Exploring the Serene Waters: A Kayaking Adventure on River Kollidam at MangrovebayEcocamp
All pictures were taken by Mangrove Bay Eco Camp staff on their phones and were given to us with full rights to use them.
Kayaking on Kollidam River is a fantastic family adventure.
Author: Muthu Sathiamurthy
Kayaking is incredibly fun and easy to learn. It is one of those sports where beginners can quickly gain confidence and improve their skills. It is a great activity for a group of folks. However, the biggest challenge in India is having access to facilities to practice the sport.
We need a large body of water like a river or lake for kayaking. Even if we find a good public waterway to kayak, the equipment is pretty expensive. Even if we are able to get good equipment, hauling them to a lake or river is not at all easy. It is fair to say that kayaking is not a common sport in India. Hence, finding a place to rent, learn, or practice kayaking is few and far between.
A Kayaking Adventure on River Kollidam at MangrovebayEcocamp
My family enjoys doing activities together, and we were determined to find options to try out kayaking. It was going to be the first time for most of my family, so it was important to find an option that provided lessons for a diverse set of age groups. Our extensive search led us to Mangrove Bay Eco Camp near Pichavaram, which is roughly a 5-hour drive from Chennai.
Mangrove Bay Eco Campsite is located on the banks of the Kollidam River. Kollidam is a perennial river and a northern distributary of the Cauvery River. It merges with the Bay of Bengal after it flows past the temple town of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.
They focus solely on kayaking and paddleboarding. They are passionate about the sport, and their charges were nominal. During our multiple chats, it became evident that their main goal was to ensure we could leave all the worries of organizing a trip behind, simply come to learn, and paddle our way to blissfulness. They limit the number of guests they host every day, which means every guest gets undivided attention from the campsite staff. The staff are also certified instructors in addition to being fantastic hosts.
We decided to go with one of the itineraries they had suggested, which was to do an overnight camp there and kayak in the afternoon on Day 1 and again in the morning of Day 2. Food and stay were included in the price.
Plan charted out by Mangrove Bay Eco Camp to stay and kayak. Image Credit — Kumaran Mahalingam @ Mangrove Bay Eco Camp
Sunset Kayaking
We reached the location around 3 pm and immediately suited up for our first-ever kayaking lesson.
We were put on two kayaks. Gaythri and I were on one kayak; three kids were grouped in a two-person kayak. Two instructors were there to teach our group. After learning the basic maneuvering of a kayak, we started to kayak further away from the banks and went to the deep sections of the mighty Kollidam river.
Family practicing kayaking at Mangrove Bay Eco Camp
We kayaked for more than an hour and reached a shallow part of the river estuary where we took a break and played in the water.
Advaith and Nila getting comfortable in Kollidam river.
After a draining physical activity, all of us cleaned up and had a good dinner. We eased our way into the night by the campfire, watching the stars through one of the mobile apps. We crashed relatively early to get a good night's rest before our second kayaking session the next morning.
Sunrise Kayaking
All of us woke up and got ready for our second kayaking session at 6:30 am. The first session was all about learning the basics, and the second session was about practicing all the lessons and tips we got the day before.
Three of us had a faster learning curve and got upgraded to solo kayaks, while the other two were on a double kayak doing tandem. Solo kayaking is more physically draining, and hence some fitness also plays into the decision of doing solo versus tandem.
In the morning, we did not have much wind, and the entire experience was completely different from paddling in the evening. There was low tide, which allowed us to paddle into nearby mangrove forests, which was a beautiful sight.
Wrap up
After the second kayaking session, we cleaned up, had some good breakfast, and it was time to bid goodbye. We had originally planned to take a boat ride at Pichavaram mangrove forests, which was only a 30-minute detour from the main highway to go home. All of us were physically drained after a couple of sessions of kayaking, and we decided to skip the boating tour of the mangrove forests.
During our drive back home, we realized we never really used our cell phones, and the kids barely hopped on their iPads to play Roblox or other games. Kayaking was such a fantastic adventure that our family could enjoy, and this trip allowed us to bond as a group. We just wished we could do this every weekend.
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