Kayaking is a fun water sport that is equivivalent to lazy boating with the freedom to get into narrow streams, low tide rivers & calm waters while exploring the waterbody & the nature around it.
Kayaking was originally invented for hunting. It was even used to hunt fish or transport passengers across the water. But later, it was essentially used for recreation purposes or in competitive sporting events around the globe.
The most important thing to note down is the region of your kayaking trip since the weather varies according to each place. Also, kayaking is much easier and accessible in all seasons. In India, you can prefer the span of October/ November to May for the northern and eastern parts. In southern parts and Goa, a kayaking trip is suitable in all seasons.
Coastal Karnataka Blog Article Links
| Coastal Karnataka Travel Guide | Udupi Travel Guide |
| Gokarna Travel Guide | Mangalore Travel Guide |
| Murudeshwar Travel Guide | Kayaking in Udupi |
Kayaking in Udupi
There are 2 main places to Kayak around Udupi: Saligram & Kammannu.
Kayaking at Saligram:
Saligram is located about 24kms from Udupi. Saligram is the mangrove backwater area which has beautiful network of backwaters separated by mangroves creating bylanes of sort & intricate inroads to explore the flora & fauna of the place. We Kayaked here for about 1 hour and I must say it was an exhillerating experience. Since this place has a dense network of mangroves, you need to check the water level with any kayaking companies who operate here before going. If the water levels are too low, you wont be able to kayak in many parts of the forrest as the mangrove roots will be exposed which wont let kayak float. With low water level, you will have to kayak only in the perrifery where the water levels in general is deep. We sighted many beautiful birds, eagles, and water snakes in the mangrove. It was really amazing & we just didnt want it to end.
Adventure comapnies for Kayaking:
Zone 51 – They are one of the best Kayak providers in Saligram. They have neat Kayaks, good guides, and prompt responsive team. They provide Kayaking service in 2 places; Saligram & Malpe wherein Saligram is ofcourse the longer & much more scenic one. Phone: Mr. Nitin +91 99107 04604. Charges are about Rs. 400 for 1 hour per person. I believe since they are the only operators operating in this secluded area, it reflets in their charges.
Kayaking at Kemmannu:
Kammannu is a small village located 12kms from Udupi. You can take a bus from Udupi stand that will drop you at the Kemmannu bus stand from where you need to walk about 1km to reach a bridge or use private transportation for the commute. This suspension bridge over Suvarna river that connects some small islands mainly used by locals for their daily commute. However, mainly due to the proximity, this place is popular among Udupi people & other tourist for kayaking. You will get many leisure kayakers and that will reflect in the overall experience. for eg. you will find here kayaking experience for as low as 15mins costing Rs. 50 mainly for the experience. The scenic view is more or less similar with only difference is that kayaking route at Kemmannu will have some bit of Suvarna river as well unlike Saligram wwhere its manly backwaters.
Adventure comapnies for Kayaking:
There are in total 3-4 kayaking operators locally operating in this region.
Kammannu Riverside Adventures – They are the most popular & operate for small timeslots as well to give all kinds of tourists a bit a kayaking experience. Phone: Mr. Imtiaz +91 98806 56012. Charges are about Rs. 200 for 1 hour per person.
Other Info for Kayaking in Udupi:
Weight limit: I was told even a 140 kgs person has kayaked successfully in this. Raft will handle your weight provided you don’t sway or do silly moves to create imbalance and topple it. Life jacket will be provided, operator will join in another Kayak to keep a close watch. Avoid areas with current/force as advised by operator. So kayaking is fully safe.
Number of people on a Kayak: There are 1 person & 2 person kayak’s usually. However, I have noticed in Udupi, at both locations, there are mainly 2 person kayaks. I suppose many tourists do not come with kayaking experience.
What to wear: Wear fuss free clothes as you need max comfortable & mobility while kayaking. So no jeans, dresses or fly-away clothes. Wear sports wear, shorts, and climacool clothes for easy dry as well. For footwear ensure to wear crocs or floaters or any footwear that provides good grip but can get wet coz they will.
Other things to know:
Most locations will not providde locker rooms, changing rooms or such facilities. If you need any talk to operator in advance and confirm. Carry one waterproof bag if you’d like to take your stuff (mobile wallet etc) while Kayaking, else you can leave them in your vehicle or with someone at the shore. You can even leave it at the start point- it is an isolated place with minimum people but you might prefer a bit more safety. Zone 51, provided us to put our backpack & phones in their nearby office & it was compeletly safe.
Visuals of our Kayaking at Saligram
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