Reviews

Wonderful cycle trip through Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala

This was my first trip to India and it was a fabulous experience. I loved the cycling, which was mainly moderate with a few tough days, and we packed in so much that it felt like an amazing introduction to the country. We had wonderful guides, our group got on famously and the food was delicious. It was a very memorable holiday.

A Perfect Balance!

My first time using Exodus for long-haul…I’ve traveled independently all over the tropics so was reluctant about this, wondering if it would be worth the money, but compared to the European trips I actually think it’s great value & I loved this trip
It’s a perfect balance of cycling & sight-seeing with the best food I’ve EVER eaten in India, which I put down to our guide Safi. As a vegetarian, you can’t eat better than Southern India 🙂

Lots to do, heaps to see, great variety of landscape, architecture and more…people are warm and friendly towards cyclists here…use your bell in the busy areas and enjoy the glorious peace of the quiet out-of-town rides. The backwater trip was lovely & peaceful, most hotels very good & a few excellent.
I’m an experienced distance cyclist so wasn’t daunted by the itinerary…most days are leisurely, a few more challenging which keeps it interesting -without question, the climb to Ooty is a serious challenge so be prepared. That said, a few folks used the support vehicle, that’s what it’s there for so don’t be proud!

* Would definitely recommend *

An unforgettable experience

The cycling was challenging at times due to ascent and temperature but the local guides were realistic and supportive. The trip through three Indian states showcased the amazing friendliness of the local Indian people. The trip demonstrated the wildlife of Indian, the heritage of the area, history and heritage of the locals and the cycling challenges.
Recommended as a great way to see the real India. Please don’t see each day as a race and get into the Indian time zone and slow down and enjoy the time cycling rather than try and finish first.

An unforgettable experience

The cycling was challenging at times due to ascent and temperature but the local guides were realistic and supportive. The trip through three Indian states showcased the amazing friendliness of the local Indian people. The trip demonstrated the wildlife of Indian, the heritage of the area, history and heritage of the locals and the cycling challenges.
Recommended as a great way to see the real India. Please don’t see each day as a race and get into the Indian time zone and slow down and enjoy the time cycling rather than try and finish first.

Tough in places, but a great holiday

This is a really good holiday with chance to see some very different bits of India, from the illuminated palace of Mysore to the tigger reserve (we saw a tigger), to the 36 hairpin bends on the mountainous road to Ooty (1200m accent), the glorious tea plantations (that actually smell of tea), then Kerala itself, with its palm trees, beaches and backwaters.

If you are worried about the recent flood (2018), don’t be everything is open, schools, roads, hotels, pools, etc. In fact there is no trace of it at all and we stayed in places that had flooded.

You do need to be prepared, some parts (especially Mysore) are dirty, smelly and noisy. The driving in India is downright scary – you will find vehicles coming round bends on the wrong side of the road, but it all somehow works,and speeds are lower that the UK.

The food (I’m vegetarian) with very few exceptions was outstanding. Worth booking for the food alone.

The bikes were perhaps not maintained as well as I would have liked, and were a little heavy, but were mostly up to the job. Some sections of the cycling are tough! We had rain in the mountains were it got quite cold, but left it behind as we descended.

Fabulous experience

India remains much as I saw it almost forty years ago; more traffic though!
The people are lovely and the food is fantastic
Kerala itself is well over the recent floods, so don’t let this hold you back. It’s truly beautiful.
Our guide, Joseph, was lovely; calm, confident and informative at all times.
Thoroughly recommend this trip.

A fantastic trip!

A wonderful cycling holiday, superb organisation and led and supported by a great team who were friendly and efficient. The itinerary was very varied from towns and palaces to the jungle, beaches and backwaters, and the cycling linked it all perfectly. The big hill climb up to Ooty was certainly a challenge, (but well worth it) and added an extra dimension to the tour. Despite staying in excellent hotels, we felt we had an insight into the real India as or routes took us through back roads and villages. I would thoroughly recommend it!

