kadmat islands

kadmat islands印象

• 

  1411PlanetTraveler

  This is my first review ever and i would like to give you the most detailed one ever!I was at Kadmat island with my German boyfriend and his mother. Foreigners are allowed only on Kadmat island and hence we visited Kadmat, Indians do not need a permit and can travel on all the islands so no hassle for me. However FYI there wasn't really a hassle for them obtaining a permit too.When i reached there, I couldn't believe what my eyes were looking at. The landscape is indeed one of the best landscapes I have ever seen in real life! It was so pristine and untouched. People on the island are extremely hospitable and generous and caring. The food was delicious- there was always Indian food with one Non vegetarian item on the menu which was absolutely mouth watering. Not fancy but very simple just like at home! My future mother-in-law was a little disheartened after seeing the 'heavy' Indian breakfast but only in a few mins we found out that they also provide European breakfast items like toast and butter and jam along with scrambled eggs or omlet- so all in all- Everyone was happy in the end! The cottages are also comfortable but ofcourse not as good as one would find in cities, we didn't mind taking a hot water bath from a bucket though when the shower was broken! little problems here and there but the staff takes care of most of it and it wont be a problem as such.Now the best part of going to this place is the marine life that could be explored by various water sports like snorkeling (which was unbelievably cheap, 300 rupees /hour!) and scuba diving (2500 rupees for 20 mins).I did it for the first time in my life and i must say that the instructors are really helpful and very experienced- my instructor was very patient and could handle a very frightened girl like me and not only after ten mins of calming me down and making me relax he also showed me the best of marine life which was the best experience ever!It is extremely beautiful and i wish to go there again! can't get this place out of my head. It was fantastic! I strongly recommend people who love nature and believe in not spoiling mother nature by littering or other activities to visit this place.One thing that i REALLLY missed was a glass of wine or a pint of beer at the beach! However, the beauty of the place gives you all the high that you need so absolutely no problem! I hope my personal experience helps fellow travelers!

• 

  Avneeshkr5

  kadmat island is big treat for nature lover and beach lovers. kadmat island is having accomodation named kadmat beach resort operated by SPORTS (lakshadweep tourism Deptt.) we chosen deluxe AC room which was quite good and having a nice view of beach. all the staff of resort was very friendly. Water sports activities was available at help desk we tried many activities we loved Snorkeling and SCUBA diving as Kadmat island is having a big Lagoon area we also went for traditional fishing and had a village tour in a specially arranged vehicle :) . the food was served in cafeteria which was quite nice and delicious, simple but tasty. two time dinner was also served at beach side which was a nice experience to dine in with the cool breeze and sounds of waves. awesome natural beauty and the cordial hospitality of the native people will left you with a desire to come back to this peaceful place.

• 

  892nadiad

  We stayed at Kadmat Island for 2 nights at an A/C beach cottage. The cottage was nice and clean and we had a view of the beach which was great. Unfortunately we did not have very good weather (Always cloudy and a lot of rain). However, we managed to do 1 discovery scuba dive. We had a short introduction and went with a group of other tourists for our dive. The dive was good and we saw some nice Coral and fish. Unfortunately the diving staff is maybe not educated very well or they do not care, as they would touch (and once break!!) the Coral. We also rented a bike for an afternoon to cycle around the Island which was very nice. We can recommend the Island as it is beautiful and peaceful, and will probably be even more beautiful with some Sunny weather. One downside to Lakshadweep in general, not for Kadmat only, is that the boat schedule is REALLY unreliable. Our schedule was to go to Thinnakara on Saturday, then go to Kadmat on Monday and go back to Agatti for our flight on Friday morning. In the end, we waited all Monday for the boat to come, which never arrived, we then left on Tuesday to Kadmat, where we were told that we had to leave to Agatti on Thursday already and spend our last day on Agatti, where there are no activities for tourists. We really really loved our stay at Lakshadweep and I am happy to say I have been there. The beauty of the beach and the ocean is unbelievable. But, you should be aware that there are no restaurants, no other facilities and that your schedule can change any time.

