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Island Hopping in Lakshadweep on cruise M.V. Kavaratti

5/4/2017

13 Comments

 

Island Hopping in Lakshadweep on cruise M.V. Kavaratti

Lakshadweep, a union territory of India, is one of the most spectacular tropical islands of the world. Lakshadweep is home to beautiful unique coral reefs and abundant marine life and hence known as the coral paradise of India. Lakshadweep is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea. Out of those, few islands are submerged in the ocean and most of them are uninhabited. Only 10 of these islands are inhabited. As a step towards preserving the corals and marine life of the islands, the tourism in Lakshadweep is regulated by the Government and the entry permit is restricted, allowing only certain influx of travellers at a time. Only few islands like Kavaratti, Kalpeni, Kadmat, Minicoy, Bangaram, Thinkarra, Agatti, are open to tourists. 
Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep
Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep

​Travel to Lakshadweep is possible only through packages which are designed by the SPORTS (Society for Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports). I chose the Samudram package, where I could visit 3 different islands in Lakshadweep by the ship M.V. Kavaratti. I found it to be the most economical way to travel to Lakshadweep. M.V. Kavaratti starts from Willingdon Island, Kochi and takes to 3 different islands in 5 days, ending the journey at Kochi. The nights are spent on the ship, while it traverses to a new island each morning. The days are spent on islands.
Island Hopping in Lakshadweep on cruise M.V. Kavaratti
Island Hopping in Lakshadweep on cruise M.V. Kavaratti

​Inquisitive about the marine life, my trip to Lakshadweep was primarily to experience the underwater life. I tried my hands on snorkelling and Scuba Diving at Lakshadweep in each of the islands I visited and I must admit, I was AQUADDICTED for the rest of my life. For the first time in my life I had taken a dip in the ocean and discovered that a different universe exists underwater.
Underwater life in Lakshadweep
Underwater life in Lakshadweep


​Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep

Kalpeni Island is very scenic with huge lagoon enclosed by 3 other islets. It was the first time that I was witnessing emerald island against vast blue sea. The water was so clear that I could see the sand bed through the water! I stood speechless for an hour admiring the beauty of this part of India.
 ​Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep
Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep

​After a swim in the lagoon, I head out looking for a dive instructor to take me diving. My first dive was 6m deep and the current was high. The instructor had to hold me as I was swaying with the current. Of course, diving isn’t easy and requires a technical training.
Scuba Diving in ​Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep
Scuba Diving in ​Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep

​I then went kayaking in the middle of the lagoons and snorkelled there for an hour. I was happy like a kid to have discovered a new sport for myself. 
Kayaking in ​Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep
Kayaking in ​Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep

​After a long tiring day, I had a wonderful sleep in the cruise.


​Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep

I woke up the next morning at Minicoy Island, a crescent shaped Island with one of the largest lagoons. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw myriad shades of blue sea from the lighthouse of Minicoy. Minicoy looked magical.
​Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep
​Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep

​No wonder, Minicoy was only 100km away from Maldives! The residents of Minicoy speak Mahl, the official language of Maldives. I realised Lakshadweep Islands are geologically a part of the same chain as the Maldives. Maldives is my dream destination and I’ve kept it aside for my honeymoon (shhh.…).
​Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep
​Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep

​I couldn’t wait to enjoy the underwater here and I ended up with another near to death experience of mine when I found myself alone in the middle of the sea, snorkelling without a life jacket in heavy current. I spent a lazy hour on the hammock after the lunch and set out for diving. The clarity of water in this part was so impressive that I felt I was swimming in a huge aquarium.
Scuba Diving in ​Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep
Scuba Diving in ​Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep


​Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep

Kavaratti was the last island I visited on this trip. Initially I was disappointed with the island as I saw more urbanisation here than the rest islands I had visited. Kavaratti is the administrative capital of Lakshadweep Islands.
 ​Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep
Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep

​I then started hunting for Dive shops. The dive master took me to a dive spot just at the reef, at the depth of 12m. It was my deepest dive in Lakshadweep and I saw a clear demarcation between the lagoon and the deep blue sea. I waited there for quite a few seconds to absorb such a wonderful feeling. It felt like I was daydreaming.
Scuba Diving in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep
Scuba Diving in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep

​I spent the rest of the day snorkelling. I snorkelled for 2 hours, till the sun began to set, till my stamina lasted. The corals here were the prettiest, with vibrant colours like yellow, orange, purple, blue, pink. I wish I had an underwater camera then, to shoot the most beautiful corals I’ve ever seen in my life. Kavaratti turned out to be my best underwater experience!
Snorkeling in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep
Snorkeling in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep

​I relished my last evening at Lakshadweep with a picturesque sunset at Kavaratti. It was difficult to bid adieu to Lakshadweep, they only left me craving for more.
Picture

​After visiting Lakshadweep, I knew I wanted to take SCUBA Diving at another level. I got myself certified as an Open Water Scuba Diver in Gili Islands, Indonesia and Advanced Open Water Diver at Andaman Islands. I have also dived in Vietnam and Cambodia, but I would rate the marine life and the corals of Lakshadweep as my best till date. Now that I’m an advanced certified Scuba Diver, I would love to visit Lakshadweep again to explore more marine life.


