A One Week Trip To Bangaram, All Inclusive, . Take Enough Film With You As Supposedly You Can’t Buy It In Bangaram. The Glass-Clear Waters Of The Laccadives, With Their Multitude Of Fish, Are Every Diver’s Dream. Some Diving Equipment Is Supposed To Be Available For Hire. Leave Your Harpoons At Home So Other Travellers Can See The Underwater World Intact.
Related Travel Information
Quilon Has A Population Of 150,000. Accommodation Can Be Found Right
Near The Jetty, And The Bus Terminal Is Also There.
The Mahalakshmi Lodge Is Right Near The Jetty. It Is Very Clean, Doubles
Cost Around 30rs, And It Also Has A Good Restaurant. (W.K.)
Double Rooms In The Sudarsan Hotel Cost Around 6ors And It Has A Good
Restaurant. (Petra Z.)
Connections
There Are Day And Night Buses To Trivandrum 72km (45 Miles) - Lors And A 2 Hour Trip. There Are Two Boats To Alleppey Daily At 10am And 10.30pm. There Is Also A Bus.
You Can Also Go On The Backwaters To Kapapuzha Or Guhanan-Dapuram.
Formalities
You Have To Apply For A Permit At Least 4 Weeks In Advance At The Ministry Of Home Affairs, Or At The Indian Embassy In Your Home Country. It *S Simpler To Take An Organised Tour To Bangaram. If You Do That, Your Travel Agent Will Obtain A Permit For You.
Arrival
The Shipping Corporation Of India's MV Bharatseema And The M^
Frrnindivi Travel To The Laccadives A Few Times A Month. The Journey Takes 18 Hours, But They Don't Take Tourists During The Monsoon Season.
Accommodation
There Are Several Bungalows On Bangaram. You Can Also Stay On Kavaratti Island, Kadmat Island, Kalpeni, And Minicoy
This Island Group Belongs To India, And Lies Between 190km (118 Miles) And 300km (186 Miles) West Of Kerala. Of The 36 Coral Islands, With A Total Area Of 32.4 Sq Km (13 Sq Miles), Only Ten Are Inhabited. The Population Of 50,000 Are Mostly Muslim.
The Main Industry Is Fishing (Tuna And Sharks). That Could Change If They Were Opened Up For Unrestricted Tourist Development. On The Other Hand The Laccadives Are A Restricted Area, And Travellers Who Want To Visit The Islands Have To Get A Permit In Delhi. The Only Exception Is The Island Of Bangaram.
The Backwaters Are The Inland Water Ways Of Kerala. They Are A Network Of Narrow And Wide Canals Fringed By Palms, Which Suddenly Widen Out Into Shallow Lakes Where Fishermen Cast Their Nets. Boats Chug Through Colourful Water Plants, Transparent Jellyfish Glitter In The Water, And On The Banks Children Swim And Wave.
There Seems To Be A Harmony Between Man And Nature. The Palm Thatched Huts Blend In With The Coconut Forests And Present A Picture Of Paradise, At Least For The Pas¬sengers Who Want To Get Away From Civilization For A While. The Backwaters Are An Experience. If
This Town Of 200,000 Is Built Along Many Canals, And Is Really Pretty. The High Point Of The Season Is The Snake Boat Race Held In The Second Half Of August. A Visit To The Beach Is Also Worthwhile. Take A Scooter To The Beach Rest House - Cost Lors. The Temple In Mullakal Is Not Open To Non-Hindus.
