An archipelago, which is located almost 300 to 400 kilometers west of Kerala coast in the Arabian Sea is Lakshadweep, India.
This place Lakshadweep is having more than 36 islands, few of which are very small and a few are bigger.
It is a union territory of India.
This word Lakshadweep is a Sanskrit word which literally means “One hundred thousand islands or One Lakh island”.
This name Lakshadweep was earlier used to represent 3 archipelagos – Suvadives, Maldives and Lakshadweep.
But now they are different.
You will find inhabitants only on ten islands of Lakshadweep and rest of them are just for tourist visits.
Most of the population in Lakshadweep islands is Muslims.
The major activities in their economy are coconut cultivation, fishing and also coir twisting.
Tourism is also an emerging industry.
If you want to enter into this place for tourism then you should get the entry permit and this entry permit is issued in Kochi, Kerala.
The international tourists are allowed to visit just three islands in Lakshadweep which are Bangaram, Agatti and Kadmat.
Agatti is the main gate through which you can enter into Lakshadweep.
You can reach Agatti by sea or air and this airport is the only way to reach Agatti.
There are many water sports and other activities that you can enjoy at Lakshadweep and you should definitely plan a long holiday in Lakshadweep to get the best out of it.
Best time to Visit Lakshadweep?
Wouldn’t it be really fantastic to lose yourself in the blissful beauty of the Lakshadweep islands and beaches.
But it can be fantastic only if you are able to plan your trip at the right time.
The holiday is not planned just based on when you are free, but also based on whether it is the right time to visit that place or not.
If you want to visit Lakshadweep then you should plan your trip between October to Mid of May.
All the resorts in Lakshadweep are open round the year, but the time between May to September is going to have heavy rains and it is going to be really tough to reach Lakshadweep in the rainy season by the sea.
If you are restricting your trip just to the Agatti island then you can reach this place by air and this island is calm and cool during rainy season as well.
But reaching the other two islands is very difficult as you will not get any connecting flights.
If you are reaching this place Lakshadweep during winter then you are definitely going to enjoy a special holiday as it is going to be a completely different experience here.
But if you are planning to spend a good amount of time in Lakshadweep then you should make sure that you are planning your trip between October to May only as you can enjoy all the islands of this place and also all other things.
Top 11 Things to Do in Lakshadweep
Now let us have a look at the things to do in Lakshadweep apart from just islands.
Yes, the islands are the major attractions of this place, but there are many more things to see here…
Agatti Islands
You can call these Agatti Islands as one of the most beautiful islands in the world.
You will be able to see corals all around on the island and the water on the island is really clear and calm.
You will also get a chance to enjoy many water sports in this island and there is no noise at all in this island and you are going to spend the best time of your life with your family or friends here.
The place is really beautiful and exciting.
You can consider that this is the only island in the world which can provide you both entertainment and peace as well.
This island is just 450 kilometers from Cochin and it is also considered that this is the only way to reach Lakshadweep islands.
This is the gateway and you should never miss the place and for sure you cannot miss this place as you are going to enter into Lakshadweep by entering into these islands.
You will get a chance to many different kinds of marine life here like jellyfish, turtles, many dangerous sharks and sea weeds as well.
This is the most exciting place on Lakshadweep islands.
Kavaratti Islands
Lakshadweep is considered to be popular for adventures as well.
There are many water sports that you can enjoy on Kavaratti Islands.
You can enjoy Yacht sailing and Kayaking in this island and it is going to be really exciting.
You can take the sailing yachts and kayas for rent on this island.
You will also find many mosques in this place as most of the population in Lakshadweep islands are Muslims.
The Ujra mosque of this place is very popular and this mosque belongs to the 17th century.
The lagoons on this Kavaratti island are really beautiful and you will definitely enjoy them.
This Kavaratti island is considered as the capital in Lakshadweep islands and hence this place has the most tourists every year.
The water is also maintained, very clean as the number of visitors to this place is too high.
If you are going along with the kids, then you should make sure that you are monitoring them.
You will also find tuna fish here in this place and you can enjoy them.
Bangaram Islands
This Bangaram Island was earlier a very popular tourist destination than now because it had a casino on the island.
This island is now closed and is no more operated as it is permitted to operate here.
If you are an international tourist then it is always good to book your permit tickets in advance and make sure that you plan your accommodation as well.
These Bangaram Islands are one of the most exotic islands in Lakshadweep islands.
After you reach Agatti Islands, you should reach all other islands by water only and this is going to be a wonderful experience in your life.
You get a chance to see the beautiful colors of the sea water and how the color of the sea water is changing every day.
The view of the water, lagoons and other sea mammals like turtles is really exciting, So you should plan it well and make sure that you do not miss it.
On your trip to Bangaram island from other islands, make sure that you are carrying some food along with you.
Kavaratti Island Marine Aquarium
This is another most important thing that you should not miss in Kavaratti Island.
After the Ujra mosque, this Kavaratti Island Marine Aquarium is the next popular place.
There are a huge variety of collections of marine fishes.
This place is under the maintenance of government and hence it is not so attractive, but if you can enjoy the place.
This place will look more a laboratory in your college.
You also have a big whale skeleton and that is the biggest attraction in this Kavaratti Island Marine Aquarium and your kids will definitely love this place.
The fishes in this place are really colorful, along with a few small fishes, you can also enjoy the huge sharks here.
If you are traveling along with your kids to this place, then do not forget to take them to this place.
