Try White Water Rafting for a Healthy Adrenaline Rush

Sometimes you need to exercise solo, sometimes in a group. Both have their own benefits. If you want to try out something different in a group, consider water rafting and caving.

Get a group of minimum four pax to go onto an outdoor thrill. My team was lucky to have found a place that offered a day activity for rafting and caving. Riverbug Asia in Gopeng, Perak offers a wide range of outdoor activities.

Riverbug Gopeng Activities

Riverbug Gopeng Activities

 

My party of five drove to Gopeng toll and waited for Riverbug Asia representative to lead the way to the Ulu River Lodge, Kampung Jahang, Gopeng. The drive to the lodge from the main road was quite long and it was on untarred road. So make sure you drive a vehicle with right tires. You will pass through houses and see many durian, palm oil and rubber trees.

At the Riverlodge, we were introduced to our guide, Max. We placed our belongings in the lockers provided and after that Max drove us to the river raft area, a few kilometers away from the Riverlodge. We had to stand in the truck throughout and it was quite an exciting ride.

Max giving 10 mins brief

Max giving 10 mins brief

At the river raft point, we put on the gears; helmets and life-jackets, and grabbed the paddles. Max then gave a 15 mins brief on safety and instructions on how to raft. The rafting level was 3, and water level low. Max is a good guide. He not only briefed us, he made sure we had a bit of a practice in the water.

Floating in the River

Techniques to Float

Then off we went onto the raft, 7 km down the cool and clear river. We were told the water comes from the hills of Cameron Highlands. We went through four tough rapids, using different types of techniques. Despite the train and instructions, one could easily fall into the waters. Two of our teammates did, but the training and practices helped us to stay calm and help each other.

From this picture you could tell who was doing all the hard work

From this picture you could tell who was doing all the hard work

 

We stopped to swim a couple of times at areas with lesser rocks. The water was cold and refreshing and if you are lucky like us, you would see rajah brooke’s butterfly other than beautiful birds around the area.

Our final stop was at the Riverlodge. Max actually let us off the raft, form a long line by holding each other’s life jacket in the water and glide in the drift together.

It was truly a fun and exciting activity for a team.

What to bring when you raft?

Lockers are provided at no extra charge, so you can keep ALL your personal belongings there. No other items are required when you hop onto the truck or van. They also provide water bottles for you in the raft. There is also a small dry bag in the raft to put locker keys. Put on sunblock before you go onto the van.

  • Watercamera but make sure you have a secure pocket to keep it
    Riverbug Asia takes pictures of you while rafting but if you want to take pictures in the water on your own, you can bring one

What should you wear?

Get ready to be all soaked when you go river rafting.

  • Aqua shoes. Avoid wearing your running shoes if you love them
  • Sports hijab (if you are a hijabist)
  • Caps that can be worn together with helmets, but not recommended
  • Bathing suit would be nice, but if you plan not to wear one, consider
    • Long sleeves shirts made of mesh or easy to dry fabric
    • Long pants  mesh or easy to dry fabric, with secure pockets
    • For ladies, wear  sports bra with padding.
      It is good to wear long sleeves to avoid insect bites and to add protection to your skin outdoor
Rafting in Ultra Top & Compression Skirt Pants

Rafting in Ultra Top & Compression Skirt Pants

What’s great about this outfit is its versatility; simply practical with the secure pockets on the skirt pants and the fabric is suitable for both wet and dry use. You could walk out of the river in it, rinse and dry, and wait for the next adventure after lunch.

Oh ya, lunch was provided at a cafe by the river. It was a delicious ‘kampung’ delicacy; rice, lovely chicken curry, friend fish, ulam with sambal belacan and the yummiest tempoyak.

After Dzuhor, we got ready for our next adventure – Caving at Kandu Cave.