Backwaters are not calm: Kayaking in Kerala

Kaustubh Khade
Aug 25, 2017 · 4 min read

Kayaking in the open sea isn’t a cakewalk.

The tides can be strong. There are rocky patches that can break your kayak. Strong winds can blow you off course. Despite these factors, I’ve been kayaking at 6 Km/Hr. So when, at day 73 of my 3 month Kayaking expedition along the 3,000km west coast of India, I had the option of kayaking in the calm, serene backwaters of Kerala, I thought it was a good way to get some kilometers on the pedometer.

Half a league, half a league, half a league onward

One of Kerala’s largest backwaters stretches from just north of Kochi all the way down to Allepy. A 90km distance through the canals. So far, the longest days I’ve had have been 45kms, so I figure that a calmer current, I can do 45 in about 6 hours of kayaking. This is a story of optimism vs reality.

45 km days are exhausting. But such was my confidence that I took a morning interview with a newspaper & even took time out to let his photographer take some stunning shots in the backwaters. By the time I launched near Aniyal, I was already 3 hours late. But I was not too worried. And it helped to have scenery so close on either side.

Big Chinese fishing nets stretched on my left and in the middle of the backwater, a fisherman cast out his hopes and pulled it back as I sauntered past him in my kayak. I had taken my DSLR out on the water, and I made good use of it. Capturing the cars humming on bridges over head and the massive blue port of Kochi. As I entered the harbor area, big boats skipped past, leaving me in their wake.

The backwater is treacherous in the fact that every path looks alike, and I couldn’t distinguish what route to take despite my GPS watch showing the way. As the afternoon kicked in and the novelty of the backwater kicked in, another truth dawned on me. It had been 5 hours that I’d been kayaking and I’d only completed 22kms. I had 20 kms to go and the tide was against me.

I looked at what I’d carried that day, and found that I was short on both food and water. The heat kicked up and I was burning in my jacket. Just as I took it off, a storm hit. The rain seeped through and I went from burning up to being cold and damp. It was painfully slow going and if I hadn’t been close to the bank, I’d have missed him.

Standing in the rain, flailing his arms around, I saw someone calling out to me. Uncharacteristically, I approached, and in broken hindi he said — ‘Bada barish. Aap ruko. Fir jao.’ (A storm is about to hit, please wait it out) Such was his sincerity, and so beaten was my state that brought my kayak alongside his boat, parked along the bank, and just stopped. I literally could not move — my body cold and hurting, dehydrated and unsure of where I was.

Over his shoulder, his brother peered at me and said — Lunch kiya? (Have you had lunch) I mumbled — No. A wave of worry washed over their faces, and the next thing I know — they’re helping me out of my kayak, onto their boat and then to land. Minutes later I was walking through thicket and into their small house. The whole village seemed to congregate, as I was ushered in and given a fresh plate of rice and curry & fish. As I wolfed it down, someone brought me ice-cold water(a first in a state that has hot water with every meal) As I answered questions and showed the kids my gopro I was struck by how beautiful life is. How simple & welcoming people are. Someone fetched a pail of water to wash my hands with and a photo with everyone later, they walked me back to my boat. The storm had cleared, and Raj helped me back in the kayak and bid me goodbye. The next 18 kms were the easiest I’d done on this trip. It’s day 73 and we are close to the end.



I write about kayaking, adventure sports & associated ecosystems in India.

If you like what you read, why not follow me on Medium? If you liked the visuals, find more stunning photos on Instagram. Have a stellar day!

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Kaustubh Khade

Written by

Kayaker. Asian Medalist. Two time Tedx Speaker. IITian. Outdoor lover. Cyclist. Known to be sarcastic. Kayaked the West Coast of India solo.

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