The Spices Route

The Spices Route is a 12-day loop, 10 of them in the saddle, that leaves from Kochi and returns there: the backwaters, the spice gardens of Kumily, the tea estates of Munnar, Kodaikanal and Ooty, then the coast up to Vypin Island. The Big Crossing heads from Kochi to Chennai across Tamil Nadu over 13 days. Luxury Tour in Kerala is shorter, about 388 miles (625 km), and rated Accessible. Goa, Jungle & Ancient Wonders sets off from Goa towards Hampi.

The tour is rated Intermediate: every stage lasts 5 to 6 hours, day after day, so you should ride regularly and be fit. Most of the riding is on small back roads, some badly damaged by the monsoon rains, with a few stretches of track, for instance between Kodaikanal and Palakkad. Certain stages are a long way from medical help, which is why the support vehicle never leaves the group.

Around 839 miles (1,350 km) in 10 riding days, from 37 to 134 miles (60 to 215 km) per stage. The roads of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris wind all the time, and the climb to Ooty counts 35 hairpin bends, so even a short stage takes up the day. At Kodaikanal and Ooty you ride above 2,000 metres, where the air is far cooler than down on the coast.

A Royal Enfield Classic 350: easy to handle, with a low seat at 805 mm, or 773 mm in the lowered version. Our mechanic keeps an eye on it for the whole tour, and the spare parts travel in the support vehicle. Whether you are very tall or quite short, mention it to your travel advisor as soon as you book.

Yes, pillions are welcome at £1,990 (€2,190) each, and the bags go in the support vehicle. Riding two-up, keep in mind the 5 to 6 hour days, the roads that are sometimes in poor shape and the tight hairpins on the way up to Ooty: the rider needs to be at ease with a loaded motorcycle.

Your English-speaking tour leader rides at the front on every riding day. Behind comes a local crew: an experienced mechanic and the driver of the support vehicle, who looks after the bags and the equipment. We cap the group at 10 motorcycles, or 12 people counting pillions, and our office in France can be reached around the clock if anything goes wrong.

£2,490 (€2,690) per rider and £1,990 (€2,190) per pillion. That covers the motorcycle, fuel, the team, hotels, breakfast and dinner from day 2 to day 11, breakfast on day 12 and airport transfers. Left to you: flights, the visa, the international driving permit, meals on day 1, lunches, dinner on day 12, drinks, entrance fees to temples and monuments, tips and a €600 deposit per motorcycle. The £31 (€35) registration fee is only charged on your first trip with us.

India requires a visa unless you hold an OCI card; the tourist e-Visa is applied for online at indianvisaonline.gov.in. GOV.UK travel advice for India asks for a passport valid at least 6 months after arrival, with 2 blank pages, and reminds UK licence holders to carry the 1949 international driving permit with their licence, obtained before leaving the UK. On an EU passport, check your own government’s advice. Steps and timings are in our India documents guide, vaccinations in our India health tips.

The tour starts and finishes in Kochi, so book a return flight to its international airport. On day 1, a private transfer takes you to the hotel in the old town of Fort Cochin. On day 12, the room is yours until 10 am, then a transfer runs you back to the airport. To arrive earlier or spend more time in Kerala, go through the options with your travel advisor.

The season runs from November to March, the dry season after the monsoon. Next published departure: 16 to 27 February 2027; other dates are possible on request through your travel advisor. Expect 20 to 32°C, with cool evenings in the hills, so pack a warm layer. Nights are spent in standard, charming or comfort hotels and guesthouses, from Fort Cochin to the hill towns and out to Vypin Island.