When you think of Nepal, whitewater Rafting and Kayaking aren’t the very first items that spring into mind, well at least it had not been for me personally. Much more likely pictures of Kathmandu, rice paddies, Everest along with the mysterious Himalaya pop to your head. So you can imagine my surprise while i got a chance to Nepal and ended up rafting and kayaking in excess of 10 times!
When you in Thamel or Pokhara (the main touristy area’s in Nepal) you can find travel agencies in all places, and i also immediately decided rafting was something I needed to do during my in time Nepal. The very first decision to generate is which river to go on. Nepal offers most of the worlds best rivers, ranging from a gently flowing river to some from the fiercest whitewater in the world. So depending on your experience and thirst for adrenaline, there’s most definitely something for anyone! The best times to look are between March-June or September-October; although trips will run all year round the river is going to be at its highest, fastest, and most exhilarating over these months.
Picking a company to choose can establish a little tricky though! There are several travel specialists lining the streets, however, choosing one relating to the other is nearly impossible…All of them offer virtually precisely the same prices, nearly a similar trips and promise the optimum time you have ever had! However there are tons of companies around, it’s really a shame to say which might be immediately after your dollars. It is important to locate a registered company which have safety procedures in place. I finished up going with GRG’s Adventure Kayaking. Having met Maila, the company owner, a couple of times around Thamel I trusted that they would deliver what he promised, and after doing some research I came across that he’s currently the best Kayaker in Nepal, having only won the Himalayan Championship for that second time, I felt I’d made the correct decision and could be in safe hands.
Your journey to the river was amazing alone. Appearing out of the valley you might be greeted by a some lifestyle. Women making an effort inside the rice paddies within their saris, looking more glamorous than I possibly could ever achieve! Children carrying their books on their own heads walking across the highway to college; Gorgeous mountains in the shadows; Random Buffalo dotted everywhere in the scene to name just some things we saw on our journey towards the river. After Two hours of staring hypnotised the window we reached a little village geared up for all your rafting needs. There were a small shed (rather like the one imagine Mary and Joseph stumbling upon! ) for you to get changed in, toilets, tea, biscuits, water, all you want before you start a day for the river!
When arriving at the beginning point, I realised I had made the best decision in using GRG’s. There have been about Rafting in Nepal arranged and waiting to go with various companies and ours was the only one with any safety kayakers. You can view where GRG’s got their logo ‘SAFETY FIRST’ from!
Which is it, Maila and the team got all of us suited and booted in daily life jackets, helmets, (based on the weather, splash jackets were available) after a very informative safety talk we had arrived off! Immediately greeted by our first rapid, aptly named ‘Good Morning’ as that first splash inside your face and down your T-Shirt definitely awakens you!
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