FAQs
Tour Info
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu is the only international airport in Nepal. You will need to book a flight to Kathmandu. At arrival a River and Soul representative will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel.
Callum or Janey will pick you up from the airport and take you to your accommodation.
Please see our Kit List for an idea of what you need to bring with you.
We will provide all the technical equipment needed for white water rafting, plus camping gear. The biggest thing you need to remember is probably the suntan lotion!
In terms of what to wear, it really depends on what season you come in. In general light, loose garments are recommended in spring Summer and Autumn (March to November). While in winter warmer clothes such as woollens and jackets are needed from December to February. Have a look at our Kit List for a general list of what you will need to bring on your tour.
When you book you will be sent a more detailed Kit List of what you will need to bring on your tour.
Everyone who books on will be given their own hotel rooms when staying in the cities. If you are travelling as a couple the per person price is the same and you will be given a room together.
When camping we endeavour to give every person their own tent. River beaches are constantly changing due to the seasonal flooding of river. This may mean that some nights you need to share with another group member due to the nature of the campsite.
In Sirubari you will be paired up with another group member and stay in a guest room of your host family.
While on the water and in Sirubari you'll be amazed what our Nepalese friends can conjure up. The food is one of the most talked about things on trips with a large variety of treats waiting for you!
On rafting trips you can expect eggs, pancakes, potatoes, toast, muesli, porridge, omelettes, and fruit for breakfast. For lunch, we choose from foods such as pasta, salads, tuna, baked beans, cheeses, salami, biscuits, crisps, bread, fried rice and fruit. In the evenings, dinner can include garlic bread, french fries, Dhal Bhat, chicken curry, mashed potato, Buffalo steak, chilli, Bolognaise, custard, rice pudding, fruit salad, popcorn and prawn crackers. We certainly won't let you go hungry! We also have lighter bites such as biscuits and bananas held in dry bags on the rafts for river time snacks!
Sirubari is a more traditional village and so lunch and dinner will almost certainly be Dhal Bhatt. While breakfast can be a range of things varying between eggs, pancakes, beaten rice, spiced potatoes, and popped corn! Tea is always available any time night and day.
While in Kathmandu and Pokhara there is a vast variety of restaurants and so it is up to you what you eat. We prefer to have group meals together in the same restaurant. But if people want to eat at different places that is up to you.
We can cater for vegetarians, vegans, and most personal dietary requirements. Please inform us prior to making a booking so that we can confirm this. We are happy to discuss any dietary issues prior to booking, please contact us if you have any queries. Don’t worry – you won’t go hungry!
No, as long as you can follow a simple "Forwards", "Backwards", and "Hold On" instruction then you will be fine.
On the trip you will be taught all the safety and rescue elements you need to know on the water. Safety is the priority during all parts of the tour and many clients have never rafted or kayaked previously. Rafting is a team sport that all abilities can participate in.
Depending on the day you can expect to be getting on the water between 9am and 10 am and finishing between 3pm and 4pm. That’s not all paddling time though! There’s lots of chill out spots and a lunch break.
Remember - you’re on holiday! During the rest of the time you will have the option to play in the river learning to kayak, go on village walks, or just chill out reading books and sitting by camp fires.
On days when you are travelling you can expect to get on/ get off the water at about mid-day.
To confirm a place on one of the trips, the sooner you can book the better. We do try to be flexible and it is possible to arrange last-minute bookings depending on circumstances. If you wish to enquire about a last-minute trip, please contact us as soon as possible.
Most of your gear will be kept in a hotel while you are rafting. You only need to bring a rucksack with some changes of clothes and personal items in when rafting. This gear w will be joining you in the raft!
We will of course supply you with dry bags to keep your belongings dry as dry as possible, however this is not 100% guaranteed to keep your kit dry. We wouldn't recommend bringing your laptop or iPad along unless you have your own professional dry bag for these type of items.
Safety Info
Yes. We require that you take out travel insurance to cover you for the activities that you will be participating in prior to your arrival in Nepal. Make sure you check what river grade you will be running and to what altitude you will be trekking as not all travel-insurance policies cover you for extreme outdoor activities. If you are unsure of what your existing travel-insurance covers, please contact your insurance provider.
If you would like to find out about our recommended Travel Insurance provider then visit our Travel Insurance page.
Yes, regardless of group size, we will have a suitable amount of safety kayakers on every river trip that is run, guaranteed.
Yes, all of the staff are qualified for the jobs they perform; from first aid to whitewater rescue. Safety is our priority during all tours. All the guides have their WRT training, International Rafting Federation Training and First Aid.
Callum is a British Canoe Union qualified Raft and Kayak guide and holds a Rescue 3 International Whitewater Safety Technician certificate, along with Wilderness First Aid. He also visit Nepal continually visit Nepal for long periods of time each year.