​Best time to travel to Lakshadweep

October to May is the best time to travel to Lakshadweep. The cruises and boats don't operate in the monsoons.
​
​
Related Posts:
Journey to deep secret world, Lakshadweep
Advanced Open Water Diver: Andaman Islands
Havelock Island, Andaman
13 Comments
Saakshi link
5/4/2017 18:57:29

Super informative read! Lakshadweep has been on my mind since forever but I would find it very expensive to travel to. Will take your help while planning for it :)

Reply
mayuri link
5/4/2017 22:03:03

Pretty beautiful place
Good information u shared

Reply
Mainak Padhiya
5/5/2017 07:18:33

Wow nice blog all which helps us to travel these places..... I lOve travelling but fix in different side so after read all i try to once in year visit some place definitely.
Kindly share your Cambodia experience please
Best regards

Reply
Ashurosh
5/5/2017 14:15:19

Hi I am planning to visit lakshadwep islands in December. Thanks for very informative blog as this would certainly help me
Thanks once again and Happy traveling...

Reply
Palav link
5/5/2017 15:19:47

Hey Medhavi, it's always a pleasure reading your blogs...always get to know so many things..would love to visit Lakshadweep..thank u for sharing all the information n such lovely pics of underwater marine life

Reply
Divya Jain
5/5/2017 17:39:45

What is the cost of the tour?

Reply
Gautham Baliga B link
5/5/2017 18:40:08

Very informative write-up! Would like to explore these places once I come out of Himalayan hangover :)

Reply
Hitasha Mehra link
5/5/2017 22:42:25

Loved your article completely! This has been there in my bucket list too since a while..

Reply
My Unfinished life link
5/5/2017 23:09:50

Lakhswadeep is so on my list!!

Reply
Swapna
1/21/2019 20:28:02

Hi Medhavi,

Reading your description about your lifestyle felt like someone writing about my thoughts and living it on my behalf. I happened to stubble upon your page while randomly googling interesting places to visit on a budget and I have to say, I absolutely enjoyed reading the post and the pics!!! I do have a humble request though, Could you kindly share the rough estimate of the cost. I know its been a really long time but would be great if I could get a rough Idea on the budget I need to allocate to plan a trip.Thank you in advance and I wish you all the very best in life Medhavi :)

Reply
Angela Lok link
1/29/2019 18:27:37

I'm so happy I found this piece, reminds me of my 2017 honeymoon in Lakshadweep! I love this beautiful island so much, with its people, landscapes, food and waters. My husband even got me diving, we explored together the Japanese Garden among other brilliant dive spots.
Can't wait to be back there, going to use your article to discover what I missed last time!

Reply
Prajakta Patkar
8/27/2022 10:05:11

Hi Medhavi,

Nice blog, thanks for sharing this information.

Could you help on my below queries?
1) How to arrange for the permits required to visit Lakshadweep?
2) What is the procedure, could you share the details, please?
3) Is it like package permits for the islands that we are allowed to visit as tourists or the permits are needed for individual islands?
4) advance bookings at resorts on islands can be clubbed with permit procedure, can the resort / or do the resort assit in the permit procedure too?

Reply

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    Author

    Picture
    Namaste! I'm Medhavi Davda.
    I travel to Evolve..
    In Nature, I confide..
    I find my calling in the Himalayas..
    In the Oceans, I meditate..

    ​
    A High-Altitude Trekker & PADI certified SCUBA Diver, I love exploring the heights and depths of the planet with my regular doses of mountains and oceans.
    ​
    Discovering myself & life through nature, adventures, travels, sports and dance has been an addiction since my existence!

    Quite fond of the  natural & cultural diversity of India, I've travelled extensively in my own country before exploring international destinations.
    ​
    I had left my 9+ yrs of career in Software Industry in a quest to make a living out of my passions. I packed my basics in my car (gave away the rest) and lived in different parts of Himachal Pradesh for 16 months. This invaluable time taught me to experience life from a broader perspective.
    ​
    I'm currently living in Mumbai to work with an Adventure Travel company as a product manager for Scuba Diving. I continue living a minimalistic life.

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