Rishikesh Adventure Tour – My Incredible Experience

We wanted to experience thrill. Real thrill. But what could have been a safe place for just us girls to visit, relax, and open ourselves to some adventure?

After hours of browsing through the internet for the best place in India for an adventurous vacation, my friend, Apoorva and I decided to choose Rishikesh. The ultimate destination that calls for escapade and screams for thrill, Rishikesh is situated in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas.

The city is associated with spirituality and adventure at the same time, making it a great place for all kinds of people and all ages as well. It is located in the Uttarakhand state of northern India.

With the internet flowing with pictures of Rishikesh with crowded temples on one hand and on the other with youngsters in orange safety jackets bouncing on the waves in rafting boats, one would not imagine this magnetic city to be anything other than a couple of temples, occupied with sadhus and bakhts, lined by the shore with views of twirling and twisting water rapids taking rafters up in the air and down in the water, creating white splashes in the far distance.

Rishikesh is, definitely, not just all this, but a great spot for a lot of wonderful activities, even for the atheists and the hydrophobic.

Rishikesh, being the number one spot for white-water rafting, attracts rafters from all over to experience this thrilling sport. Other than white-water rafting, one can experience cliff jumping, river crossing, rappelling, and rock climbing, bungee jumping, zip lining at Rishikesh. One of the most interesting activities, quite popular among youngsters, is camping. Camping is a great way to interact with nature and connect with the charismatic charm of the Himalayas. Rishikesh offers a great backdrop of the mighty snow covered mountains, giving the whole area a splendid appeal.

Once we reached Rishikesh, we were taken to our camps. After some quick snacks we were taken for rafting. As I saw the white rapids, my heart started to beat faster with excitement as well as fear. We were given jackets to wear and told to go on Boat Ganga 2. Rafting was not just a thrilling experience but one that will change you forever. The adrenaline that rushes to your head makes you wonder about the miracle that life is and how adventure is the best thing one can experience. I have always heard that there is success beyond fear, and that day I felt it too. Before sitting on the boat I was literally shivering with fear, but once the boat started to bounce on the rapids I didn’t have time to think about it at all. I wanted to enjoy what I thought may be the last boat ride of my life, luckily it wasn’t. As the rapids increased and water got naughtier, three of us fell off the boat, including me. I panted for breath, but before I could realise I was pulled up again on the boat. “Whoa! That was awesome!” was, unexpectedly, my thought once I gathered my breath again.

After rafting, we went for rock climbing and cliff jumping. These activities require you to use your core strength and courage. We were asked to climb a high rock and were supposed to make a free fall in the river. I succeeded to climb the rock but opted out for the jump. Cliff jumping requires one to jump from a 30 feet high cliff. Though the adventure sport seems interesting enough to compel anyone to try it, my acrophobia stopped me. We returned to our camp and enjoyed games and music by the campfire.

One of the most amazing holidays, Rishikesh gave me the much needed break from the hustles and bustles of busy city lives and hectic job schedules. The awe-inspiring backdrop of the Himalayas, the serenity of the Ganga, the tasty prasad from the mandirs, and most of all happy youngsters make Rishikesh an amazing holiday spot.