Nepal is
a river runner's paradise - no other
country has such a choice of multi-day
trips, away from roads, in such magnificent
mountain surrroundings, with warm
rivers, a semi tropical climate,
impressive geography, exotic cultures,
wildlife and friendly welcoming people!
But it's
not just the rivers - as anyone who
has been there will tell you, Nepal
is a magnificent holiday in its own
right - a fairy tale land of temples,
mountains, dramatic festivals, exotic
culture, colourful people, medieval
villages, superb craft shopping, great
food and sights - the bonus is some
of the World's best rivers!
Rafting
in Nepal is usually a 'wilderness'
experience in that most rivers don't
have highways alongside them - but
it's a soft, tamed, wilderness with
white beaches for camping, clean blue
rivers, friendly locals and few 'nasties'
- someone described it as 'blissful
escapism'!
Incredibly
inexpensive, Nepal is a peaceful democratic
country where rafters and kayakers
get a warm welcome as one of the best
forms of ecotourism.
White
water rafting means cruising down
a rushing river in an inflatable rubber
raft or white water kayak over
crashing waves and swirling rapids
for the excitement of a lifetime.
Nepal has earned a reputation as one
of the best destinations in the world
for white water rafting. Nepal's
thundering waters, coming from the
glaciers of the mighty Himalaya, provide
unmatched thrills for rafting and
immersing oneself in the landscape.
A rafting trip is bound to be the
highlight of your stay in the country.
Rivers are
graded on a scale of one to six, with
one being a swimming pool and six
a one-way ticket to your maker. Four
is considered to be quite challenging
without being exceedingly dangerous
to the novice rafter. Five requires
some previous river experience.
Here are some of the popular rafting
trips in Nepal:
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TOP ::---------------------------------
when to
go Rafting:
Nepal's
climate is dictated by the monsoon
which arrives in June and usually
finishes in late September. The monsoon
brings torrential rains that flood
the rivers so most people wouldn't
want to be kayaking or rafting
at this time. Peak season for tourists
and for rafting is probably October
through November: the monsoon is over,
everything is very green, rivers are
moderately high but dropping, temperatures
are warm and skies are clear with
fine mountain views. The only
disadvantages with this time of year
are that it is the peak season and
airline reservations are harder
to get; also you cannot be sure when
the monsoon will finish: it can be
a month late and this can throw your
plans into chaos if you are planning
on running a river where water levels
are critical - as they are on many
of Nepal's rivers.
The winter
months from late December through
to early February are cold, but skies
are still clear and river levels will
be low. Lots of river running groups
come out over Christmas and have a
great time, but you certainly should
expect cold water and perhaps think
in terms of wet suits and dry tops.
From late
February through to early April is
also a good time for river running
- river levels are reliably low, air
temperature warm, rivers warm and
blue. The disadvantage is that the
air is often hazy: you cannot be assured
of stunning mountain views
and there may be an occasional shower
of rain. In the past, many kayakers
and rafters have visited Nepal
over the Christmas holiday,
when the facts seem to suggest that
Easter might he a better time.
Safety
for Rafting :
