Sobek - White Water Rafting

Sobek's white water rafting trip down the Ayung River is one of Ball's most spectacular tours. The fast-flowing Ayung River carves its way through soft volcanic rock to produce a narrow, deep-sided thrilling course. We journey throughvine-hung gorges, tranquil rice-paddies and stunning jungle scenery while observing rural Balinese life from the river.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

o Losts 2 hours down an 11-km section of the river
o A total of 22 class II and III rapids
o Suitable for beginners aged 8 to 65
o Maximum 6 people to a raft (not including guide)
o US$50,000 insurance coverage o Cultural trip enabling rafters to see the real Bali

THE TRIP

Book your adventure by speaking to our friendly, English-speaking operations staff. Air-conditioned mini-buses wll pick guests up at their hotel from between 7.45 and 9.45 am for the morning trip, and 12.15 and 2.15 p.m. for the afternoon trip. We take guests in air-conditioned comfort to the starting point at Begawan, 8 kilometres from Ubud where they wit hove the chance to see this traditional Balinese mountain village. Our cashiers there wilt collect payment or vouchers.
Guests will be fitted wth life-jackets and safety helmets, and given paddles. Our guides will introduce themselves to the clients. Guest are then taken down our environmentally-friendly path to the river. Cut into the hill-side and reinforced using local construction methods, the path affords spectacular views of the Ayung River as it wnds its way round an S-bend.

At our put-in point, ALL GUESTS WILL BE GIVEN A COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY BRIEFING by our highly-qualified guides. Alt our guides speak good English as they have all completed English courses at the Indonesian Australian Language Foundation. We also have guides who speak German, Italian, Spanish, French, Japanese and Korean. River dry bags are provided for client's valuables and cameras.

The 2-hour rafting trip is fun and exhilarating. Clients enjoy the thrill of the rapids, the beauty of the scenery and observe rural Balinese people in their day- to-day life on the river. A stop is made of a spectacular waterfall, and clients are given the chance to get out of the boot to try a natural whirlpool bath.
On the way down our specially-positioned cameramen take still photos and video footage of the indi- vidual boats. These are available for purchase at the end of the trip.

After the last rapid, guest can leave the rafts and float through a quiet logoon to our award-winning Balinese Garden restaurant. Here, the famous Cafe Wayan of Ubud provides an excellent Balinese buffet lunch or dinner.
After their meal, guest walk up to our rafting centre at Kedewatan, where they can shower and change.

SAFETY ON THE RIVER

All rivers are graded according to an internationally recognized system.
Class 1: calm water, not moving
Class 2: moving water
Class 3: fast moving water
Class 4: very fast moving water
Class 5: very fast moving water with steep drops
Class 6: water with danger to life.

The Ayung River is generally a Class 2 river, with a few rapids reaching Class 3, especially during the rainy season when water levels are higher. This makes it suitable for all people who hove a basic level of fitness and no fear of water.

GUIDES

Our guides have been trained in all classes of river using the Swift Water Rescue programme to American Whitewater Affiliation and Australian White- water Standards. Many hove taken part in exchange trips to Australia and the USA. All have regular first aid training including CPR and dealing with minor injuries. Several of our guides represented Indonesia in the World Whitewater Championship in Turkey in 1993.

RAFTS

Our Riken self-boiling rafts ore tough and resilient, specially-designed to withstand the wear-and- tear of the bolder-strewn Ayung River. They are designed in the US and produced under contract in Japan.

LIFE JACKETS

Our life-jackets are specially-designed for river rafting. They float the upper torso of the swimmer above water, covering the waist and protecting the sensitive kidney area. They are zip-secured and strap tightened for a snug fit.
They come in three sizes - small, medium and large to fit all clients.

HELMETS

The wearing of helmets is compulsory on all our trips. Our approved helmets have adjustable interior straps to fit all sizes and are secured with a chin strap.

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