Tamur River Expedition – 12 days
Duration
13 Days
Difficulty
I to V
Distance
131 km
Best Seasons
Mar – June, Oct – Dec
Highlights
- Perfect combination of rafting and trekking
- 4 days of incredible trekking and 6 days of exciting rafting
- Challenging and intense white water rapids
- Total rafting distance – 131 kilometres long
- 120 exciting rapids ranging from Class I to Class V
- Best season: Mar – June, Oct – Dec
Tamur along with its tributaries drain Mt. Kanchanjunga (8,586 m), the third highest mountain in the world. This river opened in 1998 for commercial rafting, and since then, it has won the affection of many rafting/kayaking enthusiasts throughout the world.
Tamur is not readily available, hence to enjoy this river, you need to trek for about four days. However, you will not be disappointed, the trek in itself is equally exciting. You will be treading on narrow dirt tracks that join one typical village to another. The whole region is sparsely populated, and only a small portion of land serves for agriculture. You can view the glory of Mt. Kanchanjunga from the trekking routes.
The Tamur river has some 120 rapids within its rafting length of 131 kilometres. The initial parts of Tamur are tough. This river is for experienced guides and rafters/ kayakers, and you need to be very careful because there have been several fatalities recorded in this river. This river is very challenging and if you are looking for a huge adrenaline surge – Tamur is the river for you!
Nepal River Runner has been successfully carrying out Tamur expedition with a perfect record. Tamur is quite challenging, so you need expert river guides that are familiar with Tamur. We have the required expertise to run on Tamur. We promise to deliver quality service while keeping you safe.
Moreover, for this trip, we will provide you Nepal government licensed river guides, who have completed Red Cross first aid training. Our guides hold rafting certifications from International Rafting Federation (IRF) and are also Whitewater Rescue Technicians (WRT) trained. Be assured that you will be in our safe hands.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Basantapur
We will either fly to Biratnagar (80 m) from Tribhuvan International Airport or drive to Basantapur. If you choose to fly, it will take about 45 minutes to reach Biratnagar, then from Biratnagar, we will take you to Basantapur by bus.
Please note – If you prefer to fly, you must mention this to our office personnel while booking for the expedition. Biratnagar is the second biggest city of Nepal and is located near the south-eastern border to India.
Day 2: Chauki
Our expedition will begin with a trek from Basantapur to Chauki, which takes around 4 to 5 hours. The trail is quite challenging, and we will employ porters to carry your personal gear bags. The guides will show you the way. By the time, we reach Chauki; we will be exhausted. In Chauki, we will be staying in a local tea house where we will enjoy our dinner too.
Day 3: Gupha Pokhari (2,900 m)
After breakfast, we will resume our trekking. After about 4 to 5 hours, we will reach Gupha Pokhari. Gupha Pokhari is a lake at the height of 2,900 metres and lies in Sankhuwasabha district.
The trail to Gupha Pokhari is equally fascinating; you will be witnessing beautiful landscape and diverse cultures. If you take this trip during the March to June season, you will get to experience different varieties of rhododendron in full bloom. From your trail, you will also be able to enjoy the views of Mt. Kanchanjunga (world’s third highest mountain, at 8,586 m) and Mt. Everest (world’s highest mountain, at 8,848 m). We will spend our night at Gupha Pokhari in our camp.
Day 4: Gorja (1,925 m)
After a hearty breakfast, we will continue our trek forwards, from Gupha Pokhari to Gorja. You will be amazed by the varieties of flora and fauna, you will see on the way. You will also have an opportunity to observe some of the most remote rural settlements in Nepal, and perhaps in the world. We will be staying at Gorja in our camp for the night.
Day 5: Dovan (730 m)
This is the final day of trekking. We will start from Gorja and reach Dovan in about 3 hours and set up our camp there. We will be spending our day for much-needed rest and prepare for running on Tamur, the next day.
Day 6: Kabeli Khola
By now, we will have trekked for 4 days; today the much-anticipated part of the Expedition – rafting starts. We will get to Kabeli Khola (River is called Khola in Nepali) from Dovan. We will prepare all the necessary gears, and the professional rafters will brief you on the safety measures. This day we will encounter some challenging white water rapids like House Rock (Class IV), Pariah Dog (Class IV+), Hodson’s Sandwich (Class IV+), Hodson’s Last Rite (Class IV+) while paddling for about 25 kilometres in Kabeli Khola. We will camp at a beach by the banks of Kabeli for that day.
Day 7: Hinwa Khola
We will raft to Hinwa Khola from Kabeli. The rapids become more challenging right from the beginning, but the rapids decrease in frequency once we cross the Limbu Bridge. While rafting we will come across white sandy beaches, blue water and sparsely populated area. We might be seeing more monkeys than people. As we raft downwards, we will see lower mountain regions. This region is near to Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (75 m – 81 m). Hence you get to see various varieties of birds. Koshi Tappu is home to around 500 bird species. We will stop by the sandy beaches and set up our camp.
