Well, a trip too many in the May month. A few good pointers for the travelers here:
Rishikesh:
- Any time is a good time to go to Rishikesh. Though, those preferring lower temperatures like Europeans who are traveling to India usually are in Rishikesh from November until mid March, before returning back to Dharamshala / McLeod Ganj in the summer months.
But if you are looking for some adventure like rafting, mid March to mid June is when the season lasts.
- Rafting can be a lot of fun in the Ganges. There are quite a few options when it comes to rafting routes. Most of the companies offer the 16 km rafting from Shivpuri to just before Laxman Jhula. The longer ones start right from the river side camp locations. Some companies end their trips after Ram jhula, which means these trips offer complete view of the ghats and the settlements in Rishikesh. Which companies do so is still to be found out.
Mid March to mid April is a little early for rafting if you don't like cold water. Mid April to end May would be a great time to raft. Starting June it might be too dangerous with the monsoons setting in.
Children below 12 years of age are not recommended to raft, but enthusiastic folks can have their kids board the raft at Brahmpuri for the final 8 km of the route as there are no big rapids post this.
- Camping by the Ganges is a great option irrespective of you wanting to raft. The water is cold and clean. The beaches are mostly white sand beaches which can offer lot of enjoyment to kids and adults alike.
Weekends are real rush time when it might be tough to get a reservation. Though in any case reservations should be available two weeks in advance. The camps close to Shivpuri are much more occupied. The ones beyond that might offer more solitude. Weekdays are quiet than weekends.
April might be the best month for camping with the day temperatures not soaring too high. But if you are camping in the month of May, then you can choose to raft in the day time to beat the heat.
- There are other options for accommodation too. There are hotels on the other side of Ganga close to Laxman Jhula, than there is about a km of lean patch before there are some nice hotels near Ram jhula, behind Parmarth Niketan, next to Geeta Bhavan Swargasharam, again on the other side of the river. These hotels offer low rent rates and some wonderful international cuisine owing to the large number of foreigners coming to stay in the winter months.
There are few resorts too available which I would say claim to be by the river, but nothing beats the beaches in this regard. And nothing beats the tiny hotels on the other side of the river if you want a decent cheap stay and great food. For those interested Green hotel is one such hotel with great Italian food.
- Now how do you get to the other side. Either you park your vehicle and take a hike across the river on one of the Jhulas or cross the river with your vehicle at Brahmpuri, after Rishikesh, or barrage before Rishikesh. If you are coming from Roorkee, on the way from Delhi, you can take the bridge across Ganges just before entering the busy Haridwar, at the first round about, to avoid busy streets and take the nicer road in Rajaji national park to the other side of Rishikesh. This road, I guess, is closed in the rainy season as one needs to cross a river bed at one place.
- The best time to start driving from Gurgaon to Rishikesh is before 5 am. At this hour it would take just 4 hours of noon stop driving time to get to Haridwar entrance. It might take an hour more from here if you take the national park route.
So have a great trip. Might keep myself to the next post to write about Chandigarh, Chail and Kasauli.
Till then, Au Revoir!
