Lakshadweep is
an amazing island, and is the smallest union territory of India. The
island offers crystal-clear water, natural beauty, pleasant weather, and water
activities like scuba diving, parasailing, coral paradise, and glass-bottom
boat rides, etc., making it the best tourist destination in India. The island also offers vibrant
coral reefs and diverse marine life. Speed boating, jet skiing, and water
skiing are the main attractions that bind tourists to visit the island every
year. Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep.
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| Lakshadweep Island Beach |
The article is about Lakshadweep Island,
Lakshadweep Airport, how to visit
Lakshadweep, and the best way to
visit the island. The article also discusses travel budgets, travel guides,
flights, ships, permits, itineraries, water sports, currency, and SIM cards, etc.
Instead of the Maldives, every Indian tourist should visit the island at least
once in life without fail. The island’s beauty is amazing and memorable in
life.
Lakshadweep Tourist Places
Lakshadweep is
a community of islands that make attractive tourist destinations, are
located in the Arabian Sea in a 32 sq km area, and are around 220 to 440 km
away from the coast of Kerala, Cochin, India. The biggest attraction for
tourists is crystal-clear blue water, white sand, and coral reefs. It is a
community of 36 islands; out of 36 islands, 10 islands are inhabited, where
people live, like Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmat, Giltan, Chatmat, Minicoy,
Bitra, etc. Bitra is the smallest island in the atoll. Out of the rest, 26
islands are uninhabited. The total population of the island is 64,473,
according to the 2011 census; among them, 98% of the inhabitants are Muslim.
The abundant scenic beaches, mild atmosphere, lush
green landscape, and white sandy coastlines make it a perfect honeymoon
destination for tourists. There are 36 islands in Lakshadweep, and Cochin
is the only gateway to visit all the islands. In most of the islands, an Indian
can visit but needs a permit and PCC. Foreigners
can apply for a permit to visit only 3 islands out of 36 islands; Agati,
Bangaram, and Kadmat. Most of the visitors visit tourist places, like
Agati, Bangaram, Kadmat, Minicoy, Kavaratti, and Kalpani.
Lakshadweep Airport
Agatti Aerodrome
(AGX) is the only airport in
the atoll and is the smallest airport located on Agatti Island. The island
is about 7 km long. You can explore Agati by taxi, auto, or rented bike. For
Rs.300 to Rs.500, you get a bike as rent to explore the island. You can visit from
Agatti to Bangaram Island. Bangaram is a government tourist spot; there are no
inhabitants. You can hire a boat to reach the Bangaram resort from
Agatti, and the fare will be around Rs.5000, and the time taken will be 40 min
to 1 hour.
How to visit Lakshadweep
You first reach Cochin in Kerala anyway by flight,
train, or bus. If you want to reach Cochin from your home city by train, Ernakolam railway
station is the nearest railway station in Cochin.
You can visit the tourist places in two ways; the first is by flight, and
the other is by ship. If you want to visit by air, you will reach
Cochin International Airport from your home city. From Cochin, you will get a flight
in the morning, and the time taken is 1.5 hours to reach Agatti Airport. Daily flights run from Cochin to Agatti at
9am. Flight tickets may be 5500 to 9000, depending on ticket time and flight
classes.
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| Cordelier Cruises |
Let us talk about via sea; you can also come through Cordelier
cruises or also can visit through the govt.’s Soumderum package.
There are 7 different types of ships available to reach different islands of
Lakshadweep, like 1. MV Kavaratti 2. MV Arabian Sea 3. MV
Lakshadweep Sea 4. MV Corals 5. MV Amindivi 6. MV Minicoy and 7. MV Lagoon.
The journey will be 14 to 20 hours to reach the islands, and the fare will
depend on the class. Like, lower class means a bunk bed will be around 1500, 2nd class
around 3800, and 1st class around 5800, and for VIP class it will
be around 10000.
