10 Tage „The Planters Punch” Geführte Motorradrundreise in Kerala, Tamil Nadu und Karnataka
India Loop Motorcycle Tour
A 10-day motorcycle exploratory trip that starts and ends in Kochi with twisting roads, off-roads, rainforests, wildlife, and plantations. This circuit is as heady a mix as the cocktail it's inspired from. The colonial hangover is an oft-repeated phrase when it comes to describing India and parts of the sub-continent. Karma Yatri took the literal out of the metaphor and decided to curate a ride that celebrates a region that was crafted through an unmistakable colonial influence that is still visible today!
Key information
- Bike: Rental bike with fuel included (Royal Enfield Standard 500 cc / Himalayan)
- Terrain: A mix of Tarmac and Basic Off-roading
- Mileage: 1475 kilometers / 917 miles
- Daily rides: 50 - 262 kilometers / 31 - 163 miles
- Meals: all breakfasts, lunches, dinners
Die Lehrer
Weiterlesen
Höhepunkte
- Starts and ends in Kochi
- Enjoy a relaxed pace of riding
- Ride the Western Ghats, winding hill roads, through rainforest country
- A bulk of the ride is spent in the plantation country of India’s south
- Tarmac terrain with winding curves on fast-paced roads
- 9 nights accommodation
Level
- Fortgeschrittene
- Experte
Cochin International Airport (US$ 12 pro Person)
Unterkunft
You will stay for nine nights in various accommodations including hotels and boutique homestays. The start of the trip sets the tone for the rest of the journey and the end of the trip is an intimate moment to reflect, relish, and basically have one big party. The properties Karma Yatri uses at various locations which serve as start and endpoints of the itinerary are unique and carefully selected.
During this tour, you will be accommodated in premium hotels and homestays at all stops. The properties combine the best in hospitality that the region has to offer, great food, and the ability for you all to behave like a group. Please note that although Karma Yatri provides blankets and duvets, it is recommended that you carry a sleeping bag for added comfort.
- Night 1: Kumily - Spice Village or similar
- Night 2: Munnar - Dream Coconut Villa or similar
- Night 3: Munnar Local - Dream Coconut Villa or similar
- Night 4: Kodaikanal - The Fern Creek or similar
- Night 5: Ooty - Vinnca West Downs Heritage or similar
- Night 6: Madikeri - Heritage Resort or similar
- Night 7: Fort Madikeri Local - Heritage Resort or similar
- Night 8: Calicut - The Raviz Kadavu or similar
- Night 9: Kochi - Old Harbour hotel or similar
Programm
Day 1: Arrive at Kochi - Transfer to Kumily (160 kilometers)
Arrive at the Kochi international airport and take a car transfer to the hill town of Kumily. Close to the Periyar National Park, (based on your arrival time), a safari can be organized. Alternatively, you can just relax and soak in the vibe of the guesthouse and its surrounding forests. Meet the Karma Yatri team and other fellow riders. A few drinks around the bonfire, a nice meal, and get set for the start of what is going be an epic road trip!
Day 2: Kumily - Munnar (85 to 95 kilometers)
Start your ride today, hitting the twisties as soon as you begin. It’s mountain roads on the good-quality tarmac with a fair amount of traffic, so be cautious at the start till you get a feel of the bike and a sense of the road. Dramatic scenery, lush forests, and plantations of rubber and spices (pepper and cardamom).
Entering Munnar, you are in tea country so roadside breaks are accompanied by freshly brewed chai. Roads that snake through mountains covered in a uniform green of endless tea gardens. Overnight in a colonial bungalow converted to a guesthouse.
Day 3: Munnar Local (50 kilometers)
The tea capital of South India's Munnnar is dreamlike. Swirling mists and crisp mountain air carrying bird songs. The tea estates are owned by companies or cooperatives which ensure that roads are in fairly good condition. Endless views of rolling hills of green in various hues. Picture postcard moments of tea pickers, lush meadows with cows, and patches of impenetrable Shola rainforests. Cruise around on tarmac or shift on to off-road tracks as you ride through the inner plantation roads.
Day 4: Munnar - Kodaikannal (166 kilometers)
On what is considered to be one of the best motorcycling roads in the world, cross borders from Kerala to Tamil Nadu. Continue riding on roads that are a mix of everything you could dream of doing on a motorcycle, through a landscape that constantly competes for your attention.
