Rishikesh River Rafting trip- By Ritu Thukral
We were a group of 5 people looking for some adventure for beginner's level. We just wanted to get away from the rising heat of Delhi and head towards some destination where we could indulge our passions for adventure. Some one suggested for River Rafting which is organized at shivpuri in Rishikesh. Mere idea of staying in beach camps , playing volley ball , rappling , trekking , and River Rafting was the best kind of getaway for weekend. We started on Friday night and reached shivpuri Saturday early morning . As we stepped down , we could see shining white water ,hills and many beach camps already in place. Organizer took us to our camps where we rested for a while and then came out to play volley ball.There was a common place for breakfast where all of us and the other groups too had there breakfast. It felt like a place so aloof from the real world with no cafes , no dhaba's , no network around yet the place had lot to offer including serenity as well as thrilling adventurous experience.
We headed towards our rafts which were well equipped with safety gadgets and trained guides. Usually , rafting boats can travel up to seven to fourteen kilometers and expense of the ride depends on that. We started our rafting from shivpuri heading towards rishikesh with almost 5 rapids in between which were of various intensities. People who could raft fast were made to sit in front and others at back. Trainer trained us about many things including the correct way to sit on the raft , way to row our rafts in various directions , and some safety measures. I guess summers are the best time for this activity as current of the spring water is at its peak. The real fun of rowing our boats through the rapids and then coming to steady flowing water in which we can jump from our boat and just keep on floating until the next rapid was discovered . Once we reached rishikesh , we started moving towards our camp in cabs as we wanted to go for trekking and make most of our time.
Since we had never done jungle treks , we were very much excited about the same. We came across many water bodies which we had to cross to reach our destination. After the long day , we came back to our camps , and to our surprise there was no electricity , it was candle light all around. The place seemed to me the most beautiful place on the earth with sounds of the waves hitting aloud , all surrounded by wooded hillside , starlit skies and between all this we and other groups sitting and having a loud laugh and ofcourse dinner too which was again arranged by the event organizer. Next morning , we again went for rafting , but now from marine drive to shivpuri. In the afternoon , we did rappling and I particularly enjoyed it as I have always liked heights. On saturday evening , we packed our bags , headed towards our cab and came back with many memorable moments of the 2 days thrilling trip. I can still feel water splurging all over me when was at the front on the raft. Wow !
That was my last nostalgic summers with friends.
-Ritu
You can contact Abhay ( 9410358521 ) who organized rafting , rappling , trekking , our beach camps at shivpuri for us.
I guess cost was 2500-3000/- per person.
You can even contact zice holiday , they provide much more options in case you want to include any other sport too.
itinerary
Friday Night
Started from Delhi at 9:30 pm in cab. ( Innova )
Saturday Morning
6:30 am : Reached Shivpuri
8:00 am: Had Breakfast
9:00 am - 11:00am : Played beach volley ball
11:00 am – 1:00 pm : Rafting from Shivpuri to Rishikesh and then came back by cab.
2:00pm – 3.00pm : Had lunch
3:00pm – 6:00pm : Went for Trekking ( Jungle Trek )
8:00pm – 11:00pm: Had bonfire with friends at the beach , had dinner etc..
Sunday Morning
8:00 am: Had Breakfast
9:00 am - 11:00am : Played beach volley ball
11:00 am – 1:00 pm : Rafting from Marine Drive to Shivpuri.
2:00pm – 3.00pm : Had lunch
3:00pm – 5:00pm : rappling time
6:00pm : Left for Delhi , reached by 1:00am at night.
