Goa or Lakshadweep?

Lakshadweep has the better swimming. Almost every beach on the atolls faces a sheltered lagoon of pale sand and shallow water so clear you can see the bottom. On Bangaram, Thinnakara or Kadmat you may have a long strip of beach almost to yourself. The cost of that emptiness is the lack of comforts, with few sunbeds and little shade.

Goa offers sand on a far larger scale, from the crowded, shack-lined stretch between Calangute and Baga to the long, quiet beaches of Benaulim and Varca and the palm-backed coves of Palolem and Agonda. Its sea is just as warm but rarely clear, and the open Arabian Sea brings currents that keep lifeguards busy.

Goa has a cuisine worth travelling for. Konkan coastal cooking blended with Portuguese influence gives you prawn balchão, xacuti, sorpotel and bebinca. You can eat them in family restaurants in Panjim and Margao, in the more ambitious kitchens around Assagao, and at beach shacks grilling the morning's catch, with feni to drink.

Lakshadweep's tuna and coconut cooking is fresh and honest, and the smoked tuna called mas is worth tasting. Still, nearly every meal comes as a set menu where you sleep, and there are no restaurants or markets to explore and almost no alcohol.

Goa gives you several days of sights. The UNESCO-listed churches of Old Goa, including the Basilica of Bom Jesus, are the highlight. Beyond them are the ochre and blue lanes of Fontainhas in Panjim, the old family mansions of Chandor and Loutolim, and the Hindu temples around Ponda. They are spread out, but there is plenty to see.

Lakshadweep has a few small points of interest, such as the carved Ujra Mosque on Kavaratti and Minicoy's lighthouse and boat-building villages, which have more in common with the Maldives than with India. Mostly, culture there means watching daily island life.

This is where the two differ most. Goa's north coast still lives up to its party reputation: packed clubs in Baga and Calangute, electronic music on the cliffs at Vagator and Anjuna, and loud nights from Christmas to New Year. Lakshadweep has no bars or clubs and restricts alcohol, so evenings end with dinner and the stars, much like the quietest corners of South Goa.

The two are fairly evenly matched, but their scenery is completely different. Goa's nature is on land and river. Forest trails lead into the Western Ghats sanctuaries, Dudhsagar Falls is at its strongest after the monsoon, mangroves line the Mandovi and the birdwatching is excellent in the dry months.

Lakshadweep's landscape is under the water. The reef drop-offs around Kadmat, Bangaram and Agatti have sharks, rays, turtles and large shoals of fish, which makes far better snorkelling and diving than Goa's cloudy coast can offer. Above water, the islands are flat and palm-covered, with nowhere to hike.

From a Goan beach you can spend a day in Panjim's old quarters, go to market in Mapusa, visit the spice farms near Ponda or take the little ferry to Divar island. Gokarna and the Malvan coast are within reach just over the state border.

In Lakshadweep, a day out means a boat across the lagoon from Agatti to Bangaram or the empty Parali islets for more sand and snorkelling. Other inhabited islands need a separate ship or helicopter trip.

Goa is a little easier with children. The resort hotels along the flat sands of Benaulim, Varca and Cavelossim have pools, the water is shallow in winter, and staff are warm with children. You will still need to watch out for busy roads, strong currents on some days and what everyone eats and drinks.

Lakshadweep's lagoons are even gentler, and older children who can snorkel will love seeing turtles near the shore. The catch is basic medical care, permits and a small plane or overnight ship to get there. On both coasts there is very little built for children.

Both are awkward, but in different ways. Goa stretches along about 100km of coast with weak public transport. In practice that means a scooter or a taxi, and the drive from the northern beaches to the southern ones can take two hours on crowded roads.

In Lakshadweep the island itself is easy, small enough to walk or cycle round. The hard part is getting there and moving between islands: an entry permit, a flight to Agatti or a long sailing from Kochi, and inter-island boats that run rarely and fill up fast.

Goa at least gives you markets to browse. The Anjuna flea market and the Arpora night market sell shawls, textiles and silver, and you are expected to bargain. Mapusa's Friday market sells spices and chouriço, and a few boutiques around Assagao and Panjim stock linen and tiles. In Lakshadweep, shopping is limited to village stores and a few stalls selling coir work, shells and dried tuna.

Goa is much the cheaper trip. Huts in Agonda or Mandrem, meals at the shacks and a rented scooter keep daily costs low, although rooms rise sharply over Christmas and taxis cost more than visitors expect.

Lakshadweep is costly by Indian standards. Rooms are scarce, stays are usually sold as packages with meals, and flights and boat transfers add to the bill. The government guesthouses on Agatti and Kavaratti help, and there is little to spend money on once you arrive.

Goa has some stage life. The Kala Academy on the Panjim riverfront hosts concerts, dance and drama, a December arts festival fills the heritage buildings, and Carnival brings parades to the streets, though most live music is still beach-bar cover sets. In Lakshadweep, traditional dances such as Minicoy's Lava appear only at festivals or for visiting groups, so you cannot count on seeing them.

Goa is one of India's main centres for yoga and ayurveda. Arambol, Mandrem, Agonda and Patnem have shala platforms among the palms, teacher-training courses and ayurvedic treatment programmes, and the resorts near Cavelossim have spas.

Lakshadweep has almost no treatments, but it offers a deeper quiet than even South Goa, with no traffic, no music and nothing to do but swim and watch the sunset. That suits travellers who unwind by switching off rather than by booking sessions.