Havelock Kayaking
Havelock Kayaking
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.8
42 reviews
Excellent
38
Very good
3
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0
Terrible
1
Shreyans B
Indore, India
Feb 2021 • Couples
Shiraz took us kayaking around the mangroves of Noble Island. My wife and I along with other guests had a great experience. Having done kayaking with other companies there, he definitely has the best quality kayaks and equipment compared to others.
The experience with him of roughly 2 hours was amazing and he explained everything very well!
A must do for everyone!
Highly recommend anyone travelling to Andamans and wanting to experience kayaking to do it with Shiraz!
The experience with him of roughly 2 hours was amazing and he explained everything very well!
A must do for everyone!
Highly recommend anyone travelling to Andamans and wanting to experience kayaking to do it with Shiraz!
Written 26 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oct 2023 • Family
We booked our Kayaking with NR Kayaking team led by Mr. Palash da. Checked reviews & decided to go with NR Kayaking. It was early morning and all team from NR was reday. Kayaking experience was made enjoyable by Ranjit by explaining about mangroves, moving through mangroves and taking photos, videos. It took almost two hours to complete. On the way back shown us corals by sitting in kayak. All family members enjoyed it.
Thanks to team NR Kayaking
Thanks to team NR Kayaking
Written 29 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Piyush Singhal
Noida, India
Jan 2020
I travelled to Havelock with my 9 year old son and we thought of going to Kayaking. Kayaking by Tanaz is most famous and pioneer of this activity and so we decided to go with her. Since Tanaz was out of town, her brother Shiraaz was our guide for activity. In general there are 2 kinds of Kayaking tours
- Day tours where you get to see beautiful Mangroves and click pictures
- Night tour. This happens in pitch dark and you get to see bio luminescence plankton in sea along with clear night sky, stars and constellations
I did the night activity. It was wonderful experience to learn basics of kayaking and both me and my son thoroughly enjoyed the kyaking experience. The sky was beautiful and Shiraaz was full on energy explaining about stars and constellations. Unfortunately for me it was boring after 10 odd mins and paddling and kayaking was only thing I liked. In general if you want to learn about stars and constellations and navigating looking at stars you can do night kayaking else i will recommend doing a day kayaking where you can look at beauty of forests and sea. There are many Kayak Vendors, but I pretty sure, no one would have explained about stars as these guys do. So if you want to night kayaking go with Tanaz (but make sure you are expecting just to look at stars and knowing about them and nothing else) else do day kayak with any one.
Also Kayaking with Tanaz is most costly among all.
Overall kayaking was on my bucket list and I am glad that I did it and I enjoyed experience of Kayaking
- Day tours where you get to see beautiful Mangroves and click pictures
- Night tour. This happens in pitch dark and you get to see bio luminescence plankton in sea along with clear night sky, stars and constellations
I did the night activity. It was wonderful experience to learn basics of kayaking and both me and my son thoroughly enjoyed the kyaking experience. The sky was beautiful and Shiraaz was full on energy explaining about stars and constellations. Unfortunately for me it was boring after 10 odd mins and paddling and kayaking was only thing I liked. In general if you want to learn about stars and constellations and navigating looking at stars you can do night kayaking else i will recommend doing a day kayaking where you can look at beauty of forests and sea. There are many Kayak Vendors, but I pretty sure, no one would have explained about stars as these guys do. So if you want to night kayaking go with Tanaz (but make sure you are expecting just to look at stars and knowing about them and nothing else) else do day kayak with any one.
Also Kayaking with Tanaz is most costly among all.
Overall kayaking was on my bucket list and I am glad that I did it and I enjoyed experience of Kayaking
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dec 2022 • Couples
Shiraz and his kayaking experience were referred to us by our local birdwatching guide; hence we had great hopes and expectations for the tour. However, from the moment I called Mr. Shiraz until the last message that we exchanged, I experienced nothing but rude and nasty behaviour.
“If your phone falls into the water, I’m not going to fetch it for you!” This is how he replied to my question of carrying a cellphone on a kayaking tour. Fair enough, I understand that I may lose my phone if I were to carry one. There are better ways of explaining this to someone who hasn’t kayaked before. Time and again, he kept insisting that people have died on this tour and instead of allaying my fears, only added to it.
Maybe he had a bad day, maybe he hated tourists who came to photograph the bioluminescence, whatever may be his reasons; I certainly do not wish to mull over. What will remain memorable was his rudeness and which explains why this negative review.
His last message, verbatim to me was “Well if you are coming just for the photos then I do not see the point of you coming.”. Not the most enthusiastic or encouraging reply.
Shiraz, you may very well be a world class kayak pilot. That does not give you the right to bully somebody else just because they asked you questions that you thought were immaterial. Please grow up.
