Cycling Kerala's Backroads

Kerala — a narrow South Indian state wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats Mountain Range — is a world of its own. A network of backroads weaves through its tropical backwaters, filled with rivers and lagoons, and meanders up and down highlands draped in evergreen forests, tea estates, and spice fields. Over 14 days, we’ll explore the best of what Kerala has to offer by bike, enriched by the fiery spirit of South Indian culture, cuisine, and hospitality!

The adventure begins on the outskirts of Kochi, where we ride east into the foothills of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the planet’s most significant biodiversity hotspots. We’ll experience this richness early on as we glamp by the riverside within Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary. Next, we ascend to the Munnar Hills for two days of cycling along meandering mountain roads above tea fields, followed by a jeep ride to Kolukkumalai, the world’s highest tea estate! After a scenic ride through the spice-filled Cardamom Hills, we reach Periyar National Park, where a free day lets you explore its wildlife habits and, if you’re lucky, spot elephants and tigers. On Day 9, we descend back to the lowlands, passing the white-washed facades of Syrian Christian churches before arriving at Lake Vembanad. Here, an unmissable Keralite experience awaits: a day and night cruise aboard a converted rice barge through blue lagoons and rice-paddy and coconut grove-lined canals. The tour’s final stage takes us along the Kochi coast, where we relax on the palm-fringed beaches of Mararikulam and explore Fort Kochi’s centuries-old cosmopolitan charm. The tour ends in Kochi.