Cycling in India travel advice

“Cycling is the only way to go for so many reasons. The most memorable part? The endless wild receptions as we rolled through village streets; young and old alike excited beyond measure! Don't plan on convenient, ever-present wifi at your hotels. Be mentally prepared for very slow riding. The Leaders were conscientious and at the ready. If anything, we were over-coddled in that we were afraid, perhaps rightly, to go out on our own in some places.” – Peter Judd on a Rajasthan cycling vacation

“You really don't have to worry about anything. We were happy and healthy the entire time, and very comfortable indeed! We met so many lovely people! My only advice would be to make sure that if there are things you especially like or don't like then let them know in advance...My wife and I went on this trip with our 17 year-old son. Even as seasoned travelers to India, we would never have been able to do this trip on our own because this part of central India really doesn't have much tourist/traveler infrastructure. Cycling from village to village was absolutely fantastic. Our wonderful guide, Saurabh, based in Raipur, was not only brilliantly organised and wonderfully knowledgeable about wildlife, architecture, people, plants, birds, customs etc. He also enabled us to visit families and villages in a way that was really rewarding and not the slightest bit 'icky'. We stayed overnight in one village, which was a fantastic experience - we learned so much. I especially enjoyed being taught how to make herb chapatis over a fire.” – Jonathan Drori on our Cycling vacation in the Maikal Hills

“A reasonable standard of fitness is required. We were a group of nine men with ages ranging from 54 to 67 years. Take a good pair of padded cycle shorts.” – Bob Stunt on the coast to coast cycling vacation

“Check the weather carefully as can be much wetter than the historic averages suggest. Rain never spoilt our days but does mean wildlife is harder to see. Kovalam, lighthouse beach, was a real treat with nice waves and clean seas.” – Des Jarrett on our walking and cycling vacation in Kerala.

“Try to see the Indian traffic (which varies from road to road) as part of the adventure, while at the same time being attentive. In fact the driving style in India is pretty unique but it is manageable as the speed of (most) vehicles is low which makes it less stressful for cycling. Make sure you drink enough and sugar up your body before the climbs! The best part of the trip was probably the climb up on the way to Valparai in Tamil Nadu. Another highlight in Valparai was the scenic view and the very friendly people at the Stanmore Estate. Other highlights included the climb up to Munnar as well as the descent the next day on a misty morning.” – Roman Stöllinger on our Western Ghats mountain biking vacation