Kerala Jungle, Beaches & Hairpin Bends

After your overnight flight, you will be greeted on arrival in Cochin  and transferred to our beach hotel in Cherai, nestled among acres of palm trees with uninterrupted views across the Indian Ocean into the sunset. Here you can unwind after the long flight and enjoy some R&R by the pool. You will be introduced to your fellow riders and the motorcycles for riding on tour. Your day finishes with a Welcome Dinner which includes free beers! Overnight at Indriya Sands Kuzupilly Beach (or similar).

After breakfast we’re ready to roll! Your first day is a relaxing ride past the airport and into the forest. Your first stop is Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, where you can take a leisurely afternoon row on the river or relax by the pool on the banks and marvel at the beautiful array of birds flying past. Overnight at Amritara Riverside Luxury Tents.

It’s a beautiful ride today as you head up into the Western Ghats, through the Sholayar Forest and ride through tea plantations to Valparai and our lovely overnight accommodation. Built around the old Tea Manager’s House, bison and wild boar can be seen roaming through the surrounding organic tea plantation, and the views over the valleys are splendid. At midnight we can take our 4-Wheel Drive support jeep around the tea estates and forests of the area looking for wildlife: Panthers, Lion-Tailed Macaques, Elephants, Nilgiri Tahr and Civet Cats to name a few. Tonight stay at Sinna Dorai Bungalow.

You will awake to the smell of tea all around. Cycle through the plantation or visit one of the two tea factories on the 1700 acre estate. Trekking through the hills bird watching or just chill out with a book and admire the views. These are all options this day.

Another amazing day as riding down into the plains of Tamil Nadu round 40 hairpin bends – all numbered so you can count down to the bottom! Then head off across the plains of Tamil Nadu, around the city of Coimbatore – all on good roads – before starting to climb up into the Nilgiri Hills, hairpin bends aplenty, to a height of 2000 m.  Overnight in Ooty, ‘Queen of the Hill Stations’ and stay at the Holiday Inn Gem Park.

See Ooty by motorcycle or on foot. Ride up to the Dodabetta Peak for fantastic views of the surrounding plains, or Avalanche Point, where there was snow and an avalanche many years ago! Visit the botanical gardens, schools and churches, tea gardens and shops (or sleep in!). Take a mountain ride down a steep ghat road before reaching Masinagudi and the Tiger Reserve of Mudumalai. Stay with an eccentric family in a fantastic resort in the jungle. Spotted Deer and Wild Boar abound, and also the odd wild Elephant takes a stroll through the property. In the evening there’s the option of a Jeep safari in the jungle, or you can just relax by the pool viewing all the wildlife wandering through the reserve forest. This evening stay at Bamboo Banks.

By popular demand we stay an extra day in Masinagudi, allowing you the option of early morning safaris in the wildlife sanctuaries of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Bandipur.

Today is hairpin bend day. In a little more than 5 hours we will climb and then descend 2000 metres. Taking in 117 hairpin bends (all numbered) in three different stretches, we climb to Ooty and above, on different roads from Day 6. Then we slowly descend on a deserted forest road where wild Elephants are known to sit on the road and not want to move, passing dams and hydro projects before reaching our riverside resort for a relaxed evening back in Kerala. Overnight stay at Sterling Resorts Annakatti.

After breakfast we head for the beach. Climbing down from the beautiful hills of Silent Valley and passing through plantation country we meander through a few small towns and villages before reaching our only proper six-lane highway to have a final WHIZZ before turning off through rice paddies and crossing rivers to reach our secret beach hideaway, for a splash in the Arabian sea before sunset. Stay at Nattika.

Again, by popular demand we have a proper beach day. The pristine deserted beach is where you can chill for the day after completing nearly 1000 kms on some of India’s most exhilarating roads. What better time than to book an Ayurvedic Massage, or try your hand at a bit of Yoga, or just chill on the beach with a few beers.

A leisurely 2-hour ride takes us to our final stop and the historic town of Fort Cochin. After saying our farewells to the bikes, in the afternoon there’s time for sightseeing and shopping in the old town. The atmosphere here is somehow different, and unlike any other Indian city – more relaxed, more open. Famous churches, cathedrals, synagogues and palaces are all within walking distance, and the sights and smells of the famous Chinese fishing nets and the market, with its teas, spices, nuts, fabrics, rosewood, Kathakali masks and cigars make this an enjoyable wander. Take an early evening stroll around the fort, with the sun setting against the Chinese nets and giant container ships offering defining images of Cochin. We bring our tour to a close with our Farewell Dinner overlooking the harbour – and beer is once more on the house! Stay at Thora’s Secret Garden or similar.

Airport transfer for your morning flight home, and say our goodbyes – until the next time! Your flight arrives in the UK later today.