Best time
October to May is the rafting season, with the best rapids from October to January when the dam releases are strong. June to September is the monsoon, when rafting stops but the forest and the waterfalls are at their fullest.
- October to January, 20 to 32°C: The best rafting months, when the dam releases keep the rapids strong.
- February to May, 22 to 38°C: Rafting continues on a gentler river; hot by afternoon but the camps stay shaded.
- June to September, 20 to 30°C: Monsoon: rafting stops, the forest is at its greenest and the falls are full.
What to pack
Quick-dry clothes and a change for after the rafting, sandals that stay on in water, insect repellent for the jungle stays, and a torch. Nights at the camps are cooler than the day suggests.
Pune to Dandeli
Pune to Dandeli is about 420 km, seven to eight hours by road through Kolhapur and Belagavi, which makes a weekend self-drive realistic. Overnight buses run to Dandeli; a flight to Goa and a three-hour drive works too.