God’s Own Country! That phrase itself makes us think about the natural beauty that Kerala has to offer! Which is why, we planned to celebrate our 2nd marriage anniversary by doing what we love; riding and traveling to explore new places!
Starting from Bengaluru and proceeding towards Wayanad, Kochi, Vagamon, Munnar, Kodaikanal, Salem and then back to Bengaluru, we planned to embark on our first long distance ride through mountains, jungles, waterfalls, tea estates and nature in general!
Read on below to check out what we had in store for day 1 (Bengaluru to Wayanad Ride)
As planned, we set the alarm for 5:00 AM and as usual, managed to hit snooze and woke up only by 5:45 AM! This 45-minute delay tricked down and accumulated into a 2-hour delay as we managed to start only by 8:30 AM! Going by our past rides, this seems to have become a trend!
After fixing the saddlebags, the backpack and the tank bag, we were on our way to Wayanad.
As we always do, we trusted Google Maps and it took us through NH 948 and then NH 766 instead f the usual NH 275 and then NH 766. While about 4 km longer, this route was about 30 odd minutes faster, at that time (not in the below picture though).
The NH 948 wasn’t exactly in great condition. However, we cannot call it bad as well. It was good enough to maintain a decent speed with the odd road work slowing us down a bit.
Breakfast Stop
After riding for a while, we started feeling a little hungry and were on the lookout for a place to eat, which when we came across “Mandarathi Gardenia”, where we had some delicious Thatte Idlis
Delicious Thatte Idlis with Vada Mandarathi Gardenia serving delicious food!
Post breakfast, we were back on our way to Wayanad. After riding on NH 948 for a while, we joined the NH 766 and were soon entering the Bandipur forest. Riding through the forest always fills us with some happiness that we cannot describe, and this time was no different. We were cruising through the jungle enjoying nature’s music (and the occasional vehicle’s noise, when we pass by one).
We really wanted to stop inside the forest for some photos which we thought might turn out to e beautiful. However, one of the rules of riding in the forest is “No Stopping”. Respecting this rule, we didn’t stop anywhere till we reached the Kerala Border, where the Kerala Police stopped us to check the documents. They were extremely courteous and friendly and after showing the required documents, we were back on our way and reached our hotel, Treebo Trend Brahma, very soon.
We reached the hotel just about after lunch time and opted for some light snacks. Although we weren’t tired, we skipped going to Soochipara Waterfalls since the estimated riding was about 1.5 hours 1 way and hence, we thought of checking this place out the next day if possible. To be entirely honest, after witnessing Barachukki Falls in full flow, we were entirely OK with skipping this place.
After checking our luggage, we realized that there were a few essentials that we missed packing, like toothpaste, shampoo (I’m quite particular about head and shoulders!) and some basic sandal that we can use for walks and hence, stepped out to purchase the same. After shopping, walking around for a bit and then enjoying dinner at Chicking, we reach our hotel room and were soon dreaming away!
Unfortunately, on this day, we didn’t take many photos. End of Day 1
That marks the end of this day’s travelogues. For details from the other days, check out the links below!
- Kerala Ride – Basic Overview
- Day 1 – Bangalore to Wayanad
- Day 2 – Exploring Wayanad (Kurumbalakotta Mala, Banasura Sagar Dam, Karlad Lake, Edakkal Caves)
- Day 3 – Wayanad to Kochi
- Day 4 – Kochi to Vagamon
- Day 5 – Vagamon to Munnar (with Vagamon Meadows)
- Day 6 – Exploring Munnar (Top Station, Echo Point, Matupetty Dam)
- Day 7 – Munnar to Kodaikanal
- Day 8 – Kodaikanal to Salem
Happy Riding
The RE Travelers!