Vacation Mode

Monsoon will soon be upon us, and we’ve found all the right places to escape it – or, to make the most of it

- SAUMYAA VOHRA

WHERE

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Travel guides will tell you that monsoon months are off-season for these beautiful azure islands, but it’s exactly then that you get to experience it at its unruffled best. Monsoon drives away the swarms of tourists, leaving you with lush greens, cool breezes and romantic rains that are a couple’s getaway catnip. Stay on Havelock Island at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, spread over 46 acres on Radhanagar Beach. Wreathed in mangroves with a view of the ocean, the 54 luxury villason-stilts give you the simultaneous sense of disconnecting from the frenetic pace of the world and connecting with nature. Take a lap in the Olympic-length infinity pool and with cocktails for two at the poolside Turtle House, before you head for a couple’s Vishrama massage at the Jiva Spa. End the days with a shared regional meal at The Settlers.

A literal stone’s throw away is Barefoot at Havelock, with 31 eco-friendly island-inspired tents, cottages and villas that are the sustainable traveller’s dream. The Nicobari villas, an homage to the village’s circular huts, make for a cosy reprieve from the world; a great starting base for your day of Elephant Beach trekking, farm-totable dinners and, on a clear day, scuba diving or snorkelling in that iridescent, ultramarine ocean.

Recreate a honeymoon vibe by renting a scooter and riding around Havelock Island. There are multiple activities you can do as a twosome, like dolphin-spotting in a glass bottom boat, selfies by the mud volcano at Baratang Island and catching the Light and Sound show at the historic Cellular Jail in Port Blair. Who says an intimate getaway can’t be action-packed?