where to dive?

[SarahD]

Next month we will spend 7 nights in the Andaman islands for diving.

Not interested in other sightseeing/activities, just want to experience the best dive spots, diving 2-3 times per day.

Have confirmed 4 nights with one dive resort on Neil Island -was thinking to spend the other 3 nights in Havelock to dive the sites there. Or is there a better destination? Or are we best just to stay on Neil and keep diving there?

We love coral and lots of life, macro is fine but not the most important aspect for us.

 

[Pearlman]

IIRC Neil is good enough for the diving and you will still visit the same dive sites. I’ve only made one single trip to Havelock but from what I remember the beach at Neil is rocky and not enjoyable for leisure while Havelock has some lovely beaches.
There is absolutely nothing to do on havelock except rent a bicycle and go up and down for some zone 2 workouts. Avoid the market place or staying near the township unless you want a cappuccino at the only star hotel in the locality.

At Havelock you can stay at one of the beachfront resorts at the what is considered the most lovely beaches in India. But as typical for everywhere in India - the tourism industry here wants to price match with Thailand or the Maldives while the overall experience, infrastructure and facilities topside are 1/3rd of what you will find internationally. (Outside of the expensive resorts i.e) The dive shops and facilities should be decent though - there is a common fill station for all the dive shops on the island I remember seeing it while cycling up and down…

Johnny’s Gorge and Dixons are the two standout dive sites here, plus maybe a few more that I need to review my unpublished video reels in order to recall. Try to ensure you hit Dixons on the day the seas are really flat as the underwater viz makes it a spectacular experience - in my experience it was a night and day difference compared to when the seas are choppy or turbid…

Some tripadvisor reviews and pics should help you decide - it’s been years since I looked it up…