“If your phone falls into the water, I’m not going to fetch it for you!” This is how he replied to my question of carrying a cellphone on a kayaking tour. Fair enough, I understand that I may lose my phone if I were to carry one. There are better ways of explaining this to someone who hasn’t kayaked before. Time and again, he kept insisting that people have died on this tour and instead of allaying my fears, only added to it.
Maybe he had a bad day, maybe he hated tourists who came to photograph the bioluminescence, whatever may be his reasons; I certainly do not wish to mull over. What will remain memorable was his rudeness and which explains why this negative review.
His last message, verbatim to me was “Well if you are coming just for the photos then I do not see the point of you coming.”. Not the most enthusiastic or encouraging reply.
Shiraz, you may very well be a world class kayak pilot. That does not give you the right to bully somebody else just because they asked you questions that you thought were immaterial. Please grow up.
Written 3 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seetharamani T
Ann Arbor, MI
Feb 2020
I was planning a tight trip with my mother from the US.I contacted Tanaz through whatsapp and she responded on time. I paid it in advance through western union and took the print out as she directed. I did the tour with her brother and it was a wonderful magical night kayaking experience. Him and Murugan were great guides. He was very knowledgable about the water, the bio life in it and the constellations. There was no internet or mobile network in the island so it was bit anxious to unable to contact them. I called them 30 minutes before the trip from the resort reception and luckily i stayed close by so took an auto to that place even at late night. Would definitely recommend this to any one. Unfortunately this cant be captured in camera and fortunately that gives you the complete no distracted way to take this all in.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonah J
Hyderabad, India
Sept 2016 • Friends
We were a group of 5 who visited the Andamans for the first time and landed up doing one of the best sports there. While scuba diving was a crazy experience, our activties with Kayak Tours by Tanaz notched beyond our expectations. Tanaz is a freelancer who runs Kayak Tours at Havelock Islands. The energy she brings along, knowledge of seas/island, skill she ensures you pick up as well and her love for the island makes this a must do activty if you visit the Andamans. I cannot sum up the amount of fun we had doing this sport in words, I'd just suggest you just jump into it and experience it.
Tanaz offers three types of tours - Mangrove Kayaking, Kayaking-Snorkelling and Night Kayaking. Due to limited connectivity in Havelock you might not find her online for details/bookings, you can call her and make a booking on her number +9199-33-26963. I've added details of our experience with information regarding different tours below for reference.
Mangrove Kayaking: This was our first Kayak experience and we went into the mangroves while it was drizzling. The view once we entered into the mangroves was picturesque. The view of the mangroves with the tropical rainforests running in the background from the sea was nothing less than gold, left each of us spellbound. What made this experience even better was Tanaz who explains all parts of the functioning and life of mangroves through her tour.
Kayaking-Snorkelling: Obviously our first experience pulled us back to the sea and we could not resist. We kayaked through the sea to an island and the weather was bright and sunny, perfect for snorkeling. It took us about 45min to reach the island where we had to snorkel. As a personal preference, I enjoyed this over Scuba Diving. The aquatic surface life is beautiful and gives you the freedom to swim through the sea, explore.
Night Kayaking: We had to leave something to go back to Havelock sometime. This is subject to full moon and high tide and gives you an unforgettable experience of Bio Luminescence.
Tanaz offers three types of tours - Mangrove Kayaking, Kayaking-Snorkelling and Night Kayaking. Due to limited connectivity in Havelock you might not find her online for details/bookings, you can call her and make a booking on her number +9199-33-26963. I've added details of our experience with information regarding different tours below for reference.
Mangrove Kayaking: This was our first Kayak experience and we went into the mangroves while it was drizzling. The view once we entered into the mangroves was picturesque. The view of the mangroves with the tropical rainforests running in the background from the sea was nothing less than gold, left each of us spellbound. What made this experience even better was Tanaz who explains all parts of the functioning and life of mangroves through her tour.
Kayaking-Snorkelling: Obviously our first experience pulled us back to the sea and we could not resist. We kayaked through the sea to an island and the weather was bright and sunny, perfect for snorkeling. It took us about 45min to reach the island where we had to snorkel. As a personal preference, I enjoyed this over Scuba Diving. The aquatic surface life is beautiful and gives you the freedom to swim through the sea, explore.
Night Kayaking: We had to leave something to go back to Havelock sometime. This is subject to full moon and high tide and gives you an unforgettable experience of Bio Luminescence.
Written 21 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SaurabhD458
Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Jan 2017 • Friends
While I'm a beach bum and ocean lover, going out in open water on a kayak is something that made me apprehensive. I found myself in an internal battle with my mind and heart. Having been certified as an open water scuba diver that very day, I decided to go for it.
