Ganges River Journey by Rowing Boat

River Ganges at sunset © Chris Raven

Everywhere along the mighty River Ganges, you will see traditional wooden rowing boats navigating the waters of a river that flows 2,525km to the Bay of Bengal. Rishikesh in the Himalayas is the location of great white water rafting, Haridwar, a sacred pilgrimage site is an idylic waterside setting for experiencing Hindu culture and ritual up close. The true Ganges epicentre is Varanasi, a city that has drawn Hindu pilgrims to its shores for centuries with the chance to wash away their sins and escape the cycle of death and rebirth. A sunset or sunrise trip by rowing boat along the sacred ghats is an experience of a lifetime not to be missed...

To read about the realities of life on the holy River Ganges the story 'A Boat, a Goat and three Chickens', by The Raven Brothers, one of 10 stories of adventure in their new travel book 'Hike, Drive  Stayin' Alive!' is a worth while read. In a moment of madness, the travel writing duo and a friend buy a rowing boat in North India during the Magh Mela, the largest religious festival in the world, and attempt to row to Varanasi. Dolphins, a bandit and a corpse greet them during a journey on the holy River Ganges that rapidly spirals out of control.

Not a fan of rowing boats? Fear not. The fifth book by The Raven Brothers covers ten inspiring stories of adventure from across the globe, and signals a return to Simon and Chris writing “buttock clenching” comedy. 

‘Hike, Drive, Stayin’ Alive!’ by The Raven Brothers is out now! Order your copy from Amazon or your favourite book retailer worldwide.

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Hike, Drive, Stayin' Alive!

by The Raven Brothers

On Amazon >

Out of shape and unprepared, The Raven Brothers return to the road in a collection of ten quests to travel to their dream destinations against all odds! After two decades pioneering new routes across the globe, you would expect the authors of 'Driving the Trans-Siberian' to be hotshot explorers, with a sixth sense and an ability to survive in almost any situation. Think again! With virtually zero knowledge of the workings of the internal combustion engine and very limited skills of wilderness survival, Simon and Chris struggle into their hiking boots and power across three continents by river, tarmac and trail.

Venture to the top of Norway, cruise the road to Damascus, hike the Camino trail into Spain’s Wild West, row the Ganges, explore Frida Kahlo’s world in Mexico City, hangout with the dead in Sicily’s eerie catacombs, crawl deep inside Bolivia’s notorious silver mine, seek lions in Gujarat, wellness in Berlin and journey into the Naga Hills where tribal kings still rule.

Noted by Lonely Planet for their talent to portray an “accurate view of what to expect”, 'Hike, Drive, Stayin’ Alive!' signals a return to the duo writing “buttock clenching” travel comedy with the first in a series of candid stories of adventure by The Raven Brothers.