A cycling tour of a place is one of the best ways to establish an instant connection, with it and discovering it at your own pace, away from the itineraries prepared by someone else for you. It’s often rejuvenating finding your own way from one attraction to another, and meeting the locals on your way. The experience works wonder to make you feel more involved with the place, get that adrenaline rushing and also contributing toward the cause of sustainable travel.
Keeping this in mind, we bring you top five places in India where you can plan a cycling tour:
Goa
Goa is such a hit amongst tourists visiting India for a reason. Apart from its abundant beaches, tourists are lured by the winding lanes, lush landscapes, its quaint coastal villages, the ancient Portuguese and French style houses as well as its small, little cafes serving authentic Goan food alongside a remarkable variety of international cuisine. And all this can be best explored on a bicycle; making way through the spice plantations and covering some amazing routes such Querim in northern Goa to Polem on the southern. From bird watching at Carambolim Lake to discovering the stunning Dudhsagar Falls in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary, you can explore it all on a bicycle for as cheap as ₹100 per day.
Coorg
Plan a cycling trip around Coorg during Monsoons, and be prepared for a stunning sensory experience unlike any you’ve had in your life. Cross the lush countryside of the Kodava Island, marked by dense forests, rice fields, coffee plantations and cascading waterfalls. Ride around the Mallali Falls at the foothills of Pushpagiri Mountain range and Harangi Backwaters. You can also plan a ride from Coorg to Kochi on your cycle, covering Madikeri and Somwarpet on your way.
Pondicherry
Pondicherry looks hung-over from the influence of its French and Portuguese colonial past, and a cycling tour around the city will take you through prominent places touched by imperial footprints as well as Muslim and Tamil quarters. You can start early in the morning, and explore the colonial architecture before hitting the promenade beach for a splash in the water. Follow it up with a visit to the Pondicherry Museum, Auroville Ashram and one of the many churches here. Do stop and gorge on traditional south Indian style breakfast or a French fare at one of the many artsy cafes here.
Udaipur
Udaipur in royal Rajasthan is one of the most beautiful cities in India. Dotted by palaces competing with each other for reflecting grandeur and opulence as well as gorgeous lakes that earn it the title of the ‘City of Lakes’, Udaipur offers plenty to travellers looking to exploring it on a bicycle. Some of the places that must be included on your trail are Lake Pichola, Lake Fateh Sagar, Badi Lake, City Palace as well as Jag Mandir. You can also visit rural villages and meet with local to get a taste of the local life as well as rich cultures and traditions of Rajasthan.
Hampi
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hampi is a quaint village in Karnataka, popular for its ancient ruins, temples and palaces. With a lush countryside; cotton and corn fields and gushing streams keeping you company throughout the town, your exploration of the temples, palaces and medieval structures that constitute the “World’s Largest Open Air Museum” in Hampi will be filled with awe. Some of the places you must cover on your cycle are Virupaksha Temple, Queen’s Bath, Lotus Mahal, Sasivekalu Ganesha, Hampi Bazaar, Krishna Temple, and Lakshminarasimha.
