Abhishek S asked:


Rishikesh is a holy city for hindus positioned in the foothills of the himalaya in northern india. Rishikesh is basically considered as one of the reputated place for pilgrimage in india. Rishikesh is encircled by shivalik ranges on three sides and is the first point for char dham yatra. But Rishikesh is not just about pilgrimage, it is an adventurer’s real delight. Known as the ‘river rafting capital of india’ rishikesh in uttarakhand invites adventure lovers from all parts of the world.

Rishikesh is joined to other parts of india with a wide network  of road routes. Private bus services, tempos (vikrams), auto rickshaws, tongas, cycle-rickshaws and taxis. Hence reaching rishikesh is not at all a tough task

Rishikesh is the perfect starting point for  trained as well as for the beginners attracted in river rafting or water rafting. There are 13 outstanding rapids over a stretch of 36 km from kaudiyala to rishikesh. Rapids are basically a white patch of foam on a flowing river caused by the river breadth getting slender while flowing through a gorge between rocks or by a sudden increase or decrease in the volume of the water. Some of the famous rapids of Rishikesh are as follows:

1) The wall

2) Golf course

3) Rollercoaster

4) Daniel’s dip three blind mice etc

River Rafting in Rishikesh is available throughout the year except monsoon. The apt period for river running depends on the adequacy of water level. Thus september-november and march-april-may are most apt. River rafting is closed at Rishikesh in monsoon season because the water level gets above normal and is a bit dangerous.

Rishikesh is a popular destination among rafting lovers. It is especially a big hit among diplomats and executives. Rafting is an exiciting sport best enjoyed with professional & commercial rafting guides & rafting instructors with tourist rafters in a rubber boat names as raft, if you also want to enjoy camping at rishikesh , stay in a riverside camp situated on sandy beach or ganges. The camps at Rishikesh are very much environmentally friendly - no detergent, no plastic, no chewing gum and no electricity. Only gas lanterns,  tents and sandpits. People say rishikesh rafting is most enjoyable rafting in india. Beside the camping facilities, tourists are also provided with expert guides and top quality equipment and rafting gear.

Rishikesh is also known as the birthplace of yoga. It attracts thousands of tourists every year, who come to seek mental peace in the center of the humdrum of modern life. Once you have satisfied your skills at yoga and meditation, then rishikesh also offers some of the best spa and ayurvedic treatment centers in the world. The various Ghats and temples assist the human spirit in its endeavor to be one with the ultimate basis of all creations.

Rishikesh is home to many ashrams, and most major Indian ashram, including Vivekananda, Sivananda, Osho, Bihar school of yoga, have an office there. If you want to experience the classical Indian. & meditation, then this is the place for you. The slow and spiritual atmosphere of rishikesh makes its an idealistic place to begin discovering what india has to offer. Beside this international yoga week is also usually celebrated from february 2-7 every year. This festival is the ideal place and time to learn some real yoga postures to keep oneself fit and fine.



MARLON

Brian Link asked:


Whitewater rafting is a great activity for the whole family to enjoy. You can even share this experience with your close friends. Rafting is most commonly done on whitewater rivers and other types of rough bodies of water so that you, your family, and your friends get to feel all of the thrill and excitement that you expect. Doing this sport became considered a recreational activity in the mid 1970s. Since then, it has become more common for people to take part in this sport, and it has changed much since then.

In Maine, whitewater rafting is considered an experience that will stick with you for a very long time. This adventure, however, used to mean that you had to camp out in the wide outdoors. This made it a great experience, because there is nothing like sitting with the people you care about the most around a campfire, talking through all hours of the night. However, not everyone was interested in that particular part of the adventure. So now, in this day, you are given the choice to camp out or stay in a lodge, private home, or cabin. Although it may not seem like you are getting the whole benefit of the experience to some people, others beg to differ and will agree that the adventure is just as much fun without the camping.

