Hello everyone! I started this Lakshadweep Travel Series to share my experience of traveling to Lakshadweep with family. Along with that, I also wanted to share my learnings to help you plan a perfect trip to this beautiful island destination. I have already written 4 posts in this series and made 4 YouTube videos. I have covered the topics like how to choose the perfect beach destination; different ways to reach Lakshadweep; which island to visit in Lakshadweep and how to do the bookings. Since, we stayed at Bangaram Island in Lakshadweep, I want to share more about this beautiful island. Hence this post. I will do this post in 2-3 parts which will give you a clear picture of what to expect in Bangaram. And, if you have any other doubts, you are always welcome to ask them in the comments below.

Bangaram Island is the most famous island among the tourists and it’s also the least explored part of Lakshadweep. It has also been ranked among the best getaways of the world. It’s the uninhabited island and it has only one Govt. run beach resort (Bangaram Resort) for the tourists.

It is nearest to the airport island, located just 12 kms to the North from Agatti. And, it takes about 30-45 mins to reach Bangaram island by boat.

The only way to reach Bangaram is by boat from Agatti Island. And, to reach Agatti, one has to take an Alliance Air flight from Kochi.

You may read – Different ways to reach Lakshadweep Islands to find all the details about flight and ship bookings.

I have also shared our experience of reaching Agatti from Kochi in this YouTube video.

Agatti to Bangaram Island in Lakshadweep

Once you reach Agatti island, you have to wait for 30-45 mins at the airport. During that time, they will check all your documents like hotel booking, return flight booking and entry permit. After this, you will be directed to the cab which will take you to the jetty.

That 10 mins cab ride is something I will never forget as I have never been on such a beautiful road which has the sea on both its sides. The views were truly mesmerizing!

Airport Road, Agatti Island

At the jetty, they will help you board the boat to Bangaram. The islands in Lakshadweep are surrounded by shallow blue lagoons with crystal clear water. For 10-15 mins, you will enjoy the boat ride through the surprisingly calm waters of the lagoon. You can also see corals down there and if lucky you may spot some turtles swimming around.

As the boat starts moving out of the lagoon, you will feel the choppy sea but not much if the weather is good. The color of the water will change from turquoise to teal and then to dark blue. You would want to sit tight as the ride gets a bit rough for 20-30 mins. If you tend to get motion sickness/sea sickness, don’t forget to carry your medicine. And, here you may as well spot some dolphins racing with your boat.

And, after that when the boat starts entering the lagoon of the Bangaram island you get to enjoy the serenity once again. Along with that, you get to experience the gorgeous view of the Bangaram island. I bet you would want the time to stop there, it’s a very different feeling, I can’t even explain that in words. But at the same time you would want to get down on the island and touch the white sand.

Boat to Bangaram Island

It was the moment when we realized that we have actually reached Lakshadweep. It was not a dream!

Day 1 at Bangaram Island in Lakshadweep

The day we reached Bangaram, I knew that 4 days were just not enough. Though the island is really small (just 1 km) and there is not much to explore, you still can’t get enough of its beauty and calmness. But that’s it, you can not book a stay for more than 4 days at Bangaram. So, prepare your mind before reaching Lakshadweep otherwise you will cry like I did on our last day there. Honestly, there is no other place that has made such a huge impact on me. I can’t wait to plan a trip to Lakshadweep once again.

You may also read – How to do the Bookings for Lakshadweep?

As soon as you deboard at Bangaram, you will receive a warm welcome with a cool refreshing drink. The manager then gives a short briefing explaining about the island and activities, etc. After which, you will be directed to the restaurant where a scrumptious buffet lunch awaits you.

Restaurant at Bangaram, Choora The Food Court

Some people decide to go directly to their rooms first, get freshen up and come back for the lunch. But since our flight was delayed it was already 2 o’clock when we reached Bangaram and we were starving so we decided to have lunch first and then went to our rooms.

So, you actually get only 3.5 days to spent at Bangaram.

On day 1, you are already tired with all the traveling and you are a bit overwhelmed too. You would want to rest for a few hours after lunch.

