AnIndia: adventure sportsport hub hub
ndia is fast becoming an adven- Indian coasts and shores offer charm- ture holiday destination. While ing scuba diving and snorkelling des- on an Indian holiday, travellers tinations that leave tourists complete- can choose from a wide range ly mesmerised. Andaman and Nicobar of adventure tours. Among oth- Islands and Lakshadweep are the best erII adventure sports, tourists can feel places to enjoy scuba diving and the thrill of white water rafting and snorkelling in India. In the Andamans, kayaking on the rivers. Adventure lovers one can enjoy the under-water marine can also enjoy the excitement of scu- life and view the rarest varieties of ba diving and paragliding. corals by snorkelling at Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Carbyn’s ! WHITE WATER RAFTING Cove Tourism Complex, Havelock and other islands on all days from dawn to Picture this: You being swept along a dusk depending on the weather. Any rushing river in an inflated boat, tum- time is the best time for scuba diving bling over rapids, plunging over water- and snorkelling in India. Due to the falls and getting to feel the icy spray vastness of its coastline and different splash on your face as you raft along a geographical regions, India has multi- mountain river. ple climatic conditions working at the River rafting in India is an exhilarat- same time. It makes the country a per- ing experience that adventure sports fect to visit any time of the year. lovers enjoy on their Indian holiday. Cost: Rs. 26,550 ($590) per person The best locations for rafting are snow- for six days. fed Himalayan rivers in the summer. White water rafting on the Alaknanda ! PARAGLIDING river is the most easily accessible loca- tion. People drive from Delhi to If you are an adventure sport lover and Rishikesh and further north to on a tour to India, the thrill of paraglid- Devprayag, where the Alaknanda river ing is something you just cannot miss. and Bhagirathi river combine to form The sport is meant for the people who the Ganges. Further North is love to reach new heights. Paragliding Rudraprayag, where the Alaknanda and packages in India offer paragliding for Mandakini rivers combine. The white experts and training for the novice and water rafting along this approximately beginners. 130 km-long-stretch is really an exciting Most of the paragliding sites in India experience. are situated in the lower reaches of the Cost: Rs. 1,400 ($31) to Rs. 1,800 Himalayas. Kangra Valley and Kulu val- ($40) per person for a two-day rafting ley in Himachal Pradesh, the Western trip. Ghats and Pune city are some of the popular paragliding sites in India. ! SCUBA DIVING Cost: Rs. 8,000 ($177) to Rs. 12,000 ($266) for a four-five day course. ■ Scuba Diving is a sport that gives the For more information, visit adventure sport lovers an opportunity www.iapro.org to explore the totally unknown and www.incredibleindia.org unexplored world under the sea. The
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