Forest Trail in Havelock Island, Andaman

Inside Havelock's tropical forest

Most of the Andaman Islands' land area is still under tree cover, which makes them one of the most heavily forested parts of India. What grows here is tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest: wet, dense, layered, and nothing like the dry forest most Indian visitors will have walked in before.

It also has a very particular history. These islands sat far enough offshore for long enough that a good deal of what lives here is found nowhere else, in the plants and insects as much as in the birds.

Trees worth knowing by name

• Andaman padauk, the islands' best known tree, a giant with wide buttress roots flaring out at the base. The timber is famous. The living tree is better.
• Gurjan. Tall, straight dipterocarps that push up through the canopy and out above it. These are the emergents, the ones sea eagles perch on.
• Strangler figs. A fig seed germinates in the fork of another tree, drops roots to the ground, then slowly encases and kills its host. What you often end up with is a hollow lattice of fig standing where the original tree used to be.
• Bamboo and cane: dense brakes in the gaps, with rattan palms hooking their way up towards the light.
• Epiphytes. Orchids, ferns and mosses living up on the branches without ever touching soil.

The forest is built in layers

Once you see the layers you cannot stop seeing them, and each one holds different life.

The floor is busier than it looks

• Land crabs. The Andamans have land crabs a long way from the sea, living in burrows in the forest floor and going back to the coast only to release their young.
• Skinks and geckos, fast and glossy and usually gone before you have focused on them. Worth stopping for anyway.
• Butterflies. Some of the species here are enormous, and the forest gaps and sunlit patches along the trail are where you see them.
• Giant wood spider: large golden orb weavers strung across gaps in the trees, in webs strong enough to be startling. Harmless to people, though nobody enjoys walking into one.
• Termite columns. Covered mud tunnels running up the trunks. Termites are the forest's main recycling system, and worth a stop.
• Fungi. After rain, brackets and cups appear across the dead wood. This is the forest eating itself and starting again.

Practical things worth knowing

• It is humid. Under canopy the air holds moisture and you will feel it. Carry water and go slowly.
• Leeches appear after rain. They are harmless and painless, they simply put people off. Closed shoes, socks and repellent handle it, and your guide carries salt.
• Mosquitoes pick up at dusk, so an afternoon walk finishes before the worst of it.
• There are snakes, as in any tropical forest. Most species here are non-venomous and all of them would rather avoid you. Staying on the trail, watching where you put your hands and feet, and letting the guide lead is the whole of the safety procedure.
• Do not touch what you do not know. Some caterpillars and some sap will irritate skin. Ask first.

What your ₹2,000 covers

What to bring

• Water, more than you think
• A cap or hat
• Closed walking shoes with a grip. Sandals are a poor idea if the trail is damp
• Insect repellent
• Light long sleeves and long trousers, which help with both insects and scratchy vegetation
• A camera if you want one, though the light under canopy is low

Weather and rescheduling

• After heavy rain, sections of trail become slippery and the route or timing may change.
• If the trail is unsafe we move you to another slot during your stay.
• Full refund if nothing suitable is available before you leave.
• If you cancel 72 hours or more before, you get a full refund minus a 5% fee and GST. Inside 72 hours there is no refund. Walks between 15 December and 15 January are non-refundable. See our refund policy.

How this differs from our other walks

Forest trail in Havelock: frequently asked questions