It’s serenity sailing. Watching the playful dolphins leap up and dive into the blue, from your spa bed as you luxuriate in the Laamu Balinese Bliss massage, floating on the horizon aboard the Cordelia cruise liner, making your way into the treasured archipelago of Lakshadweep. If an upscale touch to your vacation ticks the right boxes for you, then choose to cruise to the islands instead of hopping onto a plane. It is the best way to experience the natural bounty of India.
The secret whisper of the Indian seas – Lakshadweep – splashed into the limelight with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent social media post on his visit to the country’s tiniest union territory. People often talk about how stirring the shore is — relaxing, awakening, and recharging your senses. It is, with the shimmying shades of turquoise, aquamarine, cobalt, indigo, and azure… locking your gaze in an endless run as you gradually approach Agatti. Lakshadweep has a shore and sight to meet every mood.
BEACH TREAT
If you are looking for secluded, sugary-white beaches where you can walk barefoot, flinging the driftwood back into the waters, then circle into the private stretches of sand on Agatti. The island plays home to the tiny airstrip at one end, with the entire stretch of land stroked by the bobbing blue – that you can see on either side – as you move along the island. Enjoy the lull and gush of the racing waves at Lagoon Beach. The crystal-clear water makes you lunge and play with the colourful shoals, with fluttering flag markers, the sleepily nodding palm trees with the natural seats in brooding boulders scattered by the beach. A slice of beatific calm.
Make way to Andhaan Beach, the slightly more inhabited stretch along the sea. Stretch languorously on the hammock, slurp on the sweetest coconut water, lounge around in the cabanas, and soak up the magical sunrise and the stunning sunset as the colours of the dipping orb pour themselves into your tall, cool drinks. The locals strum the guitar, and the salty sea breeze tousles your hair. Far from the madding crowd with frugal phone connectivity the repeated sound of the waves crashing against the shore drifts to your ears. The ebb and flow of the water is simply hypnotic. Live ASMR. What more could your little heart desire?
DIP IN
Each stretch of the sea has a story to tell. Lakshadweep draws you into the secrets of the marine world teasing and flirting with the undiscovered blue. Stunning schools of butterfly fish and parrot fish move with amazing speed underwater as you swim, scuba dive, and snorkel through the rush of rainbows. There are nesting areas for turtles, as you spot the jaw-dropping coral reefs standing untouched in the quietude of the sea world. The surreal underwater caves are a thrill to explore, as you move silently around the corals, those rare seaweeds, and black, hairy sea cucumbers. Here is pure paradise, running through the 12 atolls, 3 reefs, and 5 submerged banks of the archipelago. Honestly, you are happy to miss the touristy rush at the done-and-dusted beach locations in other parts of the world.
Done with swimming? The glass-bottomed boat takes you across, skimming the waters and soaking up the racing marine life beneath. The best way to perhaps go solo is on a kayak. It is an unbeatable thrill as you manoeuvre the slim canoe into the sea at whim and leisure along a superb run through the narrow channels, thick mangroves, and over jaw-dropping coral reefs.
EXPLORE & ENJOY
Bangaram is a tiny island and you and yours can trek around the island easily while the locals cook the fresh catch for you. A romantic setting by the moonlight as you dine on the beach. On Agatti, hire a tuk tuk to go around. The locals are warm and friendly, marking your landing in Lakshadweep with their folk dances and songs. Make the most of the local flavours by tucking in hot tuna biryani, tuna curry with parotta, and tuna pickle that the women make at home and get to sell at the stalls on the beach. The local souvenirs come from the mainland and are totally skip-worthy.
Sometimes, nature works its therapy when you simply choose to be. Staring at the sea, the seagulls tracing lazy circles in the sky, as the odd call of another person in the far distance reaches your ears, while you relish the stunning blazing orange, pinks, and reds in the skies. This is nature’s show, at its best. Something that is best experienced.
Call it complete therapy at sea, with Cordelia Cruises bringing in gourmet gospels, mentalist shows, family entertainers, and a superb spa and fitness centre on board, summing up your journey back with luxurious ease.
NEED TO KNOW
Carry water-resistant sunscreen SPF 50 + and apply liberally, frequently to avoid sunburn.
Stay hydrated by glugging coconut water
An underwater camera is a must for clicking those special moments
Image Credits: Cordelia Cruises