But if you are traveling with a kid who is past his afternoon napping age and who loves sand and water more than anything else then be ready to turn into super parents and ditch resting for the rest of your life. Just kidding!

No, I am not!!!

We skipped the resting part and decided to explore the backside of the island as we were told it’s surrounded by a shallow lagoon. So, Nemit (our son) could enjoy in the water and we can sit under the shade of a tree.

To reach to the backside, you need to walk through the overgrown shrubs and tress and follow one of the several paths. It’s so easy to get lost even in that small area if your direction sense is really bad. It’s better to ask the staff for the best and shortest route to the backside, trust me it will save you a lot of time. Even if you decide to do it your way like we did, the first look of the beach through those shrubs will take take your breath away. It felt like we are looking at the door to heaven.

Way to the backside of Bangaram Island

We spent a few hours there, came back, took a shower and spent the rest of the evening just lazying around. And, after having a candle light dinner under the stars, we decided to call it a night.

In case, you are still in the process of deciding which island to visit in Lakshadweep, then you may want to check out this video.

That’s it for this post. In the next posts of Lakshadweep Travel Series, I will give a quick review of the resort room and share about the activities that one can enjoy at Bangaram island in Lakshadweep. You may also check out the Lakshadweep Playlist on our YouTube channel.

I hope you are enjoying reading this travel series. Do share this post with your friends and family. I will meet you in the next post. Till then, bye bye and take care!

The post Bangaram Island in Lakshadweep | Day 1 of our Lakshadweep Trip appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hello everyone, I hope you are finding this Lakshadweep Travel Series helpful. In today’s post, I will discuss about the process of doing the bookings for Lakshadweep. And, how to easily obtain an entry permit. When we were planning a trip to Lakshadweep, doing the bookings was the most tiring and frustrating part of the whole process. But it was because we had no one to guide us. And, assure us that whatever we were doing was the right way. I tried searching on Google as well as on YouTube to get the answers to my doubts. But the information out there seemed incomplete and somewhat unreliable. And, that is the biggest reason why I want to write this post and share what we learned about doing the bookings for Lakshadweep. And, I hope that this post helps you in planning your trip with ease.

First Step to do the Bookings for Lakshadweep

Now, this is very important to understand that when you plan a trip to Lakshadweep, wait until everything gets confirmed. Don’t rush to book the trains and flights before getting the confirmation for the hotel/package you want to book in Lakshadweep.

Even if you get the verbal confirmation, I would say, hold on till you get the written confirmation.

Also, you need to keep an eye on the flight/train availability while you wait for the package confirmation.

So, the first step to do the bookings for Lakshadweep is to decide how you want to travel to Lakshadweep i.e. by ship or by flight.

I have already shared this part in my video, so do check it out before moving ahead with this post-

Also, to get more clarity you may read this detailed post, what is the best way to reach Lakshadweep. I have also shared the approx. prices for each category in this post, so that you find it easy to plan your budget for the Lakshadweep trip or to take the right decision based on your budget.

And, to decide which island you would want to visit in Lakshadweep, check out this post, how to plan a trip to Lakshadweep.

Once you go through these posts, I am sure you will get a clear idea what you want to do; whether you want to book a ship cruise or you want to stay at an island.

Now comes the main question!

How to do the Bookings for Lakshadweep?

There are two ways to do the bookings for Lakshadweep.

1. Through the Govt. website (SPORTS)
2. Through a Travel Agent (Only SPORTS Authorized)

Usually people like to go with travel agents and book the pre planned packages offered by them. But we, on the other hand, absolutely hate booking travel packages even if they come with great deals. Simply because they limit our options to explore and it feels like we don’t get much freedom to do as we please.

And, that’s the reason we choose to plan and execute all our trips on our own. That’s what we tried doing with Lakshadweep trip as well. So, let’s take a look how you can book directly through SPORTS website.

Step 1 – Go to the link https://samudram.utl.gov.in/ and Sign Up!

Sign Up!

You can skip the sign up initially and access the website like that only and once you want to proceed with the booking, you can do the Sign up.

