Taking off to the countryside to enjoy a break this summer? Why not marry the charms of the outback with a thrilling sport? We list some exciting destinations across India that offer you an opportunity to indulge in river rafting.
Picture canoeing or rafting your way down a gushing river, and spectating an exotic locale alongside. As the summer break approaches, and everyone yearns for a little adventure involving cooling water splashes, we recommend factoring river rafting into your holiday itinerary.
Here are some exciting destinations that offer not just nature and sightseeing, but also the excitement of rafting down a river at this time of year.
You should be fairly sporty to take on the rapids on the river Beas, where rafting happens along a 14-km stretch between Pirdi and Jhuri. The rapids here are graded from 1 to 4. The peak season is now, between March and July each year. Be sure to rent all the safety equipment, including a helmet and lifebuoy jacket. And while you’re at it, have someone take pictures of you and the locale as you make your way down the exhilarating course of this water body.
Expert rafters should venture forth on the adventure of rafting on the grade 3 to grade 5 rapids of the Bhagirathi river in pristine Uttarakhand. Here you will experience rapids like Elephant Rock, the Chute, Sharp S, Confluence and the Wall and Daniel Dip that feature on the Ganga stretch. The rafting season here stretches from October to May. Behold your share of gorges and mountains along the way.
Rafting activities have started here quite recently, and why not? After all, navigating the river Kali, which meanders along the Western Ghats, can give you the same adrenaline rush that you get from pursuing this activity in the Himalayas. The season is between October and June. Enjoy the surrounding flora and fauna as you raft downstream from an altitude of 1,200 metres. The grade 2 and grade 3 rapids make for an adventurous outing even for those who have not rafted before.
The Ganga may be the preferred river for rafting, especially in Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, but do not underestimate the Yamuna, which flows majestically through the state. Many lovers of the sport have been heading to the latter, which offers two stretches for this activity. There is the Nainbagh to Juddo stretch that has three rapids, and then there is the Yamuna Bridge to Juddo stretch. The rapids are graded 1 to 3. Rafting happens between September and mid-June, so the window is still open for you to enjoy this activity on the Yamuna.
The Kundalika river flows down the picturesque Sahyadri hills and into the Arabian Sea, making it the ideal water body to raft down any time of year. The river is one of the fastest-flowing ones in the region. The 15-km-long stretch offers panoramic views of the area around and has rapids graded between 3 and 4. So when you’re not manoeuvring the rapids, enjoy views of lush greenery that is abundant here.
Several white water rafting points on the Indus river, which originates from near the Kailash mountain and Mansarovar lake in Western Tibet, offer panoramic views of the region of Zanskar in Ladakh. While most of the stretches have rapids graded 1 and 2, there are also 3 to 5-level rapids in some places. Preferred rafting routes are from Phey to Nimo, Upshi to Kharu and from Upshi to Nimo. The Phey to the Indus-Zanskar confluence at Nimo is particularly exhilarating. At over 4,800 metres, this is the highest rafting experience in the world. Water levels are safe for rafting between June and late August.
River Teesta, which originates at the Tso Lhamo lake in Sikkim, forms a boundary between West Bengal’s Darjeeling district and Sikkim. Rafting down the Teesta offers mesmerising views of the surrounding vegetation, topography and animal life. The meeting point is a place called Triveni, from where you can raft to Sivoke, where the Coronation Bridge is a link to the Dooars. The rapids on this stretch vary from grade 2 to grade 4 and rafting can be done here till early June, after which the monsoon arrives.
The lead image shows a group of travellers enjoying river rafting. (Picture from Wikimedia Commons)
