ADVENTUROUS ACTIVITIES IN INDIA

Trekking

India, with the glorious Himalayas in the North, is considered one of the best trekking destinations in the whole world. The Himalayan ranges offer trekkers everything from snow clad mountains to lush green valleys and from rugged and unexplored routes to high picturesque passes. Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim are some of the region’s most preferred destinations for trekking by foreign and domestic trekkers alike. Besides rejoicing the tranquil beauty and harshness of the nature, trekkers who flock the trek routes in different parts of India also relish the diverse culture and heritage of the country.

Paragliding

If you wish to catch a bird’s eye view of Nature, there is nothing better than paragliding. Paragliding is an internationally recognized flying sport which has steadily caught pace in India too. The convenience and simplicity of paragliding has made it possible for an adventurer and a common man to experience the thrill of flying. Billing in Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh, Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Bedni Bugyal in Uttarakhand, Nandi Hills in Kolar District of Karnataka, Pawana in Kamshet, Maharashtra are some of the best paragliding locations in India. Tourists from around the world and across India flock in to the aforementioned place to enjoy paragliding.

White Water Rafting

White water rafting or simply rafting is a challenging extreme and at times, a leisure sport which has become a preferred adventure sport activity for adrenaline junkies in India. The challenging recreational activity requires adventurers to slip into an inflatable raft and navigate the rough waters in the rapidly flowing river. Rishikesh in Uttarakhand is the most preferred destination for white water rafting in India. Rafting is done here on the Ganga River. Besides Rishikesh, adventurers also love River Rafting on Zanskar River in Ladakh, on Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh, on Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand and on the Teesta River in Sikkim & Darjeeling.

Skiing

Venturing out to snow clad places in winters is certainly the best thing for adventurers and tourists alike. Thus, all adventuring tourists have their winter calendar filled with some great skiing itinerary. Skiing is a fun filled recreational activity and competitive sport which is catching up in India (as more and more domestic tourists are also adapting the sport) at a very fast pace.  Some of the most famous ski destinations in India include Gulmarg and Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, Manali, Narkanda and Chamba region in Himachal Pradesh, Auli, Munsiyari and Mundali in Uttarakhand and Lachung and Yumthang in Sikkim.

Snorkeling and Scuba diving

India is blessed with a vast and beautiful coastline, stretching thousands of kilometers right from the West to the South up to the East. The coastline has hundreds of islands and beaches that allow visitors to enjoy the fascinating marine life offering scuba diving and Snorkeling opportunities. Visitors preferring to explore the beautiful marine like underwater can scuba dive, while others not preferring to dive deep can enjoy the colorful coral reefs and beautiful marine life Snorkeling. Some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling destinations in India include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Goa and the Bay of Bengal.

Wildlife Safari

If you like wildlife and wish to get up close and personal with wild animals, National Parks and Sanctuaries in India are the best place to be. A safari (drive) through the National Parks to spot wild animals is referred to as wildlife safari. This is a fun-packed adventure you can carry out with friends and family. A wildlife safari in a National Park is the best experience one can have of sighting the rarest of rare animals in their natural habitat. A wildlife safari is the best way to sight wild animals roaming freely as they would in the wild. Because there are so many National Parks, famous in their own way for different wildlife – you have to base your itinerary wisely depending on what animals or birds you want to see.  Some places for amazing wildlife safari include the Ranthambhore National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Sasan-Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Kanha National Park and the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary.

Camping

Camping is a very fantastic outdoor recreational activity, which requires adventurers to move out of the hustle and bustle of their busy lives to a secluded world set by campers away in the picturesque locations. Camping may involve, tents, caravans, mobile homes or temporary wooden structures, but in the real term camping refers to the use of tents as a portable structure for staying away from home. There are campsites that have been set up by entrepreneurs around India, but there is another option that adventurers prefer when it comes to camping. Backpackers prefer trekking and hiking, carrying their own tents, and setting the tents up in remote areas in sites of choice. Because India has a very diverse natural beauty, one can find campsite everywhere from the mountainous regions of Leh Ladak, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and the desert in Rajasthan to the beaches in Goa.    

Mountaineering

Mountaineering is a sport for some and it is a hobby or profession for many. Whatever it is, it isn’t a joke, so just about anyone should not venture out for a mountaineering expedition. Mountaineering or the act of climbing mountains requires a specialized training – it requires experience of being in such high altitudes, a lot of athletic ability, technical knowledge and understanding to be successful and safe. Mountaineering gained fame as an activity of climbing high mountains to attempt to reach highest points; however, it is now sub-categorized into alpine mountaineering and expedition. While Alpine mountaineers climb medium-sized mountains – crossing glaciers, rivers and passes, the expedition mountaineers enhance on their alpine skills to beat higher altitudes, harsh weathers and treacherous tracks to scale peaks.

Water sports

There are many sports that are played in and on the water; these sporting activities are termed as water sports. Most of us are familiar with some of the water sports including swimming, diving, kayaking and rafting, but there are many more sports that you can indulge in and rejoice on or inside the waters. Indian has a large coastline, amazing beaches and swiftly flowing perennial rivers, which makes India a destination for almost all kinds of water sports. White water rafting, fishing and kayaking are some of the water sports which take place in the North of the country, while water sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving and sailing are some of the most popular water sports in the South.

Mountain Biking

Cycling in itself is a very demanding activity. So when combined with mountains – or riding in mountains, it becomes really excruciating. Mountain biking is basically a sporting activity, wherein the cyclists use special mountain bikes to ride off-roads and over rough terrains. As simple as it may seem, mountain biking requires endurance, strength, will power and bike riding and handling skills. Some of the categories in which the sport of mountain biking is carried out include, cross country rides, trail riding events, downhill events, free-ride and dirt riding and jumping and even time trial runs.  The sport is steadily catching up in India, even foreign mountain bikers are flocking to India to participate in the various mountain biking competitions held here.

Camel Safari

Riding on camels and walking besides them to relax and stretch was a norm in the Indian state of Rajasthan. With evolution, it may weekend as a normal practice, but it is still one of the major tourist attractions in Jaisalmer or in Rajasthan for that matter. Visitors hire camels to ride into the interior regions of Rajasthan and the practice is called camel safari. Obviously the longer you choose to go on the safari the deeper you can go into remote places and closer to the culture, lifestyle, scenic sunsets, sunrises and tranquility of the desert, visitors however can also go on short camel safaris to the areas close by to get the glimpse of things and enjoy.

Caves Exploration

Cave exploration is a recreational and adventure activity of exploring the wild caves. It may sound frightening to go it dark, murky caves, but the sense of excitement being there is beyond words to express.  Cave exploration a.k.a Caving or spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland is recently been discussed as an extreme sport by some, but expert cavers are not in the favor of the term and think safety requirements are many. Over the years, numerous international cavers have been attracted to the caves in India but the adventure activity is now steadily growing as a craze with the domestic adventurers. Some of the most appealing caves in India include Ajanta and Ellora caves, Elephanta caves in Maharashtra and numerous natural caves in Meghalaya.

Boat Racing

Boat racing, a thrilling adventure sport activity is available to adventure seekers in coastal Indian states. Kerala is much ahead of several other Indian states where boat racing championships and related events are organized during the monsoon season every year. Snake boat races are organized with great enthusiasm in Kerala and have a long history of around 400 years! Except Nehru Trophy Boat Race, all other snake boat races such as Aranmula Snake Boat Race take place from July to September.  The places where these races are held happen to be well connected by the rail and road network.