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South India Charity Ride with Adventure Ashram
This leisurely cycling tour is a charity fundraising tour in South India, from Bangalore to Masinagudi, in the Nilgiri Hills. Your India adventure will be a mix of cultural experiences, natural history, active holiday, charity work and awareness about tribal communities in rural India. This collaboration between Adventure Ashram and Unventured is completely not for profit and all funds raised from this adventure will go towards supporting children from tribal communities gain access to education and in the rehabilitation of women and children rescued from situations of human trafficking. Our goal and aim is to educate and build awareness among future generations from an underdeveloped region in India.
Join Adventure Ashram as we cycle 250+ km from Bangalore to Masinagudi. All you need is a keen interest in travelling and adventure, a desire to help others in need and be fit enough to pedal about 60 km each day. There will be frequent breaks along the route for rest and recuperate.
CHARITY: Riding a bicycle is pure joy, especially when you do it to help others. Help us raise funds and more importantly create awareness about tribal communities and the value of education, as well as supporting survivors of human trafficking.
Unventured donates all profits from your ride fees to Adventure Ashram for creating an incredible social impact in the communities you will visit. You are already making a huge difference by taking part in this trip. In addition to this Adventure Ashram will invite you to set up an online fundraising page and share this with your networks, asking them to give if they can. This part of the adventure is not compulsory, but we are certain that once you have visited these amazing charity projects yourself you will want to tell others about them and help create an even larger impact.
Who can do this tour?
This charity fundraising tour is ideal for the active traveller keen on exploring and learning about new cultures and along the way keen on supporting and contributing to the local community. The average distance is 50 km spread over the duration of a day with several breaks and rest time to make it feel less like a race and more like a leisurely active holiday. There is always a support vehicle trailing the riders, so you can choose to load up and drive when you are exhausted.
The SOUTH INDIA BIKE ADVENTURE CHARITY aims to support the initiative of a few NGO’s in India helping tribal communities. The bike adventure explores countryside roads, trailing through small hamlets, wildlife reserves and palace towns; exploring the region’s culture, natural diversity, history and cultural diversities. This 8-day trail begins and ends in Bangalore and includes an approximate 250 km of cycling over a period of 4 days. We’ve packed the right mix of cycling, leisure and exploration. You will experience stretches that challenge your limits, sceneries that indulge your senses and interactions with the locals that introduce you to new cultures.
On this adventure, we’ve packed in a bit of travel with local awareness and understanding of the lives of the people you will be supporting through the charity effort. As for the adventure, we’ve blended various essences of this stunning region with:
“NAMASKARA” Welcome to Bengaluru, You will arrive at Bengaluru city today and be transferred to your hotel. Use the day to rest or explore, depending on your arrival time.
DRIVE: 30 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Hotel
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Check-in to hotel and rest
Today will be an easy day with a late start to allow for some rest after your long flight. Post lunch we will take a guided, driven tour of the city of Bengaluru. Immerse yourself in the culture and history of this modern day metropolitan. You’ll learn about the contrasting cultures of this modern IT capital that still holds on to it’s old cultures and traditions. Overnight in Bengaluru.
DRIVE: 15 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Hotel
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Guided tour of Bengaluru
• Team dinner at hotel
• Tour briefing and bike check
Today, we ride from the outskirts of Bengaluru towards Ramanagara. Ramanagara is well known for its sericulture and is nicknamed Silk Town and Silk City. The silk produced in this region forms the input for the famous Mysore Silk. Ramanagara hosts the largest market for silk cocoons in Asia. 50 tones of cocoon arrive at the market everyday. Ramanagara also has extensive granite sites, which makes it a rock climbing paradise. Overnight in Ramanagara village.
RIDE DISTANCE: 60 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Local Stay
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Ride through winding back roads
• Visit a silk co-op unit, markets and learn about the silk trade and its significnace
Today, we start our day riding out towards Somnathpur, also know as Somnathpura, which lies in the district of Mysuru in Karnataka, India. This town is home to the famous Cheenakeshava Temple built by the Hoysala Commander, Somnath in 1268 AD and is a wonderful example of the heritage, cultures and one of the oldest Empires in the region. This temple, constructed using soapstone is a monumental beauty, attracting travellers from all over the world for its architectural design & cultural significance. Overnight in Mysuru.
RIDE DISTANCE: 50 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Eco Hotel
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Visit ancient temples
• Quaint countryside roads
• Drive to Mysuru after the ride
A relaxed day with no riding but plenty of explorations in the royal city. We’ll take a guided tour of Mysuru Palace, visit the Silk Factory and walk the local markets for some shopping. In Mysore we will also visit one of the projects that Adventure Ashram helps to fund and learn more about their work with survivors of human trafficking We’ll end the day with a homecooked dinner with the royal family of Mysuru. Overnight in Mysuru.
