| If this sounds romantic, you simply
have to come here to believe the incredibly beautiful reality of Lakshadweep. Lying
350 km off the Kerala coast, strung in a shimmering strand of jewels, the islands are
coral atolls that encircle a fabulous aquamarine lagoon. Out of the 36 islands, only 10
are inhabited, and that too, sparsely – great news for honeymooners who want to just
lose themselves. Bangaram is the most sought after island, with rafting, snorkeling, deep-sea diving and deep-sea
fishing. Sail in glass-bottomed boats, swim with turtles and dolphins, snorkel in the reef
through colonies of fish. Surf the aqua marine waters, romp the white sands. Just revel in
the anonymity of Lakshadweep, for that honeymoon of a lifetime.
Special
Permits
A trip to Lakshadweep requires a tourist permit. This can be arranged
at the Lakshadweep Tourist Office in Cochin (Kochi). The only way to visit is to hook up
with a package tour group. Tour operators start the first of the trips in October and
continue till May. Bangaram is open to both Indian and foreign tourists who have permits.
Though Kadmat, Kalpeni, Minicoy and Kavaratti are open to Indian tourists only, movement
is restricted to the tourist area.
Getting
there
The usual way to get to Lakshadweep is to fly from Cochin
(Kochi) in Kerala to Agatti Island. The airport takes small aircrafts and helicopters,
which allows only up to 10 kg baggage weight per person. The govt tourist dept operates
cruises from Cochin to all the islands that are open to tourists. This is strictly a
package deal though, and is not really a ‘getting there’ solution, plus
it’s open to only Indian tourists. Kerala Tourism offers special 5-day cruise
packages for the islands of Agatti, Kavaratti and Kadmat, with on-board accommodation.
Accommodation
People usually stay at the resort island of Bangaram, the only island that offers overnight accommodation at
a private resort. There is no indigenous
local population so this is an out and out tourist facility. The hotel has cottages on the
beach; a multi cuisine restaurant with a bar, a library, scuba diving gear on hire, and
tons of ambience. Catamarans, kayaks and sailboats are free: grab and go! Government
accommodation is available at Kavaratti, Kadmat and Agatti. Prices range from a
minimum of Rs. 3500 to Rs 10,000 for the cottages.
Best
season
The most popular months are from January to the middle of May when the diving and fishing
is good but it’s possible to visit any time in the year. Lakshadweep has a
tropical climate with temperature ranging from 25°
C to 35°
C in summer and winters are just marginally cooler.
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