My trip began in Mysore, a city of 800,000 in the southern state of Karnataka, where I met the other people in my group and the staff from Exodus, a UK-based adventure travel company (www.exodus.co.uk). I’ve travelled with Exodus before and their trips are consistently well-planned and well-organized, providing a great mix of activity, culture, and relaxation. On t his trip our luggage transferred between hotels for us , so the only things we needed to carry with us on our bicycles were cameras and water bottles.
Mysore is a popular tourist destination with an outstanding spice and flower market, and a spectacular palace. After exploring the market and the palace, we went on a couple of leisurely rides around the rolling countryside surrounding Mysore. Despite the heavy traffic, if was remarkably easy to bike amidst all the cars –in fact it was much easier than riding in Edmonton! I figure it was p robably because drivers are much more used to bicycles and other slow-moving vehicles than we are here in Edmonton.
Over next few days we rode from Mysore along quiet back roads past farms and villages, where ox carts and hay drying on the paved roads were familiar sights. We passed by some incredible temples, then rode up into the lush Western Ghats (hills). This was a fantastic ride on well-surfaced roads through rolling country with thick jungle on either side. We eventually reached Bandipur National Park, a large game preserve where we saw herds of elephants, wild dogs, antelope, and guar (bison), but no tigers.
From Bandipur and the Western Ghats, we climbed into the Nilgiri mountains. We ascended over 1,600m over the day, with one huge climb early in the day. In 12km, we gained over 1,300m at an average grade of 11% with 36 hairpin bends! With stunning views at every turn and signs at every hairpin so that you wouldn’t lose count, the road itself was amazing . The ride ended at a very comfortable hotel in Ooty Hill Station, the former summer capital of the Raj, at an elevation of over 2,200m.
The next day we had one of the most enjoyable rides I’ve ever been on. We descended over 2,200m in about 90km, leaving the Nigiris and entering the state of Kerala on the west coast of India. We passed through jungles, tea, coffee and banana plantations, and bamboo forests. The road was incredible: smooth pavement, proper lane markings, and very little traffic. While the road was narrow by North American standards, it’s more than adequate for the mini-cars and small motorcycles that make up the most of Indian traffic.
That afternoon, we arrived in Guruvayoor, home to the massive Sree Krishna Temple which includes over 40 elephants on its large grounds. A major pilgrimage was underway, making for a truly gorgeous spectacle.
From Guruvayoor, we rode south, stopping at a beautiful beach for a swim in the Arabian Sea. In the afternoon, we arrived at Kochi after a brief ferry trip . Kochi is a fascinating city and has been a major spice trading centre for over 2,000 years. Successive waves of Jewish, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders and settlers have made Kochi a unique and fascinating city. It was a real pleasure to explore the city, soak up its atmosphere, and enjoy its bazaars and old harbour area.
From Kochi, we rode south past 500-year-old Portuguese villas, which was a striking contrast to the tiny fisherman's huts dotted along the beach road. Eventually we reached Alleppey, and the Kerala Backwaters, an area of canals and artificial lakes and waterways. There we got onto a fabulous backwater houseboat for an unforgettable trip to Kollam (Quilon). Each houseboat had three 2-berth cabins with en-suite bathroom, satellite tv, and its own cook. For me, the houseboats were the highlight of the trip. It was so incredible to float down a fascinating network of waterways between tiny hamlets perched on narrow spits of land. On one side of the canal, vast paddy fields of iridescent green stretched as far as the eye could see, and on the other side, fishing nets and coconut trees. It was a truly wonderful experience.
After being pried off the houseboats, we headed out for the final ride down the coast to Varkala, a small hippie community with coffee bars and yoga schools perched along its cliff-top, and an absolutely incredible beach. It was a great way to end the trip and wind down before the long journey home.
I’ve got lots of pictures and even more stories, so give me a call me if you’d like to know more.
Tom McKee