Rafting in Nepal
We can say that Nepal is literally created by nature for extreme recreation. Stormy, full-flowing, mountain rivers of Nepal, originating in the Himalayas, are suitable for all types of extreme rafting, and primarily for rafting. You can also raft on kayaks or catamarans, and on other, more exotic rafting facilities. It can be a one-day recreational trip, or a multi-day trip along serious rivers. Mostly Nepalese rivers are full-flowing, and the rafting sections on them are not long.
You can raft from October to May, however, the best time is October-November. At this time, after the rainy season, the rivers become turbulent, and the water in them is high, while the air remains warm. From late December to early February, the water level in the rivers of Nepal is low, there is little rainfall, but it is cool and the water in the rivers becomes cold. From late February to early April, the water in the rivers is warm, the water level is low, but frequent fogs can interfere.
According to Barblejewelry.com, one of the most popular among the simple rafting routes runs along the Trisuli River (category 2-3, raftable rivers can be assigned categories from 1 to 6 depending on the complexity). The length of the rafting section from Devighat to Mugling is only 86 km, the rafting can take 3-4 days. One-day trips are also possible on this river. The Prithvi highway runs along the river, connecting Kathmandu with Pokhara. On the shore there are equipped campsites. The village of Devighat is located near the Lantang National Park, and from Mugling you can get to the Chitwan National Park. So rafting on Trisuli is often combined with visiting parks.
One of the shortest and most easily accessible rafting routes is along the Bhote Koshi River. The rafting takes 1-2 days, along the river there is the Arniko highway, connecting Kathmandu with Tibet. Near Lamasangu on Bhote Koshi, a hydroelectric power plant was installed, which divides it into two parts. In the upper part there are water obstacles of 5-6 difficulty category. Below the dam, the rafting section to Dolalghat is easy and suitable for beginners. Another short and easy route (2-3 difficulty categories) runs along the Seti River. The Seti River originates in the glaciers of the Annapurna massif and the mountain lakes fed by them. The rafting starts at Damauli from the river’s junction with the highway connecting Kathmandu to Pokhara, about 25 km from Pokhara. You can finish the rafting in Narayan Ghat near Bharatpur and the Chitwan National Park, after Seti merges with Trisuli and Kali Gandaki. In the west of Nepal for a simple and short rafting, the Bheri river (categories 2-3) is suitable. The transfer is carried out from the city of Nepalung by car, you can fly there or drive there (in 2 days) from Kathmandu. The rafting ends in Chisapani, located on the outskirts of the royal reserve of Bardiya.
Longer routes are usually more difficult. In addition, white water lovers can combine routes along different rivers, quickly moving from one river to another in the same area. In the west, the Karnali River is of interest.(category 4-5), it can be reached on foot in 3 days from Jumla (the airport is located there) or in 2 days by car. A rafting section of 232 km long can be covered in 5 days, the end point of the journey is in Chisapani, from where you can get by car to Nepalung.
In the central part of Nepal, the two most popular routes are along the rivers Kali-Gandaki and Marsyangdi (4-5 category). It is more convenient to get to both rivers from Pokhara, the rafting takes 3-4 days. You can raft along Kali Gandaki from Tatopani (a village in the foothills of Annapurna) to Narayan Ghat. On Marsyangdi, you can start from Besisagar or climb upstream on foot. Finish in Mugling or also in Narayan Ghat.
Interesting rivers in eastern Nepal – San Koshi, Arun, Tamor – flow down from the glaciers of the famous eight-thousanders – Shisha Pangma (Tibet), Makalu and Kanchenyuga (Nepal), respectively. Rafting on the Arun (categories 4-5) starts in the upper reaches, from the airport in Tumlingtar you need to make a three-day trekking through the Arun valley. The rafting itself takes about 4 days and ends already on the Sapti Koshi River in the village of Chatara near Dharan and Dhankuta. Rafting on San Koshi (obstacles 4-6 difficulty) can be started at Dolalghat or combined with rafting on Bhote Koshi, in time it will take 7-9 days. You can finish again in Chatara. Journey through Tamora begins with a 4-day trekking, during which a beautiful view of the eight-thousanders of Makalu and Kanchenyuga opens up. The rafting section is 120 km, difficulty category 4-5, finish in Chatar.
Rivers in Nepal, having a category of difficulty above 4, require preliminary preparation and experience in extreme rafting.
