The Unexpected
On our Indian Adventure cycling trip, you can always expect the unexpected. Nothing is ever predictable. Like this.
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Posted December 08, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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On our Indian Adventure cycling trip, you can always expect the unexpected. Nothing is ever predictable. Like this.
Ready to Roll in 2012
With a few recent entries, we are happy to announce that the 2nd annual Indian Adventure is confirmed and ready to roll out of Agra on January 19, 2012!
Here’s a brief photo essay to get you excited for the adventure that awaits you…
In the early hours of the morning, even before the buzz of activity on Agra's busy streets, we will cycle to the Taj Mahal to mark the official starting point of this fantastic journey.
Then we soon leave the city, and head out onto quiet roads.
Along the way, we will share the road with other cyclists.
There will be livestock.
And wildlife. (But not as much as last year. We have made some route changes.)
Sometimes we share the road with interesting vehicles like this one.
We will cycle into fascinating cities like Mumbai.
We roll along the Konkan Coast. (Word of warning... there are lots of hills along the coast!)
And we will see ancient sites like Hampi.
And mark the end of this 4,000 km cycling odyssey at the town of Kanyakumari with the beautiful statue of a tamil poet looking over your shoulder.
Spaces are still available if you are contemplating the journey. Take a few moments and read about our adventures last year, or read about the tour participants already registered for the 2012 India Adventure.
We hope to see you in 2012!
Here’s a brief photo essay to get you excited for the adventure that awaits you…
In the early hours of the morning, even before the buzz of activity on Agra's busy streets, we will cycle to the Taj Mahal to mark the official starting point of this fantastic journey.
Then we soon leave the city, and head out onto quiet roads.
Along the way, we will share the road with other cyclists.
There will be livestock.
And wildlife. (But not as much as last year. We have made some route changes.)
Sometimes we share the road with interesting vehicles like this one.
We will cycle into fascinating cities like Mumbai.
We roll along the Konkan Coast. (Word of warning... there are lots of hills along the coast!)
And we will see ancient sites like Hampi.
And mark the end of this 4,000 km cycling odyssey at the town of Kanyakumari with the beautiful statue of a tamil poet looking over your shoulder.
Spaces are still available if you are contemplating the journey. Take a few moments and read about our adventures last year, or read about the tour participants already registered for the 2012 India Adventure.
We hope to see you in 2012!
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Posted October 14, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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2012 Indian Adventure - Highlights & Changes
Last month we announced the new and improved Silk Route for 2012. This month we are happy to announce that the wildly successful Indian Adventure is back for its second year! We listened to the suggestions of our 2011 clients, we studied our notes and maps, and have come up with a few wonderful improvements to an already fantastic tour.
Meals Included
One of the daily challenges for staff and riders in 2011 was making sure we all got fed. This time, the India tour will follow the same formula that we use with great success in all our other tours. Three meals on riding days will now be included in the tour price – roadside lunch, and restaurant breakfast/dinner. (note - this does not include meals on rest days or your dinner on the night we arrive to the rest day town.)
Improved Lunches
With meals now being included in the price, we will have more freedom to improve the quality and variety of the roadside lunches on the riding days.
More Days in the Saddle
The tour has been extended by four days for a total of 44 cycling days (including two half day bus transfers through National Parks). This has allowed us to bring down the average daily riding distance to a little less than 100 km per day. It also means that we will be able to avoid some of the more problematic roads. Don’t worry – there will be no shortage of challenging rides as some new routes have meant the total distance of the tour has now increased by approximately 200 km!
Two Rest Days in Mumbai
Fantastic Bombay! One of the most anticipated stops in the 2011 tour needed more than one day to truly experience. Riders in 2012 will have two rest days to explore, and to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of India’s iconic city.
New Towns and Routes
With a new rest day in Belgaum, and new stops in Badami (and its cave temples), Kolegal (the Silk City), and Erode (the Loom City), the cyclists will get treated to even more of India’s lesser known gems, while avoiding some problematic areas south of Mysore.
Less Bed Bugs and More Swimming Pools We have replaced a few of the less popular hotels and upgraded to something more comfortable where it was possible. As the riders from 2011 will agree, there are still to be several places where there simply are no options to upgrade. So come expecting a few nights of roughing it! Overall the tour now combines a great deal of very comfortable and clean rooms with days full of challenging riding and local colour!
Starts in Agra 10 Days Earlier
The tour will commence in Agra 10 days earlier. This is to take advantage of the cool temperatures through Rajasthan and to try and avoid the most extreme heat at the end of the tour in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Why is the tour more expensive than in 2011?
The new price takes into account the following:
*all meals on riding days included, when the 2011 group paid all their meals separately
*4 additional days of riding and a more balanced schedule
*upgraded hotels in many places along the route
*a more refined, safe, and enjoyable route after working out the first year kinks.
What some of the riders from last year had to say…
“Each day was a visual delight and an educational, sometimes sobering, exposure. And with the TdA concept of coupling gentle support with maximum independence each of us delved into it all as much as we could, or wanted.”
“Want to see India, its topography and people? Get on your bike! An adventure you surely should not miss. All your apprehensions about India will fly through the window.”
