Bikepacking india

[slowmotion]

Relatively small parts of a massive country.
Would you travel to the UK if you lived in Canada?
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-kingdom

Clearly, it would be utterly reckless. Death would probably follow.

Best stay in bed at home, hand hovering over the panic button.

 

[Dirk Van Der Dirk]

Check out cade media on you tube...currently doing a bikepacking tour of western india

 

[Paulwong]

OK thanks guys, does anyone have any advice on which airlines to use, I'd rather get direct flights with a bike, I've heard air india are rubbish

 

[slowmotion]

OK thanks guys, does anyone have any advice on which airlines to use, I'd rather get direct flights with a bike, I've heard air india are rubbish

You heard right.

 

[Paulwong]

@Paulwong you won't need a sleeping bag in South India!

Kerela to Mumbai is on my bucket list. I'll research the route and if camping is unavoidable I'll take the cheapest single skin dome tent I can find and dump it as soon as it's not needed.

I enjoyed camping on beaches and I also found places to camp near villages which were OK. I did not enjoy the night spent half way down a mountain in the jungle one bit!

Plan sensibly for the wild bits and I think you should have a great trip!

Thanks for replying, did you get rabies vaccine?

 

[8mph]

Thanks for replying, did you get rabies vaccine?

No vaccine, in fact within the first week of going to India in 2006 I had camped on a football pitch in Himachal no probs and been bitten by a small Tibetan dog at a temple, also no problem.

I'm trying to get back out to India in the new year and maybe head from Mumbai to Kerala along the coast, or head from somewhere South towards Munnar to have more of mountain bike focused time.

Personally I will be looking for cheap hotels and air bnb but in any case will take a tent and sleeping bag liner. I will try to avoid camping near forest, villages etc but along the coast I'll be looking for steath beach camping opportunities.

I take a broader view on the wildlife threat than focusing on rabies, which you can do something about the next day or day after.... I'm more wary of being bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion at 1am when venturing out the tent for a pee.

 

[8mph]

OK thanks guys, does anyone have any advice on which airlines to use, I'd rather get direct flights with a bike, I've heard air india are rubbish

BA is my first choice, big box allowance, no extra taxes, no issues . Virgin should be fine, slightly smaller box. Air India have flights to Chennai from Gatwick but there are extra taxes which seem a bit unclear and I don't fancy getting into all of that. I Had bike damage flying into Gatwick last time and find luggage handling there a bit LO-Fi and disorganised.

 

[Paulwong]

Build a few days into your schedule for a dose of 'Delhi Belly'.
I was ill on the third day after I arrived in Madras, lasted about three days before I was fit enough to consider cycling south.
Rapidly exhausted my supply of toilet paper and had to go native with water and left hand, never bought any more toilet paper for the whole trip.

But after that I was never ill again for the next ten weeks.

Ah thanks, did you have the rabies vaccine?

 

[Mark Manley]

I have flown to India twice with Air India both times with a bike and no problem although once was a Brompton, also check Gulf and Emirates both of who used to have a 30KG allowance for economy travellers, not sure if they still do.
I have found the roads in southern India to be quieter than in the north, but the same care needed with traffic particularly lorries and buses.

 

[rualexander]

Ah thanks, did you have the rabies vaccine?

Yes I think so, can't quite remember for that specific trip, but I definitely had several doses of the Rabies vaccine during the 90's so may not have needed a booster at that time, but I think I probably did.
No problem with it.

 

[BromleyBoy]

@Paulwong - Are your thoughts/plans about the India trip firming up? // I've flown a couple of times from London Gatwick to Cambodia and Vietnam with Emirates as their baggage policy is much more generous than most i.e. 300cm total dimensions of the box and 30kg max weight limit for economy. They can be pricier than other carriers though. See what you can find on Kayak, Momondo, Skyscanner// I've been to southern India about 6 times between '96 and 2015, doing a little birdwatching, and staying at cheap and basic hotels, guesthouses, and local tourist authority owned hotels/hostels. I found them easy to find, and there were plenty of them, even in quiet parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala esp. in the latter years when more of the Indian middle classes are going on holidays. I was doing a bit of bird-watching on my travels so was more often than not away from the usual tourist places. Might be easier to find good accommodation with Booking.com and other platforms. // I've hired local bikes (usually heavy metal Hero ones) for a day or two in Gokarna, Hampi, Mysore Mamallapuram and other places, and cycled locally to nearby sites, perhaps covering 40kms in a day. It was hard work - esp with the buses and lorries on some stretches. I saw a bad accident outside Mamallapuram where a truck suddenly stopped on a quiet road (to turn right down a track) but a taxi was right behind and crashed into the back. Two foreign tourists were in the back and had head injuries. A lot of blood!. Locals came from the fields and helped the tourists whereas the truck driver sped off towards Chennai! // Travel as light as you can, as you'll feel the weight in the humidity and on the hills!

 

[rualexander]

Something to bear in mind if going to India (or a few other countries) if you have a Garmin Inreach device or similar.
What about the newer iPhones which have satellite SOS capabilities?

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sco...-gps-device-detained-at-delhi-airport-7389269

And what happens in the next year or so when the upcoming 'Direct to Cell' satellite networks such as Starlink D to C get up and running properly?
Does everyone carrying a regular mobile phone into India become a potential law breaker, or does India change its laws?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Ah thanks, did you have the rabies vaccine?

I had rabies vaccine before travelling round the world. Three jabs over a couple of months according to my medical record. Speak with your GP surgery about where you plan to travel, and they will sort you out. Mention the rural aspects and bike packing etc as that’ll affect what they decide.