Rafting in Istanbul? Rafring FROM Istanbul!

A calm stretch of the Büyükmelen river

So there we were in the middle of red tape with a free weekend in Istanbul. Out of the blue, friends suggested we joined them on a one-day rafting tour. Small shrieks of joy were followed by tiny shrieks of horror as we had to meet Taner at 5.30 am many miles away from our place. But it’s not every day that you can go rafting from Istanbul.

The meeting point for the group was on the Asian side of Istanbul, comfortably located at a pastry shop. So we could pass the time waiting for the others with drinking endless glasses of tea and having su börek, a kind of pasta dish with fresh cheese for breakfast. We boarded the bus at around 8 am and were heading North-East, to a small village beyond the Abant mountains. We turned off from the Istanbul-Ankara highway at the Zonguldak Düzceexit towards Cumayeri and then on to Dokuzdeğirmen at Büyükmelen River. That’s where the rafting centre is based and tours start from here.

The centre is buzzing with guides running up and down, handing out neoprene suits, helping people to adjust their life vests, helmets, or just showing the way to the changing rooms. The bridge over the river is an island of calm with locals watching over the busy life of the rafting centre.  

Weekend fun

 

The guides create the groups, considering fitness, strength and previous experience. We sign the forms and finally head to the riverbank carrying the boats. Now it’s only the technical briefing left and then we hit the water. 

We learn....

River Büyükmelen isn’t the most difficult river, not as wild as the Coruh in springtime, but it can provide enough excitement to raise your adrenaline levels. There are currents strong enough to topple your boat so you should rather watch out and listen to what your captain is shouting in the back of the boat. Our timing happened to be just perfect: in April, water level was still optimal, but weather wasn’t freezing cold anymore. 

 

Cheerful on quiet waters

It's starting...

Made it!

 Quite quickly, we learn who is strong and who is skilled in the boat, so we become a good team. At one point, we steer to the river bank and drag the boats halfway out of the water. Are we really at the end yet? We just agree that it was too quick for finishing all the 12 kilometres, when it turns out that it’s simply a tea break. Hey, we are in Turkey, so tea is a serious business and one just cannot miss out on regular top-ups, not even during rafting. Which of course serves also as an opportunity for the other total addiction, smoking. But who has dry cigarettes and matches left? We get back into the boats and after having avoided quite a few scary-looking rocks...

Slides

Go!

Disappearing

Here, again. Straight on!

...we really get to Büyükmelen village, where an old and rusty, but functioning bus is waiting for us. A busload of people in wetsuits high on adrenalin in an oldtimer bus. Isn’t that a sight?

Right and left our hosts and friends, Onur és Taner