How Long?

I am working out an itinerary for this year's end. Would anyone like to give me some feedback. I don't mind to cover a few miles on the train through some areas if it will help me get to more places.

I am hoping to spend about 2 months on the whole trip. I might be able to extend a little bit more.
Is this part of the trip doable in one month or how much more time would i need to do it.
Or what should i cut out to fit it in one month?

first is rajasthan one month, then:

mumbai - which road to take (inland or coast?) and is the train a good option if time is too short? whether i go by bike or train, i want to do the most scenic route.

Hospet

down through central karnataka to hassan to see the temples there

to mysore,

to madikeri and tibetan settlements (might have to make this a loop back to mysore - could do the whole loop by train, or just one way? your thoughts?)

ooty (how many days is good to hang around here?)
munnar (how many days in this area?)
kochi
kollam
kovallma
kanyakuamari
madurai - fly back to departure place.

I wonder if it would be cheaper to fly into Delhi, and out through Chennai. I think it would cost me more for initial flights but I would save on internal flights. Any thoughts on this. I would be flying to and from Australia.

To work this out for you I would have to know your daily distance and how many rest/sightseeing days you want. I would then get my map (which is in England and I am in Bangkok) and count up. Surely this is something you can do?

Happy to answer more specific questions on India, but even how many days in Ooty depends on what you want to do there. 1 day for the town , etc - more if you want to go walking, more if you want to take the train, etc, etc. same for Munnar.

I suggest you get a good guide Book - the LP South India is OK and do a bit of studying to see what YOU want to do. Alternatively, Hill's Tours (bespoke tours for the discerning traveller) will sort out your full itenary for a small fee!

Right, i didn't realise you would interpret my question this way. I am more than prepared to do all the working out. I just wanted a quick estimate.

On the basis of you experience, does this look like too much or does it look doable. I guess i will do anything up to 80km per day. I want to see the main sites and take a rest every now and again. But if the question is still too rough, don't worry.

Can you at least comment on the road from mumbai to goa, which one and whether it is better i take the train or would i be missing a great part of the bike ride if i go by train.

The list above includes the places "I" would like to do. I do have an LP. I have read it and have a bit of an idea what these places have to offer. I will come to how many days a bit later. This question is really just trying to get the picture - is it doable or not.

Maybe its just a bad question.

Unless you can swing three months, I suggest taking a train between Rajasthan and Karnataka. I enjoyed Rajasthan very much, and I'm sure you will too. Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are also great for culture and scenery. Your route in South India should work well. Ooty had no charm for me, but the surrounding countryside is very pretty, so you might just stay the night and move on the next morning. You can take a paved back road to Munnar that enters Kerala at a place called Top Station. Munnar, like Ooty, is nothing special, but does have very pretty scenery all around. You can ride from Munnar to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in a long day, passing hillsides of tea plantations, spend a day boating and hiking in the sanctuary, then continue on to Kochi.

When you shop around for flights, try Sri Lankan Airlines http://www.srilankan.aero/</a> because they offer half a dozen destinations in the far south of India as well as a connection with New Delhi.

I've cycled eight tours in India, so I like it! In 2002 I rode from Amritsar to Kanyakumari in about four months, two of those in Rajasthan. You might find my story of interest, http://www.arizonahandbook.com/W1_India.htm</a>

Agree with Bill - Ooty is nothing special. Rajasthan to Mumbai is flat but offers nothing spectacular - Gujarat coast is mostly industrial. Would recommend a side trip from Baroda to Champaner - old mosques and temple atop a hill (in Gujarat) and highly recommend cycling the coastal route from Mumbai-Goa - a highlight of my trip here in India. No traffic - beautiful coastal scenery, beach camping, interesting coastal fishing villages, no tourists... You can read and see pics on the link below.
In terms of time, I've cycled from Kanyakumari to Rajasthan in about 2 months - 2-3 months is ideal. Have fun. In terms of Maps, Nelles are are pretty reliable and I managed to get a good Indian Road Atlas published by Eicher and Indian road ways. Either way, spend as little time on the Highways as possible! Enjoy

Unfortunately the road from Mumbai to Goa is about the only bit of this I haven't done. I have seen reports on the coastal one - it is OK, but not very straightforward with some small ferries, etc, not a highway. There was a map posted here a year or so ago - I couldn't really read it, but have a copy somewhere which your computer may read, I could let you have (PM me your email if you want it - not till I get back to the UK next week though).

One thing no one has mentioned are the hills! Climbing out of Goa is a 1000m+ climb onto the Ghats of Karnataka. Madikeri is pretty hilly, Ooty 2020m (nice climb did it a few months ago). Munnar 1500m (again v good). Note that from Ooty you go down to almost SL at Coimbatore before climbing back to Munnar (yes there are 2 back door routes, not sure that either are via a paved route to Top Station though Bill - I thought that was the dirt road from Kodicanal that they wouldn't let me cycle (wild elephants, etc)).

