Most Inspirational Moment
Going through the rural villages where everyone runs out of their houses (children and adults) to see us and wave to us was so special. These people have very little but they are truly inspriational in making the most of what they do have.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Pete, was fantastic. He was so knowledgable about everything we saw as well as the history of the country, the politics, the religions, the food and the people in general. He gave this information to those who were curious but didn't preach to those who weren't interested. Pete and his team (Shibu and Joseph - both also fantastic) ensured that our bikes were really well maintained, often working late into the evening whilst we were relaxing.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I had a point and shoot camera dangling from my wrist at all times whilst I was cycling so I was able to capture all the spontaneous wonders that I saw. The only problem with this is that with so many photos and so many places visited, when I got home I had no idea where a lot of them were taken. If you have an iPhone, I highly recommend you use this to double up some of the photos, especially location shots (eg beaches or temples) as the iPhone automatically uses GPS to plot your photo onto Google maps. This has not only helped me identify my huge catalogue of photos, it has brilliantly plotted the route for me. I also took some new probiotic pastilles called 'Bimuno Travelaid' each morning that I was there and a week beforehand. These are available from Boots or online and have great reviews. I would add to the good review - I had no problems with my tummy whatsoever.
Suggestions
This trip had a perfect mix of cycling and down time. Most of the cycling was pretty straight forward and with so much to see, it was amazing how easy and painless it was to clock up 90km in a day. Along the way there was always a festival or dance going on which our guide found out about and spontaneously took us to. That was fantastic. We had an amazing reception from the locals in many places as being the only Westerners there, they were genuinely excited to see us. They loved having their photos taken and were flattered when we did so. A really refreshing change from other cultures. They also loved taking photos or us with their phones. I think I must have posed individually with about 25 men who I'm sure will have gone back to their village and told all their friends that I'm their English girlfriend! The accommodation was all a pretty or very good standard. I had a sleeping bag and mosquito net with me thinking that as some of the accommodation was labelled as basic, I'd need them. But I didn't need either. In fact, the two nights in 'basic hotel' were 2 of the best nights! This trip has been excellently researched and the guides and support vehicle ensured we really got the best out of our time in India. I loved every minute.