There's nothing better than spending most of your time in the water. I'm planning on visiting at the end of the year. I'll fly into New Delhi and travel overland towards Kerala, with stops along the way. From there, I'll either go to Lakshadweep, Andaman or the Maldives. After reading about your trip, I think I'm leaning towards the Maldives. I've dove a lot in the Indo/Pacific, but never the Maldives. I can't wait!