After a brief foray to the coast for a coconut or three we remembered that we are just not beach people (unless of course the surf is up) and state highways are absolutely not fun to cycle on.
So we found another random hill to sweat up and headed back inland to Madikeri, in the Coorg district of Karnataka.
Komoot routed us over this bridge. Thanks for that }:-/
Coorg, with its rugged mountains and wide open spaces, is hailed as the Scotland of India.
This ‘road less traveled’ by foreign tourists has presented us with occasional accommodation challenges.
It seems that Karnataka is definitely not expecting us and even fewer places have the correct paperwork in place to accommodate foreigners however the rewards continue to outweigh the challenges.
“Coorg – The Scotland of India”
Finally finding some real coffee helped us pedal north through more arid Hassan and into the temperate lush green hills of Chikkamagaluru, where we were once again surrounded by the sounds of the jungle and incredible wildlife.
Even though we’re often surrounded by thousands of coffee plants, finding coffee to drink is rare. Nice to stock up in Madikeri.
Coffee
Coffee
Bee Eater
works. traffic. dusty. noisy. Lots of chat.
5 rotor bolts is enough, right?
mono/monster support vehicle. We have hired this guy to follow us the rest of the way to Goa.
Indian grey hornbill (Ocyceros birostris)
The river Bhadra, on the souther edge of the Bhadra tiger reserve
Indian Flying Lizard (Draco Dussumieri). I was not expecting to actually get this shot, was worth the stiff neck.
If you’re planning on cycling in India and you’re not keen on the constant sound of car horns we can highly recommend bouncing about the Western Ghats between 800-900m.
The mornings are a fresh 20 to 26 degrees, which is great for cycling and the wildlife is most definitely is everywhere!
We’re keeping a list of our favourite homestays, hotels and resorts as we go so please do get in touch if you’re interested.
Magical India! Lovely stories and pics as always!
Amazing adventure and what beautiful wildlife and places you’re seeing, incredible photo of the Indian Flying Lizard! Keep pedalling and Happy Birthday Geraint!