Generally speaking, India tends to get overlooked as an adventure destination. People think of it as having monuments, Keralan and its Backwaters and the beaches in Goa. This is such a travesty! India has a plethora of adventure opportunities, whether your preference is for hard core adventure or more gentle days out.
To start with, India has the Himalayas stretching across the top of the country which contain more peaks over 7000ft than in any other country in the world. They provide countless trekking opportunities, from day treks in the lower foothills to hardcore treks up in the realms of the gods! Differing comfort levels are also catered for. If you are into serious trekking then simple camps are put up for you as you proceed, but there are also lovely village treks in Himachal and Uttarakhand where you have the opportunity to stay in village homes each evening and sample the simple yet charming hospitality of the hill people of India. If you would like to combine a more usual trip around the sites, then half day treks out to villages and ruins can also be arranged in cities such as Jaipur and Udaipur.
Cycling is now also beginning to take hold in India. For a fun morning out, then there are now early morning cycle trails offered in cities such as Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Cochin and Amritsar! These take place before the morning traffic builds and are a great way to see the cities waking up, the rituals and ceremonies which take place every morning, the milk and flower deliveries at the temples, blocks of ice being delivered in bullock cart sized chunks! There are also fabulous cycle trails which take place around the country whether from Jodhpur to Udaipur, Coast to Coast from Chennai to Cochin and now, even between the National Parks in Madhya Pradesh. Cycling is a wonderful way to see the country at grass roots level, meet the people, stop off at random and, as they tend to take the back roads, stay in lovely small converted palaces and tented camps. Of course, if hard core mountain biking is your thing, then head to Ladakh, it’s high mountains and moonscapes are serving to ensure that this is emerging as one of the most challenging mountain biking destinations in India, amidst a back drop of spectacular scenery interspersed with Buddhist monasteries.
White water rafting is also becoming increasingly popular in India. The best-known rafting section is the one just above Rishikesh, which has a 24km stretch of river with a series of fun rapids as well as some more gentle sections for body surfing! Atali Ganga, just above Rishikesh is also India’s first official Activotel, guides here whether for rafting, trekking or kayaking are trained to an International standard and in addition to this, the hotel was built with comfort in mind, so, if you love your adventure but want a charming room, hot shower and comfortable bed at the end of the day, then this is for you.
Horseriding in India is a unique experience, not just in terms of the places that are visited, though can you imagine riding through the countryside of Rajasthan with its colourful villages and local wildlife only to arrive at a charming former summer palace of one of the Maharaja’s of the state? But also because of the horses themselves, the Marwari horse, indigenous to India and not found anywhere else in the world! These horses are revered throughout the state of Rajasthan, being a symbol of power but they are also renowned for their sure footedness, strength despite their slight build, intelligence, bravery and, what anyone who has seen one always remembers, are their curly ears! A couple of destinations in Rajasthan are particularly well known for their Marwari horses and riding safaris whether half a day or multi day options. However, there are also horse safaris available throughout the tea plantations in Assam, this time on thoroughbred horses and ex polo ponies, another wonderfully unique experience.
by Applenet 
