Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing how people struggle to scrape a living together but at the same time are happy, smiling and welcoming to visitors, it is very humbling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abi was so lovely caring and happy in his work, he seemed to genuinely enjoy meeting new people interacting and helping them experience his country, and was always happy to adapt to our needs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We suffered no ill effects but we were careful about using regular hand wash and avoiding drinking the water. We ate largely Indian style food avoiding western style meals and ate brilliantly.

Most Inspirational Moment

We stayed at a Plantation House in Vagamon, Kerala which was a special moment for all. Such a beautiful house and the family looked after us very well, cooking a magnificent meal in the evening. Were also driven to a rock pool in a Jeep for a swim. All of us would have loved another day here The night on the houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala was also great fun, a nice touch near the end of the holiday

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Abhilash (Abi) was wonderful. He was kind and caring, looked after us very well. Abi was always there to make our holiday enjoyable. The rest of the team, Kurian, Santos, Vipin also worked very hard and we enjoyed their company. This was a truly excellent team

Advice for Potential Travellers

The food was so good, likely to put a few pounds on!

Suggestions

The only bone of contention were the two Abad Hotels we stayed at. The hotels were great hotels from an accommodation and food perspective. However for a group of cyclist, it is often lovely after a long day's ride to have a nice cold beer and a glass of wine at dinner, which was not possible at these two hotels While we could drink in our rooms, its not the same. We are a bit "old in the tooth" to have a sneak a drink hiding out of sight. I do not think a "dry hotel" is appropriate for a cycling group when there were several other resort hotels in the same area. This is my 4th cycling trip in Asia and not come across this before.

Most Inspirational Moment

I just loved cycling in a completely unfamiliar environment but I was blown away by how friendly the Indian people were. So much waving and friendly chatting it was such a welcoming country. As the number one self appointed tea room reviewer in the whole of Norfolk I also loved going to the roadside tea shops in search of a great cup of tea, although I didn't really find one.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As we arrived at Chennai airport we were not sure what to expect but we were warmly welcomed by Shaker, our tour leader, and from that point until we flew home we didn't have to worry about a thing as all our needs were taken care. I don't think we could have been looked after any better by Shaker and his team and I was really impressed with their friendliness and organisation. I couldn't speak highly enough of them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was very hot when we went so we probably overpacked 'warm' clothes. Also the trip notes advised not to wear lycra and keep shoulders covered although in practice there was no such restriction and most of the party were in lycra shorts and cycle tops. As the support bus is never far away you can keep you cycling stuff (suncream, money, snacks etc) on the bus so just need a pocket for your phone or camera when riding. Don't be afraid to try the different foods on offer. Most of the road surfaces were as good or better than in Norfolk with the exception of one day when it was more of a hard track along the river but nothing to worry about.

Suggestions

It was such a good experience we are already looking at what our next cycling trip will be.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at a small village surrounded by paddy fields ; a family group, complete with a new born baby sitting on white plastic chairs outside their home/hut, surrounded completely by strewn piles of rubbish.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Stay in Kerala or pick another trip in another country.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole trip was an inspiration and if you’ve never been to India before it gives you an eye opening experience to the real India. In the saddle you get to sample the sights, sounds and smells you would miss on any other type of holiday. Everywhere we went there was agriculture, acres and acres of rice paddies and in the mountains the tea plantations and factories. The markets were full of produce some of which we don’t see in the UK, there didn’t seem to be any shortage of any kind. The people were friendly and full of smiles. The side excursions added to the experience, food markets, temples, palaces, tea plantations and factories, and the backwater houseboat stay and cruise near the end of the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shakar was excellent as tour leader and his team made the trip memorable. They were so helpful and were always out to ensure our wellbeing. His knowledge and recommendations were invaluable and his and his teams enthusiasm second to none.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fairly fit, there are some long distances mostly flat initially for the 100km legs but also long steep climbs after the 5th day cycling. I clocked over 15,000 feet of climb over the whole trip on my gps. If you like adventure this is a great trip to experience Southern India. A great achievement once you’ve dipped your wheels in the Gulf of Bengal at the start at Pondicherry and at the end, the front wheels of your bike in the Arabian Sea just south of Cochin. It’s a tough trip but on reflection well worth it. If you enjoy cycling and adventure, go for it. If your Jabs are up to date you do not need any extra. No need for malaria tablets either. You will need lots of deet mosquito spray for day and evening. Even with it you will get bitten depending on whether the bugs like you or not. I only got 3 or 4 bites but some of our group got dozens. Don’t let that put you off though. Take plenty of sun cream, you will need it. We took UK pounds with us and changed some but mostly used ATMs for anything else. Credit cards are accepted in most hotels but not all but our tour leader was able to point us to the nearest ATM and advise on how to get the best cash exchange rates. As usual don’t change cash at hotels you get a poor rate. We only changed an initial £20 to give us a bit of cash till we knew the score.

