Art of Bicycle Trips Anmeldelser 111

This trip was a good blend of riding and seeing sights. The food and accommodations were first rate. The mixture of riding country roads, touring sights, meal breaks and rest days were well planned. The people of India were so open and welcoming.The Art of Bicycle team looked after all our needs. We would do it again in a heart beat.

"How do I put our trip into words! This was one of the most remarkable and enjoyable travel experiences we have ever had. Right from my initial enquiry, responses were prompt, questions were answered and your willingness to adapt and fit in around our specific requirements was fantastic. Cycling is such a great way to experience a country, not just see it. We had so many memorable interactions with the locals, especially the children! Being surrounded by cycling children on their way to school, scooters slowly travelling beside us so they could ask us questions, slowly manoeuvring through herds of cattle, sheep and goats carefully tended by shepherds, women in brightly coloured saris smiling and waving to us from the fields and school children yelling and waving with excitement as we cycled past schools. So many amazing and vivid memories. Their kindness, curiosity and generosity is something we will remember forever. We also enjoyed the many historical sites we visited. The local guides were knowledgeable, making our tours very interesting. Kumbhalgarh Fort was a favourite, such an amazing place, and of course Bhangharh Fort. Thank you for allowing us to detour into this very intriguing place, such a unique place to visit and to hear all the very intriguing tales. The walking tour in Jaipur with Vineet was outstanding and gave us an insight into the life and skills of the traditional arts and crafts within the city walls and also a taste of some delicious local street food. Something completely different was the slum tour in Delhi, a very educational and thought provoking experience, nothing like we had anticipated and an experience that I find myself still reflecting back on. We thank you for getting to know us well enough over the two weeks that you would suggest this as an option for us to do in Delhi, it really was a highlight. Visiting the villages was also an amazing privilege, being invited into homes and being given such a warm welcome by the families. How can we ever enjoy a Chai again after drinking one made from milk we saw being freshly milked! It was such an honour to be able to spend time with these wonderful people. Our accommodation was always of a high standard and provided a lovely insight into India's history and of course a lovely comfy bed after a day on the bike. The food was exceptional, our local Indian restaurant will never be the same! Our driver Munshi was always calm, patient, helpful and it was nice to know he was just a short distance behind us if we ever needed him for more water, a quick snack or puncture repairs. He was our hero. Finally, Pankaj, our tour leader. Thank you for organising such a memorable trip, taking care of every little detail, helping us understand local customs and answering our many questions. It was a privilege to spend time with you and to meet your lovely wife. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us and understand the type of things we enjoy doing and are interested in and tweaking our trip to meet these interests. We enjoyed our many conversations and laughs along the way. One day we will be back. "

We loved our bicycle tour, was an amazing way to see India's culture, people, and landscape. We had fun and learned so much, this was the highlight of our India trip. Thanks to our guide and driver for an exceptional experience!