• 

  582rachelh

  Lakshadweep islands The island of Tinnakara Is well worth a trip if you can get a permit! The beach is spectacular. We spent one night on Thinnakara island, next to Bangaram, which is 20 mins by speed boat or 1 hour 20 by fishing boat, whichever the mode of transport is that day both journeys are pleasant and we even saw turtles on the way. The tee-pee tents are very clean and well kept. It really is perfect island life. The island is uninhibited and the staff who were young boys greet you, cook for you and offer water sports. It's very basic though pure bliss and well worth two or three nights. Kadmat on the other hand is a high speed vessel boat ride away from Agatti airport, it takes a few hours and the boat ride is awful! It's not a great boat, the Bollywood films on the old tv are deafeningly loud and everyone was throwing up from seasickness the whole way. The rooms on the "resort" are not modern cottages as lonely planet suggests they are basic concrete block buildings with horrid bathrooms. (Note they looked like they were doing some painting and restoration during our stay so their might be hope for future, we didn't dive so cannot comment on that) It was quite expensive part of our trip and later we found out the high speed vessel cost £160 which was the worst part! Though the beach is again incredible on Kadmat and the staff cook a decent indian fare for breakfast lunch and dinner. The staff are nice although can come across a little regimented. Though Tinnakara island is worth every penny if you can organise it through SPORTS and get the permit, a flight with air India to Agatti and a boat transfer package to Tinnakara. Though we booked with Mint valley and I'm unsure they offer the package to the smaller island with the tents, we basically got transferred there due to vessel issues and rough seas and it was the best thing they could have done.

• 

  muskaan_17

  I have stayed in this heaven on earth. I did not mind what I ate or where I slept. I just thanked God above for giving me eyes to see this. There is no island more beautiful than Lakshadweep. Trust me as I have done little travelling and I know. It felf as if I walked into a post card and its not real.

• 

  NaveenGoyal13

  We went there from mangalore via ship. We spent a day in Kadmat Island.A very beautiful Island with crystal clear water and white sand you would love to play in it. Snorkeling shouldn't be missed if you are here.For tourists only a small portion of Island is there to enjoy, rest is where the locals live. Locals were very helping at any moment.Kayaking is also what we liked here.There are no private restaurant or resorts and the one run by SPORTS is just pathetic. Such a beautiful place can be heaven if they maintain the resort well. For now only plan a short trip.

• 

  Aditya_Sinha_2013

  We stayed in kadmat islands for 3 nights in the month of November 2013, we booked the resorts by the by an agent in New Delhi who was mentioned on Sports Website(Govt. agency which handles all the tourism of lakshadweep). We traveled to Agatti via Air India through Kochi. Just to be sure that we didn't miss the morning fight we tried to book a resort in Agatti for one night, as assured by our agent that we will easily get the permit we were quite relaxed but unfortunately he didn't managed to pull it off.As far as the island is concerned it is a pure gem, a paradise island indeed, perfect lagoon in the evening with all the facilities of snorkeling, kayaking,diving, glass boat sightseeing, etc. at your service. Very friendly staff who are eager to help you at each instance, food is not so good as it is quite simple and not so exciting with very dull recipes not at all justifying the price you are paying for. The transfer to these islands is still a big problem for the organizers, while coming from agatti we got a very comfortable AC cabin in a big ship which took around 4 hours to reach kadmat, but while coming back we were transported in a very basic fishing boat with no toilets or any other facilities other than a thin sheet to sleep on and costing the same, we started from agatti in night around 3 A.M. and reached kadmat at around 9 A.M., the resort packed breakfast and mineral water for us. Only positive thing for me of this horrible fishing boat ride was sleeping under the clearest sky possible in a pitch black sea and listening to the lumineers in my earphones. If they improve this transport problem then its the perfect place to go for a perfect relaxing trip.The pricing is not justified as the rooms/food are not of 5 star standards but may be its because of the exclusivity. This is arguably the beast beach in India and clearest indeed, may be second to radhanagar or islands nearby to havelock.Enjoy this moment of pure bliss its a paradise indeed.

• 

  Sudhirm

  I visited d Lakshadweep Islands recently. Amazing experience 'n a beautiful place. People r very friendly 'n helpful. Cleanest beaches 'n waters I've seen in India. Safest waters for children, amazing variety of marine life - snorkeling/diving was gr8 fun! Very gud food all thru' d stay. Wish they wud publicise d place more appropriately & post more tourist friendly information on d net; but then I guess d demise of these islands wud b much faster. Yes the ecology is extremely fragile & I'm afraid even wid d present state our nxt generation might not get 2 experience these coral islands - they r actually fast eroding/drowning. I went by air 2 Agatti, stayd a night at a Home Stay & caught a ferry for Kadmat d nxt day. Stayed at Kadmat Resort for 5 days & bak 2 Agatti by a boat 2 take d flight bak 2 Kochi.Air Travel. Air India & Kingfisher operate flights from Kochi to Agatti, which is the only airport in Lakshadweep. Agatti onwards you can take a High Speed Catamaran(HSC) (subject to schedule) or a country boat to Kadmat. Sea Journey. All places in Lakshadweep are linked to Kochi by passenger ships as per a six monthly schedule. Between islands u'll have to use HSC or country boats. Inter island connectivity is subject 2 d weekly schedule of HSCs, which is not very consistent. On our onward journey we were booked on a HSC - very comfy, AC 'n all. For my return journey from Kadmat 2 Agatti though we had 2 take a country boat - very basic boats with no loos or shade. Started on d six hr journey at 2 AM to reach Agatti before the full fury of the sun was unleashed. Interesting adventure though, 'n d resort people had made us very comfy with lots of mattresses 'n cushions plus packd hamper B'fast, so we cud actually sleep on the high seas under the open sky. Our lil children were also very comfy - special thnx 2 the Resort staff!Islands & Accn. Kadmat resort is run by a Sarkari Society (SPORT - d link refers). SPORT is doing a wonderful job of running d resort though. All water sports facilities r avail at their resort- snorkeling, diving, kayaking, water surfing etc.Bookings. Confirmed bookings r advisable before u depart, very limited accn on d isle. Plus u need a permit 2 board the aircraft or ship at Kochi. Advisable 2 go thru' an agent or travel agencies - I'd done my accn bookings thru' Mint Valley Tourism & booked d air tickets directly.