Tropical India

My first time in India and Tropical India was an ideal place to start. Some of my fellow travellers who started in the north confirmed this. I was told Kerala and Tamil Nadu is greener, slower and softer than the big cities of the north. I was a solo traveller and the group couldn’t have been more friendly and inclusive.
Well paced trip ,busy but not exhausting.
All in all a well organised and wonderful experience, I shall certainly be travelling with Exodus again.

Some lovely rides and not too strenuous

There are many great points about this trip;
– This trip combines riding in busy city traffic (which is mental, but exciting and often safer than in UK), with lovely rides through beautiful scenery (e.g. little villages, forest, coast) – much of it fairly flat and easy cycling. We went in Feb and the temperature is hot (30-35C).
– Food was a huge surprise in the fact that many of the hotels had great selection and great quality, and the meals in people’s homes were delightful and delicious – only the breakfasts were disappointing, but lunch/dinner was great. However, it is all Indian food, so don’t expect Western choices.
– Most of the hotels were in great locations, and of great quality (comfortable, modern, clean).
– The rides weren’t exceptionally long (20-25 miles, with a couple around 50), but in the 30-35C heat many of these were done in the morning and were more than long enough to see great things.
– With these rides being slightly shorter than on other trips we’ve done, there was lots of free time (e.g. afternoons) and a couple of free days which allowed us to experience far more of Kerala than on just a bike – a good mix of riding and free time.
– Minimal bus transfers (only 2 I recall), so most rides were door to door.
– The boat trip on the backwaters was delightful, and the photo opportunities are great.

The are 2 rides that are worth being aware of;
– The ride to Ooty is a gruelling ride of 17 miles up a 1,400 meter climb – the road is a constant gradient of 10-15% so it’s hard work. Even though you start the climb around 07:30, it doesn’t take long for the heat to kick in. However, there’s no pressure on how quickly you get up there, and you can opt out and take the bus if it’s too much for you.
– The descent down from Ooty is pretty much 20 miles all down hill, but the road is often poor (pot holes, poor surface, traffic on wrong side)) so riding fast is tempting but dangerous, so you need to watch what you are doing – but it’s a lovely ride through Eucalyptus forest and tea plantations.

We felt this trip was really enjoyable, and highly recommend it.

A Fantastic Trip

This was a great trip for me as a novice traveller to India. I was concerned beforehand about cycling on the Indian roads but I was reassured appropriately by Exodus staff and the cycling was very enjoyable. There were a couple of stretches on the trip that were on fast busy roads but that was only when that was unavoidable and our guides always looked after us very well, assisting us to cross junctions etc. This was a lovely introduction to Southern India with a good balance of cycling and rest or other activities. Safi our guide was brilliant as were Viben, his assistant and our driver Santosh. Safi was extremely well organised and reliable and gave us good clear briefs each day and after each break. He and Viben supervised the cycling very well and I was quickly rescued when I accidently took a wrong turn! Santosh was just lovely and always gave us a big smile with our water and gorgeous snacks including our “Dark Fantasy’s”! (biscuits with chocolate in the middle — very clever choice given the heat). Nothing was too much trouble (even trying to get us a turkey dinner for Christmas!) and I felt very well looked after, particularly when I left all my valuables in a safe! Such a stupid thing to do but Safi dealt with it calmly and reassuringly and it was all sorted with no fuss and no loss!
For me the trip was as “described on the tin” but I was also fortunate to share the trip with a fantastic group of people. Everyone was like minded and easy going which meant that everyone got along well, we had a great laugh and I feel that I have met a whole host of new friends.
I have done a fair amount of travelling before and I would not hesitate in recommending this trip to others. The cycling is not difficult (save for Otty hill of course!) and it was a lovely way to see the country and encounter the very friendly people. If you are a photographer there are some fantastic photo opportunities – the only problem is that you have to let some of them pass otherwise you would never end up where you need to get. Thank you very much to Safi, Viben, Santosh and Exodus.