India offers family charter guests a layered experience that few other destinations can match: ancient forts and colonial waterfronts, warm Indian Ocean waters with excellent snorkelling, seafood cooked fresh each day by a local crew, and the extraordinary reefs of the Andaman Islands. Five family yachts are available for Indian coastal charters, most suited to the sheltered waters of Goa, Kerala and the Andaman Islands during the dry season. Itineraries are typically structured around two or three main areas rather than a continuous coastal passage.
Family charter rates in Indian waters run from around 50,000 to 150,000 euros per week before the advance provisioning allowance, which covers fuel, provisions and port fees. The October-to-March dry season is the primary charter window, when calm conditions prevail along the west coast and the Andaman Islands are at their most accessible. Families choosing the Andaman Islands should plan around the November-to-April season, which produces the clearest snorkelling conditions at sites including Havelock Island, Neil Island and Cinque Island.
Kerala offers the most family-accessible itinerary on the Indian west coast. A motor yacht charter from Kochi can explore the shallow backwater canals by tender, with trips ashore to the fish markets at Cochin and the floating rice paddies of Alleppey. Moving offshore to the Lakshadweep atolls adds world-class snorkelling in enclosed lagoons with very little boat traffic, a significant attraction for families with younger children who can snorkel safely in calm and protected water.
