Havelock Island in the South Andaman cluster is one of the lesser known gems in the Indian Ocean. Once relegated to the end-notes of your average travel book, it has now blossomed into a paradise of sun and sand. Treetop Travel presents the first ever exploration of the island, charted through 12 colour maps and a detailed stop-by-stop exploration that casts the island in a whole new light. Also included here are a reef guide, ornithological handbook, and survey of surrounding dive sites. Treetop is a new and experimental series drawn from real travel experiences, by contributors writing with the most localised destinations in mind. The books – of which this is the first – are designed to serve as intrepid and knowing companions to those venturing into and beyond the regular tourist circuit. Treat them as the ghosts of travellers past – your very own sherpa, chaperon and guide. We do not intend to replace the somewhat heavier, humdrum travel books that inevitably weigh down tourist trunks, nor will we attempt to match their broad subcontinental coverage and standardised listings. Instead, we chart out a different path – one that we hope will be a refreshing alternative – personal, quirky, insightful, relevantly detailed, often visual and always intuitive. You would do well to think of it as a narrative, perhaps even a travelogue, filled with precisely the sort of uncommon but helpful observations that make a holiday all the more memorable. Because, sometimes, the most beautiful neck in the woods is a couple hundred yards away from where everyone else thinks it is.