Andaman Islands or Lakshadweep?

Both are first and foremost beach destinations, and the sand is equally fine and white. What differs is the water. On the Andamans the best beaches are on Swaraj Dweep, where Radhanagar is a long open arc backed by tall forest and safe for swimming on calm days. Elephant Beach and the shallow coral flats of Neil add reef water. Saltwater crocodiles in some creeks mean you should keep to beaches signed as safe.

Lakshadweep's atolls put almost every beach on an enclosed lagoon, so gentle, shallow swimming is available nearly everywhere, from Agatti and Kadmat to the islets of Kalpeni. The trade-off is that there is almost nothing laid on: few sunbeds, little shade and no promenades.

Neither is a place to travel for food, but the Andamans give you more choice. Port Blair has local eateries around Aberdeen Bazaar and hotel dining rooms serving fish curries, thalis and dosas in Bengali and South Indian styles, and alcohol is available in licensed places.

On Lakshadweep you nearly always eat set menus where you sleep, built on tuna, coconut and Malabar-style rice dishes, with the smoked tuna called mas as the local speciality. There are hardly any independent restaurants to try, and alcohol is tightly restricted.

The Andamans have a short but powerful history, and it is easy to see. The Cellular Jail in Port Blair tells the story of the freedom fighters held there, and Ross Island's church and officers' houses lie half buried under fig roots, a short boat ride away. Two days covers it, but it is time well spent.

Lakshadweep's heritage is quieter and harder to reach. Kavaratti has the carved Ujra Mosque, and Minicoy has a British-era lighthouse and a culture closer to the Maldives, but they are on separate islands. Most of the interest lies in watching coir making and fishing rather than in visiting sights.

Both go quiet soon after dark, so neither is somewhere to go out. On the Andamans you can at least have a drink at a resort bar on Swaraj Dweep or a hotel bar in Port Blair. Lakshadweep has no bars at all, so evenings there mean dinner, a walk on the sand and the stars.

The Andamans give you a landscape on land as well as under the water. Off Swaraj Dweep the reefs have sharks, turtles and big shoals, with more snorkelling at North Bay and Wandoor and kayaking through mangroves. Ashore, Mount Harriet has forest trails over the straits, and Baratang has limestone caves and mud volcanoes.

Lakshadweep's appeal is the sea alone. The reef drop-offs bring rays, turtles and sometimes dolphins, and sailing on the lagoons is a pleasure. The islands themselves are flat and covered in palms, with no forest or trails, and coral bleaching has damaged parts of the reef.

From Port Blair you can make real outings by boat: Viper Island with its ruined gallows, Ross Island, and North Bay for its lighthouse and reef. Neil is an easy ferry hop from Swaraj Dweep.

On Lakshadweep a day out means crossing the lagoon from Agatti to the sandbars of Bangaram, Thinnakara or the uninhabited Parali islets. That is pleasant snorkelling rather than a change of scene, because the other inhabited islands are a ship or helicopter journey away.

The Andamans are the somewhat easier choice with children. Glass-bottom boats at North Bay and Elephant Beach show them the reef without any diving, many Indian families visit, and Port Blair has proper healthcare to fall back on.

Lakshadweep's lagoons are about the gentlest sea a child could have, and older children can snorkel among turtles close to shore. Yet there is nothing else aimed at children, the food is limited, and with permits, small planes and medical cases sent to the mainland, it only really suits families who are happy with a quiet week on the beach.

Reaching the Andamans takes a flight to Port Blair and then a ferry, and catamarans get you to Swaraj Dweep or Neil in an hour or two. Seats need booking ahead in the busy months, and rough seas can cancel sailings, so leave a spare day.

Lakshadweep makes you plan before you even set off. You need an entry permit, then a small plane to Agatti or a ship from Kochi that takes most of a day. Links between the islands are rare and fill quickly, so most visitors stick to one or two islands, where walking or cycling is all you need.

Port Blair at least gives you somewhere to browse: the market stalls of Aberdeen Bazaar and government emporia with cane and bamboo work, wooden carvings and pearl jewellery. Lakshadweep has nothing comparable, only village stores, a little coir work and packets of dried tuna.

The Andamans let you decide how much to spend, while Lakshadweep mostly decides for you. On the Andamans the costs come from choices you can skip: the comfortable Swaraj Dweep resorts, dive courses, fast catamarans. Beach rooms do become scarce and dear around December and January.

On Lakshadweep, so few rooms exist that most stays are sold as packages with meals included, and the flights and boat transfers come on top. The government guesthouses on Agatti and Kavaratti are more modest, and once you are there, there is little to spend money on.

Neither has a theatre, concert hall or live-music scene. What little there is differs in kind. Port Blair has a winter Island Tourism Festival with staged cultural performances. Lakshadweep has its own traditional dances, such as Minicoy's Lava dance and the stick dance Kolkali, but these are only performed now and then at festivals.

Both rest you through their pace rather than through spas. On the Andamans, resorts on Swaraj Dweep offer Ayurvedic treatments, massages and some yoga, and Neil has a slow village rhythm. Lakshadweep has hardly any treatments, but its silence goes deeper, with no traffic, no bars and nothing to pull you away from the lagoon.