Many people just enjoy the water sports in this place, but there are a lot of things beyond the water sports in Kavaratti islands.
You can hire a guide along with you when you reach Lakshadweep so that the guide will help you in visiting as many places as possible and you do not miss anything here.
Pitti Bird Sanctuary
Just twenty five kilometers away from the north west of Karavatti Island, you will find a Pitti Island.
On this Pitti island, you will find the Pitti Bird Sanctuary.
This place is not very high in the sea level and you will enjoy the view of many birds here.
This is one of the reasons why you should not miss Karavatti island.
Every year, you will find many Terns which migrate from this a different place to Lakshadweep islands.
This migration has been happening for many years and that has made this place as a bird sanctuary.
This place as actually given this name as a bird sanctuary or Pitti Bird Sanctuary just a few years ago and if you are a person who loves watching a group of birds then this place is just for you.
This place is definitely worth watching and you will be happy for every penny that you spend here.
You will not at all get bored watching this place and the place is very well maintained.
You have many surprises as part of its tourism and you will love every second that you spend in this place.
There is a lot more in this place and you should not miss anything.
Tribal Dance
As discussed earlier, there are almost 36 islands in this place and each island is having different culture and you should definitely enjoy them.
Kolkali is one of the most common Tribal dance in Lakshadweep islands and you should not miss this place.
This kind of dance is normally performed during the marriages in the Lakshadweep islands.
This dance is performed for the theme music is produced using two sticks.
It starts very slowly and the beat catches a momentum where the dance gets really exciting and you should definitely not miss it.
There are actually many kinds of dances in Lakshadweep like Attom, Kolkali, Parichakali, Ulakkamuttu and Daffumuttu.
Out of so many islands in this Lakshadweep islands, all the islands follow almost a similar culture and one language, but Minicoy island are different from other islands and they have their own culture.
They also have their own language called as Mahal.
You will really enjoy this dance if you like watching folk dances and you should not miss them at all.
Scuba Diving
Water sports are something that you should definitely not miss in the Lakshadweep islands, especially if you are a person who loves water sports.
Scuba Diving is one of the water sports on this island and this is one of the best ways through which you will be able to explore the marine life in the water bodies.
This marine life is considered as the wealth of this place.
You will have many companies that will train you about scuba diving and the training session will hardly take 20 minutes to complete the training.
In this training, you will trained about how to breathe in the water using the pipes and how to enjoy the world under the water and this world is going to be really exciting and if you have experience in swimming then you should make sure that you are not missing it.
Take the classes and go for it as this is not going to be really tough.
You will get a chance to see two thousand colorful fishes and one thousand coral inside it.
The training session along with the equipment for underwater photography would cost you something around 25 dollars to 35 dollars and you will definitely enjoy more than what you are actually paying.
So go for it and you are going to get a lot of fun.
KiteSurfing
Kite Surfing is very popular in Kadamat Island.
If you are someone who do not like strong wind or water, then you should not go for this water sport.
When you are trying to fly in the air, then you may fall down many times if you are not used to this water sports then you will have to keep trying.
You will get used to this then it is going to be really exciting flying high in the sky like a bird.
There are many other water sports that you can enjoy at this place like snorkelling and scuba as well.
If you are a person who loves this kind of things, then you should not miss it.
You have many companies nearby which can train on this and you will be all set to fly high.
Minicoy Island LightHouse
This island Minicoy is very different from other islands on Lakshadweep island, they have a different language and different culture as well.
That is one of the reasons why you should not miss this island among all other islands.
Minicoy Island LightHouse is one of the attractions on Minicoy island and Lakshadweep islands.
This lighthouse is three hundred feet tall and was built in the year 1885.
You will have almost 120 steps to climb to the top of such huge lighthouse.
If you are not having enough energy to climb these steps, then you should definitely avoid this place.
ut if you reach the top of the lighthouse, then you will really enjoy the view of the island.
You should not miss this island or the lighthouse as this place is different from other islands.
At least to see the culture of such a different island you should visit this place.
Take some water along with you if you are planning to go to the top of the lighthouse.
Hermit Crab in Parelli Island
Another beautiful island on the Lakshadweep islands is Parelli Island.
You will find a lot of Hermit crabs here and it is really interesting to see so many crabs at one place.
Hermit Crab in Parelli Island is the main attraction of this place and you will have a lot of fun.
Your kids will love to watch so many crabs at a single location, but you should be very careful if you are going along with your kids.
It is going to great experience when you are walking between so many Hermit Crabs while they are all playing hide and seek with each other.
Your kids will love this place so much that they will not be interested in coming back.
Shopping and Local food
There are many islands on Lakshadweep islands, but there are many other things like Shopping and Local food which you should not miss here.
You will get many kinds of seafood to taste here in the Lakshadweep islands.
You should definitely taste this different food from different islands of Lakshadweep islands.
You also have many local markets from where you can buy many local stuff.
You will get many handmade products and you should not miss them.
You should make sure that you are not missing any of the islands that you are permitted to visit here.
You will have a lot of fun and exciting trip to Lakshadweep islands.
The water sports on these islands are very popular and you have a different water sport in every island and you should try it if you love swimming and playing with water or playing under the water.
Plan your trip during the right season and make sure to book all your accommodation and other things in advance.
This place is just 400 kilometers from Kerala and hence you should definitely plan a trip to this place as well when you are visiting Kerala but get the entry permit as soon as possible as it can be hard to get during the season.
Plan well and have a great trip to Lakshadweep islands.
