Nestled like a verdant jewel within the deep blue sea of the Bay of Bengal, Havelock Island emerges as a canvas painted with nature’s most vibrant hues. Image this — cerulean water kissing the sand so powdery that the solar makes it seem golden.
In Havelock, Andaman, nature reveals itself in all its glory and is for certain to go away you breathless, because it did for Samit Sawhny (52) when he first set foot on the island’s coast. “In 2001, I took just a few years’s break from work to journey the world. Once I reached Havelock, it took my breath away, and I by no means needed to go away once more,” he tells The Higher India.
Roaming the shores of the island, he realised his want to contribute to its attract. The outcome? ‘Barefoot at Havelock.’ True to its identify, the resort provides an opportunity for guests to completely immerse themselves within the island’s pure magnificence.
From eco-friendly cottages nestled amidst lush tropical foliage to luxurious beachfront villas boasting panoramic views of the azure sea, the resort caters to quite a lot of tastes and preferences.
The tipping level
Recalling his life earlier than he based Barefoot, Samit displays on his preliminary profession aspirations. “I needed to pursue a path in finance and meticulously chosen prestigious faculties to steer me there.”
Initially from Chennai, he relocated to London upon finishing his commencement and commenced employment at a famend agency. “After 5 years of working, I realised that company finance didn’t resonate with me. It lacked the sense of fulfilment I sought. Regardless of the arduous journey to safe such a place — navigating tutorial challenges, searching for out the proper establishments, and cultivating the required connections, the work turned considerably mundane. Whereas the sector fits many, I yearned for one thing extra tangible,” he displays.
Samit then determined to return to India. “Upon my return, I discovered myself at a crossroads with no clear path. It felt like beginning anew. I opted to take a while off and embark on a journey,” he shares.
Throughout his seven-month expedition, he serendipitously discovered himself in Havelock, captivated by its breathtaking magnificence. “What struck me was the sheer lack of tourism on this gorgeous locale. It felt like a hidden paradise, secluded from the remainder of the world. Recognising its potential, particularly for nature lovers searching for a tranquil escape, I used to be impressed to start out an eco-friendly enterprise on the island, with out disturbing its pure magnificence,” he says.
The property blends into nature
Whereas the island’s isolation from the remainder of the world was its attraction, Sumit realised this USP additionally got here with its personal set of issues.
“The most important subject that I may see was that since I used to be the primary one to start out one thing like this on the island, there was little or no connectivity. There have been no common ferries, and the accessible ones have been painfully sluggish,” he explains.
The infrastructure of the place was very poor, and earlier than Samit may start work on his resort, he needed to deal with the problem of creating it accessible to the world. “However there was an essential lesson discovered from this expertise. Havelock was Havelock because of this — fewer crowds and extra nature. The place just isn’t just like the Maldives or every other vacationer vacation spot. Individuals come right here for a very pure expertise,” he emphasises.
Samit concluded that opening a resort even deeper into the island wouldn’t be clever because of the connectivity subject. Subsequently, he determined to construct the property alongside the seashore.
“If you come to the island, what you’ll discover is that it’s a mix of thick woods and seashores. So I made a decision to create a resort that blends into the pure environment and doesn’t disturb the wildlife,” he provides.
Samit bought a plot of land beside the seashore and determined to construct a forest round it. “The lands on the island have been solely allotted to individuals who cultivated bananas, rice, and coconut, or to parks, sanctuaries, and reserves,” he says.
So Samit began a banana plantation and constructed his resort in a means that merges with the character in it. “The resort just isn’t a standalone in essence. We needed to deliver the island on the map, which is why I began a journey firm to assist plan itineraries across the island. I additionally began Barefoot Scuba which is a scuba diving centre,” he explains.
Sustainable, nature-friendly, and a hidden gem
Continually listed among the many high eco-friendly resorts within the nation, Samit says he integrated lots of sustainable parts throughout the building. “There are some things that we did, as an example, we used pure supplies like mud, wooden, and thatch within the building of the constructing. All our rooms and customary areas are made in a means that they seem like part of nature,” he says.
“We even have pure pathways with no concrete on them,” he says including that the resort makes use of very low lighting as they’ve 4 totally different sorts of owls that keep on the property. “The second you flip vibrant lights on, they fly away. We don’t need to disturb the birds, so we give flashlights to the company and ask them to make use of the sunshine solely when wanted.”
The resort additionally has a waste administration system in place. “Kitchen wastewater flows by means of grease traps, and sewage is directed into septic tanks earlier than being taken by means of our sewage therapy plant. Wastewater flows into soak pits,” he shares.
“A pure purification course of then takes over, making certain the groundwater just isn’t polluted and the water desk is undisturbed. We additionally don’t take a drop of water from the Authorities pipeline. We harvest rainwater and the situation we chosen has a pure spring,” he informs.
Moreover, the resort has in-house Reverse Osmosis (RO) vegetation that provide water for ingesting and kitchen use. “We urge company to refill their bottles with this water and keep away from shopping for single-use plastic bottled water. The reject from the RO plant is used within the backyard and has been examined to be match for this function,” he informs.
The resort has a bunch of actions that their company can take pleasure in — together with tree walks, fowl trails, Kalapathar seashore trek, Elephant seashore trek, scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, and standup paddling.
As for the variety of company, the resort, the dive centre, and the journey firm have collectively hosted over two to 3 lakh folks because it opened its doorways, says Samit. “We welcome about 10,000 vacationers a 12 months.”
Ajay who visited the property in 2024 calls it “a hidden slice of heaven”. He says, “From the second you arrive, the Barefoot crew greets you with the warmest of welcomes. They’re all about fostering a way of kinship, and let me guarantee you, they succeed admirably.”
“The rooms are a fusion of luxurious with a touch of Robinson Crusoe allure. Nevertheless, what really distinguishes Barefoot is its dedication to eco-friendliness. They prioritise sustainability with out compromising on the finer issues. From harnessing solar energy to implementing waste discount measures, it’s as in the event that they’re exchanging high-fives with Mom Nature when you take pleasure in your cocktail.”
As for the longer term, Samit is planning to increase the resort. “We’re within the technique of getting clearances of land from the authorities. So increasing the place with out disturbing the character round it’s what’s on my plate subsequent!” he says.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat; All Pictures Credit score: Samit Sawhny)