Samudram package for 5 days in Lakshadweep tour (it
may vary according to time)
|
Package
Class |
Cost of Transportation (in Rs) |
Tour Charge (in Rs.) |
Total
Cost (in Rs.) |
|
Diamond
Class (Adult) |
25000 |
12500 |
37500 |
|
Diamond
Class (Child) |
25000 |
8000 |
33000 |
|
Gold
Class (Adult) |
18000 |
10500 |
28500 |
|
Gold
Class (Child) |
18000 |
7500 |
25500 |
(Diamond class refers to the ship’s
1st class with a max of 2 members per cabin, on the 4th and
5th decks, and Gold class refers to the ship’s 2nd class
with a max of 4 members per cabin.)
Permit for Lakshadweep
You must have a permit to
visit the island, and it is compulsory for every person to enter
Agatti and the other islands of Lakshadweep. You also need a police
clearance certificate (PCC) from your local police station. For a permit, you
may contact an agent, or if someone is inviting you, then you can also apply online
for a permit, and the charge for the permit will be Rs.300.
If you are with a travel agent, they will manage the permit for you. For Indians, you need documents, like an Aadhar card, a permit to visit Lakshadweep, and a PCC from the police station. For foreigners, you need a passport and visa along with an entry permit to visit the island. The currency you will need is Indian rupees (INR) to visit the island. Card payment or online payment is not widely used due to limited internet connectivity; we advise that you carry sufficient Indian rupees with you.
How to reach Lakshadweep from Delhi?
From Delhi to
Lakshadweep, you have multiple ways to reach the island. If you want to
journey by train, you reach Cochin in Kerala from Delhi, and then you can go
via flight or via ship from Cochin. The shortest and most direct tour is via
flight, and the time taken is around 6 hours. There are two options from Delhi
to Agatti via Goa, and it is the cheapest way at around Rs.6000 to 7000.
Delhi ---- Bangalore (via)--- Agatti (The tour from Delhi to Lakshadweep via Bangalore, the flight ticket price will be approx. Rs.11000 (it may vary), and the time taken is 6 h 40 min.)
Delhi ----Cochin (via) --- Agatti, the flight ticket price will be approx. Rs.12000 and the time taken 7 hours.
How to reach Lakshadweep from Bangalore?
From
Bangalore, the fastest way is by flight. The distance from Bangalore to
Agatti Airport is around 700 km, and a flight takes around 2 hours and 15minutes.
Flight fare will be around 7000; it may vary depending on the season.
Goa to Lakshadweep Flight
If
you want to visit from Goa, or your place is well connected with
Goa, you reach Manohar International Airport in Goa. The fare will be Rs.2000
to 4000, depending on the flight and timing of the booking.
Best time to visit Lakshadweep
The
best time to visit Lakshadweep is generally October to February, because
at that time the weather is pleasant, the sea is calm, and it is an ideal
period for water sports and sightseeing. BSNL or Airtel network is also
great. So don’t worry about mobile network.
What to do in Lakshadweep
Water
sports are famous
activities like scuba diving, boat rides, windsurfing, kayaking, snorkeling,
and glass-bottom boat rides that can be done in Agatti, Kavaratti, Kadmat,
Minicoy, Kalpeni, and also Bangaram Island in Lakshadweep. But each island has
its own specialty and is popular for different activities, like Kavaratti
Island and Kadmat, which are popular for scuba diving, and calm lagoons, and
skiing. Here it is mentioned that the minimum age limit is 14 years for scuba
diving activity. Minicoy Island is perfect for kayaking
and canoeing due to shallow water. Kalpeni Island is famous for boating, like
pedal boats and sail boats. Windsurfing and kayaking are popular activities in
Bangaram Islet.
Lakshadweep is
famous for its crystal-clear water, beaches, and water activities, which make
the island a famous tourist destination in India. Tourist places of
small islands and their beaches also attract the international tourists every
year. A beautiful small airport
in Agatti are attracts all the foreign and Indian tourists and is also the
best honeymoon destination in India.