TomSawyer Adventures — Local services in Kameoka

--- BASICALLY ---

easy to set up event, very communicative (even in English) fun route with some rapids and an opportunity to jump into the water from a ledge at one point PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, AND GO WHEN IT'S MISTING! IT'S MAGICAL.

--- LONG VERSION ---

I went in June 2018 with my mom and brother, and it was A BLAST. The conditions were perfect (and I'll explain more about it), and the guide was so great. Even setting up the event a week in advance and then doing everything upon arrival were a breeze! Everything was so PHENOMENAL. I have this place bookmarked because I have EVERY INTENTION of coming back.

First of all, it was really helpful that the person in charge spoke English because even after three years of Japanese and a semester abroad, I don't know that I can carry a full-blown conversation about rafting and safety measures. (He apparently studied in Pasadena, which was a stone's throw from where I used to was living at the time. So we were able to bond over that, too! It was such a coincidence.) The setup and checking in of everything (I had called a week in advance to figure out logistics) went super smoothly, and he was very helpful with the process. Then getting ready and understanding protocol (e.g. this is how we get in the raft; we do this if XYZ happens; make sure to hold your paddle like this) the day of went swimmingly, though these directions were given to us by our guide (who was not the same person as the one in charge and didn't speak much English).

The experience itself was SO GREAT. You go around on the water, and you're surrounded by tall forests on both sides. The route was extremely fun and also had a few parts with rapids. Our guide would tell us well in advance so that we were prepared. There's also a little island where we docked midway, and we were able to jump from a height of about two stories into the water. Even though I'm afraid of heights, I went first, and the guide had a waterproof camera that he used for taking pictures of us mid-jump (as well as throughout the adventure). We also passed by some people on a train at some point, and (because I'm a mess) waved enthusiastically at them and was received with a lot of waves back.

Here's my favorite part: iT WAS MISTING. At first, it had worried me since the person on the phone had told me that they might not open if it rained. Fortunately, the precipitation was so light that it didn't matter. In fact, it (A) made things more tolerable since we had cloud cover and tolerable temperatures and (B) made the scenery look amazing. Let me explain Point B a little more. Basically, the water that was hitting the first made it look like mist was riding from treetops. It was a really magical, breathtaking sight that seemed to really capture the Japanese sentiment of kami existing in nature. There was something reverent and moving about the whole experience, and I couldn't help but feel like I had somehow been chosen as deserving of this rare sight but some greater force. (I'm not even superstitious like that, either.)

I had an AMAZING time. I can't sing its praises enough. There is something I'll mention, though: it probably helped a lot that both my brother and I had taken Japanese (he had four years, I believe). I can see things being a bit more difficult if your guide doesn't speak much English. Still, ours was very emotive and good at communicating with his body language, so I have every faith that anyone could go and understand...

Great experience. Highly recommend as a retreat after touristing in Tokyo and Kyoto with our family, age 15 and 18 yo.

The rafting was awesome. Good white water but not too intense. Swimming and even some rock jumping. So fun and perfect on a 90 degree day.

Our guide Katsu is epic. World famous skateboarder with serious skills. He made my family feel safe, but he also entertained with a triple spin and back flip off the high rocks. He was fantastic.

Perhaps the most awesome part of this experience was the BBQ at the end. This is not your typical tourist meal...tons of meat And noodles that we cooked ourselves hanging in the beautiful views. And, they made extra efforts to accommodate the vegetarian in our party. Tons of veggies and tofu. It was soooo yummy. A truly...

If your looking for some excitement while in Kyoto, get the train west for 20 mins to Tom Sawyer Adventures. It’s 100 meters from the train station. The staff and very friendly and welcoming. The website is confusing but once we arrived we knew it was going to be special. The white water rafting was so much fun. We got to swim in the river and jump in from the rocks too. Our guide - Kats was the BEST! we felt safe in his hands and he was very engaging. Taking our pictures loads too. If you have time, book the BBQ for after! The perfect way to end an incredible afternoon rafting. One of our best days in Japan, and we were there...