Diving beyond tourism…

Although our love for the underwater environment ensures a sensitive and educative dive experience with Lacadives regardless of your choice of destination, our dive center in North Wandoor has taken education and awareness a step further. Our collaboration with ANET (the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Environmental Team) allows for a dive facility tucked away on a forested hillside in the quieter reaches of South Andamans. Away from the bustle of mainstream tourism and just 3 kilometers from the entrance to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, our property resounds with the call of crickets and frogs, and a day of diving is followed by a walk through the nearby mangroves or a performance by the winged residents of the surrounding forest.

The Lacadives Dive Centre at North Wandoor is for discerning travelers seeking an experience that is less luxurious and more eye opening. The Lacadives staff offers introductory and advanced courses through both PADI and CMAS, while the ANET staff introduces guests to the wondrous flora and fauna of the Andaman Islands. Dive courses and fun dives are combined with forest treks, mangrove walks and slideshows that expand ones awareness of the Andamans Islands.

Andaman Island Tariffs

As we have just opened our dive center in Wandoor, we are still in the process of exploring what the surrounding waters have to offer. Recent explorations of Allen’s Patch – a vast submerged reef 15 minutes away from North Wandoor – have revealed a number of potential dive sites. The proximity of the Marine National Park offers some exciting possibilities and the latest administrative regulations have opened the park to divers. Needless to say, these protected waters offer some spectacular diving. So come do some exploring with Lacadives and who knows – you just might get to name a new dive site!

The structures that comprise the ANET base are tucked away beneath the canopy of a hillside forest. The heart of the base is a large two-storey wooden building with the library on the upper level and the Lacadives dive center below. Accommodation at the base is in comfortable wooden cottages that provide a clean, airy living space. Western-style bathrooms are located outside and shared between cottages. Little paths wind their way through the trees and foliage of the base. The centrally located dining area with its charming views and varied animal visitors is the venue for tea-time presentations and dinner-time debates. The kitchen provides simple, wholesome food cooked with a number of ingredients grown organically on the ANET premises.

By Air:
Daily flights are available from Chennai/ Kolkata to Port Blair Airport.
Lacadives arranges car transfers from the Airport to Wandoor. It takes 1 hour by car.

By Sea:
One can reach the Andaman Islands via a passenger ship from Chennai. The  journey requires prior booking.