As more and more travellers realise the pressing need to protect our planet with eco-friendly choices, new discoveries are being made on how, even with a bit of tweaking of our outlook and it’s quite easy to embrace the eco-systems of sustainable living to ensure that. Opting for a 2-wheel tour in India not only offers an excellent eco-friendly alternative for our explorations, it also offers us a nice slow-paced interface with the communities and environs of the places that we visit. Here are 3 Super Two-Wheel Trails in India for the Eco-Friendly Traveller.
The Rural Agra Connect
While time spent in the presence of the fabulous Taj Mahal and the amazing historic setting of the Mughal bastion of Agra in India is one of our most precious takeaways from an Indian holiday, exploring the countryside brings lots of satisfying moments for the eco-friendly culture buff.
Life lived around the rural spaces of Agra spins the eco-friendly traveller back to the centuries-old rhythms of village life against a beautiful pastoral setting. Pedalling away from the frantic pace of present-day touristy Agra, along a picturesque 2-wheel trail in the countryside, you will be pulled in by the easy, slow-paced vibes of working farms and village schools. Immerse yourself with the richness of this rural repast driven by time-worn life practices underscored by an organic outlook. Soak up the nuances of this world, which is shaped by the elements of Nature in its purest form… the sun and soil… the rain and the winter winds. Lend a hand in the cultivated fields, listen immersed in the prattle of schoolkids in the playground, visit the local artisans and maybe even learn a new ancestral skill which keeps their economy afloat. Cycle back, tired but happy from day in the day in the outdoors, capturing a super new perspective of the Taj along the way on your lens, as you pedal back to Agra.
Udaipur Tribal World Done Easy By e-bike
While we are pretty familiar with Udaipur, India’s city of fairytale water palaces and lively bazaars, there’s a lesser-explored world where a rich tribal cultural narrative awaits you in the forested enclaves of the Aravalli on the outskirts of the city. Get set for a super hop-on-hop-off tour by e-bike in the verdant 2-wheel trails in the Aravalli Range. The Aravalli mountain range in Udaipur district is home to many rivers and has a rich biodiversity; 43% of the area is under forest cover. As an eco-friendly traveller and culture buff, mark your time spent in some hamlets scattered in these forested enclaves, which are home to Bhils, Garasia and Meena tribal folk; all these communities live a life tuned firmly into the rhythms of the natural world. The Bhil community lives by the laws of nature in everything they do–a tradition long enshrined in their outlook on life. Since ancient times, the ancestors of the Bhils have been conserving and managing the forests based on their tribal customary law. Pedal past little tribal shrines, rustic (tapra) houses and cultivated plots, defined by ancient traditions of organic farming methods. Mingle with the locals in the village markets with its tea stalls and tiny shops selling sundry items.
Pedalling around Alleppey
You will love this easy eco-friendly jaunt around Alleppy in India’s state of Kerala, discovering the lesser explored side of the backwater eco-system by bike. Take away super special memories of Lord Curzon’s ‘The Venice of the East’ with its amazing network of palm-fringed backwaters and slow-paced boat rides. Pedal through rich paddy fields along picturesque 2-wheel trails to explore up-close life lived by the backwaters waters and these rich crops-giving land and water vistas. Stop by for chai and chats with the locals to learn all about this amazing rice growing culture which has made Kuttanad, the 'Rice Bowl of Kerala’, at the very heart of the backwaters in Alleppy district. Discover too how coconut, rice and fish sustain the livelihood of thousands of families in this region.
Bike tours offer some of the most satisfying eco-friendly discoveries of the places that the traveller sets out to visit in India. These 2-wheel vehicles are non-polluting and are perfect for super non-invasive experiences, and for up-close and exciting interfaces with local communities, culture and the environs of the region.