Kiltan Island

The Kiltan Island lies 51 km north-east of Amini Island, between 11° 28' and 11° 30' N latitude and 72° 59' and 73° 01' E longitude, and has an area of 2.20 sq km. It has 3.4 km length and 0.6 km width at the broadest point. On the northern and southern ends of the island, there are high storm beaches. This island is 394 km (213 nautical miles) away from Kochi. Its lagoon area is 1.76 sq km.

Bangaram

Living in an uninhabited Island! The very idea unfurls several romantic thoughts. Bangaram is an island that does justice to all that romantic imaginations. This teardrop shaped piece of land is encircled by creamy sand. Even in the hottest part of the day, you won’t feel the heat as luxuriant coconut trees shade you from Sun’s rays. For a perfect outing, there are three uninhabited islands in the same atoll, Tinnakara, Parali-I and Parali-II. The deep, warm, clear waters of Indian Ocean with its myriad flora and fauna are an irresistible invitation to the scuba diving fraternity of the world. The exquisite coral formation including the black coral formations, the variety and number of coral fishes - the angel, the clown, the butterfly, the surgeon not to mention awesome -looking but harmless sharks, mantarays, sting rays moray eels and turtles make diving here an addictive experience, enough to make impressive any divers' logbook with the stamp of the Diving School at Bangaram.

A hop away from Agatti airport by a speedboat, the Bangaram Island Resort caters to high-end international tourists. This 60-bed resort is well equipped with water sports equipment and has Lakshadweep’s first Dive School.

It is a real getaway from the cacophony of crowded cities and offers a memorable escape in to isolation.

Agatti

Get into one of the most beautiful lagoons from here. A virtual gateway to the islands, Agatti has the only airport in the island. A twenty-bedded tourist resort has been set up here. Unlike other islands it is the only island where one can stay as long or as short as one wishes- an advantage given by the Indian Airlines flight operated from Kochi. Uninhabited islands of Bangaram, Thinnakara, Parali-I and Parali-II are just a hop away. Land in these tiny islands and enjoy an exclusive day excursion.

Kadmat

Kadmat is a haven of solitude with its fine lagoon of even depth, a long stretch of shoreline ideal for swimming and well secluded tourist huts. Apart from the shallow lagoon on the west that forms an ideal spot for water sports, there is also a narrow lagoon on the east. This is the only is island in the group which has lagoon on both the sides. Thick green coconut palm leaves form a natural canopy over the whole area protecting you from sunlight.

The island has the finest diving spots in India. Considering the potential for water sports, a full-fledged Water Sports Institute and a Dive School with well-trained instructors have been set up in the island. Dive Package tours and regular staying package tours are arranged to the island. It can accommodate only 48 tourists at a time. Due to its exclusivity the island is increasingly becoming a haven for honeymooners. Kadmat is the only island apart from Bangaram and Agatti where international tourists are allowed. Visit the island in Marine Awareness programme. Special Dive packages are also arranged to the island by M/s Laccadives, Mumbai, India.

Minicoy

Southern most island of the group, Minicoy, is geographically isolated from other islands. Perhaps due to this, the culture here is a mix of Maldivian and South Indian. The language spoken is Mahl a form of Divehi, the language spoken in Maldives. It is a cousin of Indo-Persian languages whose script is written from right to left.

Minicoy, often called Women’s Island for the dominating position enjoyed by ladies in the society has a culture distinct from other islands. Here the village life has been democratic perhaps even before the words Democracy and Panchayat were known to them. It has a cluster of 10 villages each presided by a “Bodukaka”. The island has a rich tradition ofperforming arts. Lava dance, the most attractive among them, is performed on festive occasions. A visit to the tuna canning factory, the light house built by the British in 1885, and a long drive through dense coconut groves and winding village roads are part of the tour apart from the pleasures of one of the largest lagoons.

Traditionally the people of Minicoy are seamen working in international shipping companies. The pole and line tuna fishing was practiced here even before it was officially introduced. The men folk of the island are known for their carpentry and maritime skills and women are well known for their culinary and housekeeping skills.

The island is a part of the Coral Reef package with facilities to accommodate staying tourists as well as day tourists. A new twenty-bedded tourist resort has started functioning. The island is included in the Swaying Palms package.

