Rishikesh rafting, weekend trip, April

Mini G

Hi,

Any advice for first timers, group of 6 from Delhi.. ..Planning a weekend river rafting trip.. .. Tips on where to stay, how to get there, approx cost,things to do etc please.....

Many thanks,

Mini G

Mini G

Hey Guys... .. .... Any tips.. Anyone....

SSG

Hi Mini,

Talk to Vaibhav Kala of Aquaterra (google for the contacts), they are a well equipped rafting company, I have been rafting with them a number of times, excellent location, lodging and khana, they are among the few who do the entire stretch in two trips and include ALL the rapids, i.e. Day 1 Marine Drive down to NIM Beach and Day 2 Daniel's Dip to Marine Drive and they always have a safety kayak on the water to accompany the rafts.

Cheers

Mini G

Many thanks for getting back on that.. ..Will be trying tht out.. ..

Inua

Hi Mini,

I just came back after rafting in Rishikesh this weekend. Theres no question this place is quite something but there are a few things that could help make the trip even better.

1. If your leaving from Delhi, travel during the night or really early in the morning to avoid the traffic on a highly frustrating two lane 'highway'. Ditto for the return. The roads are pretty bad so be prepared for a bumpy ride.
2. As the journey takes 6 hrs normally (in our case 8!) I personally think one night is too little, its best to take your time and stay for atleast 2 or 3 nights.
3. Rishikesh is actually quite crowded so try and opt for something further down the river. Since we wanted the outdoor experience, we stayed at a camp in kaudiyala which is probably the last camp along that stretch. It took us another half hour to reach this place from the town but it was well worth the bother.
4. Take a good sunscreen as the sun is quite strong (irrespective of skin colour) while your rafting.
6. Dont wear sandals on the raft, you'll loose them the moment you flip over and will be forced to go barefoot back to camp. If you do wear sandals then put them in the dry bag the guide usually carries.
7. Wear well fitting shorts/trousers (read tight at the waistline) as your also likely to loose these in a strong current. You truly do not want to face the butt end of this dilema.

It cost us INR 2,550/- per night/per person on a twin sharing basis which was inclusive of food and rafting (1 stretch). We did 'Daniels Dip' and 'The Wall' and it was brilliant! We paid on arrival as it was booked quite late. The transport there and back in an air-conditioned Toyota Innova was charged at INR 9/- per km which worked out to roughly INR 4,500/- + 100 for the driver per night + tax. As I havn't tried anything else, I dont know if this is expensive. The advantage of going in a car as opposed to a bus (which I hear is actually pretty good) is that you can go around and see other villages and even the joining of the two rivers that form the Ganges. Theres plenty to keep you busy like rappelling, kayaking or exploring the nearby villages and towns.

Hope this helps. Happy rafting.