Even though there are things that have changed, there is still one thing that will always remain unchanged, no matter how you decide to slice it. The thrill and excitement will always be as extreme as when it was in the 1970s when people first started rafting as a leisure sport. Your day will begin when you leave from the shuttle that takes you to the beginning of the river. Your guide will go over all of the basics of your day, and they will review anything that you will need to know about whitewater rafting, the language and commands, and of course, the safety. Then you will get into the raft where you will begin the adventure of your life. At times you will get to drift along the river while you enjoy all of the serene nature and wildlife of your surroundings. You may even be able to see a bald eagle flying above in the sky. Then all of sudden, you will come upon the rough waters of the river, and you will find yourself paddling through the rapids. You are guaranteed that you will not be thinking of any of the things that are your long to-do list at home anymore. Everyone deserves this once in a lifetime experience of the serene and peaceful moments of the river and the heart pounding excitement of the crashing rapids.

There are many whitewater outfitters in Maine that offer trips on three of the main rivers. These are the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Dead Rivers. In the Northeast, Maine is the only location that you will find that, even during the driest parts of the season, will guarantee good water levels in the rivers. This is all thanks to the daily hydropower dams. The beginning of rafting season is on May 1st and keeps going through until the middle of October. So if you are thinking of taking a trip to go whitewater rafting, do not think about it any longer. Make your trip arrangements now, and don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime thrilling experience.



EDWARDO

Brian Link asked:


r rafting is a great activity that has become more common around the world since the 1970s. Since then, we have developed an expertise in the sport, and there is now better quality equipment available to use. Because of this, a river that has been known to swallow whole an expedition in the past is now safe enough for people to take their rafting trips down hundreds of times each year. There are also outfitters, which are rafting operators, who will be your guides for the trip. These outfitters have legislated safety requirements to go by, and they vary depending on the area you are rafting in. However, all off the requirements are closely the same to ensure that everyone is safe. You should talk with your raft operator about all of the safety guidelines and the classifications of the rapids before you decide to sign up for the trip.

There are six different whitewater classifications that range from easy to nearly impossible. Class one is, obviously, the easiest. It has no obstacles, only small ripples, and a slow current. Class two is considered moderately difficult with occasional obstacles and a medium current with waves. Classes one and two are ideal for younger and inexperienced people to run on. Class three is difficult with longer rapids and strong currents that are irregular, and class four is very difficult, longer with numerous waves, and has steeper drops. These two classes, three and four, are considered okay for more experienced groups to take. Class five is extremely difficult, has very big drops, is very swift, and heavily obstructed with obstacles, which is considered an amateur class. Then there is class six. This class is nearly impossible and extremely dangerous. It should only be run by expert teams, with all precautions taken and close studies completed.

Maine has three rivers that are usually used for whitewater rafting. These are the Kennebec River, Penobscot River, and the Dead River. Each one of the these rivers are different and unique in their own way, but you are sure to get the thrill and excitement that you seek for your adventure on at least one of these rivers. The Kennebec River has a twelve mile trip that begins on Indian Pond at Harris Station. It then flows through the Kennebec Gorge, which ends at The Forks. This twelve mile trip can be classified anywhere between a class two and a class four, because in sections of the river there are all of the traits that these classifications have. Next, is the Penobscot River, and this river has a fourteen mile long trip. For the first two miles, it descends from McKay Station through Ripogenus Gorge. The other twelve miles of rapids will take you on a journey that will end near Pockwockamus Falls. This river has all the traits of a class three to class four rapids. Last, but not least, is the Dead River, which has the longest stretch of continuous rapids at sixteen miles. Your trip will begin at Grand Falls and will end at The Forks. The Dead River has a classification of classes four and five and should only be run by experienced whitewater rafters.

COURTNEY

Twinomugisha Charles asked:


White water rafting is high on many people’s list of things to do here in Uganda. With some lots of good rapids and a stunning river with high level its superlative.

There are some very exhilarating sections with space between to lay back and float along taking in the landscape and enjoying the nature, particularly the many species of birds to be found here.

