Day 1 – Arrive in Chennai

Arrive at the busy City of Chennai (Madras) for 1 night.

Transfer to airport hotel and settle  in for a relax after the long flights. Dinner at hotel restaurant.

 

Day 2 – transfer to Puducherry via Mamallapuram (B)

Our tour starts today in Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry, a former French colonial outpost on India’s southeast coast. Known for its tree-lined boulevards, colonial-era villas and lively markets, the city blends French architecture with Tamil traditions, giving it a charming seaside atmosphere. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 6 kilometres / 4 miles on flat terrain.

 

Day 3 – Circular ride of the Auroville ashram, and explore of Pondicherry’s French Quarter (B)

We start our first full day in Puducherry with a ride out to Auroville, an experimental township founded in 1968. Created with human unity in mind, the spiritual commune was developed by Mirra Alfass, also known as ‘The Mother’, whose idea was to create a place for all people, regardless of their gender, nationality or religion, to live together in harmony. Today, Auroville is recognised for both its giant golden meditation dome, the Matrimandir, and for being one of the most famous ashrams in India.

 

Day 4 – Pedal through rural villages to Chidambaram. Optional mangrove excursion (B)

After breakfast, we take a 30-minute transfer out of Puducherry to avoid the city’s busy traffic. At our starting point, we meet the crew and support vehicle with our bikes before beginning today’s ride. We follow quiet backroads towards Chidambaram, passing through small rural settlements and agricultural land, experiencing rural day-to-day life in Southern India unfold.

 

Day 5 – Follow the Cauvery River to Thanjavur, the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu (B)

After breakfast, we take a short transfer to the outskirts of the city to bypass the morning traffic. From our starting point, we’ll mount our bikes and begin our 60-kilometre ride on quiet country roads as we follow the Cauvery River towards Thanjavur city.

Known as the ‘Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu’, as it boasts some of the most fertile lands in India, producing vast quantities of rice, Thanjavur is also famed for its Chola dynasty temples and rich cultural heritage. At the end of our ride we complete the busier section of road into town in our vehicle.

 

Day 6 – Chettiar mansions and cooking demonstration of famous Chettinad cuisine (B,D)

This morning, we leave the Chola heartland of Tamil Nadu as we head further south into the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. Known for its impressive mansions built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by wealthy traders known as Chettiars, we’ll cycle past these lavish mansions that once showcased the wealth and power of the Nattukottai Chettiar community.

 

Day 7 – Ride to Madurai and witness the Bed Ceremony ritual at Meenakshi Temple (B D)

We leave Chettinad this morning and will be making our way to Madurai via a couple of interesting stops. We’ll cycle past granite quarries and mason workshops who are responsible for carving temple pillars for over 2,500 years. Our ride will take us past local villages until we reach Karrupur, where we’ll have lunch.

 

Day 8 – Ride to Madurai and witness the Bed Ceremony ritual at Meenakshi Temple (B)

One of Costa Rica’s most scenic rivers, the Pacuare is great for both rafting aficionados and enthusiastic newcomers. Calm stretches between the class III-IV rapids give you time to appreciate the passage through rainforest-topped canyons and tumbling waterfalls. Macaws and blue morpho butterflies wheel past as we raft through the steep, green walls of the canyon.

 

Day 9 – Morning visit to Madurai Flower market. Cross into the lush Western Ghats (B)

We are up early this morning to visit the flower market in Madurai before breakfast. Early morning is the busiest but best time to visit this bustling market. The market is a colourful feast for the eyes (and nose!) where you’ll see piles of jasmine, lotuses, marigolds and roses, to name a few, being bought and sold for weddings, celebrations, and worship.

 

Day 10 – Scenic ride through the Cardamom Hills to Erattupetta; Tea plantation visit en route (B,D)

Today we continue our journey through the Cardamom Hills with a short transfer before reuniting with our bikes. We’ll pause for a welcome tea stop at a local factory, learning about the tea-making process and the history of the industry in India.

From here, we continue our ride, ascending towards Vagamon, an area of outstanding natural beauty. The road winds through pine forests, rolling meadows, and misty hills, offering some of the most scenic cycling of the journey before we begin our descent.

 

Day 11 -Cycle to Kottayam through spice and rubber plantations (B)

Our ride today takes us through spice plantations, rubber estates and tea gardens as we slowly make our way towards the coast. This part of Kerala is best known for its Syrian Christian heritage, evident in the many churches that grace the region. We stop in Palai to visit St. Thomas Church, established in 1922, which beautifully blends European and Keralan influences

 

Day 12 – Journey through Kerala’s backwaters by traditional houseboat (B,L,D)

This morning, we have a leisurely start to the day. For those who want to stay active, there is the option to explore the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, home to cormorants, egrets, herons and more.

We’ll board our houseboat around midday for an exotic journey, lazily chugging along the waterways used by villagers to connect each of the communities. We’ll dock before dusk and watch the sun go down on the horizon.

 

Day 13 – Cycle the coastal road to Fort Kochi (B)

Disembarking at Alleppey after breakfast, we’ll travel by bus on the coast road north to Marari Beach, where we’ll catch our first glimpse of the Arabian Sea. We’ll continue to Andhakaranazhi, where the backwaters flow into the Arabian Sea, forming a strip of land called the “Azhi”. From here, we’ll ride the final stretch, concluding our epic ride from Tamil Nadu to Kerala.

 

Day 14 – Day at leisure in Fort Kochi (B)

Today is completely free to explore Fort Kochi at our own pace. Our tour leader can arrange an orientation walk of the city for those who are interested.

 

Day 15 – Cycle Trip ends in Kochi

We check out of the city hotel and transfer to the quiet backwaters of North Paravur for a 3 day retreat. Our destination is the lovely Madilina Heritage Villa

Along with an outdoor pool, this villa has free use of bicycles and laundry facilities.

 

Day 16 – Kerala and Cultural Show (B)

We have a driver at our disposal for spontaneous exploring of this area, shops, restaurants and advice!  Tonight enjoy a local restaurant dinner before a Cultural Show.

The famous dance drama of Kerala, the Kathakali. Kathakali literally meaning “story dance” is the pantomimic dance drama, the dancing and the acting being blended together into an inseparable form.

 

Day 17 – Kerala, Kadamakudi Kayaking (B)

Free Morning for cycling, a trip to the shops, a swim, laundry or social media!

We’ll shop locally today and prepare for a home-cooked BBQ this evening.

This afternoon join up with Secret Routes Kayaking within the Kadamakudi backwaters which are calm, quiet, and untouched. Enjoy a paddle around a cluster of scenic islands which are protected from all kinds of pollution and are a favourite spot for a variety of migratory birds.

 

Day 18  – Kochi (B)

Free Day for last n=minute shopping and local visits in the Kerala community.

We pack and prepare to leave wonderful India.  One or two last-day surprises before our trip home

 

Day 19  – Kochi – Auckland   (B)

Transfer to Cochin International Airport (COK) for flights home.