Smells of Eucalyptus oil, shops selling mixtures of Ayurveda herbs, artisanal chocolates, and loads of tropical fruit, about sums up the noisy main Kodaikanal town. The rest is scattered amidst ancient rainforests in small village settlements and the occasional colonial bungalow with elaborate gardens
Day 5: Kodaikanal - Ooty (251 kilometers)
Ride further into the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu. The road conditions are amazing and the riding experience stunning. Ooty was once known as the "Queen of Hill Stations". The town is only a faint memory with names such as Charing Cross and the Savoy Hotel in a crowded, traffic-congested town bursting at its seams.
Fortunately, a few kilometers in any direction from the town center, the true charm is retained. Terraced fields of seasonal vegetables, endless valleys, patches of forest, and scattered plantations engulfed in a time warp.
Day 6: Ooty - Madikeri (252 kilometers)
Cross borders from Tamil Nadu into Karnataka and from the tea plantation to the epicenter of coffee in India. The roads continue to delight as the landscape transitions through the green spectrum interfused with bursts of floral color, twisting, serpentine tarmac through small villages and minor towns.
Stop by at the town of Bylakuppe, spending time to experience the sounds and colors of Tibetan Buddhism, being one of the largest settlement of Tibetans in exile. A fairly long day on the road brings you to a traditional homestay in one of the privately-owned plantations.
Day 7: Fort Madikeri Local (50 kilometers)
A unique cultural heritage, owing to the warrior class ancestry, Coorg is grand, hospitable, generous, and loud. A short tour of the coffee plantation showing the various stages, from harvesting to processing the dry coffee bean. Ride on inner roads of a private estate which is a thrilling off-road experience.
You'll ride through plantations that are a symbiotic construct of coffee bushes, tall timber trees, beetle-nut palms, and coffee vines. The distinction between tea and coffee cultivation is quite dramatic.
Day 8: Madikeri - Calicut (262 kilometers)
No trip that is themed around colonial influences can be complete without a mention of Vasco De Gama. So leave the Western Ghats and descend to the coast, towards the town that started the Sub-continent’s tryst with colonialism. The word Calico means "typically plain white or unbleached" fabric.
The fabric is known to trace its roots back to the "City of Spices", Calicut. The city was once one of the great ports of the Malabar region for Indian spices and other items that made their way around the world.
Day 9: Calicut - Kochi (189 kilometers)
The ride today takes you further south from Calicut towards Fort Kochi on busy main roads and the occasional detours on picturesque roads along coastal or backwater communities. Harking back to the time of the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Jewish, and Chinese trader influence on the area, Fort Kochi’s vibe seemingly remains framed in time with relics of their architecture.
The result is a motley combination of medieval Portugal, Holland, and an English village grafted onto the tropical Malabar Coast, topped off with tourist trappings. It is nonetheless a beautiful place to spend time walking about its markets and laid-back street culture. An iconic symbol of this area is the Chinese fishing nets introduced by Chinese explorers who landed there in the 14th century. Set against a setting sun there is something picturesque about these nets standing in a row across the shore.
Day 10
Departure day
Motorcycling In South India
- Road tripping
The road can be your best friend or your worst enemy, so Karma Yatri advises you to always ride keeping in mind your safety and of other people traveling with you. It’s best to stick to your side of the road, avoid overtaking, keep in pace with the group, and follow hand signals from the road captain.
The terrain gamut goes from excellent tarmac to instance of some dirt/off roads, two-lane highways, one-lane paths, Ghat roads, and loads of dust, but all this is not without its own fun.
- Facilities
You will be spending nights in comfortable hotels and homestays for the duration of the trip. Phone and internet may not be available in some areas but this is not constant. Whilst Karma Yatri provides all meals, the snacks, beverages, and alcohol during the course of the trip are on your tab. Make sure all your electronic devices are charged and maybe a spare battery and data cards for your camera is a good idea.
- Temperature
The winter season in India is the ideal time to visit the south, as the humidity is relatively low, day temperatures do not climb too high and the nights are pleasant and cool to cold in some areas. Some occasional light rain showers are not uncommon in certain areas; though rare. The temperature in the day can climb up to 30 degrees centigrade and in the nights it drops to a pleasant 17 to 25 degrees; in some cases, it can drop a little lower.
