Rishikesh has the Ganges to thank


for its popularity. It is regarded by Hindus as the holiest river, and pilgrims flock here to bathe in the waters. Since the arrival of the Beatles at an ashram 50 years ago, it has also been India’s self-styled yoga capital. So it’s hardly surprising that I’m here


for a dip in the Ganges – although not for religious reasons. Instead, I’m rafting from a village high above Rishikesh towards its centre. This stretch of river is now lined with adventure camps and boutique hotels, including my base, Raga on the Ganges, where a cluster of cosy huts perches on the riverbank. The two-hour journey from


SAMPLE PRODUCT


Virgin Atlantic offers flights


from Heathrow to Delhi from £375 return.


virginatlantic. com


Exodus offers a 14-night


Darjeeling, Sikkim & the Singalila Ridge trip, which


includes a visit to Darjeeling, a ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and a


trek to Singalila Ridge. From


£2,249 per person including flights from London. exodus.co.uk


Intrepid Travel’s 11-night Hike,


Bike and Raft tour includes rafting in Rishikesh and a trek to


Uttarakhand’s Deoria Tal lake. From £1,436,


excluding flights. intrepidtravel. com/uk


60 travelweekly.co.uk 20 September 2018


LEFT: Windamere Hotel, Darjeeling


Dehradun airport isn’t for the faint- hearted. At times there is just a crumpled barrier between my taxi and the vertiginous drop to the river, and the air is filled with the blasts of horns as drivers of dinghy-topped SUVs whiz along the mountain roads. The village I’m staying in, Singthali, is quiet and crowd-free. In the morning I’m woken by shivering monkeys, damp from being in the Ganges, tapping on my window. Lizards scuttle away as I head to breakfast in a dining room that has breathtaking river views. Unsurprisingly, the most popular activities are water-based. At Jumpin’ Heights, self-described as India’s first extreme adventure zone, visitors can bungee jump over the Ganges or fly above it on a three-person zip line.


Since the arrival of the Beatles at an ashram 50 years ago, Rishikesh has been India’s self-styled yoga capital


There’s plenty for land lubbers too, including treks to local temples and to the waterfalls trickling through the Shivalik mountains. Rafting, however, is the biggest


draw. The rapids generally fall within categories one to four. During my two-hour rafting excursion, I drift past sandy beaches, beneath bouncing rope bridges and past orange robe- wearing sadhus (holy men), before taking a dip in the surprisingly chilly waters of the Ganges. On the advice of my guide, I


navigate the final set of rapids from outside the boat, holding onto the rope wrapped around the dinghy’s edge as we float towards Rishikesh. It may be chilly, but I think I’ve discovered my new favourite mode of transport.


w DARJEELING AND WEST BENGAL Don’t fancy a dunking? Those who prefer dry land will love Darjeeling in West Bengal. Close to the


Nepalese border, it’s a town built on mountaineering. At Darjeeling’s Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, built to honour sherpa Tenzing Norgay, there’s a museum filled with examples of the scarily basic equipment used by Everest’s first conquerors. It takes four hours to get there


from Bagdogra airport – itself a two- hour flight from Delhi – to Darjeeling. Nearing the city, I spot the Unesco- listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, with its colourful steam train chugging along the narrow track. Although there’s a similar railway in the Himachal Pradesh town of Shimla, this one has the world’s second-highest station, and a ride is a highlight of many northern Indian tours. They include Explore’s Inside the Hidden Kingdoms tour, which also stops at the Bhutanese rafting hotspot of Punakha. Much of Darjeeling (including several schools and tea plantations), was built by the British. Reminders are everywhere, from the red postboxes to Glenary’s Bakery, with its old-fashioned telephone box and homemade pastries. My base, the Windamere Hotel


TOP TIP


For more information, visit adventures unlimited.in or ragaonthe ganges.com


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