Kameng,
India
December 08, 2020
Other trips in India:
Rafting the Kameng River, Arunachal Pradesh, India, 2020
The Kamneg river is situated in Arunachal Pradesh which is one of the last frontiers of Asia. Wedged in isolation between Bhutan, Tibet and Myanmar this sparsely populated mountainous sanctuary is an adventurers dream. It is only recently that it has become possible to get special permission to explore this area with its abundance of wildlife and unique tribal cultures. Including the Naga a tribe that used to head hunt until just a few years ago living in the forests of India and Myanmar. This area is such a great untapped place for white water with a lot of rivers that are still yet to be run.
I was lucky to be leading the first raft descent on the Kameng and just over the border in Myanmar was with a team that first descented 3 different rivers there barley 200klms from the put in of the Kameng.
Paddling the Kameng River is an exciting journey of discovery as we go through some beautiful gorges that the dense jungle drips into that its almost impenetrable . In fact on the first descent here we had a wild bore Elephant who came crashing out of the jungle and walked between tents before crashing back into the jungle! The White water on the Kameng is just a Kayakers and rafters dream with big rapids like ‘Maxed Out’, ’Pakke Sock Sucker’ the likes of these have only been paddled a hand full of times interspread with bed rock gorges with watefalls coming in from all sides. Arunchal Pradesh is known for its rainfall with over 3 meters a year!! So everything is incredibly green finding and camping on the very few pristine sandy beaches is every explorers ultimate.For the180 kilometers we won’t see a single sign of the modern world and rely totally on our own experience, supplies and ingenuity to pass through this wilderness. A trip that every explorer dreams about!. As it drains into the Mighty Brahmaputra it joins forces with Subansiri the Dibang and the Lohti (which we are trying to get a first descent on soon !!) before exciting into the Indian Ocean.
Detailed Itinerary
Dates and Prices
We can make a special trip for you based on your skills and wishes.
Prices depend on the itinerary and number of participants
What to bring?
- A pair of river shorts or swimming costume.
- A pair of Chacos or similar sandals. Trainers are also okay.
- Long sleeved shirt to wear under your life jacket.
- A baseball cap for under the helmet to keep sun off.
- Wide brimmed sunhat.
- Sunglasses.
- Chums for fastening your sunglasses to your head.
- Nalgene or similar water bottle.
- Carabiner for fastening water bottle to your boat.
- Thermal Top Medium weight – Heavyweight Capilene or polypropylene is the best.
- Waterproof sunscreen and lip balm SPF15 minimum
- Lightweight long trousers.
- Lightweight long Sleeved shirt.
- Fleece jacket.
- Down jacket
- Ladies should bring a long skirt or sarong to cover your legs whilst in the company of locals.
- Underwear.
- Glasses or Contact lenses. Disposable lenses are ideal.
- Toiletries. Toothbrush, toothpaste, biodegradable soap and shampoo.
- Forget the cosmetics and hair dryer! But we do suggest moisturizer.
- Hand wipes
- A 3-season sleeping bag and thermarest sleeping mat
- Travel Pillow.
- Small pack towel.
- Headlamp or head torch and spare batteries.
- Shoes or boots for the trek.
- Insect Repellent.
- Any medication you may be taking.
Optional Items
- Your favourite book or a journal for recording your river memories.
- Sketchpad.
- Photographic or video equipment. We recommend bringing your own waterproof casing and a cleaning kit as sand gets everywhere. Bring a spare memory card or plenty of film. Also bring spare batteries for your camera.
- Waterproof disposable for the “action” on the raft shots.
- Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman.
- An iPod or other music preferences. We have speakers.
Personal Spending
- The only money that you need to bring is for meals in town, souvenirs, DVD, personal items and the beer kitty for the raft trip if you drink. Please remember that many of the countries we visit do offer Credit Card and ATM facilities and for a small charge you can withdraw cash either from your account or Credit Card for convenience.
- If you wish to pass on a gratuity to your guide we leave this entirely up to you.
- Basically, we advise you to keep things as light as possible, without skimping on the essentials.
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