The Kali river expedition is a great introduction to white-water kayaking or rafting in India. It is ideal for kayakers who want to go on holiday with friends who have no kayaking experience, they can raft instead. The picturesque rafting holiday has long rapids with fun wave trains followed by relaxing flat sections making it a very safe river. The river forms the border between India and Nepal. Typically we have lunch in Nepal and then set up camp on a large sandy beach in India. The river is full of fish including the impressive Himalayan Mahseer. If you catch one, we will cook it. There is great wildlife in the area and you may be lucky enough to spot leopard, bear, elephant, monkey and some of the 500 different species of bird.
This river expedition is ideal for class III kayakers, novice rafters or those with no pervious experience who want to try inflatable kayaks.
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi - Overnight train to Kathgodam.
Arrive in Delhi airport. Transfer from the airport to the hotel. Spend the afternoon and evening relaxing in your hotel room or taking in the sights of Delhi. Evening transfer to the train station for the overnight sleeper train to Kathgodam at 22.40. We travel by A/C sleeper train, the best and most comfortable way to travel overland in India.
Day 2: Kathgodam to Pithoragarh: 7 hrs
Enjoy the beautiful views of the Panchuli region as we drive seven hours to Pithoragarh. We pass through many villages, towns and forests rich in flora and fauna, stopping along the way for photo opportunities and plenty of chai (sweet milky Indian tea). Overnight hotel in Pithoragarh.
Day 3: Pithoragarh to Jauljibi: 5/6 hrs
An early 2 hour drive today brings us to Jauljibi, the confluence of the Kali and Kali Ganga rivers. Following a river and safety briefing we start with some easy class II white-water. This is followed by some fun class III white-water with big wave trains. We cover about 20km today before stopping for the day just upstream of Jhulaghat. Overnight camp.
Day 4: Above to Below Jhulaghat: 3/4 hrs
More good rapids on today’s section. We see some beautiful limestone pillars, built up over centuries by dripping water. In the early evening we set up camp by the river and after a short hike to a nearby village (optional) return to the river for dinner. Overnight remote beach camp.
Day 5: Below Jhulaghat to Pancheshwar: 4/5 hrs
The quality of the white-water improves today, but so will your skills. Later we reach the convergence of the Kali and the Saryu rivers at Pancheshwar. This is a favoured fishing spot for the people of the district who use traditional boats. We set up camp near here and enjoy a leisurely evening.
Day 6: Pancheshwar to Giant Beach: 5 hrs
The white-water gets more demanding as the rapids get larger and more frequent. The day is marked by a good wilderness section and thick jungle. Overnight camp.
Day 7: Raft to Chooka: 4 hrs
Today we raft for about 20 km building up to a great class IV rapid called Chooka. This is the strongest section of white water on the Kali, with many diagonal waves and holes to negotiate. We set up camp after this and, sitting around the campfire in the evening we relive the day's adventures.
Day 8: Chooka to Boom to Kathgodam: 6 hrs
On our final day of Kali rafting we paddle through more first class rapids surrounded by dense jungle. We may see a herd of wild elephant fording the Kali. At Boom we leave the river and transfer to Kathgodam and catch the sleeper train to Delhi.
Day 9: Arrive Delhi
Arrive in Delhi in the early morning. Transfer from the train station the international airport in time for your flight home. Trip ends.
Note: Please contact us for sightseeing in Delhi, or a trip to the Taj Mahal at the start or end of this trip. We can also tailor this trip with a trek or wildlife safari.
All itineraries exclude international flight days. The duration of this trip is calculated from Delhi back to Delhi again.
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