DRIVE DISTANCE: 15 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Local Stay
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Guided tour of the Mysore Palace, Silk factory and local market
• Visit the Adventure Ashram programme that helps support survivors of human trafficking
• Dinner with the Royal Family members
Our ride today takes us along farms, through the countryside to Bandipur National Park, a 874-sq.-km forested reserve in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Bandipur is famous for its tigers, elephants and deer populations. Once the private hunting ground of the erstwhile Royals of Mysuru, the park also harbours a variety of birds, bears, wild dogs, gaurs (bison), antelopes and numerous other native species of flora and fauna. Overnight at the Jungle Lodges that was once the hunting lodge of the Maharajah’s.
RIDE DISTANCE: 60 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Jungle Resort
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Ride through Bandipur Tiger Reserve & National Park
• Wildlife Safari in the evening
We start the day early with a morning safari into the forest and afterwards a ride/drive through the Masinagudi forest, which is one of the five ranges in Mudumalai National Park. This stunning landscape is known for it’s biodiversity and wildlife spaces, lush green forests inhabited by a wide array of flora and fauna species. Add to all this stunning tall waterfalls, gushing rivers offering animal sightings and picture perfect landscapes that will make you understand why Masinagudi is a must visit place. Overnight in Masinagudi.
DRIVE DISTANCE: 40 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Jungle Resort
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Ride/Drive some of the most beautiful forest roads
• Try local food along the way
We’ll start the day with a talk from an Adventure Ashram charity partner who manages the education programme for the tribal children ‘on the ground’. We will also visit a tuition centre and meet some of the children and their families from Adventure Ashram’s Education Sponsorship Programme and see first hand where your donations will be going. This is a great opportunity to truly understand how you have made a difference in the lives of the children and the locals. Overnight in Masinagudi.
DRIVE DISTANCE: 20 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Jungle Resort
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Spend the day with the kids at Adventure Ashram Center, Masinagudi
• Spend time with local tribal children from Adventure Ashram’s Education Sponsorship Programme
Depart on the long drive back to Bengaluru through winding country roads, forests, hamlets and towns. Enjoy dinner with the team back in the hotel at Bengaluru.
DRIVE DISTANCE: 288 Km ACCOMODATION TYPE: Hotel
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Long driving day
• Relax and rest-up at the hotel
Today we depart back home with some amazing memories of this truly spectacular country, knowing the difference your time has made to the lives of some of the most disadvantaged people living in India today. Some of you may be planning some further travel adventures in this beautiful land.
Speak to us at Unventured about what other travels in India could await you!
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
MEDIUM INTENSITY: This is a fairly low to medium intensity tour, ideal for a casual cyclist; somone who cycles often if not regulalry. The focus is on exploring the region at the pace of a pedal, having fun, enduring some stretches and immersing yourself in the experiences on the ride. We ride an approximate distance of 200+ km over 4 cycling days. We’ve packed the right mix of cycling, leisure and exploration. Ride as much as you wish to and there is always a support vehicle for you, when you are tired and want to rest-up.
The Unventured Experience
On this Unventured trail, you will experience a diverse and unique side of Southern India a mix of the touristy attractions like the city of palaces Mysuru/Mysore. We’ve brought together a good mix of nature, outdoors, culture, history and truly local hands-on experiences that will give a true feel for the region, its people and the local way of life.
Difficulty Level: Moderately challenging with one or two long days of biking.
PREPAREDNESS – PHYSICAL & MENTAL
This trail is graded medium intensity. The tour itself is a good blend of nature, culture, local flavours, and an insight into the region’s history and culture.
We suggest that our guests start mountain biking in their home country a few weeks before the trip to get used to riding a mountain bike. Doing this will ensure that you are as prepared as possible and as a group, you will be able to ride at largely the same pace. This tour will include a guide, mechanic and a designated support vehicle and driver.
SUPPORT
Your bike tour is fully supported by a tour leader and a crew of 2-4 people including support vehicle drivers and staff. Depending on the group size we will have 1-2 or more vehicles trailing us to support us, carry our luggage, who are familiar with the region and would have already led this trail many times over. Your big baggage will be carried in the vans. The travellers to support staff ratio is 3:1, so there is ample qualified support given any emergency. You will be required to fill out a medical declaration and liability waiver document before joining the tour. It is advisable to get yourself insured before signing up on any adventure travel vacation as a general practice.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation will be in 2-3 star hotels and homestays with good hygienic bathrooms, offered on a twin-sharing basis.
TRANSPORT
A team of 10-12 riders will be supported by one van with a carrier, which will carry both the riders and bikes, along with a spare cycle, lunch packs and water. Through the day, this vehicle will ride with the riders at a 500-meter distance ahead or behind the riders.