Step 2 – Go to the Booking section and select the package you want to book.

Here you can choose Samudram, which is a 5-Day Ship Package or Bangaram, Kadmat and Kavaratti which are the Island Stay Packages.

Select the Package!

Both these packages are all-inclusive (stay and food) except certain activities for which you need to pay on the island. Please check the details of inclusions and exclusions under the Packages section on the website.

You will see there is an option to book Thinnakkara island but please note there is no stay option available at Thinnakkara as of now (March 2023).

Step 3 – Check Availability.

This is the most difficult part of the booking process. Because 99.99% times it will show ‘Sorry, Rooms are not available for the selected dates’. This could be because the website is not updated regularly. You will be tempted to try and check the availability for other dates or may be for other months too but don’t keep your hopes very high, you just may get only disappointment. Don’t want to demotivate you here but just stating what we experienced. So, try but don’t lose hope, okay!

Check Availability!

We started checking the availability in October for a trip we wanted to take in January. Luckily, we got it for the dates we were looking for. Right now in March I tried checking availability for the rest of the months but every time I got the same message of non availability. Here’s an update dated 2oth March, it seems like the website got updated recently as I checked the availability again and this time it worked in the first attempt.

Here I am sharing the screenshot of how it looks like-

Source – https://samudram.utl.gov.in/

The above screenshot shows the number of available room at Bangaram Island.

The above screenshot shows the availability of Samudram Package for the month of October and November 2023.

Step 4 – Booking & Payment.

Now once you get the available dates on the website, you can simply follow the further steps, fill out all the details and make the payment. In this case, you will receive an email from the SPORTS about the confirmation of your booking. You can also send an email on your own to confirm your bookings at laksports.reservation@gmail.com (e-mails will be answered within 48 hours). Or, you can call at +91 484 2666789, +91 484 2668387.

Fill out the details!

Once you get the confirmation, you can proceed to apply for the Entry Permit.

Even though we got the option to book the package online we couldn’t convince ourselves to make the payment because of the uncertainty of things. We were worried what if we never get an acknowledgement. What if things get delayed, etc.

Package Price for Bangaram Island for 4 people (2 rooms) for 4 nights

When we tried to contact on the number provided on both their websites, they gave us another number which belonged to some private travel agency.

We were quite skeptical about the online booking process hence decided to skip it altogether and go directly with the travel agent.

But let me tell you we were unnecessarily paranoid because in Lakshadweep we met people who have booked the package directly online and they faced no issues. Also, they mentioned that once the payment was done the SPORTS personnel stayed in touch with them through WhatsApp.

So, it’s totally up to you how you want to do the bookings.

However, I can give you one solid reason to go ahead with a travel agent. There’s a high probability that you may get some discount if you negotiate with the agent. While there’s no chance of getting a discount if you book directly online.

We talked to 2-3 travel agencies and did the final bookings with Mr. Irshad Hussain from Lakshadweep Voyage.

Lakshadweep Voyage

We found him easy to talk to, he sounded genuine and he also didn’t take any extra amount or service charge from us. He stayed in constant touch with us through calls and WhatsApp messages. I must say it was our best experience of booking a package through a travel agency. So, if you too decide to book with a travel agent you may consider, Lakshadweep Voyage, without a doubt.

Here is the list of all the SPORTS Authorized Travel Agents – https://samudram.utl.gov.in/sprt_Agents.aspx, in case you want to check out the others too.

Another thing to note, if you book with a travel agent then you don’t have to worry about the entry permit too. As, they take the whole responsibility for that as well. Entry permit is usually issued within 7-15 days of your journey.

How to Get the Entry Permit?

You will need to apply for an Entry Permit if you do the bookings for Lakshadweep online. There are two ways to do that. One, you download the application form for entry permit, fill it and send it to the concerned authority. You will have to provide the police clearance report with this and your id proofs.

Another way is to do it online.

E-Permit

Go to https://epermit.utl.gov.in/ and create your account. Here, click on Apply for new Permit under the Permit section. Fill the details in the form and attach the required documents. Pay the entry fees and it’s done. Your permit will be ready for download 15 days prior to your journey date.

