The river
The Chu River runs close to Bishkek and is by far the most popular destination for rafting in Kyrgyzstan. Part of it passes through the Boom Gorge, which is renowned across Central Asia as the perfect place to try your hand at rafting for the first time: access to the river is easy and the rapids are manageable, class 2 to 4.
That class range matters. Class 2 is lively but forgiving; class 4 is genuinely exciting and needs you to paddle when the instructor says so. Nobody is expected to have done this before — the briefing covers everything, and an instructor is in the boat with you the whole way.
How the day runs
Bishkek to the put-in is 120 km, about two hours twenty. The rafting itself lasts approximately one hour twenty on the water. The whole day, door to door, runs 7 to 8 hours.
Afterwards we go to the Hawaii resort — a lake with a zoo, floating pavilions and a restaurant on the water, with the snow range on the horizon. It is a deliberately gentle end to an energetic morning, and a good place to dry off and eat.
What to know before you book
Bring a change of clothes and a towel — you will get wet, and it is not optional. Everything you need on the water is provided: wetsuit, life jacket, helmet and paddle. Food is not included; there is a restaurant at the resort.
The season runs from late spring through to early autumn, when the water level is right. Outside that window we would rather send you to Chonkurchak than put you on a river that is not working.
