Amateur or seasoned, whitewater river rafting can deliver some serious thrills and jitters in you. However, safety is of paramount importance. When you are with professionals and experts, you can enjoy the sport without fearing safety. Be it whitewater river rafting in Rishikesh or conquering the rapids of Zanskar and Teesta, India is a land of mighty rivers and mightier rapids. Conquering all of them is a task in itself and certainly not even a remotely easy one. Here is a compilation of top river rafting destinations in India. This is where conquering one does not amount to conquering all.
1. Zanskar
Ladakh beckons tourists and travelers from around the world for a million reasons and river rafting tops the charts. Ladakh is home to two magnificent rivers – Indus and Zanskar. Both the rivers and more importantly the Zanskar invite rafter attention primarily because of the varying intensity of rapids in it. One of the most scenic rivers, Zanskar is sandwiched between giant walls of majestic mountains. The best time to raft in Ladakh is from June to October.
2. Rishikesh
One of the first names to hit you in this list is whitewater river rafting in Rishikesh. The Ganges is one of the best rivers in the world to raft on. It holds celebrity status in the world of rafting as a huge number of international rafters come to Rishikesh to conquer the incredible rapids of the holy Ganga. From Shivpuri to Lakshman Jhula is a 16km stretch comprising of rapids from Grade I to Grade IV, whirlpools and deep gorges that are not meant for the faint of heart. These rapids also have curious names like Double Trouble and Three Blind Mice.
3. Teesta and Rangit
Come to Sikkim to see what Teesta and Rangit rivers can offer in rafting. While both the rivers are rugged and have challenging rapids in them, the Rangit is a lot more violent with its multi-dimensional rapids. October to April is the best time to raft on these rivers.
4. Kali
A rafting expedition on River Kali originates from the Pithorgarh district of Uttarakhand and passes through secluded environment, lush jungles and glorious sights of wild animals and birds. If you seek fantastic eclectic sights as you raft, then here is where you must be headed. The Kali River flows through white sandy beaches, terraced villages, dense jungles and waterfalls and has stretches of calm waters as well as mighty rapids.
Besides whitewater river rafting in Rishikesh and the others listed above, India also has a lion’s share of rapids in Tons, Brahmaputra, Bhagirathi and many more.
