Today was the day we headed to Lakshadweep! We had booked our excursion in advance. Cordelia offered pre-defined excursion packages, and we chose the one that suited us the best.
The previous night, the management provided us with passes, an excursion code sticker, and assigned time slots to gather near the reception. From there, we went to the 3rd deck and disembarked from the ship, boarded boats to reach the island, and then traveled by road to Agatti Island. They followed a strict protocol for both leaving and returning to the ship.
We woke up a bit early in the morning, quickly got ready, and went for breakfast. While eating, we saw small, beautiful islands passing by. At 9:00 a.m., the ship reached Lakshadweep. While preparing for the excursion, we decided to take only our key cards and leave Yuven’s key card in the room for safety. However, the security staff asked us to show all the cards, so Mihir rushed back to the room to get Yuven’s card, causing us to waste about 15 minutes. Finally, we boarded the boat and arrived at the jetty, where they took family pictures that we could purchase later from the gallery. Vehicles (buses, cars, and vans) were waiting to transport us to Agatti Island. The ride through the village was smooth.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed with local folk dance and welcome drinks. Several tents were set up with chairs for us to sit and relax. Designated booths were available where staff checked our names and activities from their list and guided us accordingly. From our research, we knew we needed to start our activities early to avoid long waiting times.
Mihir had booked an excursion with snorkeling (which we didn’t do due to Yuven’s age limit), so while Yuven and I played on the beach and collected seashells, Mihir enjoyed his activities. Later, Yuven and I went on a glass-bottom boat tour, which was mesmerizing with pristine water. We saw various species of fish, corals, turtles, and other sea creatures. By this time, the sun was scorching, so we sat back under a tent and relaxed for a while. We noticed a photographer taking pictures of another couple and decided to arrange one for ourselves. We spent the next 30 minutes getting photographed at a few different spots. We paid approximately Rs. 1100/- for the photos and received all the soft copies.
There were local vendors, mostly women, selling local food items, souvenirs, and running tea stalls. The food they served included local delicacies, mostly seafood items. We had coconut water and some samosas. After some time, we joined the queue to get a car back to the jetty to return to the ship. One has to return to the ship by 5:00 p.m. Upon entry, they checked our bags, and we had to leave behind our seashells at the security check, leaving us sad because Yuven and I always collected shells from the beaches we visited – it was our special mom-son bonding activity.
Due to the excursion, lunch hours were extended, so after returning to the ship, we headed to the food court, had lunch, and then went back to our room to rest for 2-3 hours.
In the evening, we watched a cricket match on the big screen, played some games, and enjoyed a late dinner on the deck. Later, we went to the front side of the ship on deck 6, where we could see the stars because it was dark on this part of the ship.
We started sailing back to Mumbai, with only one day left before we reached home. Hoping for a full day of enjoyment on board, we slept soundly through the night.
Stay tuned for the last blog of the series!
Planning your Lakshadweep escape? Don’t miss this ultimate Lakshadweep travel guide to paradise!
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