River Rafting in Kasol

1. Parvati River Rafting, Kasol- Flowing through the Parvati Valley, River Parvati is one of the best places to visit in Kasol and offers rafting. The ice-cold thundering water, picturesque landscapes of the valley makes this place exceptionally more beautiful than other places and makes the rafting a thrilling and once in a lifetime experience.

The best season to go for rafting is during the early summer season, in April -May and post-monsoon that is September to mid-November but before winters starting.

2. Parvati– Beas River Confluence, Kullu - Located approximately 50 km away from Kasol, being a nearby destination offering various adventurous activities attracts major tourists from Kasol. The rafting in Kullu is also seasonal but adventurous with grade II & III level rapids.

The rafting passages here require precise maneuvering and high irregular waves with piercing cold water. The rafting season here begins at the end of April to June and mid-September to mid-October.

3. Beas River, Manali– Manali is one of the major tourist destinations in north India and offers a wide range of adventurous activities like Skiing, paragliding, snowboarding, snow surfing, and ice skating.

Manali also possesses some of the best rafting stretches available in north India and is a must-try sport. The rafting covers around 20 km stretch in Manali with easy to moderate rapids. The ideal time to go for rafting in Beas River at Manali is in June & July.

The best season to go for rafting is during the early summer season, in April - May and post-monsoon that is September to mid-November but before winters starting. Summer season witnesses maximum crowds for rafting as the temperature goes high, it does make rafting in the ice cold water more fun.

Summer season is also the best time to plan a trip to Kasol far from the rising temperature across India. The weather gets pleasing and makes exploring the village and liveliness becomes just ideal for a great vacation. Though, the early winter is a good time to plan a trip to Kasol for trekking, hiking and short stretch rafting.

The rafting at Kullu offers moderate to difficult rapids in grade II & III.

Rafting in Kullu and Manali is a great spot for experts or for beginners. The Kasol rafting at Parvati river offers basic – grade I level rapids. The starting point is from Pirdi near Manali and goes through various spots like Bajaura, Sarabai, Bhuntal, Shamsi, Mohal, Raisol and Katrain.

At the beginning from Pirdi to roughly Sarabai there will be some Grade I easy and fun rapids but there will be many obstacles lying on the way while rafting in the Beas River with unpredictable waves and high rise foamy water.

Rafting in Manali has a basic level 1 grade easy rapids. However, if rafting in the River Ganga in Rishikesh the rapids go from basic levels to Challenging- Grade lies between I and IV.

Rafting with easy rapids is comparatively easy and required one to be healthy and fit as the paddling gets easier. But, rafting in the fast-flowing river with difficult to challenging levels of rapids will require a long period of paddling, great stamina, and cardiovascular strength is a must.

One should be healthy and should not have fatigue, cold, fever, or flu since the ice-cold water makes the situation worse. It is also important to plan the trip considering the weather conditions as it will increase the chances of falling sick due to sudden increase in the temperature or instant physical activity.

The cost for rafting varies from INR 1800 to INR 2500 which includes pickup and drop from the camp or the pickup point and the life jackets and basic training guidance. If one wants to shoot the entire experience the charges for the same will be additional.

Yes, it is not necessary to know how to swim to enjoy the adventurous and fun rafting. All the participants get the life jacket and there is always 1 to 2 instructors navigate and handle the entire rafting route to ensure safety.

One should carry the below items while going for rafting:

-Carry a quick-dry clothing and an extra pair of clothing if needed post rafting.
-Sturdy footwear with straps and no flip – flops.
-Sunglasses with a retainer strap.
-Carry a zip lock bag to keep your phone and wallet safe.
-If the forecast is for a bright sunny day, carry a sun protection lotion.
-Avoid all cotton clothing or jewelry or accessories.

Children of the age of 14 years of above can only participate in the rafting. If the elderly participants are suffering from some diseases or have low stamina, it will not be advisable to opt for rafting. Otherwise, during rafting, all the necessary precautions are taken care of so everyone above 14 years can indulge and enjoy it.

The life jackets provide the needed safety but one needs to stay calm. When the fallout of the raft, quickly grab for the side of the raft handle or grab the raft safety rope till some will pull you in the raft. Also, when being pulled in the raft face the rescuer and raft and pulled face up first.