Highly recommend this bike ride – I had a great time every day of the tour! The 'Taste of Kerala' bike trip is one of the best vacations I have ever taken, if not the best of them all! It was my first multi-day bike tour (11 days total), and Art of Bicycle Trips made the entire trip a truly unique and wonderful experience! Kerala is referred to as ‘God’s Own Country’, and after all the sights you will discover on this tour, the description is true to word. The biking itself was fantastic, but all other non-biking aspects of the tour were just as delightful. From start to finish, including initial correspondence prior to arrival, Dibin responded promptly to my inquiries, answered all my questions, and half way through the trip was very helpful in extending my stay in Cochin to include a beach side stay with some kayaking along the backwaters. And best of all, he is an AWESOME bike tour guide!! I cannot say enough about how great and truly amazing it was to be a rider on his bike tour. Dibin’s English is excellent and being from Kerala, he has an impressive knowledge of the history and culture of the area. And the van driver Shajee, was also very supportive and equally great in his job bringing up the rear via the support van. I felt very safe, was well looked after by both guide and driver, and in good hands through the entire journey. The ride itinerary as posted on Art of Bicycle Trips webpage is exactly how the ride went, and all accommodations, etc. were as indicated on the itinerary. I appreciate the fact that Art of Bicycle Trips was also able to outfit me with an XL bike frame, which made the ride much more comfortable for someone of my height. Dibin is also a good teacher - though I do exercise extensively, I do not bike ride regularly, and Dibin taught me a lot about biking technique and methods all along the rides. The bike rides were a perfect mix of city, country, mountain, and coastal riding through the many beautiful parts of Kerala. I especially enjoyed the rides through the tea plantations and the ride up and over the border with Tamil Nadu to Top Station – where it becomes nicely cooler at 2,000 meters as well! They drive on the left side of the road in India, and traffic can be a bit intimidating at first if you are not accustomed to it, but I always maintained the line behind Dibin, who was very good at pointing out potholes, bumps, heavy traffic, etc., along the way, and after a day or so I felt like I fit right in with the all traffic flow around me – rickshaws, cars, scooters, motorbikes, etc., and even cows - all of which are a unique part of the Indian experience. Road traffic in Kerala is minimal compared to Delhi or other large cities I visited in India. The traffic diminished significantly after leaving Cochin early on in the tour. I did not fall down, run off the road, or crash into a cow or anything else – not once! As I requested, Dibin kept the pace just challenging enough to keep me at my best riding form. I loved every kilometer of this 500km bike tour, even the uphill rides, and anxiously looked forward to each new day of riding and the adventures it would bring. I did this trip in August, which can be rainy season, but my trip was only interrupted by heavy rain once, and for less than two hours one afternoon. I was lucky in that sense as it could have rained much more. We rode in some misty rains for short periods, but with rain jacket, it was all good, and just as fun – most of the trip had plenty of sunshine. The accommodations were unique, charming, and always pleasant. It was so nice to stay in such comfortable places after a good day of biking! The overnight stay on the house boat and cruise through the backwaters was one of the many ways Art of Bicycle Trips made the trip special. All the meals were delicious, as I found the many foods of Kerala to be highly agreeable with me. The non-biking activities provided alternate and enjoyable breaks after riding - tea museum tour, spice garden visit, etc., but I especially liked the hike through the nature preserve via a park guide -- it was a good way to get some different outdoor activity on a non-biking day. And everyone in Kerala is super friendly too, which further enhanced my love of the place and its people. I took my own gel bike seat cover, which helped minimize any saddle soreness for me. I wore dri-fit athletic clothes which worked perfectly. And laundry service was often available at most of the stays, and for an inexpensive price too. WI-FI too was available in every stay except the house boat. Knowing what I know now, I would have used pedals with toe cages, to help maintain a better cadence and let my top of leg muscles assist the uphill efforts versus solely pushing down on the pedals, but even without the toe cages, I did just fine. Beyond that, all equipment on the bike was perfect and functioned great. Helmet and water bottle were also provided along with a small carry case on the handle bars, and snacks along the way (loved the soft peanut brittle snack). I opted to carry a very small and lightweight waterproof day pack type backpack on the rides, in which I kept my wallet, rain jacket, insect repellent, small camera, etc. – but not much more as I wanted to stay light. Other belongings can be kept in the van, and no day pack of any kind is needed as you bike, as the support van is never more than 10-15 minutes away – so just personal preference in this respect. Thank you so much Art of Bicycle Trips, and Dibin, for all you did to make this an amazing tour!! I will have many lasting memories of my Kerala biking adventure as a result of your tour and the fine work you all do! I look forward to doing another bike tour with Art of Bicycle Trips again on a future trip to Asia. If you are relatively bike fit, no need to be a hard core rider, just fit enough to ride a bike at least 25-30km a day and open to the challenge of some longer rides, with some uphill trials here and there for 2-3 days of the trip, then I highly recommend this Kerala bike tour!!! And the uphill climbs are nicely rewarded with downhill coasts all along the way. And as always, the support van is always there, to pick you up if you want to cut a ride short or take a break and ride in the van for a bit on longer bike rides. Apologies for the lengthy review, but also an indication of how much I enjoyed and recommend this tour! :))))