Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep is a group of islands situated some 400 km off India's west coast in the Arabian sea. They are India's only coral atolls and geologically a part of the same chain as the Maldives.

Agatti Aerodrome on Agatti Island is currently the only airport in Lakshadweep. Indian Airlines, the state-owned carrier, serves Agatti and flies to Kochi on the mainland. Also, from April 2007, a private carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, has commenced flights to and from Agatti. Kingfisher connects Kochi and Bangalore to Agatti. The other islands are linked by helicopter or boat service.

Ships are the major means of transportation for the islanders. Ships are operated from either Kochi or Beypore (Calicut). There are around 5 passenger ships, but generally only two at a time operate. Advance bookings are required. Sailing schedules are arranged so that each island gets priority at some time of the year. There are vessels operating between some of the larger islands like Kavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni etc., but sailings are affected by weather conditions.

Peak season is December to May, when it's cooler and dry. May to September is the main (southwest) monsoon season, but the October-November northeast monsoon can also be rainy.

Tap water here is through bore wells and a bit hard. Rainwater harvested during the rainy season is the major source of drinking water. Non availability of drinking water accounts for a number of islands being uninhabited.