Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Route / Travel Queries (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/)

-   -   Vacationing on the Indian Islands. (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/70388-vacationing-indian-islands.html)

I have always wanted to go to the famed and exclusive Lakshawadeep or The Andaman and Nicobar Islands. But somehow, its never a preferred destination between the family.....till a few months ago.

I need to know if anyone from here has gone to the Lakshwadeep islands. I need to know preferred hotels etc etc etc....

So any help if possible will be preferred.

Never been, but i heard that you need special permit to go there. Is it true.?

Andamans anyday .. unspoilt natural beauty Vondoor marine biological park provides your views you might have seen only on national geographic it puts much hyped Hanama Bay of Hawaii to shame.

lakshdweep has restricted number of visitors. I was told the wait could be upto an year. Also heard it's calm and clean, more like a giant swimming pool.

don't know about andamans.

Related travelogue for the Andamans : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...tamilnadu.html

I had researched lakshdweep couple of times seriously. It is also restricted in facilities. Since fresh water is scarce, you have to use salt water for everything except for drinking. So you'll have to live with that sticky salty feeling the entire duration.

Would suggest Andamans as you get a varied topography to enjoy. Also better infrastructure. Lakshadweep (where I happened to spend 4 years of my prime life) does not have sufficient infrastructure to support tourists except for the conducted tour programs run by a Administration run agency knowns as SPORTS. The trip involves spending nights on ship (so taking care of stay ) and days spent on the islands as a sort of conducted tour. Exception to this is the tour more preferred by tourists which involves spending exclusive time on the uninhabited island of Bangaram and now I hear that Kadmat island also provides the same. Tourists are flown in to the only airport at Agatti island (other islands have heliports). From this island the tourists are ferried to Bangaram on boats.
The trips are also costly not budget tourism.

So basically, The Andaman and Nicobar islands are a better trip than the Lakshwadeep?

I had originally enquired for a NY holiday to the Andamans before I shelved it due to exorbitant air fares. But if you're OK with that (~ 10k / person one-way: Chennai-Port Blair, no apex fares) then Havelock Islands in the Andamans is what Sam had strongly recommended to me there.

I guess Andaman Nicobar it is then. Can we concentrate on Details on travel and staying there please.

Forget the Indian Islands, go to Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti, Rangiroa, the best dive and surf spots in the world. The Ripcurl surf challenges were held here.

Have you looked at this thread :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...tamilnadu.html

In Port Blair , Hornbill's nest resort run by Andaman Nicobar Island development coorporation is where I stayed wonderful and VFM place.
Havlock Island also has an ANIDCO resort bang on the beach.

You can actually rent a bike and cover areas around Port Blair yourself much better .

There is a place near to Wondoor where an ex-Navy captain runs Scuba diving course and it was just 500 Rs for a dive , Cheapest anywhere in the world.

You need to decide what all you want to cover in advance , Rangat ( Mud volcanoes ) and Mayabandar are also worth seeing but usually people do the PortBlair , Havlock Island routine.

For visiting Nicobar you need visitor permission before hand.
In all you need 7 to 15 days to enjoy the place.

had been to lakshdweep couple of years ago,one word-AMAZING. had actually chosen it over andaman.Stayed at the bangaram island, run by the casino group, lil expensive but overall great experience.

Cy,

I honestly hope you are a serious beach bum, because there is little else in the smaller islands of Andaman.
Please do not think of this as a beach holiday similar to one in Goa or anywhere in any developed beachy island (like thailand)

I would be happy to help. Without intentionally blowing my own trumpet, I'll tell you that I have spent time on every serious beach island, from south-east Africa (Zanzibar and surrounding) to islands in the Indian Ocean, Andaman Sea and all the way to the Isthmus of Kra

The islands of Andaman are under-developed and you have little or no touristy places, hardly any restaurants and non-existent nightlife.
You may scoff now, but for most people (and often me too) a beach island holiday involves idyllic lazing and sun soaking at the beach by day and eating, drinking and partying by evening.

I also enjoy swimming in the open sea a LOT and snorkel around corel reefs.
Often I meet people who enjoy islands but cannot relate to be being shirtless all day sitting on the sand with a good book. Please note that this is what you will be doing all day on an island in the Andamans. If this is what you have in mind, perfect.

Port Blair itself is a little disappointing, to be honest. Sure you can make Jolly Buoy excursions and so on but to be honest, I thought Port Blair was pathetic.
As Mag has told you, I'm a big fan of Havelock island and have a few pals on the island.

It is perfect, sand as white as sugar and miles and miles of beach with no people as far as the eye can see. If you wish total privacy or wish to swim without clothes, there is no better location on earth.

Evenings can be a little dull, unless you set up a little private beach barbeque. My friends can help you with that.

But think about it. Is this what you really want, or are you thinking of a great time on the beach by day, shopping, tourism and partying by night? Because for the SAME amount you would spend on the flight, you could go to a Thai island (Kra Isthmus) and I could help you there too. And the cost for hotel and food would be less than the Andamans.

Remember the closest place to the Andamans is actually Phuket. In fact thought Andaman and Nicobar is bound by IST, they actually experience the same physical longitudinal timing as Thailand. (read: sun up by 4.30am - 5am)

As far as Lakshwadeep is concerned, it is difficult and exorbitant. But Bangaram is an experience to remember but bloody expensive (not worth IMO). I am not sure I would advise it to you. And yes you need a permit that can be got from Cochin.