Reaching Lakshadweep Islands from Mainland :)

Hi everyone, today i shall update you on how to reach lakshadweep islands and the means of transportation available from mainland India to lakshadweep islands.

The best season to travel to lakshadweep island is during the fair season(from September to May). It is monsoon season from May to September and the weather is a bit rough during the monsoons.

Kochi (earlier called cochin in the State of Kerala, India) is a major exit point from mainland India to lakshadweep islands, others being Mangalore(Karnataka) & Calicut(Kerala).
One can reach Cochin by Road, Rail, Air and Sea from different parts of the world.

From Cochin there are two means of transportation to lakshadweep islands.

• AIR : The "Cochin International Airport" located in Nedumbassery is about 25 to 30km from Cochin/Ernakulam. Air India operates a daily flight(excluding Sunday)  from Cochin(COK) to Agatti Island(AGX), the island where the airport is located. (Kingfisher airlines also operated flights to Agatti from Bangalore & Cochin). The journey time from Cochin to Agatti island is about 1hour & 30minutes and the ticket fares range between INR 2500 to INR 7500 based on availability. The journey gets amazing as you reach Agatti over turquoise blue waters and the run way of the airport is small. One would experience an exiting landing. From Agatti island we can reach different islands through  High Speed Vessels or by Helicopter. High Speed Vessels, available only during the fair season are very comfortable and fun to travel. The ticket for a HS vessel is much cheaper(about INR 200) compared to Helicopter (about INR 1000) which again also is much cheaper compared to helicopter fares elsewhere. Helicopter journey time from Agatti Island to Kavaratti Island (the capital of Lakshadweep) is  15 minutes and HS vessel takes about 3+ hours for a distance of about 60 Kms on sea.
• SHIP : The Ship journey is entirely different from flight journey, either way the experiences are different and memorable. Their are a total of seven ships operating to lakshadweep islands. Travel time from Cochin to Lakshadweep islands varies depending on the Island being visited and the itenary/schedule of the ship. Tickets can be booked at Lakshadweep office near the Cochin port and at various port offices on the islands. Ship ticket fares start from about INR 500 and go upto INR 8000 depending on the Class of travel. Bunk class has train like births with common washrooms and First, Second & Owners classes have cabins with attached washrooms. All the classes are air-conditioned. Food is served on the ships and is good.

Note: A permit issued by the Administration of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is required to travel to the islands.

                              

A High Speed Vessel

Inside a High Speed Vessel

A ship to lakshadweep..

Inside the Ship

Inside a ship Cabin

Dining hall in a ship