4000 KM
20 Nights 21 Days
Mumbai Airport / Goa
RE Himalayan
70% Tarmac,
30 % off roads
Basic
OK
INR 4,20,000 USD 5150
INR 42,000 USD 500
The lure of the western coast with its never ending beaches, gastronomic delights, and the overall visual possibilities on two wheels beckons you on a journey!
With the monsoons over, all of India has come alive and nowhere is it more evident than the western coast of India. With pristine white beach sands on one side and the almost contiguous Western Ghats on the other, your journey traverses an almost parallel line right between these two geographical marvels.
From beaches to mountains, spirituality to debauchery, cuisine to fashion there is a little bit for every sense. The rewards of road tripping in South India; are in the slow winding curves on fast paced roads and psychedelic hued sunsets on beaches you never heard of.
Karma Yatri, now in its 14th year of operations brings you a selection of road trips in Southern India. The circuits have been well researched and seamlessly planned in order to give you the maximum experience but have the relative flexibility to allow for and adventure to retain its spontaneity.
You need to arrive in Mumbai on or before Day 1. In case you choose to arrive earlier we recommend you stay at the same hotel as Day 1 and we will be happy to assist in the booking.
Taxis are available at the airport and Uber works as well. You should take a taxi from one of the authorized kiosks available at the airport. The approximate fare to the hotel should be between 700-1000 INR (appx 10 Pounds). Please enquire the fare before getting into or paying for the taxi.
We all meet at the hotel lobby and meet the team and remaining participants.
We will take a short walking tour of this part of Mumbai, which is steeped in architecture and history. It is also a great showcase of the hustle and bustle of this maximum city. Bars, restaurants and shops vie for your attention and the buzz of the city is truly evident.
A short distance away is the Marine drive and with it the first glimpse of the Arabian Sea.
In sharp contrast to the crowded city, the panoramic views of the ocean create a fantastic contrast of space and crowds. We will be following this waterscape over the coming day days as we trace our route along this majestic coastline and experience the magic that has enchanted people over millennia.
Post breakfast at the hotel we take a short taxi ride to greet our bikes. After the introductions have been made we begin our journey.
A surprise awaits you, so we wont give it away as yet but in a couple of hours we start riding along a road that showcases the west coast at its finest, this stretch of the circuit is one of postcard pictures. You will have stopovers to sample the highway cuisine of the region. Then, arrive at one of the most pristine beaches on the coast, where the combination of cliffs meeting the ocean set the stage for a perfect evening.
Today’s ride alternates between ferry crossings and coastal roads. We cross/visit several ocean forts; a hallmark of this coastal stretch. Ride through villages, that are a quilted pattern of fishing boats, paddy fields, and mango orchards.
This is a route crisscrossing the coast and the Western Ghats – a motorist’s delight. The lack of traffic and the superb quality of tarmac ensure that the kilometers fly by. You will stay close to the temple town of Ganpatipule.
Today is one of the longer days on the road. Cross Ratnagiri, the major town on the coast, climbing into the Western Ghats and riding along the fringes of the Deccan Plateau. Lunch will be on the road.
Your last ferry crossing will take you close to the village of Sawantwadi on the border of Goa. Enter Goa from the north, freshen up, and then head to one of the shacks by the ocean for a sumptuous dinner and drinks session.
Today is a mixture of everything-small countryside roads, forests, tricky off roads, highways, beaches, mangroves, rivers and ferry crossings- but in small doses.
It’s a great showcase of the diversity of the Western coast of India and the ecosystem created by its unique geography.
We end our day at a gorgeous, beachside temple town and its name literally translates to Ear of a Cow (we take our cows very seriously). Visit the temple and be surrounded by the sights and smells of real India. We recommend a sunset/early morning boat ride to see the unique coastline of this region
Day three takes you into Karnataka, a large state in peninsular India with Bangalore as its capital city. While the IT capital of India is fairly well know the world over, we focus on its rural charms as we trace a high speed( as high as the REs allow) path along a superb highway, which in parts hugs the coast and at others steers over bridges cutting across backwater mangroves .
We stay on an island in a backwater lagoon with views and sunsets that defy reality. Take a walk through the coconut plantations, a boat ride into the mangroves , a walk along the stunning coastline or just a drink on one of the decks and enjoy the lagoon and its incredible eco system.
We leave the coast of Karnataka and head into plantation country to mix it up. The characteristic of the road changes dramatically as we leave the motorway and start gaining altitude on roads that are smaller, have lesser traffic and cut across a landscape that is filled with small villages, temple towns, forests and areca nut plantations.
As we climb higher we enter the coffee heartland of India and with that, a completely different ecosystem. Man and nature in competition or in symbiosis- Forests, coffee, pepper, areca nut overrun the hillsides and the canopy creates pools of dappled gold on the road, like glittering serpentine coils slithering along the landscape.
We check into a plantation resort amidst the sound of monkeys and many different birds.
The stunning scenery continues as we begin our ride in the coffee plantations’, descend a little into densely forested national parks that are home to a plethora of animals. The chances of seeing wildlife are extremely high so keep your eyes peeled for deer, bison, elephant, wild Boar, snakes, monkeys and if you are extremely lucky, one of the big cats.
The last bit of the ride as us reconnect to motorway 66 and the buzz of Kerala which is quite unique. We start seeing the amalgamation of religions, with temples, churches and mosques being equally prevalent across the landscape. This region was after all one of the earliest to interact with the outside world, and its religions and culture.
