99Gamers stepped out to explore the perks of working in Udupi

One fine Wednesday, we unanimously decided to pop by a serene Kayaking retreat that’s a stone's throw away from our workplace in Udupi. 🌊 Cradled in the lap of coastal nature, sailing amidst the lush green mangroves, we had a weekend affair right in the middle of the week. 😉🎮

Yes, most days we are busting our chops making games that people love to play, but on some days, you just got to play games that you love to play! So, on one unassuming hump day, the stars aligned and all the 99Gamers just had to give in and follow the salty whiff of the sea breeze that is always right under our nose. We closed up shop sooner than usual and got ready for the long drive ahead of us. A full 10 minutes later, we arrived at our destination – Kemannu Backwaters. 

Kemannu is a small village in Udupi district stretched across the Suvarna river, the easiest way to get there is via a city bus from Udupi after which a serene walk of 1 KM awaits you. You’ll find kachcha houses lined up on both sides of the narrow trail leading up to a hanging bridge. On one side of the bridge, you’ll see tourists flocking in from far and wide in search of peace and an escape from the hustles of a city. And on the other side is a small island, a hidden gem that seems to have stood still in time, hosting a tiny township nestled away from the restlessness of metropolitans ways. 

The hanging bridge in itself is a beauty to behold, a strong structure sturdy enough for two-wheelers to ride on. The sun here shines differently, the sunset displays a range of orange and pink that you’ve never witnessed before. You can hear waves lapping and crashing against the shoreline at a distance. After taking in the beauty of this nature abode, we strapped on the life jackets and hopped on to the kayaks with our work buddies. The kayak staff is a blast to talk to, extremely supportive and uncondescending, you’ll quickly learn to let loose and enjoy yourself even if you’re a beginner. We paddled left and right for a long time – some of us looked back and realized we’d barely made it a few hundred meters, and some of us were already on our third round. From splashing water on the unsuspecting analytics team, to intentionally kayak-crashing into the design team, to breaking the ice by hazing the interns into racing with the seniors, a quiet Wednesday afternoon managed to turn everyone’s frown upside down.

The entire team then hopped on board a big boat and sailed amidst the lush green mangroves – the beautiful elevated prop roots didn’t fail to uplift our moods. Jetting deeper into the river where mangroves created a whole network of pathways was nothing short of a dreamy realm of serenity and peace. We saw a family of fishermen/women sorting out their daily bread and butter, a tourist family partying away in a boathouse, a bunch of college kids camping up by the shore, and we finally set eyes on one another – a group of colleagues from different parts of the state, bound together to do great work in this sweet little temple town that now feels like home.