There are a range of actions to be taken depending on the severity of the sickness/injury. Anything from applying first aid, sitting out some activities, seeing a doctor, getting admitted to Hospital, or even flying home (hopefully not!). Our guides have a lot of experience dealing with sicknesses and injuries and will be able to make a good judgement call as to what to do in that particular situation.
Depending on which river trip you choose and as long as you inform us beforehand, your ability to swim should not be a significant issue. On rafting trips you will be using buoyancy aids and will be taught the necessary safety procedures and techniques in case you do end up in the water. The chances of you falling out are slim, but in the event you do the bunch of safety kayakers standing by will get to you quickly and safely rescue you.
Your gear will be joining us in the raft! We will of course supply you with dry bags to keep your belongings dry as dry as possible, however this is not 100% guaranteed to keep your kit dry. We wouldn't recommend bringing your laptop or iPad along unless you have your own professional dry bag for these type of items.
We have a more in-depth articlel on our blog here. Below is a brief summery:
GRADE 1
Moving water, unobstructed and without technical difficulties. There may be small waves and riffles to challenge the paddler. Very small consequences if you get it wrong.
GRADE 2
Waves, small stoppers and other minor obstructions to avoid. Eddies and cushion waves may be strong. Small consequences if you get it wrong.
GRADE 3
Waves, stoppers and technical difficulties are more severe. There may be drops and powerful constrictions. The main distinguishing factor of Grade 3 water is that the paddler will have to follow a recognizable route to avoid obstacles and hazards. Reasonable consequences if you get it wrong.
GRADE 4
Severe waves, drops, stoppers and other obstructions. The route is not easily recognizable and will usually require careful inspection from the boat or bank. Grade 4 encompasses a wide range of rivers, from those with pool-drop rapids to those with extended continuous rapids; so there is a huge variation in difficulty. It is common to distinguish easier grade 4 rapids by grading them as 4- and harder rapids as 4+. High consequences if you get it wrong.
GRADE 5
Extremely difficult rapids with precise and technically demanding routes to be followed. Stoppers, currents and waves will be powerful and inspection is essential. Very high consequences if you get it wrong.
GRADE 6
All of the above carried to extremes. Grade 6 usually means unrunnable rapids, which may just be possible in certain conditions. You will most likely die or be paralized if you get it wrong.
Grading is an imprecise and controversial activity. A continuous grade 3 river may be more challenging than a pool-drop grade 4 river. Authors of river guides are purely their own untrustworthy opinion and should only be used for a general guide. A river is a dangerous, unpredictable and constantly changing environment. I recommend that you purchase insurance up to grade 5 for any river trip as our grading may vary from that the insurance companies use.
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is caused by thin air at high altitudes starting from 3,000 meters and upwards, it may even lead to death. The main precaution that needs to be taken while trekking is not to go up too high too fast, so the body should be given enough time to acclimatize.
If you suffer from initial symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, inability to sleep, swelling of the face, hands and feet and loss of appetite, descend to a lower elevation immediately, and seek medical help.
The rafting and Sirubari trips do not reach a height of 3,000 meters and so this is not a concern to these trips.
Nepal Info
Nepali time is GMT plus 5 hours 45 minutes.
Popular among visitors are handmade apparels like woolen sweaters, jackets, trousers and caps. And the Pashmina shawl is a highly coveted item. Then there are ethnic and contemporary carpets, gems and jewelry, metal and wooden products, Khukuri (the curved metal knife), music CDs, Nepali paper products, pottery, spices, tea and Thangka paintings to take home.
Most of the trip costs are covered in the price. However there are a few meals that you will need to buy while we eat out in restaurants in Pokhara and Kathmandu, and any snacks you with to get along the way.
You will be paying for any drinks you wish as well. Alcoholic beverages are slightly cheaper than UK prices. And so we would suggest that you just base it on Uk prices. That means you have a little left over at the end!
Souvenirs are also very popular. It is down to you and your haggling skills (don’t worry we can help) to see how much you spend.
The Nepalese currency is the Rupee. Bank notes come in denominations of Rs. 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000. Coins are of 1, 2 and 5 rupee denomination.
You cannot get Nepalese Rupees outside of Nepal, and are refrained from leaving the country with them. This is to help stop the devaluation of the currency. We would suggest that you take out any money you wish to bring with you in USD as this is easy to convert once there. You can also use USD to pay for things before you collect your Rupeese.
There are ATMS in Kathmandu, Pokhara and other big cities/towns in Nepal that accept AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA and MASTERCARD.
The country code for Nepal is 977 and the area code for Kathmandu is 01, for Pokhara 061, Chitwan 056 and Lumbini 071.
Mobile coverage is wide in Nepal, even in the rural areas. And when there is no signal, you often just need to get to the top of the closest hill/mountain and you will find some. Internet facilities are available in hotels and cyber cafes in all major cities.