15 Bucket List Rivers & Adventure Trips for 2015

With another fun filled year upon us, what are the must do adventure trips for 2015? Here are our ‘bucket list’ (in no particular order) of wonderful trips for the New Year.

1. The Zambezi: Big, fluffy and FUN: Far from being the scary massive river you see on Youtube videos, a trip on the Zambezi is a wonderful adventure from start to finish. From starting the trip with lunch beneath Victoria Falls to being collected by helicopter after the biggest and last rapid at Ghostrider, this trip is a world class adventure. Camp on amazing beaches, star gaze or paddle through pods of hippo on our 7 day Mighty Zambezi trip. With this great river at risk from a dam, its a great time to enjoy it in all its splendor. Season, August – November.

Big, FUN and fluffy!

2. Spring In California: We simply LOVE this trip. A week running some of California’s premier rivers, with a natural progression throughout the week, culminating in the Tuolumne and Cherry Creek. You’ll experience camping for one night of the week long adventure, with the rest of the nights spent in some lovely hotels. You won’t be roughing it on this trip! We’ll also take the time to pop into Yosemite National Park in all it’s beauty, just a short drive from the smorgasbord of rivers on this trip. Season April-May

Awesome white water

3. The World’s Deepest Canyon, Rio Cotahuasi, Peru: A challenging and fun run through a stunning series of world class Grade IV – V rapids. Add to this, the fascinating and accessible Inca ruins on the bank of the river and the unique and stunning desert landscape make it a memorable and amazing adventure. An option after the trip is to join us for a fascinating adventure to Machu Picchu for a few days. Season, late May.

Steep and stunning white water on the Rio Cotahuasi

4. The Tamur, Trekking & Whitewater Nirvana, Nepal: An action packed favorite amongst guests and guides alike. Explore the world’s biggest outdoor museum, Kathmandu. Fly past the majestic Himalaya to the start of your trip in the east, where we hike to the Tamur river joined by 100-120 porters carrying all of our gear to the put in point. Kanchenjunga, the world’s 3rd highest mountain gives rise to some pretty fabulous whitewater in October. 130 rapids in 120 km. Prepare for some serious FUN!

Day one on the Tamur is a non stop roller coaster

5. Kiwi Adventure: No better way to explore a country than by travelling with a local. From rafting the stunning Landsborough River in the heart of the South Island to sea kayaking through Abel Tasman National Park, you’ll be shown some of the amazing highlights this country has to offer. As well as fabulous adventures, New Zealand is renowned for it’s ‘kiwi hospitality’ so be prepared to be well looked after and make lifelong friends. Season, February – March

Paddlers paradise. Abel Tasman National Park

6. The Main Salmon River, Idaho: The perfect family adventure or for guests wanting to try a multi-day rafting trip for the first time. This ‘classic’ features great weather, fun whitewater and even a riverside hot pool to swim in. Add to that incredible beaches and some gorgeous hikes, make it the ideal summer holiday adventure for you and the tribe in 2015.

A wonderful family trip

7. Rio Futaleufu, Patagonia, Chile/Argentina: A world class adventure that takes place from December – March, throughout the Northern Hemisphere winter in stunning surroundings. Raft this crystal clear river, all from the comfort of base camp, complete with hot tub! Each day you’ll get to run a different section of river, progressively which gets harder each day. Adventure and comfort, all in nine days!

Gorgeous Futaleufu

8. The Grand Canyon, USA: This trip is the marker by which all other river trips are measured. Enjoy an incredible 13 days on the Colorado River which has pretty much anything you could ever want on a trip. Great rapids, superb beaches and breathtaking hikes. Plus with a trip that is nearly 2 weeks on the water, you’ll lose track of time, something which truly makes us appreciate the outdoors.

Jumping into the pool at Elves Chasm, Colorado River

9. Hidden Morocco: This trip has so many wonderful hidden secrets. Far from the sensory overload of Marrakech, this stunning river in the heart of the Atlas Mountains has been enjoyed by thousands of people of all abilities. This river offers a wonderful introduction to multi-day rafting, with fun, continuous alpine style whitewater. The season runs from March until late May.

The stunning gorges of the Ahansel River in Morocco

10. The Zanskar River, India: This trip is an absolute paradox of how you would expect India to look. Far from crowds, chaos and big cities, this adventure shares the peace and tranquility of this predominantly Buddhist area to the north of the country. Explore the temples and monasteries of Leh before your adventure on one of Asia’s best rivers, set in a stunning gorge. Season August.

The thrills of the Zanskar River

11. The Franklin River, Tasmania: Once threatened with a hydro electric dam, this jewel in Tasmania’s wilderness is not only a fabulous whitewater trip, but you’ll have the opportunity to walk up to Frenchmans Cap, see ancient Aboriginal art, plus some pretty unique wildlife as well such as Platypus and the illusive Tasmanian Devil. Exploring this World Heritage site from October – April is a stunning adventure.

The World Heritage Site, The Franklin River

12. A weekend In The Swiss Alps: Need to escape the rat race for a few days, this trip offers the perfect escape into the mountain air for a 4 day weekend. The Inn river in Scuol, offers what is arguably the best whitewater in Europe. Add to this, downhill scooters, mountain biking, high ropes course and Roman Irish baths, you’ll return feeling relaxed and refreshed. Season May – September.

Mountain biking options are endless

13. The Sun Kosi River, Nepal: Classic big volume rapids for 270 kilometres through the heart of Nepal. This river is at it’s prime late September, early October after the monsoon season has finished and left some untouched and epic beaches in it’s path. Stop and meet the friendly locals along the way, or perhaps pause for a riverside ‘shower’ on one of the many waterfalls en route.

5 Star Camping

14. Kayak School, Morocco: If you like many people make a resolve on the 1st January every year to learn something new, how about learning to kayak in the gorgeous destination of Morocco. The combination of learning on a lake to begin your skill set to the thrill of running your first rapids, make this a very memorable adventure! Offered in early may, this is far more than just a holiday.

Learning to kayak in Morocco is hard to beat.

15. The Karnali River, Nepal: This tiny Himalayan country is a mecca for people wanting warm water, multi-day rapids. In the far west of Nepal, this river was off limits due to a Maoist insurgency. Now it is as remote and wonderful as it ever was. Jungle clad gorges, stunning waterfalls, gorgeous beaches and the opportunity to see some pretty unique wildlife, both on the river and with an extension to Bardia National Park, located conveniently very near the take out.

Big white water. Nepal offers some of the best in the world.

So there it is. Our take on some pretty amazing adventure to satisfy your adventurous spirit. We love sharing our passion for rivers with people. Get away from the crowds in 2015 and take life at the pace of the river.