KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Southern India is a magical place: beautiful landscapes, fascinating towns and villages, long white beaches and superb food, an excellent place to explore by bike. In the cool heights of the Western Ghats the sanctuaries at Bandipur and Mudumalai hide wild elephants, tigers and leopards in jungle and bamboo forests. We cycle round old forts and up to religious rock shrines as well as through colourful villages where rural life has remained little-changed for centuries. Further south, in Kerala, Hinduism has produced some of India's most elaborately decorated temples. A relaxing boat trip on the quiet backwaters here offers a change of pace from the bicycles, before the final coastal ride to Varkala and a chance to laze on the beach and reflect on an unforgettable experience of rural India.

Episodes Newsletter - Phil Nomington, Exodus' Brochure Production Manager, writes about Cycling in Kerala (April 2008) and Will Shoubridge, Agency Sales Consultant in the Extracts Winter 2010 Magazine (January 2010).