FAQ'S

I have never been rafting before – is it safe?

No problem! Our professional guides will teach you everything you need to know. Before each activity, we provide a full safety briefing & demonstration, making sure everyone on board knows exactly how to follow the guide’s instructions and how to be rescued by our safety kayakers in case you fall out of the raft. Our guides are the best in the industry and they will take very good care of you!

Of course, as in any adventure activity there is an element of risk, which is what makes it exciting. With our intensive international training, state of the art equipment and comprehensive emergency preparedness, we have reduced the risks as much as possible and feel extremely confident in sharing an extremely fun and very safe adventure with you.

Please check out our full Safety page for more information...

What’s included?

• Professional English speaking local NARA licensed guides, instructors & safety kayakers, highly trained & safety certified to international standards in Rescue 3 WRT, Nepal Red Cross CPR & High Peak First Aid International Wilderness First-Aid
• Professional safety kayakers & necessary gear boat back up crew
• International name brand ISO certified rafting, kayaking & canyoning equipment including full personal outfitting from essential paddles, helmets & life jackets to dry tops, wetsuits, dry bags, pelican boxes as well as extra specialized canyoning kit.
• Top of the line camping equipment including toilet tents, shelters, personal tents, tarpaulins, mattresses, sleeping bags etc.
• Fresh, delicious & hygienically prepared food while on the river, including tea, coffee & hot chocolate as well as drinking water
• Round trip local bus transportation (sometimes private 4WD, micro-van or big bus & sometimes tourist bus) 
• Industry standard first aid kits

And a note about what is not included...

• Unrelated transportation, visas, travel documents, departure taxes etc...
• Items of a personal nature (toiletries, clothing, camera etc) 
• Alcohol and junk food 
• Plastic bottled mineral water **we prefer to treat local stream water and help preserve our environment**
• Insurance **we provide insurance for our crew - but participants must be properly insured through an emergency medical travel plan**
• Tips for guides **if you feel that our crew did a great job, you are invited to offer a personal tip**

What do I need to bring?

Here’s our suggested packing list for any multi-day trip with us...

• Shorts / ½ pants
• Sport sandals
• Polypropylene / quick dry long shirt
• Swim suit
• Track pants / comfortable long pants
• Warm fleece
• Jacket (waterproof shell)
• Socks
• Shoes
• Pyjamas / something comfortable to sleep in
• Warm hat (in cold months)
• Towel
• Personal toiletries
• Sunscreen / sunscreen lip protection
• Water bottle
• Head lamp / flash light
• Personal first aid kit
• Camera
• Sleeping bag (if you do not have one – we will provide for free of charge)
• A little cash for treats & tips

Of course if you are only doing a day trip, then you simply need the basics.

I can’t swim – can I still join?

No problem! We provide professional ISO certified life jackets and we will teach you the proper procedures for a “white water swim” in case you do fall out of the raft. And in the event that you do fall out of the raft, you will not be floating for long, as our safety kayakers are quick to rescue and get you back safety in the raft.

As long as you are comfortable enough in water to be splashed in the face and the possibility of being dunked under, then you will be fine, but you may want to consider our more moderate river options.

If you are afraid of the water however, you may want to consider simply stick to the trails!

What do the river grades mean?

River Grading: Water volume and technical hazards determine a rapids grade. Class I-II are small and simple waves. Class III/III+ are exciting, but not too difficult or technical. Class IV/IV+ provide a great adrenalin rush with the chance of falling out or flipping the raft. Class V is extreme, challenging, potentially scary and usually requires a great deal of scouting and is the highest level we run in Nepal with only our absolute best guides in charge. Please understand that Mother Nature makes the rules in all outdoor pursuits, and often rivers, trails, roads change making rapid levels constantly fluctuate from season to season.

What kind of food do you provide?

We are very proud of our crew’s culinary ability! We offer both Western & Nepali dishes in both vegetarian and non vegetarian options. Meals are always provided as buffet, so you can help yourself to what you like and avoid what you don’t.