Day 8: Limbhu Khola
After breakfast, we will start rafting from Hinwa Khola to reach Limbhu Khola. At first, the river is flat and therefore we can loosen ourselves a bit and enjoy the landscape. Interested Kayakers may kayak in this region. On our way, we will be encountering few Class II or III rapids. Over the river, we will occasionally see suspension bridges. We will be spending that night in the Camp, by the side of Limbhu Khola.
Day 9: Mulghat (203 m)
By this day, we will have rafted for four days on some of the most exciting and vigorous rapids. So, on this day, we will get a chance to relax a bit. As we raft, we will be passing only a few small rapids. In around four hours, we will reach Mulghat from Limbhu Khola. We will spend the night at Mulghat.
Day 10: Tribeni
The next day, we will paddle on Tamur River to reach Tribeni (Tribeni means confluence of three rivers in Nepali.) On our way, we will be passing through 30 exciting continuous rapids; the most notable ones are – Ashram (Class IV+), Hell Hole (Class IV) and Bat Below (Class IV). We will be setting up our camp for that day at Tribeni, by the side of Sun Koshi.
Day 11: Chatara to Kathmandu
After breakfast, we will raft until we reach the famous Hindu temple of Baraha. We will spend some time sightseeing, and then paddle to Chatara – our final put out point. We will have our lunch at a local restaurant. From Chatara, we will take a private bus and drive for about 14 to 15 hours to reach Kathmandu. We will stop our bus on the way for dinner at a Nepali restaurant. You can choose to stop at Chitwan National Park to enjoy the wildlife.
There is one more option; you may go to Biratnagar from Chatara and then fly to Kathmandu. For arrangements, please talk to Nepal River Runner representative. You must mention that you will take a flight at the time of booking.
Day 12: Back to Kathmandu
By the morning, we will reach Kathmandu. You will have time to rest and get fresh in your hotel. After taking some rest, you can go for last minute souvenir shopping, again if you require, our guides will recommend the best places to buy souvenirs from. In the evening, you will have a farewell dinner with our office representatives (along with guides) in a typical Nepali restaurant. We will drop you back to your hotel.
Day 13: Departure
Finally, after a fun filled 13 days long trip, our journey will end. We hope that you will have enjoyed your trip thoroughly and well. But by then, the time would come for us to bid you good-bye. We will take you to Tribhuvan International Airport, and our office representative will see you off. If you have time and would like to extend your stay in Nepal, you may join our other tours; we would be happy to offer our recommendations.
What to Bring
- Shorts / ½ pant
- Sport Sandals
- Shirts that will dry quickly
- Swim suit
- Warm layers (fleece, trousers)
- Towel
- Toiletries
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Camera and batteries/chargers
- Water Bottles
- Flashlight
- A little cash
What’s Included
- Professional English speaking licensed guides, highly trained and safety certified to international standards in Whitewater River Guiding, Swift Water Rescue, and Wilderness First Aid
- Professionally trained and certified safety kayakers.
- Gear raft support
- Trekking support and guide
- Quality rafting and kayaking equipment, including boats, kayaks, helmets, paddles, PFDs, dry bags and Pelican boxes.
- Accommodation in a camp and all necessary facilities including two man tents, shelters, simple mattress and sleeping bag, toilet tents, etc.
- Treated drinking water
- Two-way transportation, local deluxe (private bus on group size consideration, arrange option to and for fly from Biratnagar – Kathmandu)
- River permits.
- Industry standard first aid kits
- Team photos (photos videos by our team)
- Hotel cost includes a BB, twin sharing basis.
- Included meals
- Day 1 = Lunch & DInner
- Day 2-11 = Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 12 = Breakfast
Types of food provided:
Throughout our expedition, we provide treated stream water for drinking. We employ crews with great culinary ability. We will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner during the expedition in a buffet style. So, yes you have the freedom to choose what you like. If you have special dietary needs, please let us know about it at the time of booking, so that we can arrange accordingly.
Sample menu for the expedition
- Breakfast: Tea, Coffee, White Chocolate, Muesli and Cornflakes, Yogurt. Eggs, Toast, Hashed Potatoes, Pancakes, Porridge, etc.
- Lunch: Bread, Cheese, Salami, Tuna, Sardines, Baked Beans, Salads, Fresh fruits and Biscuits.
- Dinner: Pasta, French Fries, Curries, Steamed or Fried vegetables. We may provide Nepali Dal, Bhat in a rotation for longer trips.
What’s Not Included
- Visas, flights, other taxes etc.
- Personal items like toiletries, clothing, camera etc.
- Alcohol and other packed food.
- Insurance policy: paddlers need to have their own insurance since we only provide insurance to our crew.
- Tips for guides – we pay our guides and porters fairly but if you want you can tip them personally.
Departure Dates
- 14 Nov 2024 Thursday
- 29 Nov 2024 Friday