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How to reach Lakshadweep from Bangalore?

Discussion in 'Travel advice' started by Pramod, Sep 28, 2016.

  1. Pramod

    Pramod New Member

    I have recently been reading about Lakshadweep and am interested in visiting the destination. I am in Bangalore and would like to know how to reach Lakshadweep from Bangalore?

    The information I require is just some of the most important points in getting to Lakshadweep like which port I need to travel to, and how I would get there from Bangalore.

    I would also like to know how long it would take from the port to reach Lakshadweep Island?

    I was considering going to Lakshadweep in mid-October, would this be a good time?
     


  2. briannagodess

    briannagodess Well-Known Member

    Hello, @Pramod! Welcome to the forum!

    So the gateway to reaching Lakshadweep is through Cochin. If travelling by passenger ship, you need to reach the Cochin Port from Bangalore. Here are the ways you can reach the Cochin Port from Bangalore:

    1. By Bus - There are direct buses plying from Bangalore to Ernakulam/Cochin. You can opt for KSRTC buses or private buses. For the KSRTC buses, here are their timings:
    • KSRTC (AC Sleeper Bus) - They have two buses plying this route, one departs at 20:45 and the other departs at 21:35. These buses then arrive in Ernakulam at 7:00 and 7:50 respectively. Duration of journey is around 10 hours. Fare is at Rs. 1,189 to Rs. 1,273 per passenger.
    • KSRTC (Airavat Club Class Bus) - They only have one bus for this type which departs at 16:10 from Bangalore and arrives at 2:05 in Ernakulam. Duration of journey is around 9 hours. Fare is at Rs. 1,139 per passenger.
    • KSRTC (Airavat Diamond Class Bus) - They have three buses plying this route departing at these times: 19:41, 21:17 and 21:46. They arrive in Ernakulam at 5:12, 7:27 and 7:46, respectively. Journey duration is around 10 hours. Fare is at Rs. 1,139 per passenger.
    • KSRTC (Rajahamsa Executive Bus) - There's one bus for this type plying this route, departing from Bangalore at 20:35 and arriving in Ernakulam at 8:06. Duration of journey is around 11 hours. Fare is at Rs. 619 per passenger.
    For the private buses, here are their timings:
    • Greenline Travels and Holidays (AC Sleeper Bus) - They have two buses plying from Bangalore to Cochin, departing at 9:15 pm and 10:45 pm. They then arrive in Cochin at 6:50 am and 8:20 am. Journey duration is around 9 hours and 35 minutes. Fare is at Rs. 1,249 per passenger.
    • Aeon Connect (Scania AC Multi-Axle Semi-Sleeper Bus) - They have two buses plying from Bangalore to Cochin, departing at 8:00 am and 9:30 pm. They then arrive in Cochin at 6:00 pm and 6:00 am. Journey duration is around 10 hours. Fare is at Rs. 1,000 per passenger.
    • Orange Tours and Travels (AC Semi-Sleeper Bus) - They have two buses plying from Bangalore to Cochin, departing at 5:45 am and 9:20 pm. They then arrive in Cochin at 4:20 pm and 6:30 am. Journey duration is around 10 hours or more. Fare is at Rs. 1,000 per passenger.
    • Golden Pearl Travels (Scania AC Multi-Axle Semi-Sleeper) - They have three buses plying from Bangalore to Cochin, departing at 8:00 pm, 9:00 pm and 9:45 pm. They arrive at around 5:05 pm, 5:30 pm and 5:45 pm. Duration of journey is around 8 hour or more. Fare is at Rs. 1,100 to Rs. 1,200 per passenger.
    So from Ernakulam, Cochin Port is about 11 kilometres away so you need to ride a taxi or even a tuk tuk to reach the Cochin Port. The same goes if you arrive in Cochin proper, you need to ride a taxi or a tuk tuk to reach the Cochin Port.

