Following a short transfer from the airport in Goa we'll meet you at our Island Retreat a short drive from the airport. There’s time to chill and we spend a day getting our bearings before we synch’ watches and take a little tour of the island. This will give you a chance to trial your motorcycle and get to grips with de-compressors and that strange Bullet kick routine (or perhaps just the electric starter!) We spend our first night on the island.
Day 2
Having landed in India, possibly for the first time, Day 2 is a straight forward ride. First we must cross the river by ferryboat, country roads and then highway followed by some highway, some beautiful rolling coastal roads through cashew plantations. We'll stop for lunch in a classic Portuguese restaurant, check out the fishing wharf off the highway. We'll find an old Portuguese fort, all en route to Agonda, where we can relax on the beach and enjoy a refreshing swim in the Arabian Sea. We night stop in Agonda in coconut huts beside the beach.
Day 3
It’s the second day of riding and we’re heading south to the beaches of north Karnataka. It’s a gentle ride through forests and hills it'll gets us across the border and off the highway to the small but popular pilgrimage town of Gokarna with it’s giant Brahminical Festival Chariots. We stop for a bite to eat before we set of the last few kilometres to the beach. We’re off to swim in the warm Arabian Sea. We night-stop at a cool restaurant and comfortable cliff top huts above the beach.
Day 4
Beach life aside for now, we’re heading south and inland our route taking us to the neck-craning sights of Jog Falls. In January reduced to a trickle but in the monsoon the falls turn into a rage of water across the whole edge of the plateau. Swimming in the clear, cool pools at the bottom of the waterfall is prohibited! We night stop above the falls.
Day 5
We ride through coffee plantations whose - towns deliver the best of south Indian cuisine followed of course by excellent coffee. thick forests, small villages and lakes . We night stop in a coffee plantation in the hills around Shimoga.
Days 6 & 7
We visit religious sites where the temples at Belur and Hassan date back 1,000years. We'll ride on to find the largest Jain Deity in Asia - carved from a single piece of rock, atop a huge rock hemisphere in which the entire staircase is carved. Works of devotion not seen in the western world for the past 1000 years. We ride on south, direction Mysore, a city of Maharajas, palaces, and marvellous markets. We stay in a classic Art Deco hotel; excellent south Indian food, nice rooms, cool beer, and the mechanic can check our bikes.
The second day here is a rest day - get your laundry done! We take the chance to explore the magnificent Mysore Palace, the silk factory and Mysore's bustling Devraj Market. We stay in the same hotel.
Day 8
The route south towards the Nilgiri Hills takes us up through two large National Parks and Nature Reserves. We are bound to see wildlife close to the road and sometimes wild elephants crossing. The road, sometimes less well maintained, is an spectacular route right through the jungle. We reach Ooty - the largest of South India’s hill stations, so large it has it’s own narrow guage railway. We night stop in Ooty.
Day 9
Leaving Ooty takes the ride down to the plains further south. We skirt big cities and in the afternoon climb more hill roads and jungles onwards to Munnar. Munnar is famous for its tea gardens. We'll visit a tea factory and you can see how the humble tea leaf is prepared. Munnar is a hill station and at over 2,00m high may well be chilly in the evening, you will need a thin pullover or fleece jacket. We night stop in hill side resort Munnar.
Days 10 & 11
It's time to leave the western Ghats behind us, we'll ride down into Kerala's rich coconut groves, through Kerala's backwaters for our night stop at a quiet backwater Homestay.
The second day we take a houseboat ride through the backwaters exploring the quiet industries and lifestyle of the backwater dwellers. We night stop in the same Homestay.
Days 12 & 13
The final ride day of the tour takes us to the fortress town of Fort Kochi sometimes called Cochin. We stay in a beautiful waterfront hotel.
Our second day in Kochi is for local touring. It's a picturesque town and lends itself to browsing and snacking on the wide variety of sea food and fish on sale at the waterfront. After a farewell dinner We night stop again in our waterfront hotel.
Day 14
The tour is over, we'll transfer to Cochin International Airport for you onward flight.
Duration: 15 days. Distance: 1,650kms. Tour Dates: 1. 18/11/11 to 02/12/11. 2. 06/01/12 to 19/01/12.
Includes: Bullet ~ Fuel ~ Accommodation ~ All Meals ~ Full Support ~ Domestic Transfers ~ Adventure
Excludes: International Air Tickets ~ Visa ~ Bar / Phone Bills ~ Insurance ~ NP / Museum Entry Fees
Toughness Rating: 6. A few long days. Broken sandy roads. Heat and dust. 1 - Relaxed Ride. 10 - Tough Technical Ride.
Itinerary
Goa Karnatika Kerala Itinerary
Day
Itinerary Detail
Day 1
Following a short transfer from the airport in Goa we'll meet you at our Island Retreat a short drive from the airport. There’s time to chill and we spend a day getting our bearings before we synch’ watches and takle a little tour of the island. This will give you a chance to trial your motorcycle and get to grips with the Bullet kick routine or better still, the electric starter! We spend our first night on the island.
Day 2
Having landed in India, possibly for the first time, Day 2 is a straight forward ride. First we must cross the river by ferryboat, country roads and then highway followed by some beautiful rolling coastal roads through cashew plantations. We'll stop for lunch in a classic Portuguese restaurant, check out the fishing wharf off the highway. We'll find an old Portuguese fort, all en route to Agonda, where we can relax on the beach and enjoy a refreshing swim in the Arabian Sea. We night stop in Agonda in coconut huts beside the beach.
Expeditions India 
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