The kicker - I decided to do the night kayak tour of the bay. Being the solo act in a group of 3, I was relegated to a single-man kayak (something I have never done before) and it brought with it a whole new set of mental barriers to cross. Tanaz, met us close to the jetty. The hesitation I had with kayaking alone on open seas and that too in the dark was soon kicked aside by Tanaz's excitement and energy. We walked a not-too-short distance away to the kayaks (hidden in a cove of sorts) where she gave us a crash course in paddling and other essential skills.
We got into the kayaks and ventured out into the open sea, albeit along the shore and into a small bay. Our purpose was to stargaze and observe the bio-luminescent organisms in the water. While that was special, Tanaz's passion and knowledge blew me away. And, it was contagious. Torn between staring at the flecks of light in the water and the stars in the sky, I was dumbfounded at first. Awestruck even. Stars? I realised I had never seen them before; never really seen them. Not like this.
From constellations to shooting stars, the centre of the universe wasn't a mystery anymore. It was us, on those boats, floating on pixie dust riddled black glass.
Honestly, I'd be hard pressed to search my memory for a more moving or magical experience.
When we made it back to shore, I couldn't get out of the kayak. What was I feeling? Was it melancholy? Was it regret? I left the kayak, said my goodbyes to other travellers and eventually found myself in my room at the hotel. As night took its hold on Havelock, it dawned on me that I had fallen in love with the island.
The kicker - I decided to do the night kayak tour of the bay. Being the solo act in a group of 3, I was relegated to a single-man kayak (something I have never done before) and it brought with it a whole new set of mental barriers to cross. Tanaz, met us close to the jetty. The hesitation I had with kayaking alone on open seas and that too in the dark was soon kicked aside by Tanaz's excitement and energy. We walked a not-too-short distance away to the kayaks (hidden in a cove of sorts) where she gave us a crash course in paddling and other essential skills.
We got into the kayaks and ventured out into the open sea, albeit along the shore and into a small bay. Our purpose was to stargaze and observe the bio-luminescent organisms in the water. While that was special, Tanaz's passion and knowledge blew me away. And, it was contagious. Torn between staring at the flecks of light in the water and the stars in the sky, I was dumbfounded at first. Awestruck even. Stars? I realised I had never seen them before; never really seen them. Not like this.
From constellations to shooting stars, the centre of the universe wasn't a mystery anymore. It was us, on those boats, floating on pixie dust riddled black glass.
Honestly, I'd be hard pressed to search my memory for a more moving or magical experience.
When we made it back to shore, I couldn't get out of the kayak. What was I feeling? Was it melancholy? Was it regret? I left the kayak, said my goodbyes to other travellers and eventually found myself in my room at the hotel. As night took its hold on Havelock, it dawned on me that I had fallen in love with the island.
Written 2 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shailesh306
Navi Mumbai, India
Feb 2017 • Solo
Absolutely Brilliant.
If you are not planning to travel round the world any time soon and want to see bioluminescence in India, Havelock and the waters around Havelock are probably the only place for you. A lot has been written about Tanaz and her skills as an instructor but the thing that struck me most was the expansive knowledge she has about constellations. We were lucky to have a group that was overall interested in stargazing so actually we spent more time looking up rather down in the waters below. The effect of luminescence is incredible if you have never seen it before. It stays with you ever after. The tour is perfectly safe to undertake. I didnot knew swimming and had no prior experience of kayaking but I handled a single kayak by myself. A must do thing in Havelock
If you are not planning to travel round the world any time soon and want to see bioluminescence in India, Havelock and the waters around Havelock are probably the only place for you. A lot has been written about Tanaz and her skills as an instructor but the thing that struck me most was the expansive knowledge she has about constellations. We were lucky to have a group that was overall interested in stargazing so actually we spent more time looking up rather down in the waters below. The effect of luminescence is incredible if you have never seen it before. It stays with you ever after. The tour is perfectly safe to undertake. I didnot knew swimming and had no prior experience of kayaking but I handled a single kayak by myself. A must do thing in Havelock
Written 8 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChaitaliDua
Mumbai, India
Mar 2018 • Couples
We recently did the night kayaking trip with Tanaz in Havelock and I have no words to describe the experience.. Happened to randomly click a link which led me to the Great Next and boy am I glad it did! I was always obsessed with watching bioluminscent plankton and had done lots of research on it before going to Maldives but people said it was too rare a phenomenon to be confirmed. However, here maybe thanks to the mangroves or Tanaz's love for the bioluminescence, we found them here in abundance.. I was so skeptical at first when they said you will most definitely see it coz I had heard such opposite feedback from other places in the past, but they are absolutely right.. We saw the bioluminescence throughout our kayaking trip and it was definitely one of our best experiences in life! Please trust the Great Next and Tanaz blindly in organising this trip for you and I assure you you will not be disappointed.. Tanaz only plans this trip during specific time periods to make sure everyone sees this magical phenomenon so be sure to trust her dates and just go with it!
