Hello there, welcome to the forum!
Is there any port in Mumbai from where I can get a ship to go Lakshadweep or would I need to go to Kochi first?
You need to go to Kochi to ride the passenger ships that are going to Lakshadweep. The only ship leaving from Mumbai to Lakshadweep is a cruise-type one. This cruise ship has predetermined destinations and it won't be stopping over at all the islands of Lakshadweep. Aside from that, it also goes to Goa as well. The name of this cruise ship is the Super Star Libra. The route that it goes through is:
- Mumbai > High Sea > Lakshadweep (Kadmat) > Goa > Mumbai.
The cruise is for four nights and five days. It starts on a Sunday and ends Thursday of the same week. The cruise is also only for Indian nationals that reside in India. The fares for this cruise vary as well:
- Executive Suite at Deck 7 - Rs. 74, 200 (Low Season) & Rs. 78,000 (Peak Season)
- Junior Suite at Deck 8 - Rs. 56,800 (Low Season) & Rs. 60,600 (Peak Season)
- Deluxe Ocean View State Room at Decks 7 & 8 - Rs. 37,700 (Low Season) & Rs. 41,500 (Peak Season)
- Ocean View State Room with Port Hole Deck 2 - Rs. 25,800 (Low Season) & Rs. 29,600 (Peak Season)
- Inside State Room Decks 2, 3, 4 & 6 - Rs. 23,600 (Low Season) & Rs. 27,400 (Peak Season)
- Inside State Room Decks 2 & 3 - Rs. 20,300 (Low Season) & Rs. 24,100 (Peak Season)
These rates are per person on a twin sharing basis. Single fare would be 150% of the twin sharing fare. Children below 2 years old are 25% of the twin sharing fare, provided there are 2 full paying persons.
If I need to go Kochi is it better to get a flight or train?
It's better to just take a flight as it's more convenient. But then again, if your concern is the price, it's also the more expensive option. There are direct flights from Mumbai to Agatti Island, here are their timings:
Air India
- AI 681 - Departs at 17:15 from Mumbai and arrives at 11:25 at Agatti Island. Fare is at Rs. 9,592 per passenger.
- AI 607 - Departs at 16:55 from Mumbai and arrives at 11:25 at Agatti Island. Fare is at Rs. 9,641 per passenger.
- AI 609 - Departs at 20:15 from Mumbai and arrives at 11:25 at Agatti Island. Fare is at Rs. 9,641 per passenger.
- AI 639 - Departs at 9:10 from Mumbai and arrives at 11:25 at Agatti Island. Fare is at Rs. 17,431 per passenger.
Then, here are some flights from Mumbai to Kochi:
Indigo
- 6E 214 - Departs at 11:20 from Mumbai and arrives at 13:20 at Kochi. Fare is at Rs. 4,580 per passenger.
- 6E 223 - Departs at 13:25 from Mumbai and arrives at 15:30 at Kochi. Fare is at Rs. 4,580 per passenger.
Go Air
- G8 336 - Departs at 17:10 from Mumbai and arrives at 19:05 at Kochi. Fare is at Rs. 4,685 per passenger.
- G8 347 - Departs at 10:25 from Mumbai and arrives at 12:25 at Kochi. Fare is at Rs. 5,370 per passenger.
Air India
- AI 888 - Departs at 19:00 from Mumbai and arrives at 8:55 at Kochi. Fare is at Rs. 8,693 per passenger.
- AI 314 - Departs at 19:45 from Mumbai and arrives at 8:55 at Kochi. Fare is at Rs. 8,693 per passenger.
If you're looking for a more economical way to reach Kochi, then train would be your best option. The station you need to drop off to is the Ernakulam Junction. Here are the train timings from Mumbai to Ernakulam Junction:
- Netravati Express Train No. 16345 - Departs from Thane daily at 12:05 and arrives in the Ernakulam Junction at 14:28.
- Trivandrum Express Train No. 16331 - Departs from Mumbai during Mondays at 12:10 and arrives in the Ernakulam Junction at 23:00.
- Mumbai LTT Ernakulam Duronto Train No. 12223 - Departs from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus during Tuesdays and Saturdays at 20:50 and arrives in the Ernakulam Junction at 20:10.
How do I reach Lakshadweep from Kochi?
You can either ride an airplane or a passenger ship to reach Lakshadweep from Kochi.
1. By Airplane - From the Kochi Airport, you can just directly ride another plane to reach Lakshadweep. Here is one flight schedule with fare:
- AI 9505 - Departs at 10:05 from Kochi and arrives at 11:25 at Agatti Island. Fare is at Rs. 9,428 per passenger.
As you can see, the rate for this plus the air fare from Mumbai to Kochi, is higher as compared to just boarding a direct flight from Mumbai to Agatti Island.
2. By Passenger Ship - This is the cheaper option. From Kochi, there are several passenger ships plying to the different islands of Lakshadweep. Here they are with their rates:
Fares for Passenger Ships to Lakshadweep from 2016 to 2017
MV Swaraj Dweep, MV Nancowry, MV Nicobar and MV Campbell Bay
- Deluxe Cabin - Rs. 9,750 per passenger
- First Class Cabin - Rs. 8,080 per passenger
- Second Class Cabin - Rs. 6,420 per passenger
- Bunk - Rs. 2,500 per passenger
MV Harshvardhana
- Deluxe Cabin - Rs. 9,750 per passenger
- First Class Cabin - Rs. 8,080 per passenger
- Second Class A Cabin - Rs. 6,420 per passenger
- Second Class B Cabin - Rs. 4,960 per passenger
- Bunk - Rs. 2,500 per passenger
MV Akbar
- Deluxe Cabin - Rs. 9,750 per passenger
- First Class Cabin - Rs. 6,890 per passenger
- AC Dormitory - Rs. 4,190 per passenger
- Bunk - Rs. 2,180 per passenger
Their timings vary though and it's best to visit the Lakport website as they frequently change. There are also other ships in the website that you can see the timings of.
From where do I get the ship tickets from?
There's the Lakshadweep Administration Office in Kochi, here's the address:
- Address - Indira Gandhi Road, Willingdon Island, Kochi, Kerala 682003.
- Contact Number - +91 484 266 6262.
You can book your ship ticket here.
Do I need to get the return tickets from Kochi or can they be brought from Lakshadweep?
Return tickets can be bought from the Port Assistants' offices in Lakshadweep. These offices are located in the embarkation jetties in different islands of Lakshadweep.
I hope this helps you.
