Kayaking

It is a little known fact that the Andaman Islands boast the most pristine and, next to the Sunderbans, the most extensive mangrove ecosystems in India. A world away from the beaches and reefs that one would typically associate with tropical islands, a journey into the mangroves – peacefully paddling an easy to master sit-atop kayak – is an unexpected and extremely rewarding treat for our guests. In fact, many guests have even cited this as the highlight of their holiday. Barefoot Adventures strives to help you immerse yourself in the natural wonders of the Andaman Islands in an enjoyable manner and we run a number of kayaking excursions from Havelock Island which can deliver to you an understanding and appreciation of the beauty and importance of the mangrove creeks and channels of the Andaman Islands.

You can simply rent a kayak for pleasure and paddle in the vicinity of Havelock jetty or even at Radhanagar Bay off Barefoot at Havelock Resort on Beach No.7 (thankfully there are as yet no motorised watersports to watch out for or disturb you, but this situation will likely last only as long as Barefoot remains the only resort resident at the Bay), or you can join a guided excursion through Havelock’s backwaters or in the channels of Ritchie’s archipelago.

Below is a sample of kayaking itineraries that Barefoot Adventures regularly conducts, in addition to which, Barefoot Adventures can also handle bespoke itineraries to other destinations in the Andaman Islands.

• Havelock’s Inland Waterway: From Village No.6 to the Jetty

  

  Our most popular kayaking excursion, this trip takes all of three hours from door to door. A vehicle will take you and you kayak to the launching point, near the bridge at Village No.6 at the heart of the island, from where you enter the creek. You then kayak your way, over the winding waterway network, to Havelock jetty (1 - 2 hrs), cruising on the longest inland waterway system at Havelock. The creek is home to more than 10 varieties of mangrove trees and is an ecosystem of its own. The initially narrow inland creek progressively widens as you progress towards the sea-mouth near the Lighthouse, and the last leg of the journey is uplifting as you are in sight of open sea before turning towards the jetty, where a vehicle will be waiting to take you back to your resort. Departure timing for this excursion is variable, and it is best to time your entry into the creek such that you can paddle out with the receding tide – although if you have a fixed excursion time in mind, this will not pose a problem beyond having to work the paddle a little harder against the current. You will be accompanied by experienced kayakers from Barefoot Adventures.

• Channels in Ritchie’s Archipelago: Wilson, Nicholson & Peel Islands or John Lawrence and Henry Lawrence Islands

  

  If open sea kayaking is more to your taste than the closed and luxuriant mangrove network, these excursions in Ritchie’s Archipelago will delight you. Depart from the resort by vehicle to Havelock jetty and then take a shot boat ride to your ‘theatre’ in the sea; the calmer waters of the channels between islands in Ritchie’s Archipelago. The vistas are breathtaking – open sea to one side, and lushly forested, impossibly green uninhabited islands fringing your vision on all other sides. Paddle through this pristine scenery at your own pace and delight in your surroundings to your hearts content. You will pass over many shallow, unfrequented reefs and you may find it rewarding to hire a mask, snorkel and fin set along with this excursion and, tying your kayak to your foot so that it doesn’t drift away – take the plunge into the warm waters over any reef that takes your fancy. A support dunghi will remain close at hand to help along stragglers or give you a break whenever necessary. Owing to the logistic support required, these excursions depart with a minimum group size of four or with four paid spaces for the excursion.

• Havelock’s east coast: From Havelock jetty to Elephant Beach and back

  

  The most environmentally sound way to get yourself to Elephant Beach (even more so than walking through the forest path), kayaking your way there is a strenuous but rewarding experience. Since the route is along a channel more exposed to the sea than our kayaking routes in the channels of Ritchie’s Archipelago, there is the possibility of a strong tow in any one direction (depending upon the prevailing winds and current) and this excursion is recommended only for the more experienced paddlers. You will be accompanied by experienced kayakers from Barefoot Adventures.

• Kayaks for hire (unguided)

  

  In addition to the guided itineraries as detailed above, you can hire single seater or double seater kayaks to paddle in the vicinity of Beach No.7 (Radhanagar) or near Havelock jetty. However, for safety reasons, unsupervised kayaking is only permissible in the bay areas and should you wish to venture further afield, you will be required to hire an experienced paddler as a guide.

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