Goa Private Island Kayak Tour & Sunset Backwaters Experience

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.97 (234 reviews) 97% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration3h 30m

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Private island moments, sunset kayaking, Goan stories and snacks

You’ll meet locals on a private island in Goa, sip welcome drinks under ancient trees, kayak through Chapora’s sunset backwaters with an instructor, and end with tea and homemade snacks. Expect real stories, laughter, and moments of total calm you might still think about weeks later.

3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Private Island Kayaking Experience

Meet ambassador at Arabo Sports Club
Walk to jetty
Take scenic boat ride to island
Enjoy welcome drink on island
Hear island and Goa history stories
Kayak at sunset with instructor
Have tea and local snacks
Boat back to mainland

The Experience

The first thing I remember is the way our boat driver grinned when he handed me a coconut at the jetty—like we were already friends. We’d met at Arabo Sports Club, and it was barely noon but the air had that salty-sweet smell you only get near Goan rivers. The boat ride out to the private island didn’t take long, maybe fifteen minutes? Hard to say, because I kept getting distracted by kids waving from the banks and those bright green mangroves everywhere. Our guide, Sandeep, started telling us about how his grandfather used to fish here before there were any tourists. He pointed out a half-sunken fishing canoe—“That’s older than me,” he laughed.

On the island itself, it felt weirdly quiet after all the engine noise. You could hear birds arguing in the trees and someone chopping something for tea behind one of the old houses. They handed us a welcome drink—something tangy with mint—and we just sat for a while under these huge trees. Sandeep told us little bits about Goan history, not like a lecture but more like stories he’d heard as a kid. I tried to repeat one of the Konkani words he used (no idea if I got it right) and he just shook his head, smiling.

Kayaking started as the sun dipped low—orange light on water that looked almost syrupy thick. I was nervous at first (my paddling isn’t great), but our instructor was patient and kept making jokes about crocodiles that probably weren’t true… probably. We drifted through mangroves where everything smelled green and earthy; once or twice I stopped paddling just to listen to how quiet it got except for some distant music from another shore. Afterward, they served chai and these fried snacks—I never caught the name—and honestly I wish I’d asked for seconds.

What’s included

Your day includes meeting at Arabo Sports Club in Dhargal before taking a boat ride to Goa’s only private island. You’ll be welcomed with a drink beneath shady trees, hear local stories from your guide, then kayak at sunset along Chapora river backwaters with an instructor—all finished off with tea and homemade Goan snacks before returning by boat to the mainland.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Soul Travelling