Where food is not included, allow at least 1,650 rupees (approximately US$20) per day for lunch and dinner. You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you mainly eat at the more expensive restaurants, you will spend more than the suggested amount. Please note, service in restaurants can be quite slow.

Lunches on riding days are usually taken in roadside cafes, allowing us to sample South Indian dishes such as poori (deep-fried bread served with curry) and dosa (thin pancake made with fermented rice and lentil batter). South Indian food is heavily influenced by the tropical landscape: creamy coconut dishes enlivened with delicate spices, served on a banana leaf. It’s also an ideal destination if you are vegetarian.

Tea and soft drinks are very cheap; a (large) bottle of beer is approximately 410 rupees (US$5). Due to Kerala state laws, alcohol licenses are limited to one or two bars in each area and not all hotels are permitted to serve alcohol. The first day of every month and certain holidays in India are dry days, when no alcohol is permitted for sale.

Drinking water is provided in the support vehicle, where you can fill your bottle from the containers.

Experience Kerala’s classical stage art at a Kathakali dance performance. Watch as performers don elaborate face paint and towering headpieces, then narrate epic tales through expressive mudras, eye movements, and stylised drama while percussion heightens the mood.

This ancient temple-theatre tradition, once performed in palace courtyards, offers a window onto regional mythology and craft. Hear the dramatic drumbeats of chenda and maddalam as scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana unfold with precision and power.

Drift through canals and lagoons on a traditional houseboat cruise, overnighting aboard a converted kettuvallam once used to carry rice. Lounge on deck as palms and paddy fields slide by, fishermen check nets, and herons idle in the shallows.

An onboard cook serves regional dishes while boats moor for a tranquil evening with sunset over the backwaters. Wake to rippling reflections and the soft putter of canoe traffic—a serene tableau of misty canals at dawn and village life beginning anew.

Explore Fort Kochi and Mattancherry by bike and on foot, calling at St Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was first interred, the Dutch (Mattancherry) Palace, and the jewel-like Paradesi Synagogue in Jew Town with its Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers.

Pedal past faded warehouses and teak-fronted lanes before pausing by the iconic Chinese fishing nets along the waterfront. Portuguese, Dutch, Arab, and Jewish influences mingle here, revealing how Kerala’s spice trade shaped art, belief, and everyday life.

Cycle the coastal road south from Fort Kochi, skirting palm-fringed beaches and passing 500-year-old Portuguese villas contrasted with humble fishing villages. Pause under coconut shade near Arthungal church, where sea breezes carry the scent of salt and copra.

As nets dry on wooden skiffs and children wave from courtyards, the scenery softens toward Kerala’s labyrinth of canals. Arrive by the vast Vembanad waters, where verandas and gardens open to shimmering backwater views alive with egrets and puttering boats.

Ride narrow causeways into Kainakary and on to Chennamkary in the Kuttanad delta, the “rice bowl of Kerala”. Trace canal-side paths lined with banana groves and coconut palms, where school boats glide past and farmers tend paddy embankments.

Below-sea-level fields and hand-poled canoes set a languid pace along quiet backwater lanes. Glimpses of coir rope drying, waterside shrines, and village teashops reveal daily life shaped by monsoon cycles, levees, and an intimate relationship with the water.

Settle into a welcoming village homestay and join a hands-on cooking demonstration. Learn the rhythm of Kerala’s kitchen—tempering spices in coconut oil, balancing tamarind tang and fresh curry leaves—before sharing dinner with hosts who embody warm Keralan hospitality.

Stories of harvests, boats, and backwater life accompany plates served on banana leaf. Hear how pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon once drew traders from afar as the air fills with the fragrant spice tempering that defines the region’s cuisine.

Follow quiet shore roads toward Varkala cliff-top, where ochre cliffs meet the Arabian Sea. The approach rolls past lagoons and temple towns before opening to sweeping Arabian Sea views and breezy promenades lined with cafés and craft stalls.

Red cliffs, surf, and gull calls set an easy pace as you arrive near the sands. Between yoga studios and seafood shacks, soak in the seaside atmosphere and choose your perfect perch for fresh lime soda or spiced tea with a view.

Spin out for a short morning ride, tracing clifftop viewpoints and palm-lined lanes to sleepy fishing hamlets. Gentle gradients and sea breezes make for relaxed pedalling, with coastal panoramas ideal for unhurried photo stops.

Watch beach boats haul in hand-knotted nets and hear the chatter of fish auctions before returning along scenic ridges. Expect uplifting clifftop viewpoints, the thrum of surf, and ample time to pause for photos and reflection on Kerala’s laid-back shore.

Choose a relaxed optional village ride exploring narrow canal-side paths, paddy embankments, and small ferries bustling between islets. Pedal at an easy pace through coconut groves as everyday backwater life unfolds just beyond your handlebars.

This additional outing is bookable on tour with your leader and offered at additional cost. It’s a gentle way to deepen your feel for Kuttanad’s watery landscape, with abundant birdlife and quiet corners perfect for unhurried photos.

Begin in the old spice port with a convivial evening to meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers over a shared meal. Taste Keralan cuisine—coconut-laced curries, crisp dosa, and fragrant rice—while hearing how the journey will unfold along coast, canals, and clifftops.

Your leader outlines daily ride options and local customs, offering tips on traffic etiquette and hydration in the tropics. This relaxed briefing in the historic harbour city of Kochi sets an easy rhythm for the days ahead and builds camaraderie from the start.