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7 Most Useful Long Bike Ride Tips In India For Beginners

Renu on February 24, 2021

We are travel duo couples, went on numerous long bike trips from Bangalore to many places in South India. Here are 7 Most Useful Long Bike Ride Tips In India.

It is nothing about road safety or any boring tips you see commonly in the internet.

Be it Leh ladak or Kanyakumari trip, these practical bike ride tips will come in handy from our constant travelling day and night.

Our experience will let you prepare for a long motorcycle trip in India, be it solo or couples trip.

Long Bike Ride Tips In India

No rental or Loaned from Friend – Ride your Own Bike

Am sure you didn’t expect me to start with this suggestion when you were looking for some cool long bike ride tips in India. Believe it or not, we rode Pulsar bike on all those numerous trips from Bangalore and never had any trouble so far, touchwood.

Many days the bike got us home, when we were super tired and no longer had energy to focus. You can call it sentiment or bond, but sure there was something special having your own ride for a very long time.

People expected us to buy a luxury motorbike like Harley Davidson or at least Royal Enfield anytime soon, when they started seeing us all the time on the road. I mean from our regular Facebook posts.

But we didn’t, why would we when we were super comfortable with this one.

It was our regular office ride too.

And you know, your bike doesn’t not just run on just gas. You also need to make sure everything alright by getting a regular service done and add some accessories like a mobile holder and extra blink headlights if you want. It would be super helpful for a long bike ride at night time too.

So get your bike serviced, change oil, check the suspension, fix those breaks, change the tires if you want to, add the extra headlights and tail lights. It’s all just basics, am sure you knew that already.

Super -bike or any regular bike, since you are going on a long ride, ride your own bike which you know very well.

Plan well – Keep an Itinerary for All the Days of Your Trip

However long a bike trip you are planning for, it is important to have a well planned itinerary for all the days.

In our case, we went on an 11 days long bike trip in the year 2017 and 12 days long bike trips in the year 2018.

Both the trips were planned by me and executed by my partner Rajesh. We went as per the plan, sticking to the time schedule and resting well during nights.

Keep a handbook or mini note pad that fits in your jacket, write down your day’s plan page by page. Don’t make it clumsy, assign each page for consecutive days of your trip.

Note – If you prefer making a note in mobile itself, thats fine. Personally I prefer pocket notes for the ease of scribbling.

If you are a blogger like me or if you want to log your trips somewhere for future use, this notebook will come in handy.

For me, not just blogging, I also have a habit of sorting pics day wise in a harddisk, and save important pics in facebook albums to share with friends.

So, keep your day’s plan in a short note book for all time reference.

Plan Well For Long Ride But Pack Only For Four Days

Yes you heard me right.

This one advice we followed strictly on all our long bike trips.

When you are going on a long bike trip, you are going to live life like a nomad.

If you fill all the luggage space in saddle bags with clothes, then you would have to carry an extra carry – on bag or a day bag to fit in all other travel essentials. Like a bike rain cover, pair of slippers, SLR camera, power banks, jackets, riding accessories, Laptop (Rajesh carried in all the bike travels no matter the length of the trip), etc.,

Well, you are going to be on the wheels most of the time. Yet you would need clothes which will be comfortable for riding, right?

So Here are few Practical & Smart Long Bike Ride Tips In India

Carry a jumper or a jacket based on the season you are planning your travel. We always keep both during winters – jumper for the day time ride and Jacket for the night time ride.
If you plan on carrying just one jacket, then pack long sleeved clothes for day rides. Since you are looking for long bike ride tips riding in India, keeping our humidity in mind, it is advisable to ride wearing long sleeved clothes for protection.
Rajesh had invested in an expensive padded jacket, but he found it too hot to wear it all the time. So, it was the long sleeved t-shirts that helped him protect from the sun.
Pack not more than 2 good pairs of jeans or formals to wear for the restaurants or any visiting places.
For all time bike riding, pack a couple of travel pants – a soft and comfortable textile for both day and night rides. I wore jeggings from the Fratini brand, which was super comfortable for long bike rides. My hubby wore comfortable sweatpants all the time.

So, going to Leh Ladakh or Manali, Kumbakonam or Kanyakumari, invest in a good pair of comfortable clothes and saddle bags. Also don’t forget comfortable shoes and sandals. Since it’s all part of travel essentials for Long bike travel, it’s important to make a list of them beforehand and buy quality stuff for the repeated wear.

Why Saddlebags? Why not just throw on a backpack? The Reason Why I Call it a Best Long Bike Ride Tips In India?. Lets see.

Invest in Saddle bags – Best Long Bike Ride Tips in India You Will Hear from The Regular Bikers

Many of us, riders in India, still have the habit of riding with a heavy backpack on our shoulders. Some prefer to tie it with a rope at the back of the bike, some prefer carrying it – mostly the pillion riders are taking the burden.

I did too for many one day trips and two days trips from Bangalore until we bought a saddle bag and a tank bag.

A tank bag – a multipurpose day bag which has a magnet grip to hold on to the both sides of the bike tank has been indispensable in all the bike trips. It doesn’t cause any inconvenience to the rider. Infact rider can keep his valuables inside the bag and can access it any time with ease. When you are not riding, it can be converted to a day-bag with the detachable shoulder belts.

A Saddle bag – which hangs on both the sides of a pillion ride bike seat with a good amount of space to keep your travel essentials. And it doesn’t cause any inconvenience to the pillion rider.

One of the basic essentials for that long bike trip is to invest in a good quality saddle bag. The most important long bike ride tips in India you would hear from any bikers if you ask. If not a tank bag, buy a good quality saddle bag – let it sit on your bike at the back. It is easy to remove unlike the bags tied with rope, and it comes with double layered rain protection (again depends on the brand you buy).

It also offers a comfortable cushion and good support for the thighs for the pillion riders, for that long ride.

This is definitely the most neglected long bike ride tips in India, because we also invested in these bags too late.

Until we bought this saddle bag, we were riding with our individual backpacks and sure it was painful to carry them all the way to our destinations.

Note – You need to be all the time aware of those saddle bags especially when you are on highways and overtaking any vehicles.

Now that your bike is ready, you have a proper plan in hand, know what to carry on a long bike ride. Well, who is going to ride with you?.

Ride with a Partner with Common Interest and Complimenting Energy

The one thing that kept us going strong as duo bike couples was our complimenting energy.

I mean any day or even late evenings, we are always ready to go on a bike trip.

You would not believe that once we have started our bike journey in the evening, rode 200kms to reach the destination by midnight.

If there is any never ending conflict between us (obvious as a newlywed), we just start the bike. Argument stops, mind relaxes and soon the craziness wades out.

Bike rides connected us. Strong.

But we both are two different personalities. For starters, he is a night owl and I am an early riser.

On all our bike trips, I usually kick start the day, continuously nagging him to get ready so as to stick to the schedule. As the day goes by, you would be amazed at the energy transcending from him. He ends the trip with the same energy as I started it. While, myself just hanging in the bike, barely holding onto google maps with only half opened eyes.

So you need to choose a partner with the same passion you have for bike riding. And who has a positive mindset at all times.

This is how your partner’s qualities should be and very well should be yours too – Read here.

Are you a regular traveler like us?. Or Are you a city crawler?. Here are the list of best shampoos for daily use.

Don’t Blindly follow Google Maps – Question the route

This happened when we went on a 2 days trip from Bangalore to Yercaud in the year 2017.

There are two routes from Bangalore to reach Yercaud hills – one is shortest but rides among the dense trees, whereas the second is via Salem NH with proper paved roads with hairpin bends.

We unintentionally chose the shortest route – the one which was used by locals and the forest department. For very long time we were unaware that we had chosen a dense forest route. It gave us chills when we realised it was just us riding the bike, except for the few locals rarely passed by us.

We were able to breathe free only when we reached a local village.

On returning back, we readily took the longest but seamless route via Salem.

Gaining wisdom from this trip, later when we faced the same situation on our 4 days bike trip to Coorg (Madikeri), we investigated the route and chose the best way to reach the destination safely.

When in doubt, compare the 2 or 3 different routes suggested by google maps. Because google maps suggests routes which are used by locals, which may not be safe for the travellers.

Lets see an example.

To reach your destination, if you are suggested 2 routes with following directions: One with 32 kms showing 50 mins to reach and the other one is 49 kms taking 1 hr to reach. Also the first is showing a white road on the map and the second is showing a combination of white and yellow road on the map.

Which route will you choose? A or B?.

If I were you, I would choose the yellow road with more distance, because it is a National highways route, with proper paved roads and safer to ride.

Why route B?.

When compared to the white road which indicates a rural road / state road, are more bumpy n less safe comparatively. And probably it takes more time than it is mentioned in the map.

Trust me, many times when we had no choice but to take the white road, it took us more time than it was mentioned in the map.

Also, let’s not forget the road safety. Not just on highways, even riding on the rural, always expect the unexpected.

Do Not Mass Book the Rooms

This is another most important long bike ride tips in India.

Now think about it for a second, is bike riding is all about just riding the bike for day and night long, non-stop?.

At one point of time, will you not call it a day and rest someplace?.

Because many think that bike riding is all about riding long hours, covering 500 kms a day. Some do it for pride and some for saving money.

If you are a couple like us, you probably need to think of pre-booking the rooms at your destination for your own safety.

Here is the advice from our regular long road trips experience. Do not mass book the rooms even if you have plans to stay in a place for more than one day.

Though it is always advisable to book the rooms before you reach the destinations. And we always make sure to book it atleast 2 days prior to our trips -long or short bike trip.

Only if you like the room, feel that it’s worth the money and service, then it is wise to extend the stay.

Also, there are stories revolving about the bikers / tourists being cheated or taken advantage. Though it is much cheaper to mass book the rooms, to have an upper hand, it is best to book the room for just a day.

We have never stayed in any of our acquaintances’ houses, so absolutely no experience on that.

And finally, it is absolutely necessary to wear a helmet and protective gear at all times. And be a good guy, follow the road safety rules.

Enjoy the ride. And wish you to have many more adventures in your life.

Read – Long Drive From Bangalore to Mysore in Our #AllNewCreta

Ambarnath Temple Mumbai: 11th Century Marvel resembles Hoysala Architecture from Karnataka

Renu on February 6, 2021

We have been to Ambarnath temple Mumbai during one of our official trips to Mumbai for 6 days at the end of March 2017. We have stayed in The Kohinoor Continental hotel, absolutely enjoyed staying there and roamed less places due to our work commitment. Just like we always do.

Somehow we squeezed in time to visit the famous Lord Shiva temple called Ambarneshwar temple a.k.a Ambarnath temple, one of a kind experience travelling in the metro to visit this temple.

Ambarnath Temple Mumbai – Beautiful Zig Zag pattern Architecture

Trip to Ambarnath Temple Mumbai :

With the busy schedule we had, we somehow planned a trip to this magnificent temple, and travelled by metro reach the destination.

After an auto ride from the nearest metro station, we reached the temple location, walked past a narrow bridge leading to the flower vendors in front of the temple.

The temple was moderately crowded and had no queue or any counter to reach the main sanctum.

There were three entrances leading to the center hall, which has an array of pillars, all intricately carved with minute details.

Main entrance with Nandhi is captured here. (See pic). If you could look closer, you can also see the mini elephant heads carved on the walls, which are mostly are damaged.

ambarnath temple mumbai images — Close view of the Ambarnath temple main entrance with guardian Nandhi

From the centre hall, one has to climb down several narrow stairs, to darshan “Swayambhu” moorthy, hardly 4 inches height off the floor.

One can also see another lingam (not sure of the history, couldn’t find much detail anyways) just behind swayambu lingam, which is a little taller than the previous one.

And unique sight to watch the lingam’s abhishekam theertham leading to a single “gomuki”.

This temple is under “UNESCO”, painful to see all the sculptures on the walls are damaged beyond repair.

Having visited many temples so far, this 11th Century Heritage has peculiar architecture having closely carved discs unlike dravidian architecture.

Not so peculiar, because this temple’s infrastructure reminded me of something closer to my heart. That is Hoysala architecture temples from Karnataka.

Since Hoysala architectures are found exclusively only in the Karnataka state of India, was totally amazed and surprised to the major resemblance in architecture here.

(Read our trips to Hoysala Architecture and Pics here).

So I couldn’t help marvel at the beauty of this temple architecture and compare that with the Hoysala architecture.

Just like Hoysala architecture, in Ambarnath Temple Mumbai, you can also find reliefs (carved sculptures of various avatars of gods and goddesses) on the outer wall of the temple, that too with the same zig-zag pattern.

The zig- zag pattern of the walls, continuous pattern of reliefs carved on the walls, minute work of disc pattern on the pillars are all exactly matching with the Hoysala architecture of Karnataka.

Hoysalas built the temples between their ruling period of 11th century to 14th century. Guess there are possibilities of their influence here in Ambarnath Temple Mumbai.

The only major difference was that there was no star shaped mandap on which Hoysalas usually built their temple.

Another Close view of the Ambarnath temple main entrance with guardian Nandhi

What was more amazing beyond the imagination was to find lord Vishnu reliefs carved on the Lord Shiva temple.

(Just like how I was amazed to see tiny shiva lingas around the main sanctum of Lord Vishnu temple in our recent trip to Wayanad).

There is an unproved story that five pandava brothers have built this temple overnight from a huge mass of stone. Not having enough evidence to back up this history here.

However, I am blessed and grateful to have visited this temple – Ambarnath temple Mumbai.

This is How to Prepare for a Long Bike ride in India- Free Guide

Renu on December 8, 2020

How to Prepare for a long bike ride? Be it 2000 kms or 10k kms long bike ride, how do you prepare yourselves for that long journey on the road?

Here are some 5 practical questions that will help you prepare for a long bike ride.

Under each question, I have given our real life example of how we prepared ourselves for the long road trips. And some useful tips on long bike preparation, what to carry on a long bike trip and how to choose a travel partner.

How to Prepare for a Long Bike Ride

How Confident Are you?

We went on a couple of long bike rides in India in the year 2017 and 2018, after numerous one day and two days trips from our home in Bangalore.

This is how we grew confident over the period –

Took an adventurous trip to Hillstation Yercaud, learnt to ride confident in those many hair pin bends
Numerous bike trips among countryside (To Talakad, Melkote, Lepakshi, nandi hills etc.,) and in Highways (Tirupati and Hosur Highways)
Went 2 states trip in just one day, covered total of 350 kms
Covered 500 kms under 36 hrs riding back to back, day and night.

Success!!!.

Rest is history.

In the year 2017, we were able to go on 11 days long bike trip from Bangalore and in the following year 2018, we went on 12 days long bike trip from Bangalore.

Had we not gone those first 50 bike trips to the nearby places in Bangalore, we could not have definitely gone those long bike trips.

Pro Tip

If you are not confident yet, you need to take a couple of 2 days bike rides, aiming to cover atleast 150 kms in a day. Then slowly increase to 300 kms a day.

If you are entirely new to bike trips, if you have never even taken the bike out except schools or the office, then plan for a 50 to 80 km bike ride.

How to prepare for a long bike ride?.

Start Small and improvise.

Related – How to prepare for a 100 km bike ride.

How Energetic are you?

It may look easy to read that we went 335 kms in a day in the initial days. That will be 670 kms in 2 days, with just one night’s rest.

For those who think many bikers ride more than 500 kms in a day, those riders have also gained the experience just like us – taking slow steps at a time.

Note that we ride motorbikes with a theme. On every trip we visit famous places in our travel destinations. That gave us purpose in starting bikes.

We needed energy to not just bike ride, but also do a lot of sightseeing in our destinations.

Like in our 2 days Yercaud bike trip, after riding in never ending hair pin bends, we went trekking to Kiliyur falls.

On our 2 days Madanapalli bike trip, we went trekking to Talakona forest and waterfalls.

On our 3 days Coorg bike trip, we went trekking to Abbey falls and sightseeing many other places.

In one of our Tiruvannamalai trip, we trekked on a steep hills for 1 hr to a Hindu temple with special waterfalls on the hill top.

Imagine the energy you would require to do bike riding and trekking – all in 2 days trip?. Above all riding bike in the nights?.

All the above were examples of 2 days and 1 night bike trips from Bangalore.

It requires lots of energy, to both ride a bike under the sun and moon, and to also to go on sports. And to do pradakshina in all those enormous Hindu temples – it requires more than just energy to drive bikes.

Tip

Initially you don’t have to go by any travel theme. You could just pick a destination, be it any resort or meeting any long distance friend, and aim to cover 150 to 200 kms in a day.

Once you have made it to the destination, rest well only at night. Do not extend your rest period. Start immediately next morning. Check your energy level after completing the trip.

For myself its first half of the day and for Rajesh its second half of the day.

So, How to prepare for a long bike ride?.

Plan your trip timings based on your energy levels.

Aware – Even Though you are physically fit, if you face any problems like nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite, then it’s a red flag.

How Well Are You Prepared to Face Challenges in Roads?

Lets address the elephant in the room. You will not get to choose the roads to your destination – atleast most of the time.

How prepared are you to go long bike ride in –

Countryside roads?
No roads but a bumpy path?
Mountain – side?
Action packed highways?
Adventurous hill stations?
And unexpected turns of events riding motorbike at night in all the above roads?

I didn’t mean to scare you. You need to be there riding the bike to understand road rules and road safety. You cannot blindly follow the book, because there is nothing like in the book.

In our early stages of bike riding, we choose the countryside routes from google maps. We didn’t always stick to comfortable 4 ways highways.

Like in our regular one day trips to Talakad, Somanathapura, Melkote – we always choose the Kanakapura route rather than taking comfortable Mysore highways.

(Note : Since the end of the year 2019, Kanakapura highways road has been extensively extended. Now its almost as good as the Mysore highways ).

And on our regular trip to Tiruvannamalai, we always took the countryside route from Darmapuri rather than comfortable Chennai highways (via Vellore route).

Like in our 11 days long bike trip in the year 2017 and 2018, we chose countryside destinations. To reach those destinations, every single day we rode in highways, crowded cities, and rural area agri fields. That too with our fully packed saddlebags and tank bags.

how to prepare long bike trip in india — Travelduo Bike image – Bike with Tank bag and saddle bags

So, How to prepare for a long bike ride?.

By riding bike on all kinds of roads.

Related – What you need to carry on the road trip

How Good are You in Planning a trip?

It is easy to tag along any long bike ride groups (most trending is Leh ladak and Manali trips in North India and Kanyakumari trips in South India).

So, you need nothing to worry about.

But if you are just like us, prepare for a long bike ride with your partner, then you need to be good at planning and executing.

This is another most important quality in a bike rider – planning and executing.

Every single trip we went in our life required careful planning of time calculation to reach the destination, book an accommodation (again sort the best from hundreds of options in booking sites), budget planning, shortlisting sightseeing places, pit stops based on your driving speed etc.,

We are married couples and we share equal responsibilities on-road and off- road. Here is the list of what those responsibilities look like.

Some on – road responsibilities:

Checking google maps often to ensure riding on the right route
Finding pit stops while on the go
Take turn to go washrooms to keep an eye on the luggages
Confirm room bookings
Look for gas stations on the map
Fill water bottles at pit stops

Some off- Road responsibilities:

Plan the holiday and budget
Detailed itinerary for each day of the long road trip with clear destinations, nearby restaurants, sightseeing places with phone numbers etc.,
Getting bike service done 2 days before bike trip
Book accomodations at all destinations
Pack toiletries
Pack first aids
Fit clothes in saddle bags
Keep all the expensive and ready to use essentials, bike ride accessories on the tank bag
Keep all the mobile phones’, power bank’s and SLR camera’s batteries charged night before the trip
Keep the water bottles filled
Again cross check everything on the day of starting the trip
Check the house safes’ and doors are secured (if you are couples like us).

How Well You Know Your bike?

This is not so important but an essential question to ask to prepare for a long bike ride.

But this question has nothing to do with the first question – How confident are you?.

Because you may be confident to ride bike for 500 kms straight, but imagine riding a bike which breaks down in mid and screws that dream trip?.

Your bike is your first companion on the road, next is your bike ride partner.

That’s why it is always advised to ride your own bike, which you have been riding for quite some time.

Not the rented bike – the bike you have no connection with.

(That’s why when people talk about sentiments with their bikes, I totally agree with them).

Its only best if you could fix minor issues on your own.

Also, it is essential to get your bike service done a week before your long bike trip, to ensure smooth journey.

We never carried bike tools with us nor got ditched by our bike, because we always took care of it well before every single bike trips.

This is how to prepare for a long bike ride.

Now you are good to go!

Go or No-Go?

These are the facts you need to know on how to prepare for a long bike ride.

I could have just advised you to get a Royal Enfield bike, buy all the travel gears and essentials, find a partner or a group and just go.

But that’s not it.

It is how much you trust yourself and enjoy the ride, how much your body and mind come together to experience the best time of your life.

How to Go Trip to Goa from Bangalore – Both by Air and Bus

Renu on December 7, 2020

This is a complete guide on going trip to Goa from Bangalore by both air and bus.

We have been to Goa 2 times in the same year in 2018. First trip to Goa by bus and the later by air. Both the times we stayed in North Goa – once in an exotic resort with a private beach and once in the Calangute High road with an infinity swimming pool.

This is how to plan your trip to Goa from Bangalore, how to rent a bike and have fun.

Image Credit – Holidify.com

Trip to Goa from Bangalore – Overview

Our First Trip to Goa from Bangalore by Bus:

Our very first trip to Goa from Bangalore was by bus to Panjim city. This trip was planned in the month of April in 2018 to celebrate our birthdays (we are one year and a day apart). It was a 3 days trip to Goa and we absolutely enjoyed our first time being there together. Rajesh has already been with his friends once and stayed in Taj hotels for the entire trip (big guy :).

We booked a KSRTC bus, boarded from Bangalore central to reach Panjim city, the capital of Goa.

Since it was a special celebration, Rajesh booked us in Riva Resorts in North Goa, with a private beach.The price was little high due to our last booking in the season time. Luckily we got a room far from the main entrance and facing the property’s private beach – which we absolutely loved.

We rented a bike in Panjim itself for all three days to roam all around the goa. Thanks to Rajesh who planned on booking a bike, otherwise it would have been difficult to see the places in goa without it.

There was another advantage of booking a bike on our goa trip.

Since we stayed far from the main Goa, we got to see more than just beaches on our daily bike ride.

From our resort in North Goa, we rode our bike daily among the never ending dense cashewnut forest to go look around the places. It’s just like seeing Coconut trees in South India.

We saw many Russian girls solo riding Royal Enfield bikes en route – which was quite a sight.

Though we stayed in an Elite resort, we spent most of the time hanging out outside, except for the last day. Of all, the most memorable being the ride to Reis Magos fort and its surrounding places.

And we have been to many beaches day and night that I lost track of, had dined in all the good restaurants near to the beaches we have visited.

goan food — Tuna Salad from Inferno Restaurant

Places we visited during our 3 days trip to Goa from bangalore – All beaches and restaurants.

Restaurants we liked most– Riva Beach Resort, Inferno goa, Apna Punjab Restaurant.

Second Goa trip by Air for 4 Days:

This time it was a 4 days trip to Goa from Bangalore for our 3rd Wedding anniversary celebrations.

This time we chose to stay close to main Goa, so we chose Silver sands serenity in Candolim Goa.

Just like our last trip we hired a bike to roam around Goa. But this time we did not go crazily to many beaches like we did before.

We spent most of the time in restaurants and in the infinity swimming pool in our stay. As such we enjoyed being in our room, with a good swimming pool and restaurant to hang out.

Once we tried Spa at O2 (O2 Spa) – an Elite spa in Goa and it was a total waste of money for 5000 rupees.

Restaurants we liked most – Silver Sands Serenity, The lazy Goose, The Fisherman’s Wharf, Big Fish

Food We liked most – Rava Fish fry (fish fry made with rava sooji).

How to Plan Goa trip

From our 2 time trip to Goa from bangalore, we have seen Goa both ‘in season’ and ‘off season’.

Season time is where Goa thrives with international visitors especially in beaches of Goa.

During season time in Goa, that is – from end of December to end of April – all the prices are sky high. Try eating street food maggi noodles for the price of 150 rupees, you would know what I am talking about. Though food prices remain the same in elite restaurants for all seasons, it is disappointing to see restaurants like ‘Inferno’ remain closed in off-seasons.

So there is no fun if you are going in off season. You could save some money by pre-booking your stay way in advance and rent a bike while you are there.

We repeat going trip to Goa since it is our favorite travel destinations just like Coorg and Tiruvannamalai for road trips.

Interested in our road trips? We have been on many dozen bike trips from Bangalore. Click here.

7 Good Bike Ride Partner Qualities (A Free Guide to Select a Right Travel Partner)

Renu on July 24, 2020

The very reason I decided to write about the bike ride partner qualities is that many are actively looking for travel partners (strangers?) in the travel forums. I have been seeing people requesting in travel forums such as “looking for bike ride partners to Manali”, “anyone interested to join us for long bike trip to Leh Ladak” etc.,

I don’t know how many of you had successful bike trips partnering with strangers, I have some suggestions that might be of value to you.

Here are 7 (good) qualities to look in a bike ride partner from our numerous bike trip experiences in India.

Image credit – Reddit

Bike Ride Partner Qualities – The list From Our Numerous Bike trip Experiences

#1. A Partner Who Shares Common Interest – The one most important Bike ride partner qualities

Be it a 200 kms bike ride in a short bike trip or 500 to 600 kms ride in a day in a long bike trip, you and your partner are going to share long hours on the same bike.

If the other person does not share common interests i.e. for travelling, then say it’s wise to not choose he/she as your bike ride partner.

Though knowing to ride a bike may not be a mandatory qualification, one must be willing to sit on a bike, pillion ride long distances without complaining about the weather or anything.

Trust me, this one quality is more important than anything.

If someone wants to join you just to test the water rather than real interest in bike travelling then its No – No.

#2. Rider Who is Not Willing to Give Up

In our 2nd longest bike trip back in the year 2018, I felt sick as soon as we started the bike. Then as soon as we reached the destination on day – 1, I developed severe fever and chill. Due to that I had to go to the hospital on the same night.

My hubby proposed that we go back to Bangalore if I don’t feel well the next day. I too felt the same. After coming back from hospital my decision to go back became certain.

But the whole night, the thought of giving up on that long bike trip kept disturbing me. Furthermore, I thought about the days and time I spent on planning for this.

Above all we both took off officially from work for this well planned 12 days vacation.

On the next day morning, I told my hubby that we are good to go. At first he didn’t agree. Soon we were on our way to our next destination.

Though I was not as active as I was on the 2017 long bike trip, I felt better after 2 days of medication. Also I knew Rajesh would have also never given up if he was to be in my place.

Not giving up was the best decision we have taken in that long bike trip.

Now we have another feather to our cap.

The person who is willing to not give up is one of the best bike ride partner qualities one can expect.

#3. Someone Who Values Your Trip Plan – Another must have Quality of a bike ride partner

If the partner lost any interest during the middle of the trip, then its going to be an unpleasant experience. Very soon you will find them saying, “I thought you were going to stop at this place…”, “I only joined this trip because I thought………”.

Or they will find a way to delay the time some or the other way. Because they don’t care. Because they lost interest and wants a way out.

Not only you will be frustrated answering your partner’s constant complaints and soon you will find yourselves dragging a dead weight.

#4. Avoid Someone Who Enjoys Blame Game

If there is one thing for sure happens on the road is, expect the unexpected.

Be it delay in plan, not finding good pit stops, trouble finding gas stations, mobile battery runs out etc., one needs to be prepared to face it like an adult.

If the bike ride partner finds it easy to blame everything on the other person, then you find a way to let go of that partner. Trust me, you are well off alone.

And you cannot let go of the partner in the middle of the trip, that’s why I suggest to know the person for sometime atleast.

#5. Who is Ready to Sacrifice Small pleasures

Consider yourself lucky if you could find a bike ride partner ready to do small sacrifices. Such as eating at irregular intervals, compromising on restaurant choices, take a leak near woods without complaining, sleep in uncomfortable beds, pathetic room services, spend the night without cable or internet connections, etc.,

It’s all part of nomad life and if your partner is not willing to do small sacrifices, then say No to the partner.

#6. Share the Burden too

When I say “share the burden”, the most obvious thing that comes to your mind is sharing the budget.

There is more to look for in a bike ride partner qualities.

For example, when one person is an active rider, then the pillion rider takes responsibility for finding pit stops from google maps, confirming room bookings and route navigations, etc.,

Here are some on – road responsibilities:

Checking google maps often to ensure riding on the right route
Finding pit stops while on the go
Take turn to go washrooms to keep an eye on the luggages
Confirm room bookings
Look for gas stations on the map
Fill water bottles at pit stops

Some off- Road responsibilities:

Plan the holiday and budget
Detailed itinerary for each day of the long road trip with clear destinations, nearby restaurants, sightseeing places with phone numbers etc.,
Getting bike service done 2 days before bike trip
Book accomodations at all destinations
Pack toiletries
Pack first aids
Fit clothes in saddle bags
Keep all the expensive stuffs and ready to use essentials, bike ride accessories on the tank bag
Keep all the mobile phones’, power bank’s and SLR camera‘s batteries charged night before the trip
Keep the water bottles filled
Again cross check everything on the day of starting the trip
Check the house safes’ and doors are secured (if you are couples like us).

#7. Who doesn’t go crazy on shopping

Planning for a long bike trip requires careful selection of minimal travel clothes and essentials which fit all in your saddle bags (and tank banks).

Avoid travelling with the partner who doesn’t understand the concept of minimalist packing. Certainly it would save you a lot of frustration.

Buying new stuff in travel destinations means not only putting a dent on your travel budget but also an extra luggage to carry around.

Travel Partner – Go or No Go?

Even if your partner is riding on