Written 30 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anahita_abad
Bengaluru, India
Apr 2018 • Family
I am quite petrified of water and had almost decided that this was not my kind of adventure. That's when my cousin put all my fears to rest and insisted that I try it out and I am so glad that I did. Tanaz and her brother Shiraz were very patient and thorough professionals. They took care of every tiny detail and safety measure, to reassure us that everything was in control. They even provided water bottles in our kayaks and glow bands to keep track of us in the dark. Very secure life jackets were compulsory even though the water was only chest deep. All this helped me calm my nerves before heading out. We were a group of 3 adults and 4 children. She paired one child with an adult in double kayaks. There were some others in the group who were given single kayaks.
Paddling through the water was very simple and both brother and sister were always there to guide us incase we strayed away or lagged behind. Very clear instructions were given to us on how to use our paddle before we set out.Once we reached the open waters, we were told to disturb the water with our paddles or fingers and behold....we witnessed the most spectacular magic of Mother Nature that night! The waters came alive and glowed with every stroke. All my apprehensions and fears vanished. In it's place I felt a sense of magical joy and wonderment. The skies above were clear and filled with a million stars. Tanaz explained the different constellations and narrated several mythological stories related to the stars. It was very obvious that this was not just a job or a commercial venture for Tanaz. It was her passion and that made all the difference. She led us into this magical world and after 3 hours we stepped out of this fairy tale with smiles as bright as the bio luminescent plankton . It is a feeling that words cannot do justice to, but the memory is something that will be cherished in my heart for a lifetime.
Paddling through the water was very simple and both brother and sister were always there to guide us incase we strayed away or lagged behind. Very clear instructions were given to us on how to use our paddle before we set out.Once we reached the open waters, we were told to disturb the water with our paddles or fingers and behold....we witnessed the most spectacular magic of Mother Nature that night! The waters came alive and glowed with every stroke. All my apprehensions and fears vanished. In it's place I felt a sense of magical joy and wonderment. The skies above were clear and filled with a million stars. Tanaz explained the different constellations and narrated several mythological stories related to the stars. It was very obvious that this was not just a job or a commercial venture for Tanaz. It was her passion and that made all the difference. She led us into this magical world and after 3 hours we stepped out of this fairy tale with smiles as bright as the bio luminescent plankton . It is a feeling that words cannot do justice to, but the memory is something that will be cherished in my heart for a lifetime.
Written 18 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How to contact Tanaz and book for night Kayaking..Willl be visiting in december 3rd week.Pls provide contact of her.we are 5 people visiting.
Written 3 December 2019
Even we are planning for same on December end. I contacted her through email. I tried contacting her via phone but to no success. She even replies to e-mail queries very seldom so could not actually communicate well so that we can go ahead with a booking. Anyways, you should give it a try. Visit the webpage of andamanhomestay and you will get details.
Written 6 December 2019
How is the kayaking - Snorkelling option. Is the Snorkelling experience better than at Jolly Buoy or Elephant Island? Unfortunately on the days that I am in Havelock there is no Night-kayaking option, so I plan to take the Kayaking-Snorkelling tour. Is the Kayaking-Snorkelling tour worth it?
Written 30 January 2018
Tanaz operates the night kayaking only 10 days a month during no moon nights. That's when the bio luminescence is visible in the water. However, she also conducts day kayaking and snorkeling which is just as beautiful and fascinating an experience. She takes you off the beaten path where you will get to view the best corals and fishes. When it comes to Tanaz, just close your eyes and trust that you will have an experience of a lifetime.
Written 18 April 2018
vgopal83
Chennai (Madras), India
Hi,
I'm visiting Havelock next week and the reviews are very enticing. How much is the charge ? Mangroves don't pose a crocodile threat ?
Regards,
Venkat.
Written 16 February 2017
3000 rs for night kayaking
No crocodile threat
Written 18 February 2017
I am visiting with my 10 yrs Olson son. can he participate in kayaking
Written 9 February 2017
Absolutely! My daughters 8 and 11 years managed very well. Tanaz takes care of all safety and precautionary measures. She has single and double kayaks. When there are kids, she pairs one child with an adult, so there is nothing to worry about.
Written 18 April 2018
I am planning my trip from 17th to 22nd March. Please suggest the best days to take night kayaking to witness bio-luminescence.
Written 7 February 2017
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