Thank you for the tip @Prodeep , I will keep that in mind.
Was this the ship that sailed you from the mainland and between the islands? Which city does it sail out from?
Hey @MortenSI we have to be at the wharf in Kochi, Kerala to take the tour. Checkout the small brief I wrote below. Of course ask me questions will be glad to answer:)
Booking:
Book online for the Samudram package on the govt website or through authorized agents whose info is available on the website. Indian Citizens only require Aadhaar details, foreigners require a visa and passport details. We did online booking.
Reporting:
Reporting time at the Lakshadweep Wharf in the Willingdon island in Kochi is in the morning at 9am on the day of the journey. However we chose to reach Kochi the previous night and stay in a hotel at the island itself. Here’s my review of the hotel.
https://goo.gl/maps/J7RiKeHB9UU2
There are rickshaw rides available from the hotel to the wharf.
Check in:
Arriving at the passenger terminal Wharf was a minor shock looking at the huge queues for security clearance, so getting in early makes sense. But first we were told to collect the tour ticket, welcome kit and check room no. allocation (on the ship) on the 1st floor of the same building, before going through security for ID check and baggage scan. Welcome kit contains a badge, T-Shirt and cap. Take care of the cap as it will certainly be needed later under the hot sun;) Thereafter buses take the passengers in a 5min drive to the ship.
Arrival on the ship:
There’s no doubt about the excitement here on arrival, but still miles to go before soaking on the beach!
A quick briefing on the deck by the tour manager puts things at ease before going in to hunt for the room. Post lunch at the ship, all safety measures are briefed, especially with regard to use of life jackets. Since all the cabins look alike, best to seal the room no. in memory;)
Two rugged tug boats pulled and pushed the ship and ahoy we had finally set sail into the high seas!
Breakfast and dinner was on board the ship, lunch and evening tea was on the islands. The ship docked afar and small boats carried us to the island. Wakeup call in the cabins through intercom was at sharp 6am so after quick tea and breakfast, we had to report to the deportation area of the ship by 730am. Thereafter, we were carted in batches in small boats to the islands and returned later in the evening back to the ship.
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Thanks for sharing all these tips @Prodeep , it will be very helpful in the future.
However, sharing the link to online booking is considered promotion and is not allowed on Connect. You will notice that I have redacted the link in your comment.
I love your very detailed description of how to get there and where to be, this is great for anyone trying to have the same experience as you.
It seems like you were very well taken care off along the whole trip, and that can be a key factor to having a great time.
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My apologies and thanks for fixing that error @MortenSI I realized it just after posting it but didn’t know how to knock it off!
Foodwise on the ship, probably the thing we had one too many were the tuna dishes;) Overall the spread was good with chicken options in the non-vegetarian section. The vegetarian section was served separately in another area for the vegans. Tea and coffee were standard and don’t expect a latte or cappuccino as this ain’t no luxury ship;)
Sharing pics from my home backyard where the lesser flamingoes arrive this time of the year…
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No problem @Prodeep , if you want to edit one of your comments, you can do so by pressing the three dots on the left and then select “edit message”.
Sounds like an overall good experience with the food, and I am impressed that they served the vegan food away from the rest. Not many people think about that, but some vegetarians and vegans don’t feel comfortable watching people eat meat while they’re eating.
This is the view from your back yard? This looks amazing!
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Hey @MortenSI! I was impressed as well with the separate sections for veg and non veg, certainly not expecting on a ship though we see every other restaurant here that are specifically veg. In fact, more than veg, some serve Jain food, which does not include cooking from any veggies that grow under the ground, more for religious reasons. So no potatoes, onions, radish, carrots, etc:) I had once tried it long back but didn’t find it particularly different from a normal veg dish. A day before getting on board the ship, my friend in Kochi took us to a lovely veg restaurant which had a feel of tasty home food:)
I live in an apartment and the cluster of buildings has a water body area beyond the boundary walls where these flamingos and plenty of other birds arrive. Right now its kinda full house with the flamingos;)
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That’s very interesting @Prodeep , I’ve never heard of Jain food before. It seems like taking veganism to the next level. I guess there is not much left to eat except for fruits and nuts if you live that lifestyle.
Can you tell me more about the religious reasons behind it?
I still can’t get over the view you have from your apartment. It seems amazing to wake up to a view of hundreds of flamingos every morning. In Denmark we have to go to the zoo to see such animals.
Do they generate a lot of noise?
