Karnali (Lower) river starts from Sauli (560m) and flows to Chisapani (195m) covering distance of 180 kms. The river is approachable from Kathmandu to Surkhet by flight via Nepaljung or by vehicle and from Surkhet to raft start-in point. The river days would be from 5 to 7. The difficulty in class is 4 - to (5). The Karnali one of finest big volume rafting and kayaking trips in Nepal, and definitely the best combination trip: for trekking, white water rafting and wilderness - a World Classic!. Spectacular jungle-clad canyons, BIG white water and abundant wildlife - We recommend this as one of the ultimate trips for adventurous rafters and kayakers seeking excitement and wilderness.
The Karnali is Nepal's longest and largest river and with its tribuatries, it drains most of the Far West of Nepal the "Wild West" as many people call it. This bottom section of the river definitely lives up to that name - the area that it flows through is wild and unpolluted with some of the most pristine jungle scenery in Nepal, and abundant wildlife.
The rapids are also pretty wild, with the river building to its climax in these lower canyons. Shortly after the sharp bend in the river 'the elbow' by the Lohore river, the valley narrows into a series of canyons, the river speeds up, and there are big rapids, one leading into another, almost continuously down to the Seti River. From the 'Elbow' down to the Seti the gradient is 3.0% (15 ft a mile), but after here, the gradient eases, as the river winds through some magnificent upspoilt scenery, eventually emerging onto the plains and flowing through the Royal Bardiya Wildlife Reserve to join the Ganges.In terms of volume, the river is comparable to the Sun Koshi, but the Karnali is more constrained by its Canyon walls; giving bigger, more continuous and serious rapids. This constrained nature of the river means that any increase in volume has a more pronounced effect on the difficulty of the rapids and this makes it a river that is best run at low flows - November through to April. Highest extreme instantaneous discharge measured at Chisapani.
Rafting Rivers in Nepal