Harking back to the time of the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Jewish, and Chinese trader influence on the area – Fort Kochi’s vibe seemingly remains framed in time, with relics of their architecture.
The result is a transcultural village grafted onto the tropical Malabar Coast – topped off with tourist trappings. An iconic symbol of this area are the Chinese fishing nets introduced by Chinese explorers who landed there in the 14th century.
But we still need to navigate some more of the crazy traffic, though we try to keep away from the highway and what you will soon learn to identify- the pink buses.
Further down the Malabar coast from Fort Kochi is the town of Alleppey (Alappuzha) and your destination for today. Alleppey is popular as a hub of the Kerala backwaters, also know as the Venice of India.
As you move away from its centre, you enter a vast watery paradigm of greenery; a laid back pace of life in little villages by the banks, stores selling toddy and every now and then Kerala’s iconic Kettuvallams passing you by.
The slow current gently lulling you into the calm and serenity of this region in God’s own country.
Another short ride today, allows you to savor the morning on our island stay.
We steer away from the highway and ride on narrow, coconut lined roads with little traffic and no pink buses. The road hugs the coastline and you glide along fishing communities and a skyline that’s now dominated by church spires and crosses.
We arrive at the famous beachside town of Varkala and we spend rest of the day on the pristine shores of one the prettiest beaches in the country. Sit in one of the shacks and soak in the hues of a mesmerizing sunset – on the Sunset coast of India.
Over the last few days you’ve traveled through some beautiful destinations on India’s southwest coast – taking a peek into their history, cuisine, culture, and sights. Today’s ride marks your arrival at India’s southernmost tip!
Kanyakumari is a small coastal town with some surreal views like the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea and if you’re lucky you can even see the sun set and the moon rise at the same time over the ‘sangam’ of these three water bodies.
We stop for lunch and depart the busy town and head into the hills, getting a small glimpse of what the next few days are going to offer.
From the Southern most tip your rides takes you back up north but, this time you will ride deep into the Western Ghats, through forests that are as ancient as Earth. One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, this contiguous chain of volcanic mountains run 2500 km from Gujarat to Kerala, hosting a remarkable biodiversity that we witness first hand.
End today’s journey in God’s own country – Kerala in the little town of Vagamon set in the Cardamom Hills and located close to Periyar Tiger Reserve.
A short riding day on paper but one with endless possibilities – estate trails, sunset points, waterfalls, streams and forests.
We also have the option of enjoying the surroundings, taking short walks and just sipping on endless cups of delicious tea. We are staying at an estate bungalow and will get a chance to experience the colonial lifestyle, with butlers, tea cozies & sandwiches.
Continue to road trip in the beautiful lap of the Western Ghats and the brilliant weather its blessed with. Your ride today takes you to another hill station.
The Ghat roads on these stretches are mental; loop after loop, then some fast curves and back down to a slow drone around blind turns, all the while you’re surrounded by a green sea of forests that have completely covered the hills and mountains.
You truly have to experience these parts to understand how beautiful it really can be. You will end your ride today at the popular hill station of Ooty also known as the Queen of Hill Stations and remnant of the erstwhile British Empire’s summer getaways.
We head down the hills into a National park. home to Elephants, Panthers, Tigers and many other species, we have a good chance of spotting some in the wild.
The riding remains fantastic with hill roads that are in excellent condition, stunning landscapes of privately owned estates, blue gum and eucalyptus forests with a scattering of pine and native trees.
We leave the National park and start entering the coffee heartland of India . The cultivated landscape and forests look in perfect order which can be a little disconcerting but its an endless green that lulls you into a dreamland . Smell of roasting coffee, pepper and cardamom keep playing hide and seek as you pass through this unique region in these southern hills.
We continue riding through coffee & pepper plantations, breaking for a short visit to an ancient temple complex that will leave you speechless. The quality of craftsmanship and the state of preservation is unreal.
We head back into the hills and coffee plantations, now traversing through a region that gave coffee its birthplace in India.
This is what motorcycling dreams are made of, with perfectly maintained private roads, that are twisting along the contours of the land- the precious coffee bush taking precedence over mans right of way.
We detour from the Western ghats and ride along another geographical marvel, the Deccan plateau. Our destination today is the historic kingdom of Hampi and we ride hard to cover the necessary KM. We ride along a vast landscape that is a true representation of India, its farms, its villages and its cows.
You see a land that’s playing a balancing act with agriculture and industrialization, with poverty and rural affluence.
A land that(for millennia) has seen the cycle of grandeur and its subsequent decline.
Hampi is an incredible place to explore and experience and so you will take a break today from riding and get out into the temple town’s market, visit the ruins, and get to know a little more about this UNESCO World Heritage site.
The ruins of this site are spread out over 4,100 hectares (16 square miles) and contains more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India. These ruins include forts, riverside features, royal complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, mandapas, memorial structures and water structures. A day spent relaxing or exploring.
From the plateau, back to the mountains.
We enter the Western ghats once again and are surrounded by forests and wildlife. The temperatures dip and the riding is fantastic. Long stretches of tarmac, finishing with mountain twisties and looping bends. The way the riding terrain changes, showcases yet again why its such a joy to ride motorcycles in India.
And South India in the winters, with its perfect temperatures, is just alive with song, dance, color and life.
