1300 KM
9 Nights 10 Days
Kochi / Goa
RE Himalayan
70% Tarmac, 30 % off roads
Basic
OK
INR 1,80,000 USD 2200
INR 18,000 USD 220
A 10-day motorcycle exploratory trip that starts in Kochi and ends in Goa with twisting roads, off-roads, rainforests, wildlife, and plantations. This circuit is as heady a mix as the cocktail it’s inspired from.
The colonial hangover is an oft-repeated phrase when it comes to describing India and parts of the sub-continent. Karma Yatri took the literal out of the metaphor and decided to curate a ride that celebrates a region that was crafted through an unmistakable colonial influence that is still visible today!
You need to arrive 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.
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.
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.
