Badgerjockey

Hi there,

Myself and a friend are hoping to go on a 6-week tour this winter to India. It will be our first visits to India although we have cycle toured elsewhere before and travelled fairly extensively.

It would be great to hear anyone else's experiences while riding in India, I have heard a lot of horror stories about the roads but an equal measure of encouragement too...

I am stuck, however, with deciding where to go. I have been looking for regions which have shortish distances between towns, villages and sights, with a climate which will be fine for riding in at this time of year and enough to fill six weeks. I plan to spend stretched at national parks/reserves too as I am not much of a city-dweller and am a a wildlife watcher at heart. I am not averse to one or two train trips as well to cut out some of the longer distances but would rather not rely on this much.

I have basically whittled it down to:

- Himalayan foothills - but not too high due to the cold! (Places could include Corbett NP, Ranikhet, Almora, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Shimla... Suggestions please!).

- Kerala, S Karnataka, W Tamil Nadu (Places could include Western Ghats, Ooty, Fort Cochin, Trivandrum and the many parks along the way... Suggestions please!).

Is it madness to be riding in the southern Himalayan foothills at that time of year? We are fine with cool weather, being British, but would rather not have to bring thick sleeping gear or lots of layers. Is tent/sleeping bag necessary at all?

Have I completely missed out some obvious amazing places I shouldn't miss?

Have I overlooked other amazing areas which would make a good 5/6week trip?

Literally any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

H