Neil Island - Andaman

Farewell to Havelock

In the meantime, I said goodbye to my beautiful bungalow in the “Emerald Gecko” and the lovely people around it, completely relaxed and yet slightly wistful, which of course included the two boys in the resort but also the nice masseur, he came out onto the street the evening before last, ran out of a restaurant as we passed by and said goodbye but also the cool team from Kathmandu, in the same restaurant, said a warm bye bye.

The ferry released the lines again promptly at 3 p.m. and headed for the smaller neighboring island “Neil” within an hour. Meanwhile “Havelock” passed by the window in the distance.

Neil Island

When Neil arrived, I quickly and easily moved into my fine new little bungalow in the “Elephant and Four Wise Man”. I should like to mention that I once again had a good feeling when choosing where to stay. This bungalow here is a bit smaller than on Havelock, but incredibly clean and tidy. The surroundings are village-like and super relaxed. At night you don't hear anything apart from the waves crashing onto the reef 200 m away and the chirping of the insects; Every now and then there is a loud bang from the coconuts, which occasionally break loose in the trees and fall onto the metal roofs. Afterwards, after the shock has been released, there is blissful calm again.

Everything you do here is done calmly and deeply. It is recommended that you often do nothing at all except “extreme hammocking”. Truly a place to completely unwind. You can explore the island by bike in one or two days, but with only the minimum of effort. The obligatory breaks are a must, whether just to pause or enjoy a coconut (one a day is mandatory), a samosa here, a mixed fruit platter there, or the five-minute stop at the chaiwala. There's plenty of time in between to read a book.

To think about and imitate!

At first it was unusual, but gradually I came to appreciate it more. Internet is not yet a given here. My e-Simcard was inactive the whole time, and I came across the idea of not using the stupid smartphone at home one day a week. I found a hotspot to check a few emails every now and then at the market square, 1.5 km away.

Today, on the seventh day, I had to say goodbye again, firstly to the kind, always-available friends from the “Elephant and Four wise man Resort” Sibankar and his Mamaji. Or the girls, Villy from Greece and Irene from Holland, who recently arrived.

In summary, Neil is still a small, fresh paradise that is definitely worth a visit.

Namaste