Kochi > Kollam, boat to Allepuza, Varkala, Kovalam, Kanya - all one day apart. From Kanya - there is a good 'inside' route to Madurai, 3 days. So you see you are already eating into your month just with this bit, especially as beach and temple town stops are worth a day or two.

One thing I try to do is miss the really big cities like Mumbai- so I reckon that it would be worth taking a train or plane to Karnataka and starting the second leg there. I don't think you will be missing too much on that coastal route - but may be worth posting seperately for people who have done it. Also you can have your fill of beaches in Kerala and so miss out Goa. Kerala is great - don't rush it.

Must go, plane tp catch back to Blighty tomorrow.

Thank you all -bill, simon, a.r.home

I will think all of what you say through. I haven't time right now. For now, i would just say that i do plan to take the train from Rajasthan to Mumbai definitely and i problaby won't be spending much time there. I remember reading Tailwind's excellent blog last year and his notes on the coastal route. I just wondered if the inland route was as scenic. I would like to do the coastal trip by train I think if its the scenic one. And I remember him talking about the hills and i figured there'd be hills in the ghats to deal with as well.

I didn't figure on the one you mention between ooty and munnar. I am surprised that people aren't saying good things about Ooty. But anyway, if the area is worth checking out, then its probably worth it but if short of time, i will know which one to skip. In munnar i want to see the tea plantations. I don't think i will go to Periyar.

I am not going to stop in Goa (not enough time.). I just want the more-or-less quickest route from Rajasthan to Hospet and if there is a lovely train trip on the way, i want to do that one. Although i didn't realise there might be a direct route between them. I don't mind going via mumbai if it makes a nicer train ride. If i had lots of time, i'd cycle the whole way.
But since I don't, I will do Gujarat and Mumbai and Goa another time.

Maps: I am not buying them just yet. I will get some Nelles later. As you would know LP's maps are less than ideal for road trips.

Thanks #4 on your time estimate. That should be very useful advice.

hey there

i miss india!

one nice, easy thing about india is the availability of public transport... the train network is so dense and cheap that you can pretty much grab a ticket on the fly, between any big cities, without having to plan too much about it. my feeling is that after one month in rajasthan you will have a very good idea of mileage, food, accomodation, etc, and you're better off planning your second month at that point, rather than too much planning ahead of time. the bus system is also fairly dense, and is a suitable backup. both trains and buses almost always take bikes.

you've read my blog (its still online), so not sure i can add much more info.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>i miss india! <hr></blockquote>

you do not! I've read your blog remember. ;-)

I am glad your blog is still around, i want to look at it again but i can't find the site address and i see its not in your profile, or not the other anyway.

As to my intense planning. Normally i wouldn't do this at all, but i just realised the other day that without a schedule i would just as likely flop in the cafe and go nowwhere. I am that sort of person i am afraid. I thought if i have a nice schedule to start with, I can use it to motivate me to get back on the road whenever i get to feeling a bit tired and lacklustre. Its just about a given that i won't be able to do it all according to plan but nevertheless, i want to start with something pretty reasonable and doable.

Generally, i don't like to be a in hurry as a traveller but i think i do need to push myself a bit, and I do want to see quite a bit on this trip so this is how i plan to achieve that. Hell, i could get sick and bogged down in a hotel for 2 weeks (pardon the pun) thereby ruining everything.

Tailwind i don't want your head to swell too much but really yours is the best most useful blog i have ever read for a cyclist (and possibly a traveller in general - not that i have read THAT many blogs) and i think you should consider becoming a Guide Book/travel writer of some sort in your spare time. I have just read Anne Mustoe's two books A Bike Ride and Two Wheels in the Dust - I liked them both but they are not as useful to a cyclist as your blogs which are both full of useful information and well written. I also liked Russel Mc? book Yakety Yak, Bombai to Beijing, but again, its not a guide book so all the valuable details are left out. So at least keep cycling and keep doing your blog - there will always be someone who'll appreciate it.

Although it will be years away, I am already dreaming of doing a round the Mediterranean circuit. I would be most pleased if you would go first ;-)

http://grahaminsouthasia.blogspot.com/<BR><BR>Ya, travelling in Africa made me realize how easy and friendly India was.

Mediterranean? Well, I'm thinking about Gibraltar to Rome next Feb/March...

Really? That's a good thought for me to keep in mind too, Africa, that is.

Your med trips sounds excellent. I guess it is so large that a few legs would be required (or a great deal of money). If i ever do it, i would like to go: paris, france, spain, gibralter, morocco, algeria, tunisia, libya (order), Egypt, Jordan (skip Israel-done that), lebanon(if possible) syria, turkey, greece, (skip albania), macedonia, dalmation coast, italy, sicily if possible, france and up along the altantic coast back to paris. But that's all light years away sigh

Algeria is pretty much out-of-bounds, and Libya is difficult. At the moment riding around the Mediterranean is not really feasible. I'm not sure how long it will be until Algeria settles down, but it won't be soon.