Insta DM:
A: “Hey! Are there any spots for kayaking in Goa?”
T&H: “Yeah, there are quite a few. If you tell me where you plan to stay, I can suggest nearby places.”
A: “I don’t know, you tell me. We plan to make it a kayaking trip so we’ll stay wherever we can kayak.”
**Mind blown**
Our first memory of kayaking is at Palolem beach, when it was still one of those idyllic, less crowded South Goa beaches. Yash and I were staying at a cute little coco-hut right at the beach, where we would open the door of the hut at dawn and just enjoy the morning breeze and sunrise colours with half-open eyes. One morning after a relaxing sleep, we woke up earlier than ever. Outside, the beach was serene, two or three people practising yoga, a couple of joggers and the fishermen dragging the boats into the sea. As we trudged out of the bed, down the makeshift steps and stepped on the sand, the scene seemed from a different era. We walked a few feet to find a few kayaks lined up on the beach – they were so colourful, single and double-seaters with fibre oars and orange life jackets. We were immediately attracted – Alsaba ran and asked the guy sitting next to them how can we get to use one. He quoted something like Rs. 100 for an hour for a double sharing. After that everything happened very fast – We went to get some money from our room, changed into our swim suits, took the kayak and lifted it into the sea. That’s when we realised we had no clue how to do this. With zero experience of rowing a kayak, forget about into the sea, we set-off pushing our apprehensions with our crazy boldness and using the adrenaline to remember the Physics we’ve both studied at school. Let me tell you something, it harder near the beach; as you row inward, it gets easier and more relaxing. And when it gets easier, we get bolder. That’s when we decided to row around the small island we always saw at the far-right corner of the beach. We did circle 75% around it, it got really choppy at one point and we stopped talking to each other so as to not let out the fear in our voices. We had to take the same route back and it was more than 2 hours by the time we reached near our shack. No one was looking for us, the guy still asked for only 100 bucks, but the speed with which sun had risen left us many shades tanned, which didn’t go for almost a year – so every time someone asked us how we got that brown, we had a story to tell. It wasn’t an adventure of grand proportions, but it was our adventure and we did kayak for the first time, together. Travelling, just like life, is not about things that we know or are expert at, it is about experiencing the new and scary, the different and amazing. Last year we discovered a privately-owned island with hippie-isque sunset parties and the shark rock at the same beach. On the way back, our kayak was stolen by 3 very drunk tourists. It’s a funny story, with a thrilling end, but it wouldn’t have happened if we did not kayak to that seemingly secluded part of the beach.
Naturally, when a friend told us how she was planning a kayaking trip in Goa, we were beyond thrilled – it’s a great way to explore little known parts and at your own pace; it’s a decent exercise and it’s fun. So now we are excited and intrigued, how many places in Goa can you kayak at really?
Where to kayak in Goa?
Here are some of the best places we know and some plans around them, in case you are interested:
- Palolem beach – Sea and backwaters –
- Cola Beach, Sweet water lake (Only for guests of
- Riva Beach Resort, Ashwem
- Old Goa – backwaters
Tannedandhow Tips:
- Near the beach, keep the kayak perpendicular to the waves, otherwise there’s a chance that the waves might topple over the kayak causing injury. (Ask Yash, who got a red nose as the kayak smashed into his face as he was climbing into it.)
- Wear board shorts/rash vests or alternatively any pair of shorts and light shirt /t-shirt; preferably long sleeves will do. Alsaba prefers to wear her swimming costume inside so it’s easier to change.
- Don’t forget to slap on that sunscreen all over, it’ll save you from sunburns. Our favorite is Neutrogena SPF 50 – its non-greasy and water-proof. Because you know, melanin can only do that much! Wear a hat/cap and shades to be uber comfy while making memories.
- Carry a water-proof zip pouch / bag to keep your valuables safe. Zip up your phone too, unless it is water resistant or until the water is still.
- We usually carry our flipflops/beach shoes in a sling bag in case we land some place we’d want to explore. And a change of clothes, in case the place has people.
- A reusable water bottle is a must to go longer and stronger. Juice or beer would also be preferable. Carry fruits, chocolates or light snacks if you’re get hungry fast. Don’t dare to dump the trash into the water; bring it back with you please.
- A camera is a must to capture those magical moments. We love that GoPro is so handy and water-proof; just mount it on our cap and get going.
