The World’s Best River Rafting Adventure Destinations

While the idea of relaxing on a white sand beach, shaded by coconut trees, sipping on a Pina Colada sounds like the perfect holiday to some, others crave an adrenaline inducing adventure holiday which leaves your heart racing and your muscles aching. With this in mind, here are our recommendations for the world’s best river rafting adventure destinations.

Papua New Guinea: The Watut River

While hardcore adventure seekers will likely head straight to the Watut River in Papua New Guinea, river rafting beginners are encouraged to start in Cairns, Australia on the Tully River in order to explore and train. Once you’re comfortable, you’ll be able to tackle the world class rapids amidst the jungle clad valleys of the Watut River. Use a dugout canoe to traverse the flat sections of the river before discovering the beaches of Kavieng by sea kayak.

Nepal: The Tamur River

You’ll have to hike for 4 days to reach the Tamur River located in the east of Nepal, but you are sure to not regret it. You’ll get to experience teahouses, curious locals, and spectacular views along the Kanchenjunga and Manaslu Rivers in your bid to reach the Tamur River. Once you reach your destination, you’ll have 7 incredible days traversing 140 rapids and breath-taking camp sites for every night. The sub-tropical conditions will keep you warm along the way and you’ll have an adventure you’ll never forget.

Zambia: The Zambezi River

While casino games are thrilling, if warm water rapids, incredible wildlife, and breath-taking beaches sounds like the perfect combination, then the Zambezi River rafting adventure is for you. However, we wouldn’t recommend this adventure for beginners as it’s rather turbulent, especially through the Batoka Gorge with its Grade 5 high volume rapids! If you don’t believe us, consider this: a 1700m wide river plunging 120m over the Victoria Falls before becoming trapped in a basalt gorge no more than 40m wide – the results are tempestuous to put it mildly.

Quebec, Canada: The Magpie River

Rated by National Geographic as one of world’s top 10 multi-day river rafting destinations, the Magpie River, located in the Côte-Nord region of Eastern Quebec, offers some of the best white water in the world. If you choose the right time of the year, you may even be lucky enough to experience the Northern Lights on your river rafting adventure and the Boreal Forest is a mystical place you won’t soon forget. With the perfect combination and smooth and rough waters, your trip along Magpie River will be both incredibly relaxing and invigorating.

California: The 5 Rivers

While many of the world’s best river rafting adventure holidays are located in incredibly exotic locations, California in the United States offers some of the best river rafting in the world along its 5 great rivers. The South Fork of the American River, the North Fork of the American River, the Merced River, the Tuolumne River, and the world renowned Cherry Creek tributary offers exhilarating river rafting and you’ll also get to explore Yosemite, Napa, and San Francisco.