To visit Lakshadweep Islands, you need a sponsor. If you know someone residing in Lakshadweep then you may ask them to sponsor you, they will provide you a letter which you need to upload in the form. Or else, you will need to get entry permit with the help of a travel agent. If you are booking a private hotel then they can also sponsor you for the permit.

So, this is how you can do the bookings for Lakshadweep trip and get the entry permit. I hope this information helps you in planning your trip to Lakshadweep. If you still have any queries, please feel free to ask them in the comments below.

PIN IT!

In the next post of Lakshadweep Travel Series, I will share all about Bangaram Island and what to expect there. So, stay tuned!

When are you planning your Lakshadweep trip? Please do forward this post to your friends and family. I will meet you in the next post, until then bye bye and take care!

The post How to do the Bookings for Lakshadweep and get the Entry Permit? Part 2 appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hi guys, this month I am doing a Travel Series on Lakshadweep on my Blog and YouTube channel. And, this is the 2nd post of the series. Lakshadweep is the smallest union territory of India. It is located off the west coast of India in the Arabian sea and it’s just 496 Kms from Kochi. Lakshadweep is a group of 36 islands, out of which only 10 are inhabited and tourists can stay only on 5 of these islands. When we decided to visit these islands, the budget was on the top of our mind. So, the first thing we wanted to check was the best way to reach Lakshadweep with kids. And, how much it would cost us.

Image Source – https://lakshadweep.gov.in/

Of all the trips we have done, Lakshadweep had been the most trickiest one. The biggest reason for this is that not much information (reliable and updated) is available online. Also, the tourism management on the islands is not privatized and everything is managed by the Government authority – SPORTS (The Society for Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports).

Now coming back to the topic, I will be writing about the best way we found to reach Lakshadweep as a family with a 7 year old kid. I feel when we travel with kids, it’s a different game altogether. If you really want to enjoy the whole travel experience then focus on making the journey comfortable & less exhausting not just for the kids but also for the parents.

In most cases, kids seem to adjust well but it’s the parents who feel burnt out.

So, if you want to travel with your babies, toddlers or young children; stick to this post till the end and hopefully you will also find the best way to reach Lakshadweep with your kids.

Here is the 1st post of this series – Andaman or Lakshadweep? How to Choose the Perfect Beach Destination?

How to Reach Lakshadweep?

As we travelled to Lakshadweep from Bengaluru (South India), initially I thought of sharing all the details of bookings from Bengaluru only. But since most of our friends and family are in North India, I will give an idea how you can reach Lakshadweep from Delhi as well.

I have made a short video on the same topic, do check it out.

There are only 2 ways to reach Lakshadweep –

• By Ship – Pvt. Cruise Ship & Govt. Cruise Ship
• By Flight

First of all, let’s talk about reaching Lakshadweep by ship.

How to reach Lakshadweep by Ship?

In case you want to experience the cruise and also visit Lakshadweep, you get to choose from private and government cruise.

The private cruise is operated only by Cordelia Cruises in India.

You may choose from 3 night, 4 night and 5 night cruise itinerary which includes 1 day at Lakshadweep. You may also choose from one way trip and round trip.

Image Source – https://www.cordeliacruises.com/

The upcoming Cordelia Cruise dates in Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May and June 2024 are as follows-

Approx. Price Range as per Room Category

Kids (max 2) up to the age of 12, sail free with Cordelia when accompanied by 2 Adults.

• 5k to 20k per guest per night

This is a great choice for people who want to enjoy the luxury cruise as well experience the pristine beauty of Lakshadweep islands.

Note 1 – The price does not include island tour/excursion and any of the activities on the island. 

Note 2 – All the payments on board the ship are done in Dollars $.

To book this cruise, you may visit the Cordelia cruise website or download their app. You may also call them directly and discuss the various packages available.

There are 3 drawbacks of choosing this cruise –

1. You won’t be able to spend the night in Lakshadweep.
2. The cruise will take you to only 1 island in Lakshadweep.
3. You will get only 1 day (5-6 hours) to explore the island.

