On this unforgettable trip through the Western Ghats of Kerala, you will be riding through the beautiful, lush tea gardens of Munnar, the cardamom growing villages that dot the hills along the way and finally finish at the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Best of all you will enjoy the pleasant climate of the high ranges of Kerala on this cycling tour in South India. Absorb the scenic beauty as you cycle through Munnar, Suryanelli, Vandanmedu, Periyar and Vagemon on this fully guided and supported tour.
KEY FEATURES
Bike through the famed Cardamom Hills, cardamom forests, lakes and tea estates, tea gardens and forests
Spend an evening at the Anaerangal Camp at Suryanelli with a spectacular view of the Anaerangal Lake and the high altitude rain forests below
Spend an entire day at Periyar to view the magnificent forests and wildlife
Visit the Lockhart Gap, which is famous for challenging treks
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive in Munnar; Cycle (Approx. 40 km) Open or Close
Arrive in Munnar. After check-in to your hotel, you can check out your cycles and start a ride around the tea estates that stretch for miles in all directions. This is also an opportunity to see some of Munnar’s highlights – the scenic tea estate roads, the tea bazaar, the only Tea Museum in India and the lake at Mattupetty. You can follow the trail back to Munnar, through the high altitude rain forests that abound here.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 2 : Munnar - Suryanelli; Cycle (Approx. 45 km) Open or Close
After breakfast, you will cycle through the tea estates to the Lockhart Gap – a road blasted out of solid rock a century ago. After a brief stop here, continue on your way - the tea estates soon give way to cardamom forests and finally you arrive at the small village of Suryanelli. From here, you have a short ride to the well furnished cottage-tented camp overlooking the beautiful Anaerangal Lake. The towering Phantoms’ Head in the backdrop to the camp makes an inviting destination for an evening trek to watch a wonderful sunset over the lake.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 : Suryanelli - Vandanmedu; Cycle (Approx. 60 km) Open or Close
Your destination today is the centre of the cardamom trade in the world - ride through the famed Cardamom Hills, cardamom forests, lakes and tea estates. The terrain is undulating which gives the ride an extra challenge. After arriving at the resort, there is time to go around the cardamom estate and the processing centre or to simply splash around in the pool if you wish to relax.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 : Vandanmedu - Periyar; Cycle (Approx. 25 km) Open or Close
A short ride mostly downhill takes you to the Periyar Tiger Reserve, one of the best managed wildlife reserves in the country. Here you can take off into the forest in the company of forest guides from the local community or visit the numerous spice shops to collect the fresh spices just off the farms.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 : Periyar Open or Close
Another day in Periyar lets you spend the full day to view the magnificent forests and wildlife that Periyar offers. Some of your guides may even be ex-poachers now gainfully employed as protectors of the forests. Their knowledge will astound you as you look for pug marks of tigers or look out for the elephants and gaurs that abound in these forests. But in case you want to ride today also, there is an opportunity to ride to the border area where you can see the magnificent plains of Tamil Nadu in the distance below. The ride is through the spice growing villages that dot the area and gives you an overview of life in the cardamom hills.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 : Periyar - Vagamon; Cycle (Approx. 70 km) Open or Close
The most spectacular ride is set for today as you ride through thick forests, tea estates, tiny spice growing villages and open countryside with rolling hills. The terrain is undulating and the scenery is the best that Kerala can offer. By evening you should be in you resort celebrating an end to a fabulous cycle ride through the Kerala hill country.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 : Vagamon – Kochi, Departure Open or Close
You will be dropped to Kochi where the tour comes to an end.
Meals: None
Cost Plans :
Plan 1
- 50760 INR per person :
Minimum Child Age: 15 Years
Inclusions
- 6 Nights accommodation as per the itinerary.
- 6 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 4 Dinners.
- Transfers by air-conditioned SUV from Munnar to Kochi.
- Services of an English-speaking cycling guide.
- Assistance on arrival and departure at each destination.
Exclusions
- Airfare, Visa, Insurance, Excess Baggage, Porterage.
- Optional activities
- Alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages, meals not specified in the itinerary.
- Single room and hotel upgrade supplement.
- Entrance fees to attractions not specified in the itinerary.
- Tips for hotel or restaurant staff, local guides and tour crew.
- Personal expenditure (Laundry, telephone bill, minibar, shopping, Sleeping bag, items of personal clothing)
- Extra Nights at the beginning or the end of the trip.
- Any compulsory dinner or peak season surcharge.
- All programs at the Periyar Tiger Reserve
- Service Tax of 3.625% applicable for Indian tours and Indian Residents.
- Optional Tours.