For an example of food in a day... We start the morning with tea, coffee & hot chocolate ready early as well as muslie & cornflakes with powder milk and sometimes yogurt. Then we have full cooked breakfast with eggs, toast, breakfast potatoes & veg, sometimes pancakes or porridge etc. Lunch is a combination of bread, cheese, salami, tuna, sardines, variety of salads (sometimes coleslaw, sometimes pasta, sometimes potato etc, fresh fruit and biscuits etc. Once we arrive at camp we have tea, coffee & hot water prepared as quickly as possible with snacks like popcorn, papadum, prawn crackers etc and sometimes soup. Then dinner is a combination of pasta, french fried potatoes, curries, vegetables, sometimes local Nepalese daal bhat but usually western style food.

I am vegetarian – can you prepare special food for me?

Yes – we are happy to offer vegetarian options which are prepared completely separate to any meat dishes. All of our meals are served buffet style, so you can help yourself to whatever you like and avoid what you don’t. Please advise us of this request when booking.

Are the rivers clean to swim in, or will I get sick?

Well...this is Nepal, so the rivers are certainly not clean enough to drink from, but you dont have to worry about getting sick from simply swimming in them. The water is fast moving, and even at camp where there are large still eddies, you do not have to worry about anything like bilharzias etc.

What kind of footwear do I need?

For our rafting & kayaking trips, a sport sandal which stays on your foot is the best option. Some common brands are Teva or Chaco which are available here in Nepal.

We provide specialized booties for our Canyoning adventures.

Why is Paddle Nepal more expensive than some other companies I have contacted?

Simply put – you get what you pay for! We prefer to say that some other companies are “cheaper” than us, as our trips are really quite good value and not overly expensive.

Our guides are trained to the highest international standards & our equipment is all imported international ISO certified brands. We don’t cut corners on important things like safety, transportation, & food etc. Additionally, we are one of few legally registered companies in Nepal paying tax and doing our part not to feed corruption. And finally, we pay our staff appropriately, subsidize training and are one of the only companies in Nepal to provide insurance for our crew. Offering these international standards costs us a little extra.

How do I pay?

You may confirm your trip with a 25% deposit by PayPal. The balance can be paid locally by either USD cash or equivalent in Nepali Rupees. We also accept credit cards with a surcharge of 4%.

What happens with my luggage?

We will provide you with a stuff sack to pack what you wish to bring on the river with you. Once we arrive at the put-in point, we will put all stuff sacks in our 100% water proof NRS dry bags. Any valuable items, or things you wish to have access to through the day, such as cameras, medicine, extra eye contact lenses & sunscreen etc, will be packed in 100% waterproof and almost indestructible pelican boxes.

Your extra luggage can either be left at our Pokhara Operations Center. Valuable such as laptops & passports ect. can be put in our safe, while back packs and general luggage will be stored in a common store room.

If you are travelling on to another destination after your trip, you can leave your extra luggage with us at our Pokhara Operations Center, and we will have it delivered to the take-out point on your last day.

Note – All items left with us or brought with you on the river are at your own risk.

How fit do I have to be?

A basic level of physical fitness is required on all of our trips. Some rivers, such as the Marshyangdi require more physical participation than others, but most people are capable of participating without any problem.

Do I need to book in advance?

It is not essential to book in advance; however, it helps us to ensure that the trip is confirmed by having participants book in advance. All trips have a minimum participant requirement. The earlier people book, the easier it is for us to recruit more participants.

In order to book in advance you simply need to send us a 25% deposit which can be easily done by PayPal. We also need the following information for all participants...

• Full Name
• Nationality
• Passport Number
• Date of Birth

Do I need to tip my guide?

You certainly do not NEED to tip your guide; however, if you feel they did a good job, a small persona tip is a lovely gesture and shows are crew that their hard work is appreciated. Additionally, if you feel that our crew did a good job and you enjoyed your trip, feel free to post a review on Trip Advisor and mention your favorite guides’ name. Our crew love to see their names highlighted up there!