All these cons led us to ditch the Cordelia Cruises but it’s still on our bucket list, may be not for Lakshadweep.

The cruise does not operate during the monsoon months from June to September.

Now, if you need more days to explore the stunning beauty of Lakshadweep but still want to travel by ship; then you may consider taking the Govt. cruise.

Govt. Cruise to Lakshadweep – Samudram (By M.V Kavaratti)

Samudram is a 5-Day cruise package which covers the 3 different islands in Lakshadweep; Minicoy, Kavaratti, and Kalpeni. The cruise starts from Kochi and does a roundtrip back to Kochi.

The Govt. cruise is not a luxurious cruise and provides only the basic facilities on board. As per the Samudram Itinerary, they take you to 3 different islands on Day 2, Day 3 & Day 4 of your journey. However, the tourists need to return back to the ship around 4-5 pm after spending their day exploring the island. You can not spend the night at any of the visiting islands.

Image Source – https://www.lakshadweepcruise.com/

To book this cruise package, you may visit the SPORTS website to check the availability and may be do the bookings also.

But this part is a bit tiring as during the peak season, the website doesn’t show the available dates and prices directly. So, you have to put in your dates of interest and check if the cruise is available or not. Most of the times, the booking page will take you to Authorized Travel Agents page.

So, to avoid the hassles of booking and saving some time, you may choose to do the bookings with the travel agent.

Package Rate for Samudram

You get 2 types of rooms/cabins to book on M.V Kavaratti; Diamond Class and Gold Class.

Image Source – https://www.tripoto.com/

The Diamond class cabin has 1 bunk bed (2 single beds, one above the other/ 2-berths) and can accommodate 2 Adults and 1 Child (less than a year old). Whereas the Gold class cabin has 2 bunk beds (4-berths) and it can accommodate 4 Persons (including children above the age of 1).

Lakshadweep Samudram Package Source – https://www.lakshadweeptourism.com/

Please Note – The Samudram package rate includes the island sightseeing charges.

Note 1 – As per their website, child is 1 year and above up to 10 years.

Note 2 – The charges are paid per person basis so if you are 3 people including a child and you book Gold class then there’s a high chance that they will accommodate another person in your cabin. So, you may not get the privacy.

Also, the Gold class cabins are compact, some may feel claustrophobic in there.

If you want to book Samudram, I would suggest you to watch some of the latest videos on YouTube to get an idea what to expect.

We did not book the Samudram package as we were not sure if we would be comfortable enough to spend 5 days on the ship.

If I have to decide between the Cordelia Cruises and Samudram, I feel traveling with Cordelia is the best way to reach Lakshadweep with kids.

How to reach Lakshadweep by Flight?

Reaching Lakshadweep by flight is the fastest and easiest way if you are travelling from Kochi, Bengaluru or somewhere nearby. However, if you are flying in from Delhi, or any other part of the country then it may take a bit of planning; as there are no direct flights available.

But still taking a flight can be considered the best way to reach Lakshadweep with kids.

There is only single direct flight (Alliance Air) that operates from Kochi to Agatti and back to Kochi that too once a day. The flight duration is 1 hour and 20 mins.

At Agatti Airport, Lakshadweep

It departs from Cochin International Airport (COK) at 8:55 AM and reaches Agatti Airport (AGX) in Lakshadweep at 10:15 AM.

The same flight then departs from AGX at 10:45 AM and arrives back at COK at 12:05 PM.

One way flight charges from Kochi per person are INR 5,647 approx.

How to Reach Lakshadweep by Flight from Bengaluru?

Now, if you are travelling from Bengaluru, you have an option to book the same Alliance Air flight from Bengaluru to Agatti. Yes, it’s a connecting flight!

The flight departs from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR) at 7:15 AM and reaches Agatti Airport (AGX) in Lakshadweep at 10:35 AM with 1 Stop at COK.

One way flight charges from Bengaluru per person are INR 20k to 21k approx.

