Highlights

• Mysore heritage sites including Royal Palace’s durbar hall and golden royal elephant throne, Hindu temples and Christian Churches.
• Nagarhole National Park and Periyar Wildlife Sancturary’s lush forests and wildlife, including tiger, bison, elephants and abundant birdlife.
• Ooty colonial hill station with its English-style cottages and gardens harking back to another time and place.
• Nilgiri Mountain Railway and steam locomotives - UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Spectacular rock formations, mountain vistas and dramatic waterfalls
• Tranquil and ever-changing Kerala backwaters and cute houseboat.
• Kochi’s intriguing maritime and trading history, pre-dating even Vasco da Gama and the Romans.
• Malabar Coast villages with chinese fishing nets and brightly painted boats.
• Abundant, ever-present birdlife in forests and in a renowned bird sanctuary.
• Mouth-watering traditional South Indian cuisine.

Who is this tour for?
Riding preference:

• Best suits an active rider or those who want a challenge. Averages 40-70 km per day.
• You start in Bangelore in Karnataka with flat plains, gradually moving up the hills, with a final challenging ascent to Ooty in Tamil Nadu. Then you descend the Nilgiri foothills to the flat backwaters and finally the coast of Kerala.

Interests:

• A ‘bucket-list’ must for nature lovers, bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts.
• Perfect experience for someone who wants to see the breadth of Indian history first hand - Royal palaces, a colonial hill station and steam railway, and the long maritime history.
• See living religion, daily life and local culture along the way.

About the tour

Day 1 – Transfer by coach from Bangalore to Mysore.

Day 2 - Mysore – explore by bicycle with sightseeing.

Day 3 – Bicycle from Mysore to Nagarhole National Park.

Day 4 – Wildlife safari at Nagarhole.

Day 5 - Bicycle from Nagarhole to Masinagudi.

Day 6 - Bicycle from Masinagudi to Ooty

Day 7 - Explore Ooty by bicycle.

Day 8 – Bicycle Ooty to Mettupalayam via Wellington

Day 9 - Bicycle from Mettupalayam to Thekkady

Day 10 - Explore Thekkady by bicycle with sightseeing.

Day 11 Bicycle from Thekkady to Allepy, stay in Kerala Backwaters houseboat

Day 12 Bicycle from Allepy to Kochi

Day 13 Fort Kochi - explore by bike with sightseeing.

Day 14 Day bicycle excursion to Thattekkadu, return Kochi.

Day 15 Transfer to airport.

Accommodation: Optional

Not quite right? Let us create a private customised short tour

Starting in the Indian state of Karnataka, you will be transferred by coach from
Bangalore to Mysore.
You hit the pedals next day with a guided tour of Mysore’s many heritage sites
including the famous Royal (Ambar Vilas) Palace with its durbar hall and the golden
royal elephant throne. There is also the Chamundeshwari and Ranganathaswamy
Temples, St. Philomena's Church, Wesley's Cathedral, Mysore Zoo, Blue Lagoon
Lake and Brindavan Gardens. The day continues with a ride to the historical fort at
Srirangapatnam Island. Local markets reflect Mysore’s importance as a
producer premium silk, sandalwood and incense.
The ride from Mysore to Nagarhole National Park takes you into lush forests of
sandalwood, rosewood, and teak trees, dominated by the spectacular Brahamagiri
Mountains. Rivers wind through jungle landscapes with cascading waterfalls.
At Nagarhole National Park you go on a wildlife safari. The Bengal tiger, bison and
Indian elephants are found in large numbers inside the park (which was formerly the
King’s hunting reserve) also numbers of jackals, mongoose, sloth bears, hyena, deer,
antelopes and wild boar. It is a haven for birds, including several endangered species.
On to Masinagudi, where you can see thick jungle that is part of the famous
Mudumalai forest reserve and wildlife sanctuary. The Moyar River straddling the
town is a good place to see animals coming down for water. It plunges into the gorge
nearby at the spectacular Moyar Falls.
The road from Masinagudi (970m/xft above sea level) to Ooty (2000m/xft) in Tamil
Nadu, is through the famous Kalhatti ghat section. You start with a 15 km/xm cycle in
the foothills, and then make an ascent, which becomes steeper for the last 18 kms
(with 36 hairpin bends). The view at the top is well worth it.

You will spend an enjoyable day exploring Ooty by bike. This colonial hill station
recalls another era, and is known for its English-styled cottages, Elk Hill Rose
Garden, expansive lake with pleasure craft, 19th century Botanical Garden and local
cottage industries.
The ride from Ooty to Mettupalayam in the Nilgiri hills (314m /1033 ft) is an
enjoyable downhill run?. Here the Nilgiri Mountain Railway operates steam
locomotives on the steepest track in Asia. Completed in 1908, it is recognized by
UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. You stop briefly at Wellington? on the way.
From Mettupalayam, you ride to Thekkady enjoying the views, and spice plantations
for black pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, nutmace, and ginger. Here, the Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary, declared a tiger reserve in 1978, is set in thick evergreen forest.
Herds of wild elephants, deer and bison come down to drink in the lake created by the
dam. Next, it is on to the spectacular rock formations and views near Paruthumpara
(or eagle rock) village.
Then it is a fabulous downhill run to Allepy and the spectacular beauty of the Kerala
backwaters with its lakes, fishing villages, and palm-fringed fields. Here you see local
life on the tranquil waterways, before spending a night on a houseboat.
An easy flat ride to Kochin, India’s oldest European settlement is followed up a
fascinating guided? tour the next day that explores its history, art, buildings and
monuments.
The final ride is a day excursion to Thattekkadu and the famous Salim Ali Bird
Sanctuary. The forest of tropical deciduous and evergreen trees provides a rich habitat
for over 500 species of water and land birds (280 considered rare). If your luck holds
you may see local wildlife such as sloths, porcupines, leopards, and elephants before
your return to Kochi.