Lakshadweep Island Travel Guide
Lakshadweep consists of 36 islands in which only 10 are inhabited mainly due to lack of resources. The people are warm, friendly and god-fearing. The language spoken on all the islands except Minicoy is Malayalam. In Minicoy, Mahl, a dialect of the ancient Sinhalese is spoken. The five islands which are open to tourists have simple accommodation in the shape of beach cottages. Permits to visit Lakshadweep can be obtained from the Lakshadweep tourist office in Cochin. Regular flights operate from Cochin to one of the islands, as well as modestly priced ship cruises which stop at all the islands open to tourism. These cruises begin and end at Cochin.
Lakshadweep has a tropical climate, with summer temperatures ranging from 35 degrees centigrade to 22 degrees centigrade and winter temperature between 32 degrees centigrade to 20 degrees centigrade.
During monsoons, ship - based tourism is closed but a helicopter service is available. Some effect of the northeast monsoon is felt in October-November in the form of light transitory showers which cool the place. It is important to see Lakshadweep in the light of what it is - a group of islands, far from each other and from the mainland. Most items of food supplies, rice, vegetables, tinned food etc. as well as a whole range of consumer goods have to be transported, at some pains, from Kerala. Hence the few shops that do exist cater very specifically to the everyday needs of the locals. Good brands of toiletries and cigarettes are available on major islands.. Books and periodicals in any language other than Malayalam are difficult to find but inhabited islands have excellent libraries. Biscuits, tinned milk and similar provisions are not difficult to find. However, Bangaram, having no local population, has no shops at all. Tropical clothes throughout the year are sufficient. Tourism’s major focus is on water sports, as each of the islands are surrounded by a coral reef providing large areas of crystal clear water for everything from snorkeling to wind surfing. The five islands which are open to tourists have simple accommodation in the shape of beach cottages.
Permits to visit Lakshadweep can be obtained from the Lakshadweep tourist office in Cochin. Regular flights operate from Cochin to one of the islands, as well as modestly priced ship cruises which stop at all the islands open to tourism. These cruises begin and end at Cochin. The longest island amongst the Lakshadweep group of islands is the Andrott Island. The tomb of Hazrat Ubaidullah and the Buddhist archaeological remains are the major attractions for tourists at the Andrott Island. Minicoy is a large island in the Lakshadweep group of islands that is close to Maldives. While at Minicoy you must visit the Tuna Canning Factory, the lighthouse built by the British way back in 1885 and enjoys the performance of the traditional Lava Dance. Early history of Lakhswadeep is unwritten. Local traditions attribute the first settlement on these Islands to the period of Cheraman Perumal, the last king of Kerala. It is believed that the first settlers were hindus/ Buddhists. Even now unmistakable Hindu social stratification exists in these Islands. Buddhist archaeological remains are also found in Kavaratti and Andrott Islands.
Cultural and social Influence from the mainland state of Kerala had a deep impact on the inhabitants of the Islanders. Greek, Roman and Arab sailors used to visit the Islands for collecting boatloads of cowries and tortoise-shell for commerce.
All the islands included in the various tourist packages offer kayaks, pedal boats, sail boats, wind surfers, glass-bottomed boats and other facilities to tourists who wish to indulge in water sports in the unpolluted lagoons. Kadmat, Kavaratti and Bangaram have facilities for scuba diving. Deep-sea fishing buffs can pursue big game fishing. Barracuda, Sail Fish, Yellow Fin Tuna, Travelly and Wahoo are abundant in the seas around Lakshadweep. Local boats with experienced crew can be hired. Kayaks, canoes, surf modules, snorkels and other water sports are also available in all the islands open for tourists.
Places of interest: Kavaratti, Kalpeni, Kadmat, Minicoy, Agatti, Bangaram,
Access: Cochin International Airport links Lakshadweep with the mainland. Onward flights from Cochin are available to most of the airports in India and to selected foreign destinations. Agatti is the only airport in Lakshadweep. Helicopter transfer is available from Agatti to Bangaram Island Resort during monsoon and to Kavaratti through out the year. The flight from Cochin to Agatti takes approximately one hour thirty minutes. Flights operate six days a week. Four passenger ships- MV Tippu Sultan, MV Bharat Seema, MV Amindivi and MV Minicoy operate between Cochin and Lakshadweep. The passage takes between 14 to 20 hours. The ships offer different classes of accommodation.
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