Playboy magazine and Andaman Islands: The Wild Orchid restaurant and hotel on Havelock

Gourmet At The Edge of The World

Out in the Indian Ocean, in the Andaman Islands, the Wild Orchid is a restaurant where food and eroticism live in symbiosis

Delicatessen next to the water. Sometimes the Italian winter is too cold and sad to be experienced and appreciated. So, let’ s go to distant and fragrant shores to achieve a pristine archipelago between India and Burma. And it’s here, at the Andaman Islands, where there is a small tropical island called Havelock that hosts the elegant restaurant of Wild Orchid owned by Benny and Lynda. And the show begins: chicken in coconut cream, snapper in sweet and sour garlic sauce with rice, cubes of cheese with pureed spinach with cardamom. Everything is hyperbolized by stories about Tantra, the magical book of the Kamasutra and the erotic practices of the ancient world of the East. Entering Wild Orchid means relaxing in a heavenly place and learn from the fabulous food philosophy that Indian Maharaja used to enjoy within their luxurious harem.
To calm the hot flash, Shesha, the chef, always recommends coconut milk, but this energy is difficult to stop. The landlord, Benny, is a speaker of mythical erotic testimony, which you can hardly forget. The power of spices makes you love the food as much as the eros/sex. An adventure to the edge of the world, with all your senses.
Wild Orchid Restaurant in Havelock, Andaman Islands, or the website www.wildorchidandaman.com
SOURCE: PLAYBOY MAGAZINE - ITALIAN ISSUE JAN/FEB 2010
...AND IF YOU WANT A WONDERFUL DIVING EXPERIENCE: WWW.ANDAMANBUBBLES.COM

Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, South of India

Mamallapuram is a small, little, quiet town facing the ocean just a couple of hour car ride from Chennai.
It's rich of temples and history, it was lovely to hear stories from local people, who are, in this place, very kind.
I finally relaxed, away from noising and polluted big cities....i really needed it.
Food was amazing too, lots of fish and international cousine can be found.

the People of the Andamans

The People of Andaman can be broadly categorized into two groups viz. Indigenous or Aborigines and Immigrants or Settlers. Prior to 1858, the Andaman Islands were inhabited by Autochthons only and with the founding of Penal Settlement at Port Blair after Indian Mutiny, Non-autochthons came to inhabit these Islands.

Indigenous People of Andaman District

The Aborigines of Andaman Island consist of the following four tribes:-

1.Great Andamanes

2.Onges

3.Jarawas

4.Sentinelese

The tribes belong to Negrito race and inhabit the Andaman Islands. On the basis of the level of technological developments, the tribes can be classified as Hunters and Gatherers or Primitive and Horticulturists or advanced.


Great Andamanese

The Great Andamanese tribe is settled presently on the Strait Island by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration. This was the largest tribe earlier before the establishment of Penal Settlement in Andaman Islands. Various diseases including influenza etc. took large toll and the population was reduced to present 44 individuals only. The Administration has provided to the Andamanese the houses and raised Coconut Plantation. Further free ration including cloths is also being provided to them. As such, Andamanese are no longer a nomadic tribe. However, they do sometime go for hunting and fishing.


Onges

Onges are one of the most primitive tribes in India. The Onges are inhabiting the Little Andaman Island. This Hunting and Gathering tribe has also been settled by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration at Dugong Creek and South Bay on Little Andaman Island at present. Coconut plantation has been raised for the benefit of Onges Medical care, free ration etc. are being provided at these two Settlement by the Administration. Onges go for hunting and fishing occasionally . The present population of Onges is 105.


Jarawas

The Jarawas are inhabiting presently the Western coast of Middle Andaman and South Andaman Islands. They are hostile and, at times, raid the other areas where the Bengali and other people have been settled by the Government. The Andaman & Nicobar Administration have started the Contact Expeditions periodically to Jarawas to befriend them. The first friendly contact was made in 1974 and since then the Jarawas are not hostile to the Contact Expedition Team which goes with gifts like Coconut, Banana and other fruits.

Jarawas continue to be hunting and gathering nomadic tribe. They hunt wild pig, monitor lizard with bows and arrows. Tips of the arrow is made of Iron which they get from the sea shore. The iron pieces are available coasts as a drift material. Unlike Onges and Andamanese, Jarawas not have the dogs to help in their hunting activities. Men fish with bows and arrows in the coastal waters while women catch fish with basket. Molluscus constitute major part of their Pisces food. Jarawas collect fruits and roots including honey from the forest. They do build temporary huts in their camps. They use crude rafts to cross creeks and streams. The present estimated population of Jarawas is 300.


Sentinelese

The Sentinelese tribe inhabits the small North Sentinel Island. They also are hostile like Jarawas to outsiders. The Contact Expeditions of Andaman and Nicobar Administration goes to the North Sentinel Island also periodically. A break through was achieved when the Contact team of the Administration led by Shri S.A.Awaradi, former Director of Tribal Welfare could establish the first ever friendly contact with the Sentinelese on 4th January 1991. Since then the Sentinelese have accepted gifts hand to hand from the Contact Party. However, the Sentinelese continue to be skeptical about the outsiders including the Contact Expedition Team.

Sentinelese are the hunting, fishing and gathering tribe. They fish in the coastal waters with bows and arrows and hunt wild pigs available on North Sentinel island. Sentinelese have dug – out Canoe which they use to move in the shallow coastal waters. They do not have the oars but the Canoes are propelled by long poles. Sentinelese also build temporary huts in their camps. Sentinelese, both men and women, are naked. The present estimated population of Sentinelese is 100.

source: http://andamandt.nic.in/people.htm

Andaman Islands. HAVELOCK, jan 2010

Dear friends, haven't told u much about my last vacations lately but here i am with some stories.
Just got back from India, where i actually got the chance to visit the Andaman Islands, Havelock in particular, which i would say is absolutely goregous. One of the best places i've ever been.
What i remember most is the good smell of flower that is everywhere on the island, i really lved it and it's a beautiful place just to relax and spend time on the beach in front of a clean, turquoise ocean. I share with u a couple of pics.....

Crazy vacations...sept 2008

I had the craziest two weeks ever....

First, i spent a week on a sailing boat down to south of Italy, sailing through Capri, Ischia, Ventotene and Ponza/Palmarola....Then planned a three day vacation to London to see Metallica and visited a few friends (special thanks to Denise and Justin, Claire and Simona)...and then, totally unexpected, flew from London to Gibraltar and spent five days in Tarifa with Marco....(i should write an entire post about this last destination but it's not about time yet....the only thing i can say, thanks Marco, it was fun:)).

Here below you find a few pics...enjoy.

Mixed pics again.....

Mixed pics, mixed places--sept 2008

Sailing + boat people

Procida Island

Capri....

Spectacular Ischia

Ventotene Island

Palmarola island

Ponza island