Motorcycle gear recommendations
- Motorcycling in India on your travel day
Make a list of the things that you need to bring along: luggage, passport, and tickets. Also, mark all your bags inside and out with your name and address, both home address and your holiday address. To be on the safe side, weigh your bags to ensure you don’t exceed the baggage requirements of the airline.
Travel insurance is becoming a must so do consider getting one because you do not have to worry if your bags are lost or if your flight has been canceled or even if your passport and wallet are stolen. It is always best to get yourself and your family covered as mishaps do happen when traveling.
You do know that it is possible to travel with hand-luggage only, rite? Just that you will need to know the airline rules for carrying liquids, otherwise, you may have to remove them at the security checkpoint! In order to handle jet lags, stay hydrated by drinking lots of plain water during the flight, avoid tea and coffee.
Skill level required for this tour: intermediate
Intermediate:
- can ride for 3-4 hours
- average riding experience
- little assistance required
- comfortable with extreme curves and leans
- average experience with unsurfaced roads
- steep ascents and descents
Ausflüge (inklusive)
We have several excursions to choose from, some which are part of our journey and some that are optional activities.
Lehrer
Hashim Qayoom
Two decades of motorcycling and the opportunity to live in many parts of India and Europe. A passion that keeps growing with every riding season. New roads to discover, more friends to ride with is his mantra. He speaks Hindi, Kashmiri, Tamil, English, German, French and a smattering of other Indian dialects. A native of Kashmir means that a vast network that can be called upon in case of any emergency or contingencies.
Lage
We have carefully selected all our properties to reflect a sense of nostalgia. From plantation bunglows to old fashioned clubs (don't forget your dinner jacket) every place is unique and located in inspiring settings.
Verpflegung
We encourage you to explore the local cuisine so that you can have a truly immersive experience. There is huge variety of food to choose from, a lot that is unique to the region we travel through.
Since the basis of this circuit is food and beverage it's only apt that food becomes an integral part of the journey.
Folgende Mahlzeiten sind inbegriffen:
- Frühstück
- Mittagessen
- Abendessen
- Getränke
Die folgenden Getränke sind enthalten:
- Wasser
- Kaffee
- Tee
- Softgetränke
Die folgenden Ernährungsweisen stehen zur Verfügung und/oder berücksichtigt werden:
- Vegetarisch
- Biologisch
- Regulär (schließt normalerweise Fleisch und Fisch mit ein)
- Pescetarier
- Halal
Freizeitaktivitäten und Sehenswürdigkeiten (optional)
- Wildlife safari
- Ayurvedic massages
- Hikes
- Plantation tours
- Tea and coffee tasting
- Spice plantations
Spa Behandlungen
Kochi is famous for its ayurvedic spas. Please let us know and we will be happy to share some recommendations in case you plan to relax after the tour.
Was ist im Preis inbegriffen?
- All entries and permits
- Motorcycle rental with fuel
- 9 nights accommodation
- Full board meals daily with beverages
- Airport transfers
- Back up support with Mechanic and spares
- First aid
Was ist nicht im Preis inbegriffen?
- Airfare
- Alcohol and cigarettes
- Tips
- Personal shopping
- Personal equipment
- Camera equipment
- Medical insurance
Anreise
Empfohlene Flughäfen
Cochin International Airport
105 km
Transfer verfügbar gegen Aufpreis US$ 12 pro Person
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Cochin International Airport (COK). Transfer from and to the airport is included. Please send Karma Yatri an inquiry for more information.
Arrival by train
Depending on your starting point as there are multiple options. Please send Karma Yatri an inquiry for more information. Take a long-distance bus (Volvo Ac) to Cochin. Please send Karma Yatri an inquiry for more information.
Stornierungsbedingungen
- Eine Reservierung erfordert eine Anzahlung von 10% des Gesamtpreises.
- Die Anzahlung wird nicht erstattet, wenn die Buchung storniert wird.
- Der Restbetrag ist 30 Tage vor der Ankunft zu zahlen.
Für diesen Veranstalter können Sie Ihre Buchung durch Tripaneer.com garantieren. Alle gängigen Kreditkarten werden akzeptiert.