RISHIKESH WILDLIFE

Rajaji National Park: About 8 km from Rishikesh, is a wildlife sanctuary with a good elephant population. Other animals here include tiger, wild boar, nilgai, sambhar, spotted deer and langur. There is a GMVN rest-house at Chilla. A pleasurable 19 kms drive from Rishikesh take s you to chilla, the core zone of Raja Ji National Park – an intrusting animal habitat on account of its location at the meting point of the lesser Himalayan Foothills and the beginning of vast Indo Gangetic Planes. One can enconter a great variety of migratory and domestic birds along the Ganges. Arrive Chilla and commence Elephant ride through the forests.

Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary: The dense forests here are home to the rare musk deer. Other inmates include leopard, black bear and tahr-a wild mountain – goat.

OTHER ADVENTURE SPORTS

Trekking: Rishikesh can be made the base for treks into the Garhwal Himalayas offering a very wide range of trekking. One can do religious treks, scenic treks, botanical treks, treks to experience the land and its people – with the option of doing a low altitude trek or a high-altitude trek.

Two popular treks out of Rishikesh are to Neelkanth from Swarg Ashram, 10 km, with option of using motor transport also, and Kunjapuri Temple, from Tapovan, again a distance of 10 km. Both temples are on hilltop and provide beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.
Garhwal has over 100 peaks more than of 6000 metre high.

Trekking Routes

Valley of Flowers Trek: Rishikesh – Joshimath – Govindghat – Ghangharia – Hemkund Sahib – Valley of flowers – Badrinath – Rishikesh.
Har – ki – Dun Trek: Rishikesh – Sankri – Taluka – Osla – Har-ki-Dun-Osla-Sankri-Rishikesh.
Roopkund Trek: Rishikesh-Mundoli-Wan-Bedni Bugyal – Baggubasa – Roopkund – Homkund – Sutola – Ghat.
Binsar Trek: Rishikesh – Pauri – Thalisain – Binsar – Gairsain – Rishikesh.
Nagtibba Trek: Rishikesh – Pantwari – Nagtibba – Devalsari – Thatyur – Mussoorie – Rishikesh.
Rishikesh – chakrata – Mundali – Dakpathar Trek: Rishikesh – Purola – Kathiyan – Mundali – Kharambha Top-Chakrata – Dakpathar – Rishikesh.

Rafting: Kaudiyala, 38 km from Rishikesh, has the Tourists and Rafters Camp. Between Kaudiyala and Shivpuri, 15 km from Rishikesh, many other private operators have campsites on the beaches along the river. The best period for rafting is from October to April.

Rock Climbing and Mountaineering: Some of the highest peaks in the world- Nanda Devi (7817 m), Kamet (7756 m) and Dunagiri (7088 m) – beckon mountaineers to the Garhwal Himalayas. The rugged beauty of the mountainscape is very hard to resist for those interested in the mountains. Rock climbing can be done at Kaudiyala, Tapovan, Tharali, Songad, Tekhla and Buranskhanda.

Skiing: Auli in eastern Garhwal is the ski-resort. The slopes are 5 km long and stretch across an area of 3 km. The season is from December to March. There is accommodation, instructors, equipment and other facilities. A 800 m-long chair lift is operational.