From the Hills to the Sea

This bicycle tour begins in Malnad, in the Western Ghats, near the temple town of Kalasa, at a homestay on the edge of the hills overlooking a valley. Malnad is renowned for its rich biodiversity, fed by some of the heaviest monsoon rain in southern India. The rides we've curated for you in these hills are a sensory delight you won't forget in a hurry. Think of coffee estates and areca groves dripping with green, mist curling out of the valleys at dawn, and evenings when the whole range is awash with sunset hues.

We then descend the Ghats to Karkala, a historic town dotted with centuries-old Jain monuments and temples, set in the rolling midlands about 40–50 km from the sea. Short west-flowing rivers that arise in the Kudremukh range cut through this country on their way to the Arabian Sea, and our rides follow the landscape they’ve carved.

From Karkala, we head to the Konkan coast, riding beside the Arabian Sea and the backwaters and estuaries where those rivers end. Several stretches follow idyllic beach roads along slivers of land wedged between the sea and backwaters. While not on the saddle, you’ll kayak through mangroves and watch the sun set over pristine beaches and estuaries.

So there you have it: ~375 km over 5 days, from the misty hills to the sea. This is the cycling holiday you've been dreaming of!