White water rafting is cruising down a rushing river in an inflatable rubber raft or white water kayak over crashing waves and swirling rapids for the excitement of a lifetime. Nepal is one of the best places in the world for rafting and Kayaking. Nepal has earned a reputation as one of the best destinations in the world for white water rafting. No other country has such a choice of multi-day trips, away from roads, in such magnificent mountain surroundings, with warm rivers, a semi tropical climate, impressive geography, exotic cultures, wildlife and friendly welcoming people! Not only is rafting a great action adventure holiday, but it’s a great way to discover the beauty of this country through to a liquid highway. Nepal's thundering waters, coming from the glaciers of the mighty Himalaya, provide unmatched thrills for rafting and immersing oneself in the landscape.

Very few countries in the world are capable of competing with the exciting adventure of river trips available in Nepal. A series of the world's most outstanding river journeys ranging from steep, adrift mountain streams to classic and big - volume wilderness expeditions has made Nepal a river runner’s paradise. Nepal’s selection of rivers covers a range of grades, which accommodate everything from the ultimate adrenaline adventure, an action packed river ride to a fun family holiday. For the rafting purpose, rivers are graded on a scale of one to six depending on how wild they are. Four grades are considered to be quite challenging without being exceedingly dangerous to the novice rafter. Grade five requires some previous river experiences. The rivers all originate high up in the Himalaya and snake there way downwards through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. All these combinations of spectacular rivers, culture, heritage and scenery makes Nepal an obvious river runner's destination.

Rafting Grade:

River difficulty classification:

When paddling through white water you use an international system to rate the difficulty of water and rapids. Think that even if this system is international the system can be used a little different in different parts of the world. The Himalayan Rivers are big volume and steep so even if you are a solid class III paddler, you might find the class III white water in Nepal a bit harder than the rivers of your homeland.

White water rafting is negotiating river rapids and obstacles in an inflatable rubber boat with a team of up to eight people and a river guide. Rivers are graded from easy to near-impossible according to their size, the intensity of their rapids and the difficulties that may affect rescue attempts.

Class I: Waves are generally quite small; passages clear of any major obstacles

Class II: Rapids can be moderately complex, however, passages remain clear.

Class III: Rapids are longer, and markedly more powerful. Paddlers are required to manoeuvre through forceful and irregular currents, past rocks and holes. The paddling is genuinely challenging.

Class IV: Very difficult, very long rapids; dangerous rocks and powerful waves and currents, boiling eddies mean that powerful manoeuvring is required. This kayaking is for the thrill seekers.

Class V: Extremely difficult, violent and long rapids follow each other with little interruption; a severely obstructed riverbed with big drops; steep gradient and violent currents. This is paddling for the very experienced kayakers.

When to go:
The best times for rafting are September to early December and March to early June. September to October and May to June can be extremely high monsoon run-off. At this time only experienced rafting company with an intimate knowledge of the river operates the excursion. From the mid-October onwards the weather is settled and this is one of the most popular times to raft. In December many rivers become too cold to enjoy, a time to consider a shorter trips. From June to August the monsoon rains arrive and the river flows become 10 times the low - water flows.

Raft Numbers:
There should be a minimum of two rafts per trip. If anybody does fall out of a raft, the second one can help with the rescue. In high water three rafts is safer than two and also many rafters prefer one or two professional kayak's to run the most difficult rapids on the river. Always remember to check how many people have booked and paid for a trip, and the maximum number that will be taken. If you are the only person booked, you are not going to have enough people to run a safe trip.

Organizing Rafting And Kayaking Trip:
If you are going for an organized rafting trip, all the necessary permits and your company will arrange equipment. You only need light cotton clothing. You may also need to bring sun hat, swim - suit, sunscreens and light shoes or sandals. For overnight trips a sleeping bag is necessary and can easily be hired.

Nepal Rafting Packages