I have always been a great fan of the outdoors. Whenever I have the chance, I like to go and drive to nature and enjoy activities such as camping and kayaking. Over the years, I have seen incredible photos of the Canyon area and read many books about Grand Canyon rafting full with stories of the pioneers who first ran the rapids down the Colorado River. As a gift for graduating college, my parents decided to present me with a once in a lifetime trip to the Grand Canyon. I was absolutely elated to hear this, and was very excited to go and visit a truly amazing area such as the Grand Canyon. One of the activities that I participated most at the Grand Canyon is guided rafting trips. I have heard from lots of family and friends that the only true way to enjoy the Grand Canyon is to go on guided rafting trips. They told me that being on the water of the Grand Canyon and being able to enjoy the scenery from the water would give me a great appreciation of the entire area. Of course, hearing this, I immediately booked myself into multiple rafting tours in the area. I knew that going on these trips would be able to give me the real Grand Canyon experience which simply can’t be had from the other activities offered in the area.
The guided rafting trip that I decided to participate in took me all over the Grand Canyon. I was able to travel the area through the many different rivers and streams located throughout the entire canyon. It was very interesting to see the complex river system in the canyon. The tour took me around lots of areas in the canyon that simply can’t be reached without using a raft boat. The tour guide for the rafting expedition was also able to give me lots of very interesting facts about the canyon which further increased my fascination with the entire area.
During the trip I was also able to make lots of great friends who also had a huge appreciation for the canyon. We were able to enjoy the tour together and discuss all of the great things we had seen and heard during the tour. I have to say, all of the individuals that went on the tour were some of the most down to earth and friendly people I had ever met. It truly was an amazing experience being able to enjoy the Grand Canyon while on raft boats, surrounded by a bunch of great people. I was worried that going on a tour such as this by myself would leave me a little bit isolated, but that certainly wasn’t the case at all. The guided raft trips that I went on in the canyon were some of the best experiences that I have ever had in my life. I am so thankful for my parents who gave me the opportunity to enjoy such a truly sublime and fascinating area such as the Grand Canyon. You can certainly expect me to visit the canyon once again in the near future. Furthermore, I would definitely recommend that anyone who has even the slightest interest in visiting the Grand Canyon to do so.
When we decided to go on a trip as a family, choosing the tour itself was difficult as there are so many options to select from including raft types, routes and number of days. Hence, we decided to find a guided rafting trip. Our tour included transportation to and from as part of the itinerary which made travel logistics rather simple - flew in and out of Las Vegas, Nevada. This meant that as soon as we stepped out of our hotel we were able to hop onto a comfortable, air-conditioned bus which would transport us straight to Marble Canyon, Arizona where we met our rafts.
We decided on a full canyon motor trip as we were limited to 7 days for our adventure. There was a choice between an oar trip (non-motorized) and a motor and decided a motor was the right choice as it offered more comfortable seating and a more active and exciting daily itinerary as we would see more of the canyon each day. Of course, I initially imagined us paddle rafting down the Colorado river, as everyone else, but quickly learned we would either have to commit to a 12-18 day full canyon trip, or hike 9.5 miles at the start or end of an upper or lower canyon 7-9 day trip. 7-day motor was definitely the way to go for us. The rafting tour was incredibly relaxing at times, and totally exhilarating when slamming into the rapids head on. The energy between the water and raft was intense, and literally felt like buckets of water were being thrown on top of us. Wow, what a rush! I have to say, the amazing scenery we saw during the tour was spectacular and the food our guides prepared, was better than many restaurants I've frequented.
These amazing memories are some of the things that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. Overall, the rafting adventure was simply phenomenal. Myself and my family were all very glad that we decided to go on this for our annual family vacation. Being able to enjoy nature in such an amazing place such as the Grand Canyon, sleeping under the stars and waking up to the most amazing sunrise as it slowly made its way over the tall canyon walls was truly priceless. I would definitely recommend everyone to turn this bucket list idea into a reality with Advantage Grand Canyon.
