HolidayIQ | Reviewer of the Month March 2008

Unfortunately, the ship is filled with people way beyond its capacity, and courts an acute danger if any untoward incident happens mid-ocean. Thanks to the same, all our plans to spend the nights on the deck staring at starry skies went astray. We were holed in to our cabins in the night, except for the very few times when we managed to claim a piece of the deck to stand on and enjoy the lovely breeze or wonder at the flight of small fishes.

Our first destination was Minicoy - an island isolated from the main group of islands and lying about 200 km south of the northern group. To reach the island, we were put into really rickety rockety boats, which creaked their way to the island in a jiffy. It was so much fun just riding those boats - yet the best treat came when we landed on the island, for coral islands are very different from the normal beaches that I had experienced before this. For one, you can walk far into the sea and still keep standing, and even the waves are held still by the innocuous looking coral to give a sense of absolute calm.

lighthouse at minicoy

Minicoy has a very pretty lighthouse. With Virginia Wolf and discovery shows of haunted lighthouses playing as background themes, I have always been fascinated with lighthouses.

This was the first tall lighthouse which I climbed, getting a breathtaking view in return. As you look down, you see the sea merging into trees, which merge into lagoons that merge back into the sea; and you have an entire palette before your eyes - with greens, blues, whites and so many hues which you can’t even name.I wish I could capture the view and hold it, but alas, cameras were not allowed atop (may be to permit us time to see the beauty with the naked eye rather than though the lens of the camera).

Our second destination was Kavaratti – the capital of the islands. And the highpoint of this place was scuba diving!

The last island was Kalpeni, and it was the prettiest one. The moment we landed at the tourist spot – it was picture perfect. We took a boat to a very small island away from the shore, stayed there all day and did endless amount of snorkelling, kayaking and swimming. In the course of fun, even stepped on a few sea cucumbers and suffered their wrath!

The day ended with a visit to the northern tip of Kalpeni. The spot is surrounded with water from three sides, separated from it only by a random array of stones, where you could sit and lose yourself – at the threat of not finding yourself ever again. Even the scorching sun begins to fade in the backdrop of the awe-inspiring endlessness.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping:

Food is generally not my focus point on any trip, and on this trip this served me just as well, for the food on the ship reminded me of my engineering mess! While on the islands, I enjoyed the steady supply of coconut water, but that is pretty much it.

sunsets at Agatti

Kavaratti

Lakshadweep is still not the regular tourist destination to offer shopping and restaurants, which tips the scales in its favor. As for sight-seeing - anywhere you are, just look around and you will be impressed.

Activities & things to do

Lakshadweep is a haven for water sports, specially kayaking, scuba and snorkelling. If you are the touristy kinds, you can enjoy the glass bottom boats also. Kavaratti and Kalpeni are good destinations for both these activities.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.

I think taking a ship from Cochin/Bombay is a great way of experiencing the islands. They also work out to be far cheaper than air travel. You can fly from Cochin as well. There are packages organized by Sports Authority of India which offer passage on two ships. However, these ships carry many passengers, which can slightly ruin the cruise experience. An alternative is the Star cruise from Bombay, but it does not stop long enough on the islands.