The only issue here is the price, which is too high.

Because instead of booking this direct flight if we book a separate flight from BLR to COK, the charges are from 1.5 k to 2.5 k depending on the time of flight. So, you get to save a lot.

The only catch here is you need to book an early morning flight from BLR, keeping in mind that the flight may get delayed. In that case, you will miss your another flight to Lakshadweep from Kochi.

And, there are very slim chances that you will get another flight the next day as the flight is usually full. And, if this happens your whole vacation plan will go for a toss.

So, although this whole arrangement sounds okay but considering the logistics and keeping in mind that you are travelling with kids, it seems like a total flop idea.

Then what can we do if we still want to save some bucks and not make it an exhausting journey?

Now, you may consider these 2 options for which you need to add 1 extra day to your travel-

1- Catch a flight from BLR to COK a day prior to your actual travel date. Reach Kochi & stay at a hotel nearby airport for the night. And, the next day easily take your 8:55 AM flight to Lakshadweep.

• BLR to COK Flight – Approx. INR 2k to 3k
• Stay at Kochi – Approx. INR 3k to 5k
• COK to AGX Flight – Approx. INR 6k

Total cost – INR 7.5k to INR 8.5k (plus 3k-5k for stay)

2- Take an overnight train from Bengaluru to Kochi. Stay 1 night in Kochi and catch your Lakshadweep flight the next day. This way you will be able to save your whole day in Kochi and may use it to explore the city.

Here’s a Vlog of our Overnight Train Journey from Bengaluru to Kochi.

• KSR Bengaluru to Ernakulam ERN Train – Approx. INR 2.5k (AC First Class, 1A)
• Stay at Kochi – Approx. INR 3k to 5k
• COK to AGX Flight – Approx. INR 6k

Total cost – Approx. INR 8k-9k (plus 3k-5k for stay)

Kanyakumari Express (16526) departs at 8:00 PM from KSR Bengaluru and reaches Ernakulam Town ERN at 7:30 AM.

And, this is what we did as we wanted to travel comfortably. This way we were able to experience the train journey as well. Moreover, we were able to save around 10k per person.

If you are travelling with a child under the age of 5, you may further save the charges for 1 berth if child can sleep with you on the same berth. I feel this is one of the best ways to reach Lakshadweep with kids.

Pro Tip – If you choose to travel by train, instead of getting down at ERN, get down at Angamaly (AFK) at 6:41 AM which is just 10 mins from the COK airport.

Our travel agent in Lakshadweep suggested that we take the flight on the same day after getting down from the train. He said even if the train gets delayed, it won’t be more than 30 mins.

But we still didn’t want to take any risks so we decided to stay 1 night at Kochi.

So, these are all the ways by which you can reach Lakshadweep from Bengaluru.

How to Reach Lakshadweep by Flight from Delhi?

Lastly, let’s talk about reaching Kochi by flight from Delhi. There is no other way except to book a flight a day prior to Kochi. Then stay at Kochi overnight and next day take your morning flight to Lakshadweep.

The nonstop flight charges from DEL to COK starts from INR 7k and may go up to INR 10,000.

So, total charges would be-

• DEL to COK – Approx. INR 7k to 9k
• Stay at Kochi – Approx. INR 3k to 5k
• COK to AGX – Approx. INR 6k

Total cost – INR 16k to INR 20k

So, with this we come to the end of our post. There are 2 different ways of travelling to Lakshadweep, one is by ship and another is by flight. Now, it’s up to you to decide what would be the best way to reach Lakshadweep with kids. It all depends on your preferences and budget. Also, you are the right judge of what would be the best for your kids. I have tried my best to cover all the available options with price details to make your job a little easy.

I hope you found it helpful, please do share the post with your friends and family! We will meet again very soon with another interesting post on Lakshadweep Travel. Till then, Bye Bye and Take Care.

You may read the other posts of this series here – Lakshadweep Travel Series!

You may also check out: Lakshadweep Travel Guide for Families!

The post What is the Best Way to Reach Lakshadweep with Kids? With Price Details appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

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.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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.