Your Packing List
This section is intended to serve as a guide. Please do not consider it exhaustive or compulsory. It is imperative that you consider the weather at your travel destination before you pack. Please pack as lightly as possible. You are expected to handle your own luggage on many trips and even at times when the porter service is included; we don’t consider it very nice to get them to carry heavy luggage. Moreover, many trains, buses and internal flights have baggage limitations. Aim for no more than 10 to 12 kilos. On most trips you will benefit from using a comfortable, medium sized, day pack bag to carry water, camera, mobile phone etc.
You may also need special equipment for certain trips and this may or may not be included in your trip price. Sometimes equipment can be hired locally at a reasonable cost. On the other hand some trips may need you to arrive with special type of clothing / footwear etc. Please check with us if you are not sure of what you need to get on your own.
Important Travel Documents
Please keep scanned copies with your family and email a set to yourself. The physical copies should be in your checked-in luggage.
- Passport with photocopies.
- Visas with photocopies.
- Travel insurance with photocopies. Please ensure your insurers name, 24 hr emergency contact telephone number and policy number are highlighted.
- All flight tickets for the trip with photocopies.
- Active Holiday Company Trip Confirmation Certificate.
- Photocopies of important documents to be kept separately.
- Copy of the itinerary of your trip.
- Spare passport photos.
- Credit / Debit Card, Travellers Cheques with serial numbers kept at a separate place.
- Youth/Student identification / Senior Citizen card for discounts.
- International driving license if you have one.
- Vaccination Certificates if needed.
- Money belt that can be secured safely.
- Money – small denominations of local currency if you can get some before the trip.
Personal Effects
- First aid kit comprising any personal medication, aspirin / paracetamol, band-aids, head-ache balm, rehydration salts of your choice, anti-allergy pills, anti-diarrhea pills, anti-nausea pills, small scissors, nail file, sun-block (50 SPF), lip balm, after sun moisturizer, insect repellent and antihistamine/insect bite cream, female hygiene products.
- Toothbrush, tooth-paste, deodorant, bio-degradable soap, shampoo, washing detergent.
- Water purifying / iodine tablets.
- Prescription Diamox / alternate for altitude sickness.
- Prescription glasses / contact lenses and solution.
- Antibacterial gel and wet-wipes.
- Wide brim hat, sunglasses with UV protection.
- Minimum 2 liters water bottle so you don’t have to buy plastic bottles, cloth shopping bag.
- Book to read, journal, pen, travel pillow, cards / travel games.
- Eye mask, ear plugs, army knife (this must always be in your checked in luggage when you are taking a flight).
- Adapter, alarm clock, phone with charger, i-pod / MP3 with charger and spare ear-phones, camera and film if your camera needs it.
- Travel pillow, torch with reusable batteries, head-lamp.
- Night clothes/sleepwear.
- Plastic bag to separate wet and dry / clean & soiled clothes.
Clothing & Others
As much as possible, try to pack in quick dry, easy to wash clothes. When visiting any religious places of worship, ensure that your legs are covered and that you are not revealing too much through singlets and tank tops. For this reason it’s a good idea to pack in a sarong and scarf on most trips. Topless sunbathing and even bikinis and swim wear that reveals too much is still not acceptable in many cultures - please ensure that you are not being disrespectful to the culture of the place you are visiting through what you wear.
- Socks, undergarments.
- Jeans are great on most trips but be cautious that they weigh more than light-weight pants.
- Quick drying towel.
- Smart casual evening wear depending on how long your trip is (take an average of a set for 4-5 days).
- Comfortable walking / trekking broken into shoes with good grip, sports sandals.
- Safaris: Try to stick to beige, brown, light green clothing.
- Winter Wear: Fleece jackets, water / windproof jackets, inner thermal layers, gloves, fleece hats, balaclava, scarf / muffler, down jackets.
Summer: Cotton shirts & t-shirts (both long sleeve and short sleeve), shorts, pants / zip off trousers (please avoid military styles), swim wear, snorkel & mask.
Monsoon: Foldable raincoat / umbrella, waterproof & windproof jacket, waterproof pants, waterproof cover for bags.
Trekking / Camping: Check the inclusions to see if you need to carry your own inner sleep sheet, sleeping bag, personal mattress etc. On most trips we do include these.
Hiking poles/walking sticks for treks.
Cycling Trips: Check whether helmet is included or if you need to carry one.
Carrying long sleeve t-shirts and pants will protect you against insect / mosquito bites in some regions.
Luggage
We take no responsibility for the contents in your luggage and any damage to it while travelling. Please do not pack any expensive items in it. Here is the type of luggage style / bag you use on each trip.
- Safaris: Trekking / Duffel bags. Your travel bag must be soft without any wheels or frames if you have to get on a local flight.
- Cycling Trips: Sturdy bags that are easy to handle are recommended so they hold through the trip and daily transportation. You may also carry along a small back-pack for day use that is easy to carry while cycling.
- Hiking & Trekking: Bags with wheels and hard suitcases are not acceptable on such vacations even though the daily handling may be rough. Please ensure you have a comfortable trekking bag no more than 10 kilos.