Suggestions

The group we were with gelled really well considering the age gaps from 31 to 70. It tended to split into youngsters and oldies but we all mixed very well and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and fellowship on the trip. This was our sixth Exodus cycling trip and would recommend it for those with a sense of adventure.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many highlights it's difficult to choose. From the first morning when we did a circular route to Auroville, we were hooked. What a way to see a country and what a country! We were like wide-eyed kids with the biggest grins on our faces all through the journey - the sights, sounds and smells, the colours, the smiling friendly people, the beautiful children, the dogs, goats, cows - there was something amazing down every street, round every corner. It was a morning we will honestly never forget, just wonderful. And the people all smiling and waving, so friendly, cheering us on our way. And the food!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shakur and his team did a great job and looked after us so well on this trip. You could see that the more we enjoyed ourselves the happier they were. There were a couple of occasions when the route had to be changed or certain excursions cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, ie a strike on the day we were supposed to visit the tea plantation factory! But Shakur would get on his phone and next thing it was all organised and we still managed to visit the factory although it wasn't up and running. We left an ipad in one of the hotels - they rang Shakur, got on a motorbike and met us en route about 40k down the line. Every time we stopped Kurian or Anil would fill our water bottles, make sure we all got our coffees and teas just how we liked them. They didn't rest until they were sure we had everything we needed. Franklin cycled at the back all week, taking care of the slower members of the group and helping anyone with bike problems. We couldn't fault these guys, they were just great and helped make the holiday such an enjoyable experience. Thanks guys.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bib shorts aren't practical for these trips - best would be a couple of pairs of thin liner shorts with some fast-drying over shorts. We had a couple of serious downpours en route and I wished I'd taken a second pair of shoes to cycle in - some people cycled in sandals. Gel seat - cheap one off Amazon - proved v useful. We did need to wash clothes now and again - take a decent travel wash or use the hotel laundry - quite cheap. American Express travel card was only accepted once, best off with Visa or Mastercard. Money exchange in airport offered us a much lower rate than anywhere else. ATM's sometimes run out of money so taking some pound notes out with you is quite handy, there are loads of "foreign exchange" places. Practice your camera face - many Indians we met wanted to have a photo taken with us - funny but true?! Our group ranged in age from 46 to 73, everyone coped well with the cycling, although there are so many photo opportunities that go whizzing by, a Go-Pro would have been quite handy.

Suggestions

This will certainly not be our last trip to India, or our last cycling trip. We absolutely loved it. It was very well organised, the route was really well planned and we got to sample all the highlights that Tamil Nadu & Kerala have to offer from the tea plantations, to cookery lessons, houseboat trips, temples, palaces - you name it. Loved it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of the hill at Thekkady!

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader didn't communicate plans very clearly and didn't always do what he said we would do. For example he promised a stop near a lake in three kilometres which I looked forward to as I'm a keen bird watcher, we didn't stop. He described a morning ride as undulating, it was a 12 kilometre climb. The deputy, Abi, was absolutely excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy! Take plenty of money, the costs add up, tipping kitty is a substantial sum.

Suggestions

The trip notes need to be clearer. As it transpired that the tips kitty wasn't for tipping the support team I find it very hard to know what the money, over £50 per head, was spent on. That's an awful lot of snacks and cups of tea at Indian prices!

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting the local people who were incredibly friendly and welcoming Scary cycling in some towns/villages Cooking our own meal under guidance! Staying in a plantation owner's family house Exploring vegetable, flower and spice markets Cycling from door to door with only 1 transfer

Thoughts on Group Leader

Seaker was a really good, knowledgeable leader who adapted the schedule to allow for the particular interests of the group. He was able to give confidence to those of us slightly worried about the amount of traffic in a few of the places we cycled through although we were mainly on very quiet roads. He found us brilliant places to stop for tea breaks and lunches at small local restaurants and made us feel that we were truly seeing the "real" India

Advice for Potential Travellers

Respect local traditions, pack light, go with the flow, make sure you get your visa sorted and join the right queue at the airport in India!

Suggestions

I have been on 3 cycling trips over the last 2 years (2 with Exodus) and this was by far the best.

Most Inspirational Moment

The people! The people waving at me with a big smile, there is nothing like that!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

All of the staff were great! We had a leader in the front and another guide at the back of the bike riders and then two vans..one in the front, one in the back and they were there for us every step of the way making sure that we were having a good time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Most days were 60 miles or 80 K, so be in shape for it.

Suggestions

Don't skip the cooking class, it was really fun. Bring a gel seat for the bike.

Most Inspirational Moment

Realising that I can actually cycle the distances and get up those darned hills! Its difficult to single anything out. Cycling down hill for about 13 kilometres nonstop was entertaining, and the homestay at the end of that was absolutely spectacular. The hotels we stayed in were generally very good. Every day brought new things to enjoy. We also had a brilliant group, we all got on well and encouraged each other. The food, by the way was outstanding, mostly vegetarian. I think that no one was ill with the usual tummy problems, and we ate some amazing meals, especially lunches on banana leaves in little places we would never have found by ourselves.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Seeka ( I think my spelling is wrong, apologies) was excellent, very helpful and anxious to make the most of the trip for us all. As a result everything went very smoothly. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable which was great and had endless patience. The three other guides were also great, although I must admit that I had a soft spot for the wonderful Abi, who cycled at the back of the group ( my usual place) and gave me a helping hand when I needed it!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The March trip did get very hot , about 40 degrees on a few days, which is very hot to cycle in! It was also very very humid. The trip starts of on mostly flat roads, which is good to get used to before you get to the hills, which are challenging. I took my own comfortable saddle, which I was very glad to have, as the bikes were ok, but quite heavy. Clothes that are made of modern sports fabrics that dry quickly are best, as though the hotels will do laundry there often isn't much time as most days you move on. Take plenty of pens to donate to passing children, as the "Pen, Pen" cry is often heard and it will make you very popular.

Suggestions

I would completely recommend this trip. As i say above, I was a very novice cyclist before hand, and the furthest i had cycled was about 7 miles. I wasn't very fit, but had been going to the gym a few times a week, and whilst the fitter and more used to cycling you are the better, probably, I coped with most of the days, so i think that any reasonably fit person could do it. I did fall off a few times though, but no great harm done.