• 

  joannaR427

  If you wish to go to the Lakshadweep Islands then you need to approach this part of your travels with caution and do your research before your visit. The Island of Kadmat, currently the only Island accepting international tourists, is an undeniable paradise and its people are welcoming and friendly. However, much of the information you will find is out of date and misleading. Unfortunately we were victim of an unscrupulous travel agent selling what they describe as 5 star luxury holidays at the Kadmat Beach Resort and advertising facilities such as water sports, glass bottom boats , speed boat transfer between Islands, excellent food and shopping .The average price is 50,000 rupees per person for a 4 night stay including return flights. If this were a Maldives experience then that would be fine. However,some travel agents are not telling you the truth and you need to be aware that what is being sold is far from a 5 star luxury experience. Sadly Kadmat Beach Resort has been left to go to ruin. There is no luxury speed boat able to transfer you from the airport on Agatti Island. Transfers are instead made by small basic fishing boats taking 6-7 hours, none of them providing shade from the blazing sun, comfortable seating or any toilet facilities. The rooms at the resort are shoddy and dirty. Whilst the older beach front apartments allude to the resort’s former glory, the newer ones are concrete blocks complete with frosted glass so there is no view of the wonderful surroundings. The dining area is like a school canteen lit by strip lights, full of flies and filthy. The food is very average, lacks any variety and is at best served lukewarm and often cold On an island where I saw an abundance of fresh fish and fresh fruits, I was served tinned pineapple and dried fish. The Dive School has long since closed down and it is now used as a store room. There is no glass bottomed boat. There are some basic diving facilities as a dive master is available on the Island. However, if you were coming to complete an open water PADI course this is not possible due to the lack of a dive Instructor. There are however opportunities for snorkelling. There are no shopping facilities on site. Shopping involves a trip into the village and provisions are very basic. However, if you do choose to come, please make the trip to the village so that at least the locals will get some benefit from the huge expense you will pay for your trip. The staff are helpful but it is evident that they are not the beneficiaries of tourism to their beautiful Island. We are seasoned travellers, used to basic conditions and this is not our complaint. Please beware of paying 5 star luxury prices for something that is 1-2 star at best. We have requested to speak with our travel agent (Mr Abdul Salam of Lakshadweep holidays) regarding the vast discrepancy between what we were sold and what we found. As yet we have heard nothing . The Lakshadweep Islands are beautiful, its people are lovely but be very careful of being ripped off by travel agents operating from the mainland.

• 

  Mattyoliver

  I visited Kadmat last March and what an adventure. You should only book the trip in Kochi through the official office which is on willingdon island in kochi, we payed £200-250 for 5 nights I believe. The trip over took maybe 16 hours and it is very basic, If you have travelled in India then I'm sure you know what I mean, do not expect luxury but what an adventure, you get a chair which reclines to sleep on but you can go and sit on top deck which is great... Once you arrive you will be driven to the resort, we were one of around 6-10 people at the resort, very quiet, very basic food but rooms are nice although hot if you don't get air con, you can see the beach from your bed... The sea is absolutely beautiful, a little merky but the diving is great, I would reccomend if you are a diver to visit, I'm a divemaster and have dived all over the world, two of the dives I did were absolutely mind blowing, small sharks, stingrays, mantas, turtles (lots) thousands upon thousands of big fish... Not much of a dive briefing, but guides were very friendly and I am quite experienced, not the beat if you are a beginner, Stingray alley was great.... All in all I would absolutely reccomend, the staff were very friendly and people are very welcoming. I think this is one of the only places in India that is unspoilt, If you love an adventure then go for it you won't regret it!!! Matt & Maggie, Manchester England, Visited March/April 2013. Foolsgold25@hotmail.co.uk