Paddling along the Sun Kosi

The Sun Kosi is a brilliant river—at its best in medium to high flows with big bouncy grade III-IV rapids and lots of friendly holes and waves to surf. Originating near Mount Shisha Pangma in Tibet, the ‘River of Gold’ runs eastward through Nepal, draining most of the eastern portion of the Himalayas. From the put-in at Dolalghat to the take-out at Chatra in far eastern Nepal, the warm water of the Sun Kosi River surges, snakes and winds its way through 270km of some of Nepal's remotest countryside. As with any multi-day trip, it has its share of flat water, but at the right flow, this river journey is an incredible combination of exhilarating white water, beautiful scenery and glorious evenings on white sandy beaches. It is truly breathtaking, and backed by its popularity, is considered by many to be one of the world's 10 classic river journeys.

For rafters, it is the chance to experience a true multi-day river expedition, with evenings camped on white sandy beaches and days drifting down gently flowing water or crashing through big white water—a journey like this is the ideal way to experience and explore Nepal. For kayakers of all levels, this is an ideal spot. Because of its size, the less confident kayakers can miss the best the river has to offer and advanced kayakers will play the whole river. And regardless of kayaking ability, having a raft supported multi-day kayak trip on the Sun Kosi is something not to be missed.