I'd kicked off my semi-retirement in 2023 with a motorcycle tour of Rajasthan in northern India, being blown away by the culture, history, people, food, and the joy of experiencing all of this on a locally-built Royal Enfield.
One year on, I was keen to explore more of India, settling on Kerala in the south of the country. Again, I chose the specialist tour company Two Wheeled Expeditions who take care of the itinerary and logistics.
Kerala is a state about the size of Ireland on India's tropical Malabar Coast, nestling between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats mountain range, isolating it from the Indian interior. Most of the world's spice production is grown here, including pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger, which have all been traded with the west for hundreds of years. Kerala is also a major producer of tea, typified by the undulating lush green plantations that famously adorn the holiday brochures.
Kerala is not the easiest place to get to from the UK, with no direct flights to the main access city of Kochi. I chose a short stopover in Dubai, to break up the 12-hour journey. I last visited 10 years ago and I'm stunned at how much of the desert has since been consumed by the ostentatious sprawl of concrete, glass and gold. The nighttime vista has become overwhelmingly neon like a scene from the futuristic Blade Runner movie. Before my flight to Kochi, I stayed in Diera, which is the old part of the city. I meandered through the colourful gold and spice souks which are a world apart from the flash new districts. I suspect that most of the spice on display in the markets comes from my next destination.
Fort Kochi
Base camp for our trip is Fort Kochi, an old trading port that has held on to its traditional way of life and Indian heritage, blended with historical influences from the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonisers.
Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