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Hi @MortenSI I took these pics from the viewing gallery which is a 2 minute walk from my place in our tower complex. Though my house does not directly face that area, there are indeed other houses which have that privilege, but we do get a chance to see these beauties flying across from our window;) In fact, every morning when I go for walk, the sound of the chorus gaggling behind the wall is enough to signal the presence of the flock, though the sound isn’t too loud. I just simply love the way they circle around in a banking angle, unfolding their long legs and glide down for a smooth landing;)
‘Ahinsa’ (pronounced ‘uh’ ‘hing’ ‘sa’) is a Sanskrit word which means nonviolence (opposite of ‘hinsa’ which is to injure) and is at the core of Jain, Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. The Jains follow it very strictly therefore any kind of harm to living beings, mobile or immobile, however small, is prohibited. Killing of animals for food is totally out of question. Even eating honey is considered an act of violence to the bees and plucking root plants out of soil which can harm small living beings is also prohibited. There are special mentions for preventing any unnecessary harm to plants that is taken as food for the sake of human survival. Also there is an order of the senses and more the senses in beings, more the care. This ethical philosophy is seen commonly in the religion. Hope you get some idea about the strict veganism from it:) When I am out with Jain friends I usually order what they have without onions, garlic, potatoes, etc.
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I would love to have that kind of animal life around my house @Prodeep , and as long as it’s not too loud it would be great to hear the sound of these birds in the morning.
This Jain way of living is much more complex than I thought. It would really take a lot of thinking for me to not accidentally eat something prohibited. Big respect to those who have enough discipline to follow a lifestyle like that.
I think it’s great of you to join your friends’ way of eating when you’re out together, to not make them feel uncomfortable. That shows great compassion and selflessness.
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Hey @MortenSI you have true love for animals and that’s great:) The pond here has a breathtaking view when the flamingos lift off in unison, often featured with pictures in local newspapers.
Btw, regarding a visit to Lakshadweep islands from Kochi, Kerala, a 5-day, 3-island trip including food and stay and one complimentary water sport ( snorkelling, knee-board ride, glass board ride, etc) on each of the island cost us approximately cost a little over ₹35K or $500 per passenger for first class passengers. Flying to Kochi and staying a day in hotel before the trip was separate. Roughly sharing the cost of the visit:)
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You’re right @Prodeep , I do have a love for animals.
The price for such an adventure actually doesn’t sounds that expensive.
Are there many connections to Kochi from other cities in India and internationally?
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Hey @MortenSI ! Kochi airport has flights to domestic as well as international destinations. Most major cities and towns in India connect to it. Most middle east and southeast Asian cities such as Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Singapore, Bangkok, etc arrive/depart as well. I suppose these also act as stopovers for code share airline partners for further travel to the West, Europe and the East. Though the airport doesn’t size up to one in Mumbai, it sure gets folks across;)
It’s good to know you love animals apart from it being part of your job. Here, since the past few years the awareness of the rights of them has gone up considerably and some strict measures are place to counter any negative issues, especially with regard to strays, though possibly a lot more needs to be done.
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With all these connection there is really no excuse for not visiting Kochi at some point @Prodeep .
I’m glad to hear that measures are taken to better the life of stray animals there. Here in Bulgaria they catch the stray dogs, vaccinate them and release them again. But they will put a tag on their ear so everyone knows that this dog is healthy and vaccinated.
How is the procedure in India?
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Hey @MortenSI I think there are similar procedures here but don’t know how strictly they are being implemented. Also earlier as per municipal rules, dog owners had to apply for a dog license online and had a set of rules for the owners including cleanup if not potty trained. Again implementation is key and not followed as per norms, so the ground reality is far different.
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Having to apply for a dog license is exactly what I think should be implemented everywhere @Prodeep .
To be honest I think there are too many people who choose to get a dog, but don’t really know how much it takes. If people have to get a license for it first, I think we could avoid many of those people ending up putting their dogs on the street.
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You have a good point there @MortenSI .
Nevertheless we have a big issue here in our Complex with dog lovers and protesters since there are small children who play in the gardens and often get scared with barking strays.
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Yes that sounds like a bit of a problem @Prodeep ., especially since you never know how a stray dog will react towards children.
I have even seen some strays change their behaviour completely after being joined by other dogs. Maybe in this case it would be better to somehow relocate the strays, so they are not near the children.
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You are right @MortenSI but unfortunately that precisely is the issue here that is making headlines in the newspapers. After all, the rights of the stray also have to be respected and not easy to relocate them as per need. Though luckily there has not been any major incident with regard to strays attacking. Will have to wait to see what plans the authorities come up with.
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Good to hear that no one has been hurt @Prodeep .
I hope it all works out in the end.
Cheers @MortenSI
Looking forward for connect live:)
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