Reach Lakshadweep Islands from Kerala
Lakshadweep Islands
Lakshadweep Islands, an isolated land of coral islands, is always on limelight and all time desire of every travelers and divers to explore pristine archipelago lagoons, unspoiled coral reefs and warm waters as the real attraction of island lies under the water.
Lakshadweep Islands – Experiencing Coral Islands of Kerala
Surfing along the stretches of white and shining sands that will beckons one to have a sun bath. The enchanting beaches have a lot to offer for those who come here to relax and enjoy the sunset. It is a great place to be when you want to stay away from the crowd. The idle lagoons are great for spending time, watching the birds and the palms sway to the tune of the wind. The emerald green water is welcoming and a good swim in these waters is rejuvenating.
Water sports are another reason why you should be at the beach. Besides, take a look at those attractive corals that are lying all over the island. These attractive and colourful corals make the place distinctive
Entry Permits to Lakshadweep Islands
Government Package Tour
Government Package tours are available by the Society for Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports (SPORTS), a society formed by the Lakshadweep Administration with the avowed aim of tapping tourism potential of the islands and to act as the nodal agency of Lakshadweep Administration for promotion of tourism in the islands. One can get all details regarding this tour package from Lakshadweep Office at Wellington Island Kochi or for further information visit www.lakshadweeptourism.com/tourpackages.html
Private lakshadweep tour packages from kochi
Many private tour operators do organize tour packages to Lakshadweep. Three day packages which ranges from Rs 15,000/- onwards are available.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship is the only option for those who are not interested to travel to Lakshadweep via tour packages. This is a way to getting permission directly from Lakshadweep as a resident of Islands is ready to bear complete responsibility of the person who is travelling to Islands. There are two types of permissions.
A. 15 Days Permit: Permission for 15 days is available. A resident of Island should submit the travelling person’s application form duly filled with name, id, and photo; and cash should be paid through Challan. In one month time you may get date given by them and within that date need to get ticket to travel. One can’t select the date of travel is major drawback of this permit, but 15 days can be extended to 20 days without any legal concerns and low price. Recently some regulations have been laid for getting this permit.
B. 6 Month Permit: This permission is for job seekers from India. Formality to get this permit is same as getting 15 days permit. A resident of Island should sponsor the person travelling to the islands. Once this permit is availed, one can shuttle between Island and homeland within the period of six months.
How to reach Lakshadweep Islands
Via Air
Agatti and Bangaram islands can be reached via flight from Kochi. Indian Airlines operate flights from Kochi. As for the 11 inhabitant islands of Lakshadweep, Airport facility is only in Agatti Island. From Agatti boats are available to Kavaratti and Kadmat during fair season from October to May. Helicopter transfer is also available from Agatti to Bangaram Island Resort during monsoon and to Kavaratti throughout the year. The flight from Cochin takes approximately one hour and thirty minutes of air travel to reach Agatti Island.
Via Sea
Travelling by ship is also a good option to reach Lakshadweep. A number of passenger ships namely MV Kavaratti, MV Arabian Sea, MV Lakshadweep Sea, MV Bharat Seema, MV Amindivi and MV Minicoy operate from Kochi (Cochin) to Lakshadweep. The passage takes 14 to 18 hours depending on island chosen for journey. The ships offer different classes of accommodation: A/C First Class with two berth cabins, A/C Second Class with four berth cabins and push back/Bunk Class with A/C seating. MV Tipu Sultan has a cafeteria, snack bar, entertainment lounge and upper deck promenade for the tourists. A doctor is available on call on board. MV Amindivi and MV Minicoy also offer comfortable A/C seating ideal for a night’s journey. However, during the monsoons, the ship services remain closed.
The approximate cost of travelling to Lakshadweep from Kochi by ship is around 500 to 1000 Indian Rupees per head for the residents of India whereas it is around 2000 Indian Rupees for foreigners.
Best time to visit lakshadweep: November to March
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