Silver Sands Beach Resort

Has anyone stayed at the Silver Sands Beach Resort on Havelock? It looks great on the website (as they all do) but I have yet to find an objective review of the place. They are asking for a 100% deposit to hold a December booking and don%26#39;t take credit cards. I%26#39;m ok with a wire transfer, but I%26#39;d like to have a little more information about the resort. Thanks for any advice.

Barbara

Silver Sands Beach Resort

Easterfam,

did you stay at Silver Sands and/or hear any reviews? I am looking to stay there in December, and would appreciate any info.

Silver Sands Beach Resort

I haven%26#39;t stayed at Silver sands. but they are OK. You should book for a day and then check out other places nearby. For comfortable acco, try Barefoot ot Wild orchid. For budget, try Coconut Grove.

Thanks- would have preferred Barefoot as well, but they were sold out that week (as long as a month back!) Silversand tariffs are about the same as Barefoot, so im indifferent.

Hi Barbara

Silver Sands is the wrong side there%26#39;s a huge difference and the accomodation not a patch on Barefoot

Regards

Doug

Just returned from New Year%26#39;s in the Andamans. Had to split my trip between Barefoot at Havelock (Jungle Resort) and Silver Sands. Dived with Dive India and Barefoot Scuba as well. And had a few meals at Wild Orchid, and received a tour of the rooms there. So here%26#39;s my 2 cents for whatever its worth:

Barefoot is by far the best accommodation in the Andamans. No question, no comparison. For starters it is the only resort on Beach No.7 - all others are 10 kms away. The resort is also unique, in that it is very generous with space and, most importantly, it is refreshingly different, a %26#39;concept%26#39; resort. The resort feels like a world of its own.

SilverSand - the less said the better. Terrible value for money. The only reason I stayed there was because Barefoot was full up for New Years (I enquired in July) and I could only get a booking in Barefoot 4 days before and again immediately after New Years, at the time I enquired. In retrospect, if I had had known better about rip-off Silver Sand, I would have spent my money at Wild Orchid - which is at least priced within its station. Admittedly the rooms at Silver Sand are better appointed than Wild Orchid, but Wild Orchid is better value than SilverSand by far. Silver Sand has no character, no atmosphere, is run by a 19 year old boy (owners are conveniently absent at the first hint of trouble), differs substantially from what is advertised on the website, it%26#39;s....oh, why bother. It%26#39;s just upsetting.

So here%26#39;s my accommodation tip: In order of preference - Barefoot a clear first. Wild orchid next (on price), then, (and only if you have a gun to your head), Silversand.

At Wild Orchid, the rooms are within 5 feet of the main road, so noise is a problem. But your hosts there seem very nice. The same main road actually cuts through Silver Sand resort, so if you make the mistake of booking there, do ask for the cottages on the seaward side of the main road (!!!)

Diving: Dive India and Barefoot Scuba are both good. Barefoot scores on the individual attention front (they do not crowd their boats and only take 4 divers per instructor/divemaster) whereas Dive India is buzzing. For courses I would definitely say Barefoot Scuba should be the preferred choice. For a fun diver with less than 50 dives, again, I%26#39;d recommend Barefoot Scuba. For a seasoned diver i%26#39;d think perhaps Dive India - they have more of an atmosphere because of sheer volume of divers they take on per day and us seasoned divers :) don%26#39;t really need to be watched over. All in all, I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong with either.

There is a 3rd dive center i believe - but I never dived with them, so can%26#39;t comment.

Oh, and I too paid in advance for all my accommodation - didn%26#39;t see that as a problem, and it wasn%26#39;t - although it did mean that I was stuck with Silversand for 4 days 23 hours and 59 minutes longer than I would have liked. But I%26#39;m NOT going to get started again

Yes, I just returned from Silver Sands at Havelock. Steep prices, lousy service and ABOMINABLE AMENITIES. My sincere advice - Please don%26#39;t ever stay at Silver Sands at Havelock

We stayed at Silver Sands over Christmas / New Year 08

1. The beach %26amp; cottages are good

2. Food is passable. They need to hire a new cook

3. Location - Closest to Elephant Training Camp, and a good walk.

4. Location - Close to diveindia for serious diving

5. Catering %26amp; Other Staff - Need to be fired, they look to rip you off

6. Cleaning staff - excellent, and at your service

7. Activities - Try wild orchid / dive india / Havelock town

Would I go back to Havelock ? Yes

To SilverSands ? Yes, but only if Barefoot %26amp; Wild Orchid have sold out