Himalayan River Runners are offering a one-off birdwatching/whitewater raft¬ing trip down the Ganges River north of Rishikesh. Thanks to the combination of wild rides and serene boat¬ing through some of Asia's most beautiful countryside, river running on this upper stretch of India's most sa¬cred river is already a popu¬lar weekend activity for many Delhi residents.
But what many people don't realize is that the area is home to an enormous va¬riety of permanently resident and migratory birds, includ¬ing golden backed woodpeck¬ers, laughing thrush, whis¬tling thrush, red jungle fowl, Kaleej pheasant, fishing ea¬gles and many others.
The camp itself is situ¬ated 17km north of Rishikesh in Uttar Pradesh, on the longest silver sand river beach in the area. It's open from early February until April and again from mid-September to early December, when the water is at its highest.