    2. By Train - There are several trains connecting Bangalore to Ernakulam. You'd either be dropped of at Ernakulam Junction or Ernakulam Town. Here are their timings:
    • Kochuveli Express Train No. 16315 - This train departs daily from Bangalore City Junction at 17:00 and arrives in Ernakulam Junction at 4:25.
    • Kanyakumari Express Train No. 16526 - This train departs daily from Bangalore City Junction at 20:00 and arrives in Ernakulam Town at 7:30.
    • Ernakulam Express Train No. 16315 - This train departs from daily Bangalore City Junction at 6:15 and arrives in Ernakulam Junction at 16:55.
    • Trivandrum Express Train No. 16331 - This train departs during Tuesdays from Krishnarajapuram at 10:30 and arrives in Ernakulam Junction at 23:00.
    • Kochuveli Express Train No. 12777 - This train departs during Wednesdays from Yesvantpur Junction at 15:20 and arrives in Ernakulam Townn at 2:00.
    • Yesvantpur Kochuveli AC Express Train No. 16561 - This train departs during Thursdays from Yesvantpur Junction at 15:20 and arrives in Ernakulam Town at 2:25.
    Journey duration is around 11 hours. From Ernakulam Town, Cochin Port is about 10.9 kilometres away and from Ernakulam Junction, Cochin Port is about 8.2 kilometres away. You can just ride a taxi or a tuk tuk to reach the port from these stations.

    3. By Taxi - The distance between Bangalore and Cochin Port is around 539 kilometres. It can take around 10 hours to cover this distance by car or taxi. Hiring a taxi is the most expensive option but also the most convenient. Fare would be around Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 12,000 for a one-way trip.

    4. By Air - There are also direct flights from Bangalore to Cochin. Taking a flight might be less costly than riding a taxi all the way from Bangalore to Cochin. I'd list some of the cheapest flights I was able to find:
    • Air India AI 564 - This departs at 11:50 from Bangalore and arrives in Cochin at 11:25. Fare is at Rs. 7,234 per passenger.
    • Indigo 6E 425 - This departs at 19:15 from Bangalore and arrives in Cochin at 20:15. Fare is at Rs. 9,300 per passenger.
    • Air India AI 608 - This departs at 17:40 from Bangalore and arrives in Cochin at 7:30. Fare is at Rs. 9,620 per passenger.
    • Air India AI 610 - This departs at 19:30 from Bangalore and arrives in Cochin at 19:25. Fare is at Rs. 9,620 per passenger.
    • Jet Airways 9W 2165 - This departs at 12:50 from Bangalore and arrives in Cochin at 8:25. Fare is at Rs. 9,990 per passenger.
    Cochin Airport is about 40 kilometres away from Cochin Port. There are direct buses from the airport to Thoppumpady which is just 3.1 kilometres away from the Cochin Port. Here are their timings:
    • Bus No. JNK19 - Departs from the airport at 6:25 and arrives in Thoppumpady at around 8:00.
    • Bus No. JNK1 - Departs from the airport at 7:50 and arrives in Thoppumpady at around 9:00.
    • Bus No. JNK2 - Departs from the airport at 9:30 and arrives in Thoppumpady at around 10:30.
    • Bus No. JNK3 - Departs from the airport at 9:55 and arrives in Thoppumpady at around 11:00.
    • Bus No. JNK19 - Departs from the airport at 11:10 and arrives in Thoppumpady at around 13:00.
    • Bus No. JNK14 - Departs from the airport at 13:00 and arrives in Thoppumpady at around 14:00.
    Buses from the airport to Thoppumpady have schedules until 18:00. From Thoppumpady, you can just ride a tuk tuk to reach Cochin Port.

    From the Cochin Port, you can inquire about the tickets for the ships plying to Lakshadweep. Here is the address of the Lakshadweep Administration Office in Cochin:
    • Lakshadweep Office in Cochin Address - Indira Gandhi Road, Willingdon Island, Kochi, Kerala 682003.
    • Contact Number - +91 484 266 6262.
    The journey from Cochin Port to Lakshadweep Islands takes around 18 hours to 20 hours long. So make sure that you bring your own entertainment options like gadgets, books or music players. On-board entertainment is very limited in these ships so you might get bored while you're in it.

    By mid-October, monsoon season is generally finished so it's a good time to visit the islands. During monsoon season, there are no ships plying from Cochin Port to Lakshadweep. Actually, the peak tourist season for Lakshadweep is from October to May.

    During October to February, these months are the winter season in Lakshadweep. Temperatures are between 25°C to 32°C, with the coldest months being December and January. Thus, engaging in water sports can be a good option during this time. Exploring the different islands is also quite good during this season.

    From March to May, these are the summer months. Temperatures range between 28°C to 36°C. It's a good time to visit as well especially if you'd like to get a tan. Water sports are also widely available during this time. All hotels and restaurants remain operational during this time.

    From June to September, these are the monsoon months. Temperatures go down but rainfall can be moderate to heavy. Further, you cannot reach the islands by boat as the seas become too rough. Therefore, it's not the best season to visit Lakshadweep Islands.

    I hope this helps you.:)