Himalayan Holidays Nepal

Itinerary

• Day 01: ARRIVAL IN KATHMANDU
  
  Arrive in Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, meet Himalayan Holidays representative, assist and transfer to the hotel. At the hotel’s lobby welcome refreshments will be served and room check in assistance provided. Eve: Pre-departure briefing at the hotel followed by Nepali welcome dinner.
  
  Overnight at hotel.
• Day 02: DRIVE TO DOLALGHAT & START RAFTING
  
  After breakfast, start 3 hours (57km) scenic drive to Dolalghat on the way to Tibet via Ariniko Highway. En route stop at Dhulikhel, which is 30 km east of Kathmandu to view the eastern Himalayas including Mt. Everest (weather permitting). Shortly afterwards, continue drive for another 1& ½ hour to Dolalghat - our put in point.
  
  After lunch at a sandy beach of Sunkoshi River, our river guides will furnish us various safety instructions, demonstrate and explain the finer points on how to paddle through whitewater and stay in the raft as it bucks and contorts through rapids. Your guide is a professional, someone who has devoted their life to learning and running rivers. Under his or her careful indoctrination, the raft crew learns how to work as a team, practicing on the numerous smaller rapids we encounter on the first two days of the river. Finally, the guides sort equipments, inflate the rafts and the first day of our raft starts in the “River of Gold” initially starting with small rapids. By the late afternoon, we will stop at Timal Besi for our overnight stay at camp.
  
  Overnight camp at Timal Besi.
• Day 03: 2ND DAY RAFTING IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  
  The gathered villagers shall cheer you as you drift away slowly gathering momentum. Continue down the river slowly encountering the technical rapids at the base of a vertical wall, called Kuhe Bhir, strewn with rooks and boulders, hence, considerable care is needed. However the raft in this section of river can be taken as a warm up river experience.
  
  Our 2nd night will be spent just below the junction of the Roshi Khola, a small tributary of the Sunkoshi near the village of Dumja.
  
  Overnight camp on confluence of the Roshi & Koshi Rivers.
• Day 04: 3RD DAY RAFTING IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  
  The morning will be as usual, after breakfast, we continue down the river hitting the rapids passing en route the fishing village of Kodaris’ and the Chamera Bhir where we can see hundreds of bats screaming and clinging to the walls of the cliffs. After some hours run, we stop at Thanga Khola, a beautiful Newari village with rural settlement.
  
  Here we can explore the houses displaying intricate woodcarvings for which the Newars are famous. In the afternoon, as we pass the confluence of the Tama Koshi (Copper River), we can find a small temple inhabited by hermit in a wall above the river. A visit to this temple stirs spiritual sensitivity. After some hours of good fun filled rapids we hit Khunkot where we camp for the night.
  
  Overnight camp at Khunkot.
• Day 05: 4TH DAY RAFTING IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  
  Today, the canyon changes, the ridges begin to close and the vegetation becomes thicker. We float through an interesting geological area, and encounter a number of small and medium size rapids. This afternoon, we will stop on a beach like an ox-bow section of the river and camp at Likhu Khola. Camping here is awesome. The massive floods of the monsoon deposit huge tracks of pure white sand along the river creating ideal campsites. Swimming, fishing, sun bathing or just relaxing on a warm beach with a good book can be your favorite activities.
  
  Overnight stay at camp at Likhu Khola.
• Day 06: 5TH DAY RAFTING IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  
  Today, we pass through deep gorges punctuated with exciting rapids unfolding pleasant floats and continue through a mass of interesting rock formations. To the observer they are a bewildering example of complex and dynamic forces. They may see lifeless just as so many rocks but the truth is they record history in motion. The white water picks up today near the village of Harkapur and we pass through one of the largest rapids of the trip “The Harkapur”.
  
  The other rapids are Punch & Jut, High Anxiety, Motorcycle besides Harkapur 1, 2 & 3 !! As we pass troops of Langur and Rhesus monkeys can be seen romping along the riverbanks. Later, we will camp near the confluence of Dudh Koshi, which flows from the Khumbu Glaciers and Ice Falls at the foot of Mt. Everest.
  
  Overnight camp near the confluence of Dudh Koshi River.
• Day 07: 6TH DAY RAFTING IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  Today is one of the most exciting and challenging days of the trip encountering some very demanding rapids where you will witness the skills of our river guides. Below the Dudh Koshi, the river widens and flows through a broad valley, fans of sand gravel spill into the river from side canyons. Floating past the confluence of the Dudh Koshi, we hit the last rapid for the day, 'Roller Coaster' a hair rising rapid and finally reach Raj Ghat for overnight camp.
  
  Overnight camp at Raj Ghat.
  
  Note: A one day trek to Mount Everest view point is also possible when camping by Raj Ghat for one whole day.
• Day 08: 7TH DAY RAFTING IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  
  Distinctive vegetation welcomes you, as the river narrows into a group lines by thick forest, board leafed tress, ferns, mosses, bamboo and creepers along the river banks. Today’s trip demands team work and hard paddle as we encounter the Sap Su Khola, which is a rapid with the greatest drop Huge 'holes', 'eddies' and churning 'stopper waves'. When we stop for lunch at a sandy beach, you can take a chilled shower under a beautiful waterfall. It is a photographer’s paradise that offers scenic exclusivity. After lunch, the rest of the afternoon, we meander through the gorge while enjoying the surrounding sceneries. Tonight we camp on a broad beach by a waterfall, about four hundred feet in height.
  
  Overnight camp at Broad Beach.
• Day 09: 8TH DAY RAFTING IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  
  We take the rapids again and pass several Ghats, which are the major crossings from Terai to the Mountains. The main trail connects the east-west highway, one-day walk from the Sunkoshi Bungshilaghat. En route we can mainly find the rural settlements of the ethnic group called Kirantis. We continue down, as the river spreads wide but seems less agitated as it confines between steep cliffs and gorges. Tonight we camp near the confluence of the Sapta Koshi River, the Arun and the Tamur River, which is called the Tribenighat.
  
  Overnight camp at Tribenighat.
• Day 10: FINAL DAY IN THE SUNKOSHI RIVER.
  
  Today the whole stretch is a mixture of fun filled rapids and calm undulating floats, you are somewhat relived, yet sad that the trip is coming to an end, “All good things ultimately do……………”. Below Tribenighat, we’ll stop at Baraha Chattara – the famous Hindu Temple, where thousands of Hindu pilgrims meet at the temple to worship the full moon day each year during the month of January. We will end our trip eventually and lunch at Chattara. Shortly afterwards, get into a waiting vehicle and start the hour long drive to Biratnagar and check in at a nice hotel for refreshments, much deserved rest, hot shower and a real bed.
  
  Overnight at hotel.
• Day 11: FLY BACK TO KATHMANDU.
  
  After breakfast, transfer to Biratnagar’s domestic airport to board the 45 minutes scenic flight back to Kathmandu and transfer to hotel. Free afternoon for last minute shopping, packing, sightseeing, etc. Farewell dinner at the famed Rum Doodle Restaurant & Bar.
  
  Overnight at hotel.
• Day 12: FINAL DEPARTURE.
  
  Free until final departure transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport.