Adventure Tourism in India

Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel to remote, exotic and possibly hostile areas, where the traveler should "expect the unexpected". Adventure tourism is rapidly growing in popularity, as tourists seek different kinds of vacations. According to the U.S. based Adventure Travel Trade Association, adventure travel may be any tourist activity, including two of the following three components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange or interaction and engagement with nature. Adventure tourism gains much of its excitement by allowing its participants to step outside of their comfort zone. This may be from experiencing culture shock or through the performance of acts, that require significant effort and involve some degree of risk (real or perceived) and/or physical danger. This may include activities such as mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, mountain biking, rafting, zip-lining and rock climbing. Some obscure forms of adventure travel include disaster tourism. Other rising forms of adventure travel include social and jungle tourism. Adventure tourism India has increased in recent years due to the efforts taken by the Indian government and the Ministry of Tourism. The scope for adventure tourism in India is endless because the country has a rich diversity in terms of climate and topography. Various kinds of adventure on water, land, and air can be enjoyed in India. The ministry of tourism and culture has, in recent years, launched a campaign called ‘Incredible India!’ and this has given a tremendous boost to adventure tourism in India. The various kinds of adventure tourism in India are: Rock climbing, Skiing, Camel safari, Para gliding, Mountaineering, Rafting in white water, Trekking etc

As a kind of adventure tourism in India, rock climbing is relatively new. Due to the presence of climbing rocks in large numbers throughout the country, rock climbing as a kind of adventure tourism in India is taking off in a big way. The various places in India where tourists can go for rock climbing are Badami, Kanheri Caves, Manori Rocks, and Kabbal. Skiing in India as a kind of adventure tourism has become popular in the last decade. The country has a large number of hill stations which have excellent skiing facilities. This has given rise to skiing adventure tourism in India. The places in India where tourists can go for skiing are Manali, Shimla, Nainital, and Mussoorie.

Whitewater rafting in India is a relative newcomer in the domain of adventure tourism in India. This has been increasing due to the presence of a number of rivers, water falls, and rapids. The places where a tourist can go for whitewater rafting in India are Ganga, Alaknanda, and Bhagirathi rivers. Trekking as a part of adventure tourism India has grown recently. Many tourists are coming to India in order to go trekking in the various rugged mountains present in India.

Camel safari in India has also become very popular due to the initiatives taken by the tourist boards of some Indian states. The most famous destinations in India for camel safaris are Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer. Paragliding in India has developed recently and paragliding facilities are available in a lot of places in India.

Mountaineering in India is also quite popular in the arena of adventure tourism. Tourists can go to Garhwal, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir for indulging in mountaineering.

Adventure tourism India has registered a formidable growth in recent years. For this growth to continue, efforts must be taken by the government of India so that India ranks alongside international destinations for adventure tourism.

Trekking in Himalayas

The Himalayas are a major attraction for the young and the old alike. For centuries Indian saints have wandered in the Himalayas and crossed difficult terrains in search of places of pilgrimage like Kailash, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Amarnath. There is a belief among Hindus that Gods live in the Himalayas. For trekking in the Himalayas Garhwal region, Dehraduna and Rishikesh are the ideal gateways. From Leh one can start trekking to Ladakh. The suitable season for trekking in the north – east region starts from end – September to May.

River Rafting

The 2700 km long Himalayas ranges from Ladhak to Sikkim from where the holy Ganga, Yamuna, the Indus and its tributaries – the Chenab and Sutlej, the Zanskar and the Teesta originate all providing ideal sites for river rafting. These rivers provide lots of opportunities to adventure tourism. The upper Himalayas are supposed to be among the best regions in the world for river rafting. The Zanskar River offers a professional and exciting six days on the river starting from Padam. The Ganga, the most sacred river of the Hindus, is ideal for both paddle rooting and car – rafting. A 10 km run towards Rishikesh is a fascinating experience. A new run has been mapped out on the Sutlej from Rampur to Tattoxpani and on to Salapur bridge – a 92 km stretch. Professionals are trained abroad to manage these river rafting expeditions. They have bagged even awards overseas. To oversee the operations, to provide safety measures, to supply proper equipments like helmets, lifejackets, first aid kits etc and to provide medical aid, the government acts through its tourist offices and through IAPRO ( Indian Association of Professional Rafting and Fitters ) and IRRA ( The Indian River Runner Association ). Rafting Routes River----------Base Camp----------Road Point----------Time Ganga------------Besai---------------Rishikesh---------Oct – April Yamuna-----------Kalsi---------------Dehradun---------Oct – April Indus---------------Karu-------------------Leh--------------July – Sept Chenab---------Kishtwar---------Kishtwar (J&K)-----Nov – March Satluj-------------Rampur---------Rampur(Shimla)----Oct – April Zanskar---------Padam---------------Kargil-------------Aug – Sept Sharda---------Tanakpur-----------Tanakpur-----------Oct – April Teesta-----------Dikchu--------------Gangtok-----------Oct – April