“Nothing was impossible in India”
“I love to travel – what better way than by bike – loved the country especially riding through the small villages with the smiling faces, a friendly culture, met some good people to ride with, lost a ton of weight and got fitter, this was one great experience for me – it’s something I’ll always remember…
Come join us in 2012!
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Posted May 13, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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All done!
"Seven weeks flew by. I feel like I just ate a giant thali plate or sample platter of India. The variety and progression through the cultural diversity of India was the thread that wove through this tour. A little Rajasthan desert – camels, colourful turbans, and butter naan. Some Gujurat – way off the tourist track, on a unique journey through a prosperous state. Mahastran delights – with Mumbai as its centerpiece and the Konkan coast a truly magnificent ending. Goa and its beaches, its fish curry and its Portuguese influence. Karnataka – again we cycled away from the tourist spots and discovered more of India – nature, challenging terrain, new customs, cultures, and people. Tamil Nadu – we enter the jungle and climb and climb some more. We cycle through tea plantations that are the closest I have come to the garden of Eden. Kerala – fantastic Kerala, and the back water ferry trip. Palm trees, and peaceful riverside life passes us by as we cycle and sail past. Then an end in Kanyakumari, and a surprisingly iconic end to a fantastic trip. A small town, relatively quiet and serene by India standards, it marks the end of our journey, but perhaps the start of another annual TdA classic on our calendar. We look forward to bringing it to another group in 2012. But for now, its time to digest."
- Shanny Hill, Tour Leader, 2011 Indian Adventure
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Posted March 28, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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New images of India
Just in! New images of the Indian Adventure as it cycles from the incredible ancient city of Hampi to the City of palaces, Mysore.
Check them out here.
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Posted March 09, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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Indian Adventure 2012
The 2011 Indian Adventure Cycling Expedition is just about at the half way point of its journey and the first registrations for the 2012 version are starting to arrive.
The 2011 trip sold out so be sure to reserve your spot now.
You will meet the locals...
Cycle some amazing roads...
Stay in some incredible hotels...
Visit historic cities...
...forts...
...& art
Get your hands dirty...
...or your shoes repaired
So put yourself in the picture and join us on the 2012 Indian Adventure Cycling Expedition!
More photos?
More Route Info?
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Posted February 17, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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New Photos in from India!
We have just received some more amazing photos from the Indian Adventure Cycling Expedition. Check them out.
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Posted February 14, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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Palace Hotels, Temples & more
The 2011 Indian Adventure is almost a week old as the riders head into the Blue City, Jodhpur, for a rest day. Last night they stayed in a 450 year old fort that has been converted into a hotel and have been cycling on roads that few other visitors to India have seen.
See the latest photos, follow them on Twitter, on rider blogs by Margaret and Clive or take the plunge and register for the 2012 trip.
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Posted February 04, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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Wish You Were Here?
Tour d'Afrique's newest epic ride, the Indian Adventure, starts in just a few days from the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra. Cyclists from all around the world are gathering in India to prepare for this incredible ride.
And it is not just the riders who are excited. Tour d'Afrique founder, Henry Gold, who will be biking the entire distance, comments:
"I have been in many countries around the world, but one that I have been planning to go since I was a teenager have somehow alluded me. But it seems no longer. Here I am in India - a most astonishing place.
Village life, Rajasthan
Why do I have this image? Perhaps it started when I was a student at a boarding school. Studying there with me were Jews from a Cochin a community that obviously had a very mixed and ancient roots. Why do I say that? Well sharing my classes were an unusual twins from the community. They were not identical twins. In fact one was very Indian looking and the other more European. I was certainly perplexed.
Many years later I was having a coffee with a friend a father of four children who has never visited a church or a synagogue. When I asked him about spirituality and religions he answered: you can not help but be spiritual after being in India for a while.
To me those two vignettes represent my anticipation of seeing and experiencing ancient and vibrant culture that is also the largest functioning democracy with active communist state governments. A country with contradictions, surprises, visuals and I suspect much, much more. I can't wait.
Beaches, Konkan Coast
Tour Leader, Shanny Hill adds:
"Having been along the route by car, what am I most looking forward to? It's doing all those little things that make the bigger thing (the tour as a whole) memorable and tangible; an unexpected chai stop on a quiet road, a challenging ride along the coast, the sights and sounds of Rajasthan, the friendly smiles in Kerala, stunning scenery next to the sea in Tamil Nadu... and so much more. I look forward to meeting a new group of cycling pioneers who are joining us on this inaugural tour and first of its kind on the Indian subcontinent. Both from an organizer's and a cyclist's standpoint, the challenges ahead are great... and I look forward to meeting them one by one."
While the 2011 expedition is sold out, registration for the 2012 Indian Adventure is now open.
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Posted January 25, 2011 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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Roads and Traffic - A Photo Essay
On the India Adventure, there will be all types and styles of transport sharing the roads with you.
Some are safer than others.
There will also be all types of roads to greet you each day. Palm trees and potholes.
Sugarcane and open roads.
Sometimes there's warning...
Sometimes there's not.
But sometimes you are rewarded with stunning scenery.
It all gets underway January 29th in Agra! See you then.
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Posted December 02, 2010 by Tour d'Afrique Ltd.
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