Kalpeni

Kalpeni has the largest lagoon among Lakshadweep islands. The lagoon is relatively shallow and ideal for all kinds of water sports. A peculiar feature of Kalpeni atoll is the huge stormbank of coral debris along the eastern and southeastern shoreline. The islanders are torchbearers in the field of education. It is here that girls started going to school when any formal type of education was taboo to other islanders. Kalpeni with the small islets Tilakkam, Pitti and the uninhabited Cheriyam with sparkling lagoon in between them are known for its scenic beauty. Koomel, the gently curving bay offers tourists facilities like bath huts, change rooms etc.

You can swim, or engage yourself in wateKalpeni has the largest lagoon among Lakshadweep islands. The lagoon is relatively shallow and ideal for all kinds of water sports. A peculiar feature of Kalpeni atoll is the huge stormbank of coral debris along the eastern and southeastern shoreline. The islanders are torchbearers in the field of education. It is here that girls started going to school when any formal type of education was taboo to other islanders. Kalpeni with the small islets Tilakkam, Pitti and the uninhabited Cheriyam with sparkling lagoon in between them are known for its scenic beauty. Koomel, the gently curving bay offers tourists facilities like bath huts, change rooms etc. You can swim, or engage yourself in water sports. Kayaks, SailBoats, Pedal Boats are available on hire.

Amini Island

The Amini Island is at a distance of 407 km (220 nautical miles) from Kochi and located between Kavaratti Island in the south and Kadmat Island in the north. This island has an oval shape with a width of 1.20 km at the broadest point and a length of 2.70 km. It lies between 11o 06' and 11o 08' N latitude and 72o 42' and 72o 45' E longitude, having a land area of 2.60 sq km and lagoon area of 1.50 sq km. This oval shaped island is 2-3 m above the mean sea level, with a depression at the centre.

Suheli Island

Suheli (Par) Situated 47 km south-west of Kavaratti, Suheli Par is an uninhabited island of Lakshadweep. Suheli Par consists of two uninhabited islands known as Valiyakara and Cheriyakara. Suheli Valiyaknra Island is evidently the most important turtle rookery in Lukshadaweep. Plans are afoot to permanently settle islanders from Kavaratti there. At present, Valiyakara is inhabited (and sparsely so) only during the fair season (October-May).

The island has a tropical climate. Suheli Valiyakara is situated at 10? 08' north latitude and 72? 18' east longitude, and has two islets named Indira Dweep and Shastri Dweep. Suheli Cheriyakara is situated at 10? 22' north latitude and 72? 15' east longitude. A recent survey results showed the occurrence of 21% live coral cover. The lagoon of these of these islands were very big (more than 18 km2) and consisted coral patches. The Porites corals were dominant in lagoon and they were in good condition. Those colonies affected by bleaching event also recovery fast. One of the remarkable features observed by the survey team was that the islands consisted of rich resources of reef fishes. Suheli island is an important site for tuna fishery. Turtle nesting takes place in sand bar between the two islands. Survey team sighted 12 turtles in reef slope.

Thinnakara Island

The islands together have a shore length of 132 kms. The coral reef, like a boundary wall protects the lagoon from rough sea. As a result the water of the lagoon is calm and serene within the periphery beyond which the pale blue turns into deep blue due to the depth. Lakshadweep Islands have a total lagoon area of 4200 sq. kms., 20,000 sq. kms. of territorial waters and over 400.000 sq. kms. of economic zone. In this respect, Lakshadweep is very much important from the economic point of view. The near by port are Calicut (346 Km), Cochin (404 km) and Mangalore (352 km). Airport of Lakshadweep is located in Agatti.

Pitti Bird Sanctuary

Pitti Bird Sanctuary is a small reef that is approximately 24 north-west of Kavaratti, is one of the major tourist attractions of Lakshadweep and there’s a lot of concern related to this island and the government has taken a lot of initiatives for the very same. This place is a joyous ride for the bird lovers. You have them in thousands and over and to see them migrate is simply wow, it doesn’t need any sort of embellishing for its marketing. You just need to be here if you love the wildlife and you have so many birds and varieties that you get to see here. This is the only place in all of India where you have terns coming in, you have a lot of oceanic birds here. You can’t use air travel to be dropped here, as there is no rock solid ground for the same. You can use the boats. The people here are very sweet and take care of the sanctuary, which was recently termed so, because the government wanted it to be safe and no harm to come over it, which comes under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.