Go wild with white water rafting at Rishikesh

Thanks to the mighty Ganges flowing down from the Himalayas, adventure lovers get great kicks out of battling it out at Rishikesh. Battling out waves on a rubber raft, that is. Rishikesh provides the ultimate platform for white water rafting enthusiasts, experienced or beginners. This is the best way to get initiated into the world of adventure tourism.

When in Rishikesh, a rafting trip on the Ganges can be arranged by the hotel staff. You are taken to a place called Shivpuri from where the 21 km rafting stretch begins. There is an option of a 9 km stretch as well. In the summer months, the river is packed with rafters. You are assigned a River Guide  and a raft for 8 people. You put on a safety helmet and a life jacket. The River Guide gives you a basic introduction to rafting. You hail the mighty river Ganges and off you go!

You can’t help but scream every time the ice cold water hits you. The rapids are relentless. It seems like the only way to navigate them is to row for your life! There are nine rapids on the way. The longest one is called Golf course. Others are called Double Trouble, Three blind mice and Roller Coaster. The names are as interesting as the adventure itself. Everyone screams in unison when the raft is about to hit an especially dangerous looking stretch and you feel like you can never make it across to the other side. What a thrill it is!

The last leg of the journey (after 2.5 hours of vigorous rowing ), you come to a very calm part of the river. This is the first time that you actually notice the spectacular surroundings. Pin drop silence except the occasional call of a wild bird. So calm! The calm ‘after’ the storm ?

There is a cliff by the river, which is a pit stop of a kind, after 2.5 hours of vigorous rafting. You can jump off your raft and float your way for a few kilometers till the chill starts getting to you. Or you jump off the cliff into the river, like everyone else. And jump again!

The stop lasts for about an hour, and you are all set to raft back to Rishikesh. You navigate the last rapid and can see the famous hanging bridge ‘Ram Jhula’ at a distance. Your trip is coming to an end …

It took four and a half hours to Ram Jhula from Shivpuri, the River guide tells you. Can’t be, you tell him. You had just started!