Hello there, welcome to the forum!
So first of all, make sure you visit these offices to obtain a special permit for entering Lakshadweep:
- Administrative Office (Director of tourism) Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep Address - Directorate of Tourism Development, UT of Lakshadweep, Kavaratti Island.
- Cochin Office of the Administrative Officer Address - Secretary to the Administrator, UT of Lakshadweep, Indira Gandhi Road, Wellington Island, Cochin, Kerala.
Both Indians and foreigners require this special permit in order to gain access to the islands. You can also ask for help from the hotel you're staying in or from a travel agency for obtaining the permit. They would usually arrange the process for you for a fee.
I would like to know how to reach Lakshadweep from Delhi?
So first of all, you need to reach Kochi first as all ships and airplanes depart from here. Here are some ways you can reach Kochi from Delhi:
1. By Air - Here are some flight schedules from Delhi to Kochi:
- Indigo 6E 441 - Departs at 21:05 and arrives at 1:35. Flight duration is about 4 hours and 30 minutes. Fare is at Rs. 4,289 per passenger.
- Indigo 6E 223 - Departs at 10:40 and arrives at 15:30. Flight duration is about 4 hours and 50 minutes. Fare is at Rs. 4,394 per passenger.
- Indigo 6E 289 - Departs at 13:30 and arrives at 16:40. Flight duration is about 3 hours and 10 minutes. Fare is at Rs. 4,394 per passenger.
2. By Train - Several trains ply this route from Delhi to Ernakulam. Journey time is a bit long though at about 42 hours or more. It's an economical way to reach Kochi though. Here are some of the timings for the trains:
- Mangala Lakshadweep Express Train No. 12618 - This train runs daily at 9:15 and arrives at 12:00 the next day.
- Kerala Express Train No. 12626 - This train runs daily at 11:25 and arrives at 9:40 the next day.
- Trivandrum Rajdhani Train No. 12432 - This train runs every Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:55 and arrives at 4:10 the next day.
3. By Bus - There are no direct buses from Delhi to Kerala/Kochi. You would need to board different buses to reach Kochi from Delhi. Your route would be Delhi > Ahmedabad > Bangalore > Kerala. I really don't recommend this way since it's a bit inconvenient and takes a couple of days. But it's also one of the cheapest options. Anyway, first from Delhi to Ahmedabad, here are some bus timings:
- RSRTC Bus (Volvo Mercedes) - Departs at 15:00 from the Delhi Bikaner House Bus Station.
- Private Bus - Shrinath Travel Agency has a Volvo bus that departs at 6:00 pm and arrives at 11:55 pm, fare is at Rs. 1,700 per passenger. Another one is Rishabh Travels, they have a non-AC seater bus, departs at 6:30 pm and arrives at 3:00 pm, fare is at Rs. 800 per passenger. These buses depart from different locations like Metro Pillar, Manesar Gate and Behroad Bus Stand.
Journey duration is about 20 hours.
From Ahmedabad, ride another bus to Bangalore. Journey duration is about 26 hours. These buses depart from Palladi in Ahmedabad. Here are some timings:
- SRS Travels (Scania AC Semi-Sleeper) - Departs at 1:30 pm and arrives at 2:30 pm. Fare is at Rs. 1,600 per passenger.
- VRL Travels (Volvo AC Semi-Sleeper ) - Departs at 2:00 pm and arrives at 5:00 pm. Fare is at Rs. 2,000 per passenger.
From Bangalore, ride another bus to Kerala. You have two options for buses:
- KSRTC Bus - From the Bangalore Bus Station, there are plenty of buses going to Kerala operated by KSRTC. Since you're going to Kochi, you need to board a bus going to the Ernakulam Bus Station. Timings for this bus are 1:00 pm, 4:15 pm and 8:00 pm.
- Private Bus - There are also private buses plying this route. Orange Tours and Travels has an AC sleeper bus departing from Bangalore at 8:30 pm and arriving in Ernakulam at 6:00 am. Fare is at Rs. 1,250 per passenger. Padikkal Travels has an Volvo AC bus departing from Bangalore at 9:00 pm and arriving in Ernakulam at 5:45 am. Fare is at Rs. 944 per passenger.
Journey time is around 9 to 11 hours for this last stretch.
From Kochi, you can either ride an airplane or a ship to reach Agatti Island in Lakshadweep.
1. By Air - From Kochi Airport, you can board another plane to reach Agatti. Air India operates daily flights to and from the Agatti Island, except during Sundays. Some of their timings are:
- Air India AI 831 - Departs at 5:50 and arrives at 11:25. Flight duration is about 5 hours and 35 minutes. Fare is at Rs. 9,817 per passenger.
- Air India AI 803 - Departs at 6:15 and arrives at 11:25. Flight duration is about 29 hours. Fare is at Rs. 11,313 per passenger.
- Air India AI 831 - Departs at 9:20 and arrives at 11:25. Flight duration is about 26 hours. Fare is at Rs. 11,313 per passenger.
2. By Ship - From Kochi, there are also ships plying to Agatti, Kadmat, Karavatti and Minicoy. Ship schedules vary and it's best to check the website of the Lakshadweep Tourism for more updated schedules. But fares are generally the same:
Kochi to Agatti
- MV Kavaratti - First Class (2 Berth Cabin) at Rs. 5,000 and 2nd Class (4 Berth Cabin) at Rs. 2,200.
- MV Tipu Sultan - Deluxe 2 Berth Cabin at Rs. 3,000, First Class 4 Berth Cabin at Rs. 2,500 and Push Back at Rs. 2,000.
- MV Minicoy/MV Amindivi - Tourist Class at Rs. 2,000.
- MV Bharat Seema - First Class 2/4 Berth Cabin at Rs. 2,000 and Tourist Class at Rs. 2,000.
Kochi to Kadmat/Karavatti/Minicoy
- MV Kavaratti - Diamond Class (2 Berth Cabin) at Rs. 4,000 and Gold Class (4 Berth Cabin) at Rs. 3,000.
- MV Tipu Sultan - Deluxe 2 Berth Cabin at Rs. 3,000, First Class 4 Berth Cabin at Rs. 2,500 and Push Back at Rs. 1,750.
- MV Minicoy/MV Amindivi - Tourist Class at Rs. 1,750.
- MV Bharat Seema - First Class 2/4 Berth Cabin at Rs. 2,000 and Tourist Class at Rs. 1,750.
I hope this helps.