Fish eagles cry from the clear skies overhead, giant monitor lizards bask in the equatorial sunshine and flocks of long-tailed cormorants herd schools of fish into the shallows.

The world’s longest river roars to life as the White Nile minutes after slipping quietly from Lake Victoria. It thunders between heavily forested islands and then leaps wildly into a series of spectacular drops.

The roar of the rapids drifts upstream with the gentle breeze. Wooden canoes laden with excited locals congregate in the calm waters anxious to see our rafts in action.

To the amazement of our audience, we plunge into the maelstrom and ride the mountainous waves downstream. Our rafts explode through huge walls of whitewater and drift through the warm green pools (27°C) in the equatorial sunshine.

This is white water rafting at its very best. The beauty of the Nile in Uganda is nothing short of spectacular and unknown to all but the fortunate few who have had the pleasure of standing on its banks.

‘Here I stood on the brink of the Nile … and nothing could surpass it . John Hanning Speke, 28th July, 1862 on ‘discovering’ the Victorian Source of the great river near where we start our rafting trips.

The multitude of rapids between the beautiful mid-river islands allow us to choose softer options of white water rafting for those not willing to subject themselves to certain capsize of the raft or for long solo swims through the rapids.

Expert guides are professionally trained to cater to the needs of each adventurer who joins them on the river.

One day white water rafting – 31 kms

‘Forward, left-turn, hold on.’ I reach for the rope that traverses the perimeter of the raft and grasp my paddle tightly as the river drops away beneath us.

Seconds after I fill my lungs with a healthy gulp of fresh air, a giant wall of green water is towering above us. The raft buckles as the bow explodes into whitewater and droplets of spray sparkle in the sunshine. Moments later we are under water.

Dressed lightly for a day in the sunshine the slightly cooler waters are a welcome relief. A split second later we emerge ecstatic as the raft summits a giant wave in what has become the Nile’s roller coaster.

Another trough looms ahead and I exhale an enthusiastic whoop before preparing for the next dousing.

Minutes later the raft is rocking gently in the calm pool below the legendary Big Brother rapid, no-one escaped the dunking and it is smiles and disbelief all around.

Some of us turn upstream to watch as the next raft races down the long green tongue of the rapid and accelerates toward the first towering wave. In popular paddle-rafts, each person joins as a member of a team and a professional guide captains the team.

Paddlers are instructed comprehensively on how best to enjoy themselves on the water and on all aspects of safety including the use of safety kayaks which accompany every raft trip on the water.

The highly-trained white water rafting safety kayakers are world class paddlers who adeptly pilot their tiny boats through the mountainous waves of each rapid ahead of the rafts.

When rafts flip upside down or people are washed overboard they are nearby to provide assistance in getting people back to their boats. The trip on the water begins slowly and the first few kilometres give the raft guides an opportunity to train their crews fully on all aspects of Nile rafting.

The young river dances into action at Bujagali Falls as if anxious to race to the thirsty deserts downstream and one major rapid follows swiftly after another for most of the morning.

By the time the rafts drift toward Wakisi island, a wholesome and inviting lunch is waiting eager consumers.

There is nothing quite like a morning on the Nile for whetting one’s appetite. Succulent pineapples, giant avocadoes, crisp bell peppers and tasty carrots are all organically grown in nearby villages.

Fresh bread, roasted ham, salami and juicy tomatoes all combine wonderfully well to satisfy even the most insatiable appetites from a morning of fresh air, wildwater and sunshine. After a leisurely lunch on beautiful Wakisi island, the white water rafting enter Wild waters Reserve which is a private conservation initiative started by Adrift to protect the unique flora and fauna of the mid-stream islands of the Nile.

There is more time between the rough water but the rapids on the Nile become larger and more spectacular. It makes the most spectacular video footage as riders are often thrown in the air before hitting the racing current and being swept downstream to the calm pool below.



JASON