Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The long cycle downhill from Ooty through the large pine forests, then through the tea plantations and finally into the amazing eucalyptus forests was a real highlight. The scenery is unforgettable as well as the feeling of moving from the cool early morning air at 2,200 metres in Ooty to the steamy humid heat closer to sea level a number of hours later. We also ended that cycle with one of the best meals we experienced with the most delicious grilled fish as well as a selection of curries and other “dips” and bread served for lunch. The stay on the boathouse was also a delightful and relaxing experience- just a beautiful way to spend an afternoon and evening / night. Breakfast served whilst the sun came up the following morning as we cruised down the river was very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader Safi was excellent. Safi is very engaging, knowledgeable, organised and makes it his business along with his two colleagues (who were also superb) to ensure that the cycle tour is as enjoyable as possible for all participants. Safi ensures everything goes smoothly in order that the holiday is pretty much all enjoyment and zero hassle. Safi puts a lot of effort into enabling the group to meet local children (visit a local primary school), meet a local family and experience workers demonstrating the skills that have been passed down over hundreds of years. The local team led by Safi ensure that the bikes (which were excellent quality) are all in great working order (regularly checking / servicing them), always helps provide a feel for a local area and frequently takes the group on a walking tour and makes really good restaurant suggestions. Importantly, I think all persons on the tour felt very comfortable and safe whilst in the capable hands of Safi. Safi ensures that safety during cycling as well as in all other areas is a paramount consideration which is reassuring. Everything feels very under control.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not take too many clothes- opportunities to wash clothes as you go if required. Do not get too hung up on food hygiene concerns. The accommodation where we stayed and restaurants where we ate or were suggested for eating were all clean and well presented. Yes, take care but we had no issues. We did only drink bottled water (which was in plentiful supply) and used same for teeth cleaning. It may have been the time of year but we had very little issue with bugs or mosquitoes.

Suggestions

There is a lot of rubbish / litter on the streets and through many of the areas that you cycle (with the exception of the National Parks which are spotless). It is disappointing but you quickly get used to rubbish / litter being at the sides of the road and at stopping spots. There are many dogs which wander around at many locations but they all appear docile and do not bother people.

Most Inspirational Moment

Down hill from Ooty!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was extremely knowledgeable and very experienced. Was always calm and gave a great briefing for next days program and before each section of the rides.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get a local sim card on arrival. Do some hill training for the 19 switchbacks up to Ooty!

Suggestions

The food was fantastic throughout the trip, so varied and tasty. One observation...some group lunches, too much food, leaving lots to go to waste.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was pretty much faultless. He gave very clear instructions, was remarkably knowledable on items we passes from mud bricks to plants. He was impressively patient with even the dumbest questions.

Most Inspirational Moment

Ride down from Ooty. Varkala is a surprisingly beautiful and calm beach resort Hotel at Cherai between lake and sea Houseboat - birdwatching Dolphins

Thoughts on Group Leader

Terrific. Safi has done this trip over 100 times. Makes it flow beautifully

Advice for Potential Travellers

Watch your waistline You might want to take a jar of good instant coffee Stay a few days at Varkala end of trip

Most Inspirational Moment

I wouldn't pin it down to one moment as the interaction with many local people on the trip and interesting conversations was a highlight . The people are very friendly and open to many topics of conversation. I enjoyed the climb to Ooty with all the hair pin turns.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I would give Safi 10 out of 10. Great guy, smart, organized, fit, and calmly dealt with any issues that came up. Can't say enough positives about him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would suggest that someone best suited for this would be flexible with any issues that come up, a decent cyclist (only moderate fitness is required as only 1 day requiring a higher fitness state) , likes riding in warm weather, and does a bit of homework before trip on what to expect in India as far as traffic, culture, food , etc...

Suggestions

Just add it to your bucket list as a one of a kind cycling/cultural experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many, but i just loved cycling through the countryside and seeing the amazing wildlife.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was fantastic, everything that you would want in a leader. Incredibly organised, friendly, insightful, with a wealth of knowledge. Franklin, our driver, was also lovely and couldn't be more helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't take too much, you can get washing done relatively cheaply. There is no issue with wearing normal lycra cycling kit. Take uk sterling-it is easy to change, we had real problems finding working ATMs that accepted our cards and had cash still left, having said that you will need relatively little money, it is cheap by our standards. The climb to Ooty was much steeper than I had imagined but there was no shame in putting your bike on the bus and walking up-still a massive sense of achievement. Be prepared for lots of selfies, we were a relative novelty and saw no other European tourist for the first week-lots of people wanted photos!

Suggestions

We could have no reservations about recommending this holiday particularly now the bureaucratic nightmare of in-person visas has finished!!

Most Inspirational Moment

The very first day cycling: the sounds. smells and sights were just amazing, and unleashed a completely different world of experiences: from the carts pulled by oxen to the religious zealots bathing in the river, to the waving children as we passed by. A truly amazing circular ride that unleashed all the senses! The Keralan backwater experience was pretty amazing too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

As above, Safi was very friendly, helpful and the source of much information about India. He was always happy to answer our many questions and share his experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, take necessary medical supplies, like dioralyte, energy tablets and immodium, but don't take too many clothes. We were only slightly cold on one occasion, the early morning ride out of Ooty. Also, you need to be reasonably fit to average 30 miles per day, even when it was flat, because the heat can sap your energy.

Suggestions

I wouldwelcome any feedback, particularly regarding the 2 disappointing aspects of an otherwise most enjoyable trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to choose, thoroughly enjoyed the cycling, seeing a variety of Indian life and cuisine, however the unexpected bonus was the amazing wildlife we saw on the safari. Two leopards AND a tiger, plus an elephant in the wild on our jeep transfer. We were especially lucky as it wasn't the best time of year to see exclusive tiger. The house boat was also a great experience, very relaxing and tranquil.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was fantastic, as were Shibu (mechanic) and Franklin (driver.) Even though this was the first trip since the pandemic Safi had everything so well arranged. He organised an amazing variety of dishes for us to try when meals were included and always had excellent recommendations when not included. He even quickly realised that "least spicy" in Tamil Nadu was still a little too hot for myself and another member of the group and even got a couple of places we were staying to adapt their usual menu to ensure there was tasty food for everyone. The food in Kerala is generally milder and I found this fantastic. He arranged numerous local tea/coffee/drinks stops where we could try local delicious snacks or Franklin provided fantastic fresh fruit and snacks. When leaving we arrived at the airport at 1am Safi( who had taken a couple earlier) miraculous appeared through the crowds the instant the driver dropped us off and quickly whisked us through door security. He even went back to the airport at 4am to rescue 2 of the group who had their flight rearranged.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I am a road cyclist and bought some half and half cleats and shoes with inset cleats. These made cycling in traffic much easier as I could cycle unclipped, but cycled clipped in the majority of the time, especially on the climb! The shoes meant I could easily walk around at stops and when looking round villages, temples etc during rides without my usual road cleats that would have been slippy and noisy. I was very glad I had done some training beforehand, it definitely paid off on the climb. I adapted the Exodus training plan, doing some cadence and interval training as well as hill sessions on the turbo trainer. It is only the climb that really makes this a four. The rest of the days felt like a three. I did a mixture of the level 1 and level 2 strength exercises too. Ensure you have paper and electronic copies of all documentation. Get your visa in plenty of time and remember to do the self declaration form a day or two before hand. You also need to fill in a paper form before you go through passport control when entering India. These weren't obvious, there are some booths at the back of the hall that you get them from. A card like, Chase, is also good as we found it was readily accepted. However it did sting us on the ATM fee, fortunately we had taken cash as well as the exchange rate at money exchange was much better. ATMs weren't that available and the one outside the airport had run out of cash when we arrived, perhaps we were just unlucky.

Suggestions

Safi arranged a cookery course that 5 of us did in Fort Cochin which was a great experience and I would highly recommend. We were welcomed into George and Maria's home and Maria was a great teacher. We came away with recipes and lots of notes and have even enjoyed recreating at home. Tea with a local farmer in Tamil Nadu and walking round near their farm, seeing their house was also a great experience. Everyone was so friendly, everywhere we went and loads wanted selfies with us! Apart from Fort Cochin, Varkala and a group of New Zealands in Ooty we didn't see any other westerns and I really felt we got to see a small part of India off the tourist track. A fantastic holiday with a great variety of activities as well as cycling. I highly recommend this holiday. Enjoy!

Most Inspirational Moment

This trip was so good I had four! Without a doubt the first and foremost was seeing both a leopard and a tiger on our jeep trip in the Bandipur National Park; we were able to watch each of them for over 15 minutes and whilst the leopard was close, the tiger was only a few metres away. The second was - with apologies to anyone yet to attempt it - reaching the top of the Kalhatty Killer (the climb up to Otacamund) which was definitely the hardest bit of cycling I have ever done since I first sat on a bike 60 years ago. The third was eating a Sadhya - a traditional Keralan meal served on a banana leaf - and learning from Shibu, one of the team members, how to eat politely and neatly with my fingers. Finally - swimming in the Arabian Sea at Cherai Beach: huge waves in what felt like bath water with an air temperature to match.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was outstanding. As he has so many qualities, it's difficult to know where to start, but let's kick off with the fact that he is a really nice, friendly, modest person. Then, he couples a great sense of fun with an even greater sense of safety, something which is essential on Indian roads. His attitude was, "Let's really enjoy the cycling, but let's also all get to the end in one piece", an attitude which he backed up with, when necessary, lengthy but clear explanations of the risks associated with each upcoming stretch of road and how to mitigate them, whilst not losing the adrenaline hit of, for example, the descent from Ootacamund. He would deny this next attribute (as he frequently did on the trip), but he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Southern India, its economy, politics, customs and religions. He has been working on this trip for well over a decade and in that time has accumulated a huge red book of places to eat, drink and shop (even down to each of the morning tea shops), matched only by his relationships with the proprietors of these establishments. Finally, he knows and loves the food of his homeland: it was entirely due to him that we ate so well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Do the recommended training programme. I am a regular and energetic road cyclist and, living in the South Downs, I am used to hill climbing, but I seriously doubt that I would have managed Kalhatty if I had not done the training. 2. If you are a road cyclist, take a pair of half-and-half pedals (one side platform, the other cleated). Cycling in Indian traffic cleated-in would be a nightmare, but on the open road and up climbs you can have the riding action you are used to. If you are an off-roader like most of the people on our trip though, you won't understand what the fuss is about! 3. Take a bike rucksack or handlebar bag, as panniers are not provided on this trip but it is useful to carry a waterproof on days when rain is threatened: although the van is right behind, the ferocity of some of the rain showers means you could get very wet very quickly. 4. Do the cookery class in Fort Kochi if you are offered it. Whilst I have been cooking Indian-style food for decades, this introduced me to the theory of using spices in cookery and was a real eye-opener.

Suggestions

We were very fortunate to have two other team members supporting us: Shibu the assistant and mechanic and Franklin the driver. These two had as great a sense of fun as Safi and were outstanding in their own ways: Shibu with his conversation on the road and in the restaurants and his unswerving ability to stay at the back of the group both on the roads and on foot so as not to lose anyone; Franklin who always seemed to know what you needed before you knew it yourself and who provided some great snack stops in the most unpromising locations. The three of them worked really well together as a team to provide us with what seemed to me to be a seamless experience. I can't thank them enough! Finally, the food on this trip is fantastic. South Indian food is very different from food in the north (and nothing like anything you would get in an "Indian" restaurant in the UK); I had hoped to try a huge range of unfamiliar dishes and I was not disappointed.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the boat journey as I had time to contemplate and take in everything that had already past.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, Safi was really experienced and confident in his role and clearly had overcome any issues in the past so was relaxed and knowledgeable and allowed us all to enjoy the holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a waterproof and consider waterproof cycling shorts for the days it might rain as bikes don't have mudguards. A pair of binoculars really help on the Safari - which was great. The climb to Ooty is a long one, take it slow and preferable spend a couple of weeks getting fit beforehand. Most importantly are the bureaucratic pre-reqs for getting out there in the first place. India seems to revel in making it difficult getting there (fine once there). 1. Getting a Visa can take weeks/mths and requires a visits to Embassy so do it well in advance (5 guests never got out due to not doing this!) . 1a. Visa application needs attention to detail - When it says nationality do not select British from drop down menu as this will get thrown out, they want United Kingdom which is a country not a Nationality - but that's India. 1b. Photos - they say they want a two inch version - For me they wanted two, fortunately I'd taken all four (from a station machine) 2. What really tripped up 5 of us was the need to have filled in and ideally printed was a form called an Air Suvidha - A self declaration form which has to be done around 72 hours departure. Three of us were panicking and completing it at the check-in desk on our phones and two others missed their flights because they didn't have it. I was asked for the printed form at Dubai (fortunately I had roaming and could refresh my email and find it. - So make a big diary date to do this the day before you leave and print this and your travel details which you will need to enter the airport on return. 3. I had bought and Lebara sim for my phone (vodafone network at home) checking roaming details and unexpectedly found that you can use all your allowances at no cost in India (They may be an Indian company) so could be worth getting one - they are very cheap.

Suggestions

Diet before going - you will only put on weight with all the excellent food