South India 2025
In January 2025, we set off for South India. It was our first time there. We’d planned to start in Goa, following the coast road down to Alleppey, and back through the ghats to Mumbai. The road, however, had different ideas.
This was some of the most challenging riding we’d done. The NH66 was under construction, repeatedly offering a few kilometres of perfect road before dumping us onto broken tarmac and rough service roads. In Kannur, we abandoned our planned coastal route and headed inland toward Mysore—only to find that road in even worse shape, looking like a war zone. We tackled the infamous Dhimbam Ghat, visited the southernmost tip of India at Kanyakumari, floated down the backwaters in Alleppey, and capped it off with a gruelling 22-hour train ride from Kochi to Mumbai.
Through it all, we rode two brand-new machines: the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the sleek new Guerilla 450. It was an unforgettable ride.
The Final Stretch: Mumbai, Delhi, and the Journey Home
Posted on 2 February 2025 by DavidC
Mumbai was not what we expected. Our accommodation sat at the edge of an expensive, artistic neighborhood, but in reality, it overlooked a sprawling slum. It was a mix of old-world charm and stark reality—the kind of contrast that defines India. We spent a few days wandering the city, and despite its sheer size and […]
From Kochi to Mumbai: Bureaucracy, Bumpy Rides, and the Longest Train Journey
Posted on 23 January 2025 by DavidC
Leaving Kochi was bittersweet. Even with the somewhat ordinary hotel, we liked it there. But it was time to move on. But first, there was the small matter of shipping our motorcycles to Mumbai—a process that, unsurprisingly, involved Indian bureaucracy at its finest. We started by checking into a hotel nearer the train station, a […]
Lessons in Comfort and Chaos: A Ride to Fort Kochi
Posted on 20 January 2025 by DavidC
The day started with hope. Our bikes were waiting for us where we’d parked them, safe and sound for the modest price of 50 rupees. My horn still wasn’t working, a vital piece of equipment in Indian traffic. On the way to the Royal Enfield dealership, we spotted a small roadside mechanic and decided to […]
Slowing Down in Alappuzha: Our Houseboat Adventure
Posted on 18 January 2025 by DavidC
Somewhere between the buzz of the motorcycles and the endless rhythm of the road, Dalma and I needed to pause. India is a demanding place to ride and it’s good to stop sometimes. I’d long heard of Alleppuzha and its rice boats. Alleppuzha is a rice producing area a little south of Kochi, a labyrinth […]
From Kollam to Alleppey: Hornless in Kerala and the Roads Less Traveled
Posted on 17 January 2025 by DavidC
Today, we did something miraculous—we left on time. 8am saw us packing gear and tightening straps in the dusty morning air. Two nights in Kollam, as much as we liked the town, was our alloted amount. We were heading west toward Alleppey for the next leg of our journey. Well, near Alleppey, actually. Our stay […]
Dust, Chaos, and Small Joys: From Kanyakumari to Kollam
Posted on 15 January 2025 by DavidC
Leaving Kanyakumari this morning wasn’t exactly heartbreaking. We didn’t warm to the place. For all its promise as the southernmost tip of India—a spot where three oceans collide—it was underwhelming. Sure, there were a few pleasant moments, like the sweet family who did our laundry and the hotel that was perfectly fine. But everything else? […]
Chasing the Horizon: Madurai to Kanniyakumari
Posted on 13 January 2025 by DavidC
Today felt like the reward at the end of a long, winding road. After days of battling chaotic traffic, crumbling roads, and the occasional truck barreling toward us on a blind corner, today’s ride was—dare I say it—pleasant. We left Madurai this morning, weaving through a bit of city traffic before hitting the freeway. And […]
Sunday Rides and Mexican Standoffs: From Coimbatore to Madurai
Posted on 12 January 2025 by DavidC
Today was, dare I say it, one of the easiest rides we’ve had so far. And after the last few days of chaos, mud, and hair-raising hairpins, we welcomed the change. We left Coimbatore this morning, cruising out of our four-star hotel with a kind of quiet relief. No complicated U-turns, no early morning road […]
Hairpin Turns and Hard Lessons: From Mysore to Coimbatore
Posted on 11 January 2025 by DavidC
Today was one for the books. We left Mysore this morning, aiming for Coimbatore, and what started as a simple ride turned into another chapter of chaos, challenge, and unexpected kindness. It all began with a U-turn. In most places, a U-turn is just that—a turn. In India, it’s a commitment. One wrong move and […]
Kunnur to Mysore. The Hardest Day Yet. Chaos, Courage, and Communist Flags.
Posted on 9 January 2025 by DavidC
Yesterday was, without a doubt, the hardest day of our trip so far. It wasn’t outright horrible—more like one of those trials you look back on and think, “I’m proud we made it through that.” But in the moment? It was brutal. The kind of challenge that makes you question your sanity, your patience, and […]
Udupi to Kunnur: Chaos, Choices, and Indian Weddings
Posted on 7 January 2025 by DavidC
Yesterday’s ride tested us in ways we hadn’t expected. The roads were the main culprits—constantly flipping between smooth tarmac and absolute cratered nightmares. Just when you’d think you could relax, a hundred meters of sheer bliss would give way to bone-rattling potholes. It was like riding a rollercoaster, but on two wheels and with considerably […]
Murdeshwah to Udupi: Mayhem and charmingly quirky hotels
Posted on 4 January 2025 by DavidC
We’re doing a few overnight stays in a row. Despite our best efforts, we can’t seem to ride for more than a couple of hundred kilometres in a day. Today we rode from Murdeshwah with its religious overtones we didn’t understand, to Udupi. I’d been keen to see Udupi as a beachside stay, but looking […]
Palolem to Murdeshwah. Statues and Dust.
Posted on 4 January 2025 by DavidC
After a couple of chill days in Palola, we were ready to set off again. Dalma was a bit hesitant, but game for the trip. We paid up, collected our bikes, and headed out. The road south was generally better. Split lane highways and reasonable traffic. There was lots of roadwork and some sections of […]
No kicks on Route 66. Goa to Palolem.
Posted on 2 January 2025 by DavidC
We spent a few days in Goa. We organised phones, went to the market, we saw a jazz band, we watched the sun set, we had way too much to drink and eat, all the usual tourist things. But by the new year, it was time to go. We went and had dinner at a […]
Delhi and Goa. Airports and Mayhem.
Posted on 29 December 2024 by DavidC
Well, Delhi was less than stellar. A stay in the most mediocre hotel in the airport area. Plus, I think Delhi has become unmanageable. When I stayed there for a few months in 2013, with 16m population, it felt big but manageable. This time it felt out of control. We ended up walking through the […]
Testing the limits of mobile computing on the road
Posted on 28 December 2024 by DavidC
I recently posted on Bluesky about minimalist travelling. And once again, I find myself on the road with a 15kg checkin. It still seemed a bit much. Literally moments before I left, I was eyeing my carry-on, and a thought occurred to me. What if I could leave my laptop? I’ve travelled with an iPad […]
The next adventure
Posted on 23 December 2024 by DavidC
It is Christmastime. Most people are contemplating family time, tinsel, Christmas pudding and hangovers. We are also doing those things, but with the added bonus of a new adventure. In a couple of days, we leave for Goulburn for Christmas with my mum and sister and my 14yo. Then we come back, grab our bags, […]