If you plan to get out in an inflatable this season, you’re probably going to have a great time regardless of what body of water you’re cruising. But if you’re looking for the biggest thrills and the most excitement, consider this your go-to list.

1. The Best 10 Whitewater Rafting Spots Globally
If you plan to get out in an inflatable this season, you’re probably going to have a great
time regardless of what body of water you’re cruising. But if you’re looking for the biggest
thrills and the most excitement, consider this your go-to list.
 Franklin River, Tasmania
And now for a happy conservation story: The Franklin River’s ecosystem environment is
one of the most pristine on earth thanks to hawk-like activism and conservation efforts by
Tasmanian Expeditions, the company that pioneered the first commercial descent back in
1978. (Incidentally, for Everest historians, Lincoln Hall was on that first trip.)
Since then, the company has led efforts to prevent a dam in 1983, continues to remove
noxious weed infestations along the banks, and manages the nearly invisible,
leave-no-trace campsites.

2.  Rio Cotahuasi River, Peru
The Cotahuasi is one of the last old-school river expeditions left on earth, with sheer
canyons three times the height of the Grand and ancient Incan ruins accessible only via
the river. From the town of Cotahuasi, it takes a full day just to trek to the put-in.
On the river for seven days, you’ll paddle 100 miles of stunning, intermittent class IV-V
whitewater and canyons measuring 11,587 feet from river to rim. On some nights break
camp near Incan ruins with potsherds and old masonry walls that only a handful of people
have ever seen. One night you’ll stay in an Andean village adjacent to a local hot springs.

3.  Drigung Chu River, Tibet
Why not acclimatize for Base Camp by rafting a few rivers along the way? This unique
20-day itinerary, which starts and ends in Kathmandu, culminates in a visit to Everest
Base Camp on the Tibetan side of the world’s highest mountain. But before you top out at
that 16,900-foot barren oasis, you’ll raft the Drigung Chu and Tolung Chu, two rivers that
offer up Class IV whitewater thrills and a unique riverine view of the surrounding
Himalayan landscape. Between rivers you’ll visit the most storied architecture in Tibet,
including Norbulingka, the Dalai Llama’s summer palace, the monasteries of Lhasa, and
more.

4.  Colorado River, Arizona
There are more counterintuitive rivers we could have put on this list, but there are very
few with more geologic and hydrologic superlatives. In the 225 miles from Lees Ferry to
Diamond Creek, you’ll charge through 42 major rapids and pass Paleozoic walls that are a
half-billion years old.
If you’re going to commit to this once-in-a-lifetime trip (and don’t have the skills to
paddle your own kayak), float it the way one-armed explorer John Wesley Powell did—in
a wooden dory. For 14 to 18 days you’ll float past geologic history, hike to Indian ruins
like the famous Nankoweap granaries, and camp on soft sand.

5.  Zambezi River, Zambia
If this Class IV-V stretch of Africa’s fourth-longest river were in the litigious U.S., it’s
likely no outfitter would have enough liability insurance to commercially run it. But
OARS, which financed the first descent of the Zambezi back in 1981, is back in Africa
with a brand-new eight-day trip that combines a four-day paddle with a three-day
Botswana Safari.
The ride starts at the base of 360-foot Victoria Falls, passes the sheer rock walls of the
Batoka Gorge, and floats class V rapids like Stairway to Heavan, Oblivion, and Gnashing
Jaws of Death, which swallow rafts whole. But at least it’s not a crocodile that’s
swallowing the raft.

6.  Futaleufu River, Chile
This Class III-V roiling mass of whitewater is one Patagonian river that hasn’t been
dammed—yet. Raft it before Chilean hydroelectric companies run a massive (and ugly)
power transmission line through the valley.
This classic ride is singular not only in Patagonian scenery, but the Futaleufu is also
unique in that the guiding company that pioneered it, Earth River Expeditions, has built
permanent river camps into cliff dwellings with riverside stone hot tubs, hot showers,
treehouses, and beds.
While it’s not necessary to portage any of the rapids, a horseback and hiking trail follows
the entire length of the river, so at any point the option to walk is always there. And
when you’re not rafting or kayaking, there’s horseback riding, rock climbing, rapelling,
and canyoneering.

7.  Paro Chhu River, Bhutan
More and more travelers are paying the $200-$250 per night tariff just to enter the
Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, but it’s still a rare opportunity to raft the country’s sacred
rivers. This 11-day trip floats four Class II-III rivers past some of the most sacred Buddhist
sites in the world, including the Punakha Dzong, a 17th-century monastery that sits on
the banks of the Mo Chhu (Mother River) and has survived six fires, two floods, and one
earthquake.
You’ll also hike to Tiger’s Nest, a famous monastery chiseled into a cliff 2,000 feet above
the Paro Valley floor. Forewarning: Don’t be shocked when you visit the Temple of the
Divine Madman.

8.  Alsek River, British Columbia
Guides here jokingly refer to the Alsek as a Class V Float Trip. There may be rivers with
more concentrated rapids than the 140-mile-long Alsek, but looks can be deceiving. The
Alsek, which is surrounded by massive glaciers and giant peaks as high as 15,000 feet,
drains one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world. This translates to furiously fast,
massively voluminous water that rockets out of the mountains at a much steeper gradient
than, say, the Yukon.
The water temperature here averages 33 degrees so if you flip, you freeze—dry suits are
mandatory. To amp up the adrenaline factor, the Alsek runs through Kluane National
Park, home to the highest concentration of grizzlies in North America.

9.  Lochsa River, Idaho
Idaho has the largest contiguous wilderness in the Lower 48 and quite a few rivers
running through it. No matter which pick we make here, one or two classics will be left
out. For pure whitewater terror, however, it’s hard to beat the two-day paddle on the
free-flowing Lochsa. The continuously explosive, 40 class III-IV rapids—with names like
Grim Reaper and Bloody Mary—are the result of both big volume (10-20,000 cfs) and
steep gradient (30 feet per mile). This kind of whitewater is akin to more famous rivers,
like the Gauley in West Virginia, but the Lochsa is bigger and longer.
For the full Idaho experience, front-load the Lochsa with a five-day paddle on the Snake
River through Hells Canyon.

10.  Tatshenshini River, British Columbia
Never rely on a guide again. On this 24-day full-immersion backpacking and whitewater
course that starts in Haines, Alaska, students learn state-of-the-art minimum impact
camping skills, practice route-finding, gain technical competence in backcountry
whitewater, and learn how to execute emergency scenarios while in the field. All this
while rafting the smaller, more technical tributaries and the giant braided glacial
drainages farther downriver on the Tatshenshini.
Exact logistics are weather dependent, but students start out with a Swift Water Rescue
training and certification, continue with three days of rafting the Upper Tatshenshini
River where rapids like Rock Garden and Twin Holes keep students wide-eyed and
attentive. The course ends with an overnight on the mostly Class III Tutshi River, with a
few sections of Grade IV and V thrown in.
By: Getupandgo.in Team.