Being a magazine, they needed high resolution pictures and I only had a 5 megapixel camera (Did I just hear some gasps and shudders there? Wait I'm upgrading!) so the story never got published. So here it is, because a trip like that needs to be recorded forever and word docs can crash, while the internet hopefully will not :)
Bangaram should be caled the barefoot beach – because that’s what you do the moment you reach there. Kick off shoes, slump on the bar stool and try to take it all in. At 128 acres it is probably not much but the splendour of Bangaram Island is enough to leave you gaping. It makes you forget the boat ride from Agatti Island which, less than half an hour back, was challenging you to keep breakfast down with its twists and turns. It’s a natural effect, says a fellow guest and Bangaram regular. Apparently you forget everything, even misplaced baggage and cancelled flights the moment you step on to the ‘reception’ area of Bangaram Island Resort. You take in the nearly-white sand and a sea that’s dotted with every possible shade of turquoise and blue. If this isn’t perfect, what is?
Nestled in its own lagoon and surrounded by the sea and a coral reef, Bangaram Island looks like a teardrop from the plane and is uninhibited except for the resort.
Thankfully, it is simple enough to merge into the spectacular surroundings. Accommodation consists of palm fringed beach huts with verandahs. For larger groups, there are bigger bungalows with a living room. The resort is a very much back to basics one and while they do not expect you to turn up bleary eyed for yoga classes every morning (although these are held), there is no room service, no hot water, no air conditioning and best of all, no television. Phones don’t work unless you have a BSNL connection and I didn’t see a newspaper in the five days I spent there. At 40 miles across the ocean from any sort of civilization, Bangaram Island is truly isolated and they have ensured that you feel it too – in the best way possible.
Your life’s purpose here is simple: Do nothing or do something. If you belong to the do nothing variety, you’ll wake up early and go for a little walk along the beach and slowly make your way to the restaurant hut for tea and breakfast. This will be followed by moving yourself outside to find a lounger under a shade to settle down with a book and gape once more at the impossibly beautiful shades of cobalt and aquamarine surrounding the island. There are kayaks kept ready to use, should you decide to abandon laziness for a while. And then there are hammocks. Enough for you to find a favourite one to lounge on and count the coconuts.
If you are the do something variety, you’ll spend large parts of the morning underwater or at least in its vicinity. Bangaram is a famous diving destination and Lacadives, Prahlad Kakkar’s Kadmat Island based diving school, has a centre here. Beginners go only four metres deep but experienced divers can explore real underwater treasures. The other favourite activity almost everyone tries out is snorkeling. There are people who spend hours doing just that as the waters are crowded with bright, beautiful marine life of every possible colour. Even if you do not know your angelfish from your clownfish, it’s hard to tear yourself away to do anything else. You can bring your own equipment or hire it here at the watersports centre.
Whichever category you fall under, one must-not-miss activity is to go for a walk around the island during low tide, around 4.30 pm or 5.00 pm in the evening. Walking around the entire island at a leisurely pace would take your at least 45 minutes and the highpoint is walking up to the sandbank behind the resort and get that unbeatable feeling of almost walking on water, because that’s how it would look if someone saw you from a distance. This is where the staff goes to fish in the evening and you can have a great time just watching them at work, trying your hand at it, and sharing a joke with everyone. The sandbank and the walk back to the resort is a great place to spot sea birds in action and hermit crabs scurrying back into their holes. The stroll along the sandbank is also the only time your need to wear sandals on barefoot beach.
All that activity (or even the lack of it) can lead to severe hunger pangs and thankfully the variety at both lunch and dinner is not just sufficient, it’s also quite amazing. Meals are served buffet style and are a mixture of local and continental cuisine. Apart from being made into stews and curries, the catch of the day is grilled on an outdoor barbecue and served the way you like it. You can choose to have your meals outside, especially in the evenings when you can have candlelight dinner under the stars. But naturally, the best place to be in the evening is the bar, although it’s open even during the day. It’s right on the beach and the moon reflecting on the still, dark water is quite a heady sight. If the rounded bar stool (my only complaint with the place, honestly) gets too uncomfortable, spread a mat and on the sand and park yourself close enough to get that second beer. Just ensure you are liberally slathered with Odomos as soon as the sun goes down and you’ll be a happy soul. Rooms have mesh screen windows and mosquito repellants and it’s advisable not to leave doors open post sunset to stop the mosquitos from getting in.
Despite the lack of cartoon network or activities for children (unless you count the whiteboard in the library), this is a place that your child is sure to love, if she or he loves water. The monkey spent all his time doing things he cannot do in an apartment. He ran amok, chased the chickens and cats in the island, played football with mini coconuts and filled endless buckets with sand and water.
Bangaram Island Resort is run by the Casino Group. All visitors need a permit to visit the island which is easily arranged by the hoteliers. To get there, take a flight from Cochin to Agatti. Indian Airlines and Kingfisher fly the route and if you are lucky, the legendary Capt. Chaudhary will be your pilot on the 12-seater IA flight, which looks rickety but gives you an amazing flight with Capt. Chaudhary's comments. Go there now!