Cycle Kerala & Tropical India - Cycling Holiday to India

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 62 reviews.

Kiran Patel

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Written January 2013
This was a fantatic trip to suit people who enjoy cuture, cycling and great food. Guides were great and support excellent. There are not too many transfers so great continuity.Loved it.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing all of the locals coming out, waving and wishing us well.
What did you think of your group leader?
Very patient, kind, sociable and easy going at the same time.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Drink plenty of water, take some salt / hydration nourishment and make sure you are fit enough for the ride.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks to Joseph, Abishake and Vippin for great guidance and support.
Caroline Baker

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Written January 2013
This was our first lengthy cycling trip and it has inspired us to book another next year. The long distances, level of difficulty and heat were perfectly manageable ( my husband and I are reasonably fit leisure cyclists in our early 60s ). I did decide however to walk rather than ride up the 37 hairpin bends which was no problem. Everyone was buoyed along by the great group camaraderie and the prospect of a shower and good meal at the end of the day. In my opinion this is the perfect way to see parts of India not on the normal tourist trail. Highly recommended.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The houseboat was unforgettable - like something out of the days of the Raj.
The visit to the orphanage was sobering and inspiring - wonderful work being achieved . We were lucky to meet the remarkable Swiss lady who has spent her life raising funds to keep the place going.
What did you think of your group leader?
Safi was competent, professional and always attentive to the group's needs and diverse requests
Abi with his ready smile was always there to give support , checking the bikes daily and ensuring we had a good supply of water.
Vipin did a great job shepherding the stragglers. We always felt we were in safe hands.
It was also very thoughtful of the team to arrange a surprise cake and poppers for me on my birthday.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take a plentiful supply of pens to give to the many children who greet you along the route. They love them !
Take a can of insect spray to blast your room before bedtime . Some hotels provided smoke coils , nets and socket inserts , but not all.
In Ooty take the opportunity to travel by train on the small gauge rail from Coonoor ( as featured on a BBC programme about the old steam engines of southern India). Also an evening at the Kathakali theatre in Cochin is fascinating ( booking made with proprietor of Ann's Residence ).
Anne Frey

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Written January 2013
This is an amazing trip.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Making it to the end of the trip unscathed, the traffic needs your full attention!
What did you think of your group leader?
Joseph was amazing. I could not have imagined a better group leader. Joseph invested a lot of time and energy into each of us insuring a great holiday. He also created a great team with Abi and Romeo. It was a magical combination. Book the trip just to be able to experience India with Joseph and his team. Worth it!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Just be ready for the traffic. Pay attention and stay with the group in the city and you are good to go!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Don't be hesitant to book. Just do it! You won't be disappointed. This trip will work your mind, body and spirit. When there, say hi to Joseph and the gang for me!
Pauline Chappell

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Written December 2012
This was 'Biking through Southern India', NOT 'Southern India by Bike' - a small semantic difference, but a real one, on the ground. If, like me, you are only a leisure cyclist, not a cyclosportive/triathlon/serious mountain-biker, no matter how fit you think you are - you may well find this tour more 'Challenging' than 'Moderate'.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I didn't find any moments "inspirational" (in the true sense of the word).

What did you think of your group leader?
We had two group leaders: Peter was with us for the first week, then handed over to Joseph, a local leader.
Peter was an excellent leader; experienced and professional. I can say only good things about his work.
Joseph did his best but, from the moment he took over, he allowed the speed-merchants to force the pace and was always well ahead of the increasingly strung-out group, leading from the front and therefore inevitably unaware of how far behind some of the group was falling. This was particularly noticeable on the main-road, traffic-heavy sections when I, for one, didn't see him or the head of the peloton for miles. He also seemed not to know that, at catch-up points, the last few people to arrive were entitled to the same amount of breathing space as those who'd arrived first had had; as soon as all were reassembled - he (and the front runners) were OFF. I think he would benefit from some further training, in particular with regard to the likelihood that members of the group will have widely differing levels of biking fitness and different expectations of the tour.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
When you've phoned your bank/credit-card provider (in advance) to alert them to the fact that you'll be travelling through India - double-check that they've actually done something about putting alerts on your cards. And if you bank with HxxxxxX - triple check. From the second day, none of my cards were accepted anywhere (except, finally, an M&S credit card): be warned. It's a bit ignominious to be having to borrow cash from fellow-travellers!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would like to praise our support-vehicle driver and bike-maintenance assistant, Sehkar, whose warm and supportive personality transcended any potential problems or difficulties there might have been.
Praise, too, for young Rintu, the Junior/Trainee Leader: another warm, cheerful, enthusiastic and helpful person, full of laughter and yet ready, when necessary, to take things seriously. Both these guys were very encouraging and supportive; a joy to know.
There was a kitty organised for evening meals: this meant that we ate at places our leaders chose and they were, perhaps inevitably, usually more up-market and European-tourist focused that I would have liked. On a couple of occasions my partner and I forsook the group arrangements and went off on our own, to find more off-the-beaten-track places to eat; we enjoyeded these experiences far more than we did any of the meals we had in a large group, sitting round a huge table in a large restaurant/hotel.
Because of the pace, I spent a lot of time, traffic- or road-surface-focused, pushing hard on the pedals and not able to appreciate the surroundings: "What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?" Also, because of the pace, stopping to take photographs was a non-starter: if I stopped, I fell even further behind the pace and had even less chance of catching up with the middle of the field.
Ian Buchan
KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Written December 2012
An absolutely classic trip. If you only do one cycle trip then this should be the one. The cycling is fantastic with very relaxed quiet roads (mostly), the scenery is stunning, and the food excellent. Add to this the lack of transfers, the houseboat experience and the variation in terrain and it has everything you could ask for.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
In no specific order:
the scenery is just outstanding. Great variation and amazingly exotic.
food fantastic
all the locals so friendly and welcoming
the hill climb to Ooty
the beautiful houseboat trip
What did you think of your group leader?
Really top class. Totally organised, incredibly helpful and ensured a completely relaxing trip. These guys really make the difference between a good trip and an outstanding trip. Orchestrating 16 Europeans through all the logistical challenges is a big ask (!), and our team were fantastic.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Getting cash from ATM's is a pain as most won't work. So best take Sterling and just exchange it at hotels. The rate they give is as good as the airport (or credit card) and everything is so cheap out there anyway it doesn't matter if you lose a few rupees in the process.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The bikes take quite a hammering so be prepared for a less than perfect hire bike. This was my only criticism of a wonderful trip, but I think getting a bike with better quality components (my front suspension was completely worn out) or renewing them more frequently would be a good idea.
While there is a really competent mechanic on the trip, he can't repair fork bushes and wheel bearings when they are worn out. This is not really a safety issue, but would have made the actual cycling better.
So saying, most of the time you are just enjoying the amazing sights so didn't really detract.
Traci-ann Yelland

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Written November 2012
This holiday was one of the best experiences of my life, it was well organised throughout and at no time did I feel unsafe or unsure about what was going to happen next. It was described as challenging and it certainly wasn't for the faint hearted, but truthfully anyone with a good level of fitness and a positive attitude towards traffic cycling and a strong desire to experience travel with a capital T would love it.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Oh my word I absolutely loved every single moment, I saw so much, felt so much, enjoyed so much being on the bike and right there in the life of India, the hussle and bussle of the cities, the quiet of the countryside, the children calling out to us, the people all wishing us well along our way, the temples, the wildlife, the sun, the rain, the ocean, the food....I had come alone and so many times I wished my family there just to see what I was seeing, to hear what I was hearing, to smell what I was smelling....it was all awe inspiring....fantastic.
What did you think of your group leader?
He was brilliant, he seemed very knowledgeable about all the places he took us to, he was also very interested in us as a group and what our life was like at home. He always seemed concerned about our well being and making sure we had everything that we needed, nothing seemed like too much trouble.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you want to do this trip, you will need a certain level of fitness, do some hill work for sure, and not be timid in busy traffic situations. It's going to be hot most of the time but not unbearable and you do acclimatise.
I didn't take my own saddle and pedals but if I was to do it again I would bring my own saddle for sure, as for the clip on pedals, I advise leave them at home, you will spend your entire trip clipping in and out especially in the towns, and even way out in the villages as you do have to have your wits about you at all times.
Don't worry about money, cashpoints readily available, but do inform your bank about where you are going.
Take insect repellent you will need it, and don't forget your camera because this is one trip you will never want to forget.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would highly recommend this trip, it is packed full of excitement from start to finish. By being on a bike you see India up close and personal, some days you will be in towns with traffic coming from all directions, and at others you will be out in villages with small children running alongside you asking your name and where are you going. You will see temples, rural India, forestry, wildlife, waterways, mountains, tea plantations, colourful people, colourful places, the Indian ocean. You will taste foods and drinks that you will want to recreate at home, smell spices, hear sounds, really feel like a part of this wonderful inspiring country. This trip really does have a little of everything, towns, temples, palaces, food, villages, mountains, animals, waterways, houseboats, different accomodations, the ocean, the people and the people you happen to travel with....it's just amazing... I for one will never forget my trip.
Nevi Gorup

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Written November 2012
Enjoyed cycling the back roads which were mostly quiet and in good repair. The kids in the villages were happy to see us, waving and calling our 'How are you?'.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I loved the challenge of the 7km hill with all the steep switchbacks and the wonderful cup of tea and cake at the top of the climb...I earnt it!...the downhill was lots of fun too.
What did you think of your group leader?
Well organised and helpful, but we did get tired of having the same dishes night after night.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be careful with the pot holes and gravel bits. A few people fell off. No real damage, just scrapes and embarrassment.
Keep your line when riding, maintain your speed and use hand signals and you will be ok. I felt safer riding in India than riding in Australia.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Trek mountain bikes were good.
Would have liked more riding, for instance having riding as an option on the rest days. We didn't need the rest and there was no much to do in the towns.