Yeah, I want to hear ALL about it!
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Kerala or “God’s own Country” as it is aptly known, lies on a narrow strip of land in the South-West of India, wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. It is a UNESCO world heritage site due to a remarkably high level of biological diversity. From the impressive Backwaters, a phenomenal network of brackish canals and lakes covering hundreds of square miles and renowned for the famous overnight houseboats, to the Nilgiri Mountains (Blue Mountains) which are part of the Western Ghats, the vibrant cultures, natural resources and wildlife are bountiful in Kerala. Let the lovely serpentine roads through tropical jungles, the majestic Nilgiri Mountains and the infamous tea plantations mesmerize you. Prepare to have your palate enchanted by Kerala’s divine delicacies including the freshest of seafood. After 3000 years of attracting visitors, motorcycle tours in Kerala are only a recent occurrence. Phoenicians, Arabs, Romans and Chinese were all trading with this region of India for millennia. It was via the Malabar District that oriental spices and technologies first reached the West from India and China, by the Portuguese, Dutch, British and French traders. The strong influence of these Western immigrants remains on display in coastal cities such as Kochi, still a hub of spice, textile and hand craft export.
Region of Country | South India (Kerala & Tamil Nadu) |
Period | September – March |
Duration | 11 Days 10 Nights |
Riding Days | 9 Days |
Accommodation | Hotels, Houseboats |
Motorbike | Royal Enfield ‘Bullet’ 500cc |
Level of Difficulty | Easy |
Average Daily Distance | 145km |
Total Distance | 1310km |
Fitness Level | Moderate |
A representative of Motorcycle Expeditions will meet and greet you at Kochi International Airport (in India). Welcome to heaven on earth, otherwise known as Kerala or ‘God’s Own Country’. You’ll be transferred to a hotel which is located in Fort Kochi in the heart of the ancient town. In the afternoon, we will do some sightseeing in Kochi. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel.
After an introduction to our crew, outstanding motor bikes and a safety briefing, we’ll proceed with our ‘maiden’ voyage along charming, overgrown coastal roads and through some delightful fisherman’s villages, to Alleppy. In the evening we’ll experience the Backwater brilliance of Kerala on a typical houseboat, exploring village life in Southern India from the water. After a sumptuous dinner, we’ll overnight on a traditional Kerala houseboat.
This marks the true beginning of our Southern Indian motorcycle expedition. We’ll ride through the busy streets of Kochi (Cochin) and gradually wind our way up the hills to Munnar, renowned for its tea plantations. Some of the best Indian tea comes from this part of India. On arrival at Munnar, we’ll check into the hotel, after which we’ll take a stroll in the tea plantations. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel.
Today, we explore the Nilgiri Mountains, where some 35 steep hairpin bends will make for an exciting ascend. The area is lush with vegetation and teeming with wildlife and is the source of a thousand streams and rivers. It is a land of peaks and precipices, rolling grasslands in the foothills and dense jungles. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel.
Silent Valley national park stretches as far as the eastern Nilgiri Mountains. This part of the park is one of the most preserved tropical virgin forests comprising of diverse fauna such as elephants, tigers, panthers, wild boars, monkeys and lion tail macaques. Hill tribes inhabit most of this region. Dinner and overnight stay at fabulous accommodation inside the reserve.
The Wayanad route is spectacular. During our ascent, the view of the plains is simply splendid. Look out for the verdant pepper, cinnamon, cumin and nutmeg plantations, and also, the endless eucalyptus forests. Created in 1973, the Wayanad Park comprises of all the natural reserves in Kerala and is also known as The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel.
The Nilgiri hills are the highest mountain range in Tamil Nadu, of which the Mount Dodabetta peak is 2637m high. Ooty is among the best hill destinations of India, especially in the South. Its tropical climate makes it an important agricultural belt, where coffee, tea, spices, flowers and rare essences are produced. This hill station is nestled in the heart of the Nilgiri Mountains and surrounded by dense eucalyptus and tea tree forests. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel.
Descending from Ooty, we’ll negotiate around 20 hairpins down to and then across the Coimbatore plain. We keep riding, our motorcycles thundering all the way up to Kodaikanal. This town is located at an altitude of 2000m, but we’ll be staying in the Elephant valley around 20km before the town. Here we infuse ourselves with Mother Nature at her most splendid. Dinner and overnight stay in Elephant Valley.
The roads between Kodaikanal and Periyar will take us through several vibrant villages. After negotiating the downhill hair pins to the valley, we ascend to Periyar, a small border town located between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most beautiful protected, impenetrable jungle areas of Southern India where among roughly 10 animal species, herds of wild elephants and about 40 tigers live. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel.
After breakfast, we ride down the Western Ghats on a delightful mountain road, passing through tea plantations and a few colonial vestiges. Heading towards the coast, we go through the backwaters and their alluring landscapes which are a harmonious symbiosis of coconut trees, turquoise water, and colourful saris. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel.
You’ll be transferred to Kochi International Airport for your flight back home. Hopefully, you will have had a life changing motorcycling experience with us in Southern India. Certainly, if you want to extend your trip and see more of India, that can be arranged. We will gladly help you sort out hotels, travel arrangements etc. You have come so far so why not make the most of it!
India
Motorcycle Expeditions
V.P.O Old Manali
Old Manali, near Club House
Distt Kullu (H.P.) - 175131
India
info@motorcycleexpeditions.com
Germany
Mo Ex Motorcycle Expeditions GmbH
Siegurd-Rascher Str 10
64625 Bensheim
Deutschland