NatGeo Traveller: Mountain Stay – On a Rapid Roll in Rishikesh

I was cold and wet, my heart beating a mile a minute, and seconds later I would be caught in the Crossfire. And boy, was I looking forward to it! Living up to its name, the rapid Crossfire pushed the raft to a side, almost slapping its four occupants against the rocks. But we survived—with huge smiles plastered on our faces.

I’d first seen the river when I arrived in Rishikesh the previous day. Sea-green waters had been by my side through the drive from Dehradun airport to my hotel, Atali Ganga by Aquaterra Adventures. That evening, I got my first proper look at the Ganga. Down a rocky path few kilometres from the hotel, a tea service by the river had been arranged. The rocks and the wild trees I’d expected, but not the clearing of untarnished white sand where a table was set up.

Shoes discarded, toes firmly dug into soft sand and birdsong in my ears, I watched the Ganga as a cool breeze made a playful mess of my hair. Beyond the gravelly fringe of the shore were mild waves—agile yet unhurried—but few metres to the left were swirls of foaming white, like the beginning notes to a symphony’s crescendo. It seemed like a recce for the next day, the river showing me a peek of what to expect. Equal parts excitement and nervousness bubbled in the pit of my tummy as I sipped my chai just as dusk set in.

I woke up the next morning to a pair of chirping bulbuls. Discarding my plush comforter, I padded along the wooden floors of my cottage to the ceiling-to-floor glass door that opened up to a patio. Away from the humdrum of pilgrims and tourists crowding Rishikesh’s town centre, the cottages of Atali Ganga look out at views painted in rich greens, ochres and browns, cyans, and various pastels. Tile roofs of cottages built along the slopes of a hill; tree-and-bush-lined gravel paths leading to stone steps; leafy boughs where the bulbul pair was picking at fruits; and outdoor seating areas with pista-coloured sofas, like the one a level down from my cottage (I’d spent the previous afternoon reading there). Imposing on the view, however, is the rocky mountain that rises in the distance, hemmed at its foot by the Ganga. For a property styled as an “activotel,” it was befitting that from everywhere, be it the rooms or the restaurant’s alfresco dining area, you could see the river—Rishikesh’s hub of activity. A quick breakfast later, I was walking down another rocky path to my first river rafting experience.