Overview
This bicycle expedition into the valley of the Western Ghats from Kerala towards Tamil Nadu follows the path of Periyar River, the longest river in Kerala and a perennial waterway. Discover how it was made to change its course and in turn, re-shaped the life of an entire valley!
On this tour, guests will be able to explore the very plains of Tamil Nadu and understand how the agrarian life in the valley is influenced by the Periyar River and the Mullaiperiyar Dam. It was the construction of this dam that changed the course of the life of the people of the valley.
Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Dindigul — the five districts of Tamil Nadu which lay in the rain shadow were given a new lease of life when Colonel John Pennycuick the British chief engineer of the Periyar Waterworks, opened up the 155 ft-high masonries Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala’s Idukki district in 1895 and diverting the course of the Periyar River. Pennycuick dammed the west-flowing Periyar River at its confluence with the Mullaiyar River and diverted the water to Tamil Nadu Millions of people, were impacted by his actions and his single-mindedness of purpose in getting this off the ground. The Periyar Lake, formed by the damming of the river serves as an important habitat for elephants and other wildlife.
Why you will love it
Downhill bicycle ride through farmlands and villagesFarmers’ fair trade market visitLunchWhat you will experience
A visit to the farmers' fair-trade market will give you a chance to interact with the local farmers. For lunch, we will be either visiting a local restaurant which is highly popular with the local population or visiting a farmhouse. This tour is our tribute to Colonel John Pennycuick; the Scottish Engineer who built the 175-feet high Mullaiperiyar Dam across the Periyar River; Colonel John Pennycuick is revered as a demi-god amongst the people of the valley in Tamil Nadu.
Most of our bicycles are Trek 3700 V mountain bikes and Scott Subcross 40 D touring bikes; these bikes are unisex models and will have a centre crossbar on the frame. Hence ladies are requested to wear shorts/trousers for riding convenience. In case you require a lady's bike, we can offer the basic B-Twin 7-speed lady's bicycles in medium and small size.
Clients may want to spend more time while on our tours, which we would appreciate, but please do anticipate the same and make sure you leave enough time for that and clients do not have to rush back to join some other program scheduled by you.
Since the program reflects life as it is in a village, the expedition manager may modify the program on certain days, keeping the best interest of the guests and the sentiments of the locals in mind.