Hey guys, so today I am starting a new Travel Series on my Blog (growingwithnemit.com) and YouTube channel (@GrowingWithNemit) where I will be sharing all the details about our recent trip to a beautiful Island destination. The title of this post ‘How to choose the perfect beach destination?’ was the first question that came to our mind when we thought of taking a vacation. But let me tell you getting the answer to this question was not that easy. Because all these destinations are equally beautiful. Hence, I chose this as the first topic to discuss with you all. I will also be taking up the question, Andaman or Lakshadweep? as these two are the most stunning Island destinations of our country.

Now that we have been to both, it’s easier for me to make a comparison and share my views on the same. Hopefully, it will help you save some time if you come across the same thought or doubts.

So, we had to plan a special trip for our son’s (Nemit) 7th birthday and since he loves the beaches, we just had to decide which beach destination to choose.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit)

But, this time it was not that easy. Why?

Because it seemed like we have already travelled to all the best beach destinations that could fit in our budget.

We have already visited Andaman Islands, Goa, Kerala & Puducherry in India, Krabi & Phuket in Thailand, Langkawi in Malaysia and also Maldives.

-Sorry, I don’t have posts for all the places we have explored as I started travel blogging only in 2018.-

Although we still have Bali, Mauritius & Vietnam on our travel bucket list, we did not not plan any of these International destinations due to 2 reasons.

One is the Corona scare, we are not yet confident to travel out of India as we still keep on hearing news of the new viruses coming up.

And, the second reason is we failed to renew Nemit’s passport before moving to Bengaluru, it got rejected but that’s a story for some other day.

So, first of all let’s talk about the International beach destinations.

International Beach Destinations

It’s a common thought process that if we have to spend a certain amount of money and if we can travel to an International destination within that budget then why should we even think about India.

I want to confess that even I had the same mindset for preferring an International destination over the Indian destination. And, I think it’s okay. Because for those of us from middle class families, traveling out of India is a big deal.

But after visiting and exploring some of the most stunning and picturesque locations in India, my whole outlook has changed. And, now my travel goal is to explore the offbeat and hidden locations in India first before checking out the destinations outside India.

Of all the places we have visited out of India (it’s not many but still), Krabi is my most favorite one, no doubt on that, in terms of the budget as well as the things to do. It’s a perfect beach destination outside India.

Krabi 2019

And, then comes the Maldives if you are looking for a laid back luxurious holiday.

So, for the same budget, either you can book a comfortable stay at any of the islands in Maldives for 3/4 nights where you just get to relax and rejuvenate. But there would be nothing much to explore except for the private island.

Maldives 2017

And, in the same budget, you can visit some breathtaking beaches & islands in Krabi for 4/5 nights or even more. You would get ample options to explore as well.

Beach Destinations in India – Andaman or Lakshadweep?

Now, if I talk about India, Goa is the go-to beach destination not just for the Indians but for many foreigners too. One will get everything in Goa except the white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.

You may read – 7-Day South Goa Itinerary with videos!

You can explore Goa on a budget or you can choose the luxurious & upscale stays as per your interest. Goa offers you everything.

But if you too are crazy for pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters then Goa may not be the right fit for you.

Our search for pristine beaches ended when we visited the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in 2018.

After going through all the available options for Nemit’s birthday trip, we thought of visiting the Andaman Islands once again. And then one day I saw a few latest videos about Andaman travel on YouTube and it simply broke my heart.

Here’s the statistical chart showing No. of Tourist Visited A & N Islands in 2022.

Source – Andaman Tourism

Andaman has changed a lot in terms of commercialization and tourism. It has become one of the most sought after beach destinations in India which means it has become crowded too. There’s no control on how many tourists can travel to Andaman, which could be one of the reasons that this heavenly beauty is losing its charm.

But that’s what I feel as I crave for more calm & peaceful places during a vacation.

In 2018, when we visited the A & N Islands, we travelled to the Middle and North Andaman in search of the unexplored and offbeat locations. So, in case you decide to visit Andaman, do consider visiting the Northern part of the islands. It’s definitely worth a visit!

You may also read – Diglipur -The Hidden Gem in North Andaman!

Ross & Smith Islands in North Andaman

Also, if you have not been to Andaman Islands even once then forget about the crowd and the other things and just plan that special trip without a doubt.

We didn’t plan for Andaman for 3 reasons-

1- We have already been there once.

2- South Andaman has become a famous tourist destination & we avoid the crowd.

2- We had to travel with our mother & it’s not an easy journey to reach the North Andaman.

So, what is left now?

While searching for Andaman videos, I stumbled upon a few vlogs on Lakshadweep travel. And, that’s when I fell in love with this Island Destination. Lakshadweep was never on my travel list, I don’t know why.

When I discussed about Lakshadweep with my husband, he was as clueless as I was about this place. Though he had a little idea that it’s a restricted group of islands and we need some kind of permit to visit there, he had no idea that Lakshadweep is slowly gaining popularity among beach lovers and travelers like us.

We invested the next 15 days in researching about this Island destination, figuring out which island would be the best one to visit, trying to understand the best modes of travel, and most importantly, calculating the budget we would need for this trip.

By the end of our research, we interpreted that travelling to Lakshadweep could be tricky!

But we were ready to take all the risks!!!

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit)

Let’s conclude this post with a comparison chart for Andaman Islands and Lakshadweep Islands. While creating this below chart I realized that we can only compare these island groups on the basis of certain points but there can never be a comparison in their beauty.

Both these islands are exotic and offer unmatched scenic beauty with some of the best & cleanest sandy white beaches in Asia. That makes India one of the most visited and popular tourist’s beach destination.

You may also read – The Best Beach to visit with kids in Havelock Island!

And, if we want to preserve the stunning beauty of these islands, we should try to be a conscious traveler and travel responsibly.

Andaman or Lakshadweep?

Source – civilsdaily

I know looking at the above differences, Andaman wins over Lakshadweep, but there is something magical about Lakshadweep which I can’t express in words.

So, for Nemit’s 7th birthday we chose to visit Lakshadweep and now I can proudly say that it was the best decision ever.

And, now I am here to help you plan a perfect vacation to Lakshadweep, taking up all the doubts and answering all your questions.

In the upcoming posts of this Lakshadweep Travel Series, I will be discussing about-

• How to reach Lakshadweep?
• Which Island to visit?
• How to do the Bookings?
• Island Tour & Stay
• Things/Activities To Do with Prices
• Is it Child-friendly? What to expect?
• Friends we made.
• What’s New?

So, stay tuned and keep watching this space for Lakshadweep Travel Series. I will also be posting related videos on my YouTube channel @GrowingWithNemit.

Have you been to any of these islands? Andaman or Lakshadweep?

I hope this post will help you in choosing the right beach destination for your next vacation. If you liked this post, please do share it with your friends and family. I will see you next time with another interesting post, till then bye bye and take care!

The post Andaman or Lakshadweep? How to Choose the Perfect Beach Destination? appeared first on Growing With Nemit.