10 Popular Adventure Travel Activities in India

India is a beautiful country with 'Unity in Diversity'. From sky touching white snowy mountains in the north and east to deep blue ocean at south and west, countless river streams, dense and never ending rainy forests, vast deserts and river irrigated lands, hills and rocky terrains, India is a god gifted land on earth. For nature and adventure lovers India is a heaven where they can feel all kinds of adventure activities. Each state in India has something thrilling to offer for the adventure lovers. Due to such diversity, travel and tourism ministry of India have shown their continuous efforts to promote old and new adventure travel activities. People in India love adventure and travelling. Here we have selected 10 adventure and travel activities which may fill vibes inside you.

1. Mountain biking:

If you don't see any hurdles in your path or any barriers that comes between your destination then mountain biking is for you, Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road on rough terrains and rocky lands. Mountain bicycles are specially made for this activity for durability and rough handling. You need extra ordinary riding skills like balancing and bike handling. Self-reliance and endurance is a must have thing here. 

Places:

In north and east: Places like Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Leh & Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir, Pindari in Uttarakhand, Singalila Ridge in West Bengal, Sikkim are the best places to go for Mountain Biking.

In south: Places like Munnar in Kerala; Coorg, Nandi Hills and Savandurga in Karnataka are some awesome places to feel mountain biking.

2. Motorcycle touring

Being a biker rider, it’s natural to have enthusiasm for Motorcycle Touring. It is an adventure travel activity which includes a motorcycle made for long range travel with capacity to carry luggage along with you. It’s a tour activity which may include from hundreds to thousands kilometres of travelling. If you are going alone then you need to be aware of the roads, localities, landmarks, whether and motorcycle maintenance kits. It’s always better to join adventure clubs to enjoy the thrill.

Places:

In north: Riding in Himalayas from Leh to Kargil, Zaskar valley to Ladakh.

In east: Sikkim and Darjeeling, Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

In west: Jaipur, Mandawa, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur.

In south: Chennai to Pondicherry, Kodaikanal, Ooty, Cochin are some best places in India to go for a motorcycle tour.

3. Trekking and mountaineering:

Trekking is an adventure activity in which you have to cover some distance on rocky and hilly areas where no transportation is possible. You just need to carry your backpack, water and food. It is mostly a 12 hour activity. Night trekking has also been conducted by some adventure agencies.

Mountaineering, on the other hand, is a lot more than just trekking; you have to climb the mountains like Himalayas. It’s a tour of many days to weeks serving in snowfalls and chilling cold in minus. 

For Trekking:

• Roopkund Trek, Valley of Flowers Trek, Deoriatal Trek in Uttarakhand.

• Chandratal Lake Trek, Indrahar Pass Trek in Himachal Pradesh.

• Chembra Peak Trek in Kerala.

• Kodachadri Trek, savandurga trek, Kumara Parvatha Trek in Karnataka.

• Araku Valley Trek in Andhra Pradesh.

• Rajmachi Trek in Maharashtra.

• Markha Valley Trek, Chadar Trek, lamayuru Trek in Ladakh.

• Goecha La Trek in Sikkim are some popular places for trekking in India.

4. Rafting and Kayaking:

These are adventure activities conducted in rivers and lakes. In rafting you need to navigate through flowing waters with the help of inflatable raft. It requires teamwork to deal with the risks.

Kayaking is also a water activity but you are alone in kayaking in a front and back pointed boat. A double sided paddle known as kayak is used to navigate in water.

Places:

Ganga River at Rishikesh from Shivpuri to Lakshman Jhula is the best river for rafting in India. Chandrapuri-Rudraprayag on the Mandakini; Matli-Dunda , Jangla-Jhala, Harsil-Uttarkashi, Dharasu-Chham on the Bhagirathi are also well known places for rafting.

In zaskar river from Padum to Zimo, In indus river on Ladakh, Jammu & kashmir, Bhagirathi river till it merges with alaknanda river at Devprayag to form River Ganga; Teesta river, Sikkim and Darjeeling, Bramhaputra in Arunachal Pradesh, Tons river in Garhwal, Kundalika river at Kolad, Maharashtra and barpole river in Coorg, Karnataka are awesome places for rafting and kayaking in India.

5. Heliskiing:

This is the most adventurous activity of downhill skiing/snowboarding which are conducted in fresh snowy trails of hills and mountains. It requires helicopter to take the skiers to that place where they jump from the helicopter from some height and enjoy skiing at the untouched snow. This activity is a thrilling one and need a lot of training and practice before going for these locations for heliskiing.

Places: Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Gulmarg in Kashmir are two places in India where you can enjoy heliskiing

6. Paragliding:

If you desire to fly like eagles in the sky then paragliding is the adventure activity for you. Flying Para-gliders, which is a light-weight and free-flying sir craft with no engine, is a skilful activity flying at a few hundred meters above the land or water. You can gain heights whenever you want, you can slow down and maintain the speed to land safely.

Places: Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Kunjapuri and Bedni Bugyal in Uttarakhand, Pavana in Maharashtra, Nandi Hills in Bangalore, Yelagiri in Tamilnadu, Shillong in Meghalaya, Arambol Beach in Goa, Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan and Satpuras Range in Gujarat are some places in India to enjoy paragliding.

7. Water Sports:

Scuba Diving, snorkelling, parasailing, water skiing, jet skiing, wake boarding, wind surfing, kite surfing, catamaran sailing, Dinghy sailing, Angling and banana rides are some water activities that are very popular in Indian sea waters. In India, Goa is the first choice and best destination for water lovers in India and around the world. 

Places: Goa, Pondicherry, Andaman Nicobar, Kerala and Uttaranchal are some places which are best known for the water activities.

8. Hot air ballooning:

This adventure activity is new in India but it is getting fast popularity among travellers and adventurers. Hot air balloons are light weight aircraft with a balloon shaped bag called envelope that contains hot air. Beneath the envelope a big basket is attached to carry passengers and heat source (hot propane flame). It is a mesmerizing view when a lot of hot air balloons fly at a time. It flies with the wind direction in a slow speed above thousands of feet from land. Hot air ballooning is conducted in open land spaces.

Places: Lovavala in Maharashtra, Pushkar and Jaipur in Rajasthan, West Coast of Karnataka, Agra in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR and Haryana, Bhopal, Manali, Goa and Darjeeling.

9. Camel and yak safaris:

In Rajasthan-India, Camel safari is very popular among travellers. It’s a new kind of adventure to experience of riding camels for hours in windswept and rippling desert. It also gifts chance to explore the rural and rustic desert life of Rajasthan.

In hilly areas of north India travellers can get the adventures of yak safari. In high plateaus and craggy terrains, you can enjoy the tranquil ride on the back of domesticated yaks.

Places:

For camel safari - Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Nubra Valley of Rajasthan.

For yak safari - Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim.

10. Auto rickshaw rampaging

Can you ride an auto rickshaw for weeks across India? If yes, then this travel activity is only for you. Auto rickshaw rampaging is a new kind of adventure added to the travel diaries of India. This is also known as auto rickshaw race or challenge because it is one. This challenge started in 2006 from Chennai to Kanyakumari organized by Chennai Event Management Services. If you are planning for a long vacation and want to try some crazy travel adventures then this is the best choice for you.

Places: Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra

Conclusion:

From heliskiing, paragliding and hot air balloon to camel and yak safari and auto-rickshaw rampage, in India there are variety of travel and adventure activities to for travellers across the world. India is always on the list of top destinations for travel and adventure.