Non-AC rooms
Fan-cooled, with an extra soft mattress. There are two: one on the ground floor and one upstairs with a garden view.
Stay and study handpan in Ashwem, North Goa
Live at the Navakanu house for one, two or four weeks. Take your lessons with SinaSiav, practise on the rooftop between them, and keep the rest of the day for Goa.
A week with 10 lesson hours starts at €370, room included.
5.0 on Google from 33 reviewsTap a note to hear it
How the study works
The teaching comes from Western & Hindustani classical music (best of both worlds!). You learn each pattern three ways: in sargam, in numbers, and on a clock-face map of the handpan. By the time you move on, your hands and your ear both know it.
- Your hours
- 10 in one week, 20 in two, 36 in four. You place them where you like. We set the times together once you arrive.
- Instruments
- Most guests spend their hours on handpan. They can also go to bansuri, didgeridoo, classical guitar, music production or vocal training.
- Practice
- The rooftop shala is open to you between lessons, and a practice handpan is waiting there. You don't need to bring one.
- The house
- A house with three guest rooms, a full kitchen and Wi-Fi, in Ashwem, Mandrem.
Your teacher is SinaSiav
A multi-instrumentalist with 22 years of study and 12 years of teaching.
Play the handpan. It is tuned to D Kurd, and every note you strike brings up new photos. Keys 1 to 9 work too.
Listen to the Navakanu playlist
Opens Spotify.
Three rooms, one house
You share the kitchen, the living space and the rooftop. Each stay takes one of three rooms: two non-AC rooms and the master AC room.
Master AC room
On the ground floor, air-conditioned, with electricity included in the price.
Rooftop shala
Open to you for your own practice between lessons.
Kitchen
Fully equipped, so you can cook for yourself. Or ask for the in-house cook and sit down to two meals a day.
Find us in Ashwem
The house is in Ashwem, Mandrem, in North Goa. Ashwem beach is a ten-minute walk away, or three minutes by scooty.
We send the exact location on WhatsApp once your stay is booked.
What guests say on Google
A few lines from those reviews (rating as of November 2026):
“Sina is a brilliant musician and teacher.”
“You'll be able to play your own unique melody from the very first try.”
“He's a brilliant teacher, makes the learning so simple and playful!”
“He's patient, draws memorable analogies to impart the technique.”
“Thanks, Sina for hosting me in your space, with care.”
Plan your stay
Every price covers your room and your lesson hours together. Longer stays cost less per night and per hour.
Only need a place to stay?
Included in every stay
- Your room for the full stay
- Your lesson hours with SinaSiav
- Rooftop shala access for your own practice
- A practice handpan to use while you are here
- Wi-Fi, electricity and air-conditioning in the AC room
- Cleaning and fresh linen
The bird behind the name
Navakanu comes from a legend of the Huni Kuin people of the Amazon. It is a ceremonial bird that sings during the full moon and in ceremonies.
Tap the bird to hear it sing.
Short on time?
Rhythm & Breath is our guided retreat: 3 to 12 days, a set daily rhythm of workshops and shared dinners, and four guests at most.
Questions guests ask
When do the lessons happen?
Whenever suits you inside your stay. There is no fixed timetable. Once you arrive we sit down and place your hours across the days, and we can move them if your plans change.
Do I need my own handpan?
No. A practice handpan is here for you to use in lessons and on your own in the shala.
Can I learn something other than handpan?
Yes. Handpan is the centre of the study, and your hours can also go to any of these:
- Other instruments: bansuri, didgeridoo and classical guitar.
- Music production: live looping, Ableton Push, Ableton Live and Note, Logic Pro, and GarageBand on iPad.
- Vocal training: medicine music, Western classical solfeggio and Hindustani classical sargam.
You can train your voice with or without learning an instrument to accompany yourself.
Can my partner come with me?
Yes. A second person can share your room for a small nightly charge. If you both want to learn, you share the same lessons and the lesson price goes up by half. The planner above shows both prices.
What about food?
The kitchen is equipped and yours to use. If you'd rather not cook, the in-house cook makes two meals a day. That price covers the cooking, and groceries are paid separately.
How do I get there from the airport?
We can send a car to Mopa (GOX) or Dabolim (GOI). Add it in the planner and it shows in your total.
Why do Christmas and New Year cost more?
From 20 December to 5 January rooms across Goa are at their busiest, so the room part of your price is 25% higher on those nights. Lessons cost the same all year.
Payment and cancellation
A 60% deposit confirms your booking. The remaining 40% is due 7 days before you arrive.
- Cancel 45 or more days before arrival: 35% of what you have paid is refunded.
- Cancel 30 to 44 days before arrival: 25% of the total fee becomes credit toward a future booking.
- Cancel within 30 days of arrival: non-refundable and non-transferable.
Come and study with us
Send your dates on WhatsApp and we'll tell you which room is free.
Reserve your stayWhatsApp: +91 84335 08573Instagram: @navakanu
