Adventure Tourism in Nepal: A River Rafting Challenge

Nothing can prepare you for the exhilaration of adventure tourism in Nepal which involves river rafting. The land is exquisitely poised between high peaks and lush vegetation. One gets the feeling that it is more than just gravity which impels the foaming water downwards and forwards. It is almost as though the water has a frenzied purpose as it spares nothing in its torrential march towards the plains of the Indian heartland.

Much of the attraction lies in the uncharted nature of river rafting in Nepal. It truly takes adventure tourism to new heights as your equipment, kits and raw courage are all put to extreme tests in contortions, elevations and runs that seem designed by one of the fierce idols which grace the myriad temples in this mysterious land. Nepal caters for raw adventure tourism rather than the neatly packaged products we find on the North American continent. There are many tributaries which are relatively unknown from a river rafting perspective, and it is possible for a brave enthusiast to even emerge as a pioneer!

Nepal has no shortage of local guides when it comes to trekking and mountaineering, but river rafting is relatively unknown. There are some sanitized runs managed by skilled operators, but the main adventure tourism product in Nepal caters to those highly skilled in this extreme sport-and somewhat foolhardy as well! Fortunately, the river banks make for top camping sites, and the village folk will always welcome visitors and guests with open arms. So if the river you have decided to take on appears in an especially vicious mood, then you can always snooze in the welcome sunshine and carry home a few staged snapshots and fanciful stories home! We promise not to tell!

The Kosi, the Narayani and the Karnali are Nepal’s principal rivers. They all lead to the Holy Ganges which finally reaches the Bay of Bengal with the mighty Brahmaputra from the plains between India and Myanmar. It is one of the world’s mightiest and most enchanting river systems, and holds worlds of secrets waiting to be discovered!