Lakshadweep

The islands are coral atolls, so almost every beach faces a sheltered lagoon of pale sand and very clear, shallow water, with the reef edge and open sea further out. The water sits around 28°C, and from October to May the lagoons are calm and easy for swimming at any level. Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat and Thinnakara have long strips of empty white sand, Kalpeni has a broad lagoon scattered with islets, and Minicoy has a sweeping crescent of beach in the far south.

Beach life is simply what a stay here is: there is little else to do between swims. What is missing is the infrastructure. Expect few sunbeds, no promenades and modest shade. The southwest monsoon, roughly June to September, brings rough seas and closes much of the visiting season.

The island kitchen is built on tuna and coconut. Expect fish curries, grilled reef fish, octopus, rice dishes close to the Malabar coast and mas, the dried and smoked tuna that is the archipelago's own product. Most meals are taken where you sleep, in set menus at the resort or guesthouse, and there are almost no independent restaurants, cafés or markets to explore. Alcohol is tightly restricted across the islands. The food is fresh and honest, but nobody comes here to eat.

Heritage here is small in scale and spread over several islands. Kavaratti has its old mosques, including the finely carved Ujra Mosque, and a small marine museum. Minicoy, culturally closer to the Maldives than to India, has its tall British-era lighthouse and villages organised around traditional communal houses and boat building. Elsewhere the interest lies in daily island life, coir making and fishing rather than in sights. A visitor who wants museums or monuments will find very little.

There is no nightlife. Alcohol is restricted across the islands, there are no bars or clubs, and evenings end with dinner, a walk on the sand and a sky full of stars.

The real landscape is underwater. Each atoll is a ring of coral reef enclosing a lagoon, and the drop-offs outside are home to reef sharks, rays, turtles, large shoals and, around some islands, dolphins. Diving and snorkelling are the main outdoor activity, with Kadmat, Bangaram and Agatti the usual bases; kayaking, glass-bottom boats and sailing on the lagoons fill the rest of the day. Visibility is best from about November to April.

Above water the islands are low, flat and covered in coconut palms, small enough to walk or cycle round in an hour or two. There are no hills, forests or trails, and coral bleaching in warm years has damaged parts of the reefs, so the appeal is narrow but real for anyone who loves the sea.

Day outings mean a boat across the lagoon. From Agatti, visitors go to Bangaram, Thinnakara and the uninhabited Parali islets for a day of sand and snorkelling, which is more nature than a change of place. The other inhabited islands, such as Kavaratti or Kalpeni, are separate ship or helicopter journeys rather than easy excursions, and the mainland is a long flight away. There are no towns, heritage sites or wine areas to visit for the day.

The shallow, warm lagoons are about as gentle a sea as children can find, and the islands are peaceful, with no traffic to speak of. Older children who can snorkel will see turtles and reef fish close to shore. Beyond that there is nothing aimed at children, no attractions, playgrounds or variety of food, and medical care is basic, with serious cases sent to the mainland. Getting here, with permits, a small plane or an overnight ship, takes planning. It suits families content with a quiet beach week, not those who need things to do.

Once you are on an island, getting around is effortless: most are small enough to walk or cycle, and a boat covers the lagoon. The difficulty is everything else. Visitors need an entry permit, and arrival is by a small plane to Agatti or a passenger ship from Kochi that takes the best part of a day. Moving between islands depends on ships, launches and helicopters that run infrequently and fill quickly, so most visitors stay on one or two islands and plan the trip around transport.

There is essentially nothing to shop for. Village stores sell daily goods, and a few outlets offer coir work, shell items and packets of dried tuna.

Lakshadweep costs far more than mainland India. Rooms are few, so stays are often sold as packages with meals included, the island resorts charge well above Indian norms, and the flights and boat transfers add up. Government-run guesthouses and homestays on islands such as Agatti and Kavaratti are more modest. Once you are there, little else costs much, since there is little to spend on.

There is no theatre or concert life. The islands keep traditional dances, such as the Lava dance of Minicoy and the stick and shield dances Kolkali and Parichakali, which are sometimes performed at festivals or for visiting groups, but they are not something a visitor can count on seeing.

There is no spa or bathing tradition, and treatments are limited to the occasional massage at a resort. What the islands offer instead is quiet. There is no traffic, no nightlife and little to do, so the days settle into a slow rhythm of early swims, long lunches and sunsets. For travellers who unwind by switching off, that calm is the point; anyone looking for spa treatments will find almost nothing.