River Rafting is a wonderful adventure sport that takes us from the great heights of the Himalayas to the plains of India. The states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarancal, Maharashtra and Karnataka are ideal destinations to enjoy river rafting in India. India is a land that offers myriad experiences to tourists. There are many places that are largely unexplored and which when properly tapped the tourism industry will blossom further.
DANDELI
Dandeli, in Karnataka, is an ideal destination for rafters. Located about 125 km from Goa, Dandeli is gaining popularity. A large number of rivers originate from Western Ghats, and Dandeli being located at a close proximity is blessed with River Kali. The best season to visit this Dandeli is between October and May.
Kali is a short and swift river located in North Karnataka on the borders of Maharashtra and Goa. It moves towards west and serves as an excellent white water rafting location. River Rafting is one of the most adventurous sports at Dandeli. The first and second rapids are the most important and are named ‘Adi’s Beard’ and ‘The Stitch’ respectively. The other rapids located at river Kali are the Smugglers’ Trove, Stanley’s Squeeze, etc. Overnight rafting trips are available here. The nearest cities from where you can reach Dandeli are:
Bangalore – 470 km
Pune – 465 km
The nearest airport available is in Goa
The other activities available at Dandeli are Overnight Camping, Rappelling, Bird sighting and Jungle Safari in an open jeep.
For the sheer excitement of rafting in the river Kali you will surely keep coming to Dandeli again and again!
Coorg
If you thought the misty mountains and the best coffee flavors are all that Coorg offers then you were wrong, there is more. You can experience white water rafting in Coorg!
Coorg has slowly but surely evolved from merely being a haven for those on the look out for a summer respite, into one of the most sought after river rafting destinations. 250 kilo meters away from Bangalore, it is easy to make an unplanned Coorg rafting adventure trip. Located in southern Karnataka, this area is naturally endowed with the topography that is conducive to the south-west monsoon effectively finding their way into rain-fed streams and rivers, which in turn are ideal for rapids suitable for white water rafting.
River Barapole is one such river that is born in south of Coorg , and empties into the Arabian Sea after flowing through the state of Kerala. The Upper Barapole River, given the right water conditions, is undoubtedly the top spot in South India for white water rafting. The outcome of these combined is several breath-taking water-falls along its course. The Barapole has two huge falls on its main course hidden away in the Brahmagiri Sanctuary and impossible to access in the monsoon, along with the Saaratabbi Falls on one of its tributaries that jumps from a height of 434 ft.
The fact that this river receives huge amounts of rainfall during the south-west monsoon ensures that it has a better flow than many other rivers that traverse the Western Ghats. That gives it the huge advantage of facilitating a rather extended season for rafting in Coorg – at least 4 months of ‘raft able’ water; from June to October.
The nearest airports are Bangalore (260 kilo meters) and Mangalore (135 kilo meters). The nearest rail-heads are at Mangalore, Mysore and Hassan (146 kilo meters). White water rafting in Coorg is not to be missed if you are a fan of this amazing sport.
Compiled by Vignesh Iyer
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