Rishikesh Rafting – A Soulful Trip Awaits you!

I asked my colleagues about this rafting trip in Rishikesh, but everyone was busy on that weekend (unlucky for them). I didn’t want to wait. Actually, I don’t like to wait. When I need go, I go. But with whom? My wife was apprehensive about our 3 years old daughter, so I was pretty sure she would give a thumb down if I will ask her to accompany me.

Then I called my brother and my wife’s nephew (both college-goers)

It was first time with them, so I was unsure if it is good to go with guys almost half my age. But thank you guys, Pardeep and Chirag, you made it an uproarious affair.


Even those 6 hours in general train coach, crammed with a mussy crowd, was fun classified.
That haggle for every inch of seat, funny gossips with fellow passengers, and Pradeep’s arduous yet abortive effort to get a girl's phone number made the trip worth remembering. 

We travelled to Rishikesh by train. We boarded Mussoorie Express from Old Delhi at 10:20PM, and reached Haridwar at 05:20 in the morning.

The city of lords, as Haridwar is fondly billed, greeted us with a picturesque dawn. Surrounded by misty Himalayan hills and crisscrossed by Holy river Ganga, Haridwar is widely revered for its religious and cultural significance.

A short walk from the Railway Station is Walmiki Chauk, from where you can get autos/buses for Rishikesh. The journey from Rishikesh to Haridwar is pretty gorgeous. You pass by breathtaking vistas of lofty hills, green forests, and small gushing streams. Being deprived of sleep, my eyes were twinkling. But the scenery was too fantastic to be missed. While passing through Raja Ji Tiger Reserve (about 6kms from Haridwar), I even saw a herd of deer grazing, and heard elephants trumpeting. We reached Rishikesh at 7:30.

Rishiskesh: The Shimmering Ganga, laid-back Life, and the Spectacular Himalayas… A Perfect Escape for City Infested Souls!

The clear blue sky casts a spellbinding glow on the imposing Himalayan mountains, while the gleaming Ganga seems to shower all the blessings on this relatively smaller city of Uttarakhand.

Lush green mountains and the morning fog make me remind of those tranquil villages from fairytales. As our driver led us up to Shivpuri, I was completely lost in the trance exuded by the majestic mountains above and fierce River Ganga below. Soulful tunes were echoed from the surrounding valleys, leaving an indelible imprint on the mind and soul. We were 10 people in the jeep, and I am pretty sure all were thrilled to the hilt.

The driver was exceptionally skillful, but his ultra-fast and furious driving was enough to send shivers down our spine. By the time we reached at the rafting spot, it was 11:30AM. The atmosphere was fascinating, as we feasted on the views of the shinning mountains, trying to forget the terror-struck night on the train.
After relaxing a bit, we were set off to roar… Yes it was the time… time for rafting, time for a tryst with furious, pulsating waves of one India’s longest and extremely violent rivers- GANGA.

We geared up – life jacket and helmet was on!

A long oar was handed over to everyone to paddle the raft.

And then Gopal, our rafting instructor, started his instructions.

these were more a warning than instructions.

Guys trust me, it was the most horrendous speech I have ever heard. He was telling us how to be safe if something unforeseen happen. After the speech ended, i looked at my fellow rafters and all looked terrified to the core. And then he asked two guys to lead the raft. Are you insane? After such a horrific lecture, you want us to lead the game. But there were two Haryanvi guys, who won’t want to miss any chance to show off their bravery. One was fit, but the other was – like the guy portrayed in the famous Kawa-biryani scene of Bollywood movie, Run. Now I was confused - should I pray for my life or we all should pray for the guy. Thankfully, Gopal recognized his enormous potentials and asked him to sit in the middle of the raft. Now we could focus on ourselves.

Real Thrill Begins… It is one thing to boat down even a gushing river, quite another to raft in the Ganga. It felt surreal and shivering at the same time, to voyage through the empathic current and high tides the river throws on you. The first challenge (rapid -I) came just after 500 meters from the starting point. Heart felt like it’s beating out of throat, as soon as the raft slashed high waves. Gopal was ordering his commands – forward, fast forwards, stop, close to the water, so on. And we were following him, very cautiously. Everyone was as obedient as those ‘Chasmis’ first-benchers from XII Science Class.

The best travel companion in my view is someone who pushes you out of your comfort zone – or in this case, lead the way through the fierce waves, on just a raft! I was glad to have company in Chirag. He, despite being the youngest in the group, showed the courage to lead us in this thrilling game. The second rapid came pretty soon, too. The current was so strong it almost blew us into the water. But we managed to cross it safely. Thereafter, we passed through many massive rapids – which were both scary and thrilling. Then came the slow current and the time to soak in the serene charm of Ganga.

 Enjoying the breathtaking views, rejuvenating in the chilled waters of Ganga, and shouting to our lungs out – we were in a world of our own. We also tried cliff jumping, body surfing and a few other exciting activities en route. Views of Ram-Jhula, Lakshman-Jhula and many temples on either bank of the river were spectacular too.

Best time for Rishikesh Rafting is from April to Early May.

Rafting Cost: About 400INR per person, or less depending on the rush. You can also opt for a package including camping, trekking, bonfire and other activities. Cost for the package ranges from INR1400 pp to 1800, again depending up the season.

Accommodation: There is a range of hotels to pick from.  Tariff starts from INR 500 per night and can be up to 5,000, depending on the facilities you seek.

Is it Risky? Yes it is dangerous when you pass through the rapids. But once you are done with them, you will enjoy a unique sense of triumph, plus of loads of fun-packed moments like below.