Suddenly there has been a frenzied interest in Lakshadweep , but very few people know about the islands and still few know how to plan a holiday to the Lakshadweep Island!!
About Lakshadweep in general , you can read in detail in my earlier blog here
How to plan for a holiday in the Lakshadweep islands?
Read on !!!
There are two ways to holiday in the Lakshadweep Islands.
Fly into Lakshadweep and stay on an exotic island.
Agatti airport on Agatti Island is the only airport . Indigo has daily flights from Kochi and Bangalore to Agatti. New airline Fly91 has flights from Mopa airport (North Goa) to Agatti.
There are some small guest houses and hotels on Agatti Island but there is no government approved accomodation so we would not recommend a stay on Agatti Island.
As of now, government approved accomodation is on the islands of Bangaram, Kavaratti and Minicoy. Don’t expect 5 star accomodation there - though news is that the Taj group is building a 5 star resort in the near future.
Accomodation in these resorts is in the form of quaint air conditioned huts/cottages built just next to the beach, furnished with basic amenities. There are no water bungalows here as yet, so only beach accomodation. For the adventure enthusiasts, there are a host of water based activities that can be done while staying in any of these island resorts – scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, glass bottom boat ride etc.
This is ideal for honeymoon couples and families who would like to spend time together. We recommend atleast a 3 – 4 nights stay here to best enjoy the scenic beauty.
One more important point – depending from where you are flying , always keep a night stay in Kochi/Bangalore/Goa during onward as well as return journeys, as the flight schedule to/from Agatti can get disrupted due to weather. You dont want to get stranded because of a missed flight!!
Best time to visit – November to March.
Packages in these island typically start at around 16550 plus taxes per person for 3 nights stay , all meals and transfers to and from Agatti airport. Not too costly , right?
Cruise from Kochi
Lakshadweep Tourism department (Society for Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports – SPORTS) runs a cruise ship from Kochi to Lakshadweep islands. This is no 5 star cruise but the most value for money way to visit the islands.
The itinerary is a 4 nights / 5 days programme starting from Kochi and visiting the 3 major islands of Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Minicoy. Nights are spent on the cruise while daytime you are taken to the islands to explore and indulge in the various adventure activities available there.
Cabins are basic AC cabins, two bedded with bunk beds with attached toilets, basic furnishing and no television.
Cost of the 4 nights cruise starts from Rs. 37,500 plus taxes per adult on twin sharing basis and includes all meals - Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea/Coffee, and Dinner, Local village sightseeing, Water Sports- Snorkelling, Kayaking, GlassBottom Boat, The transfers by smaller boats from Main ship to Island and vice Versa.
Cruise normally operates from October to March and bookings for the coming season will open in August his year.
So if you are planning to holiday in the Lakshadweep , you now know the options available.
Connect here if you are interested in going to the Lakshdweep islands!!
Acknowledgement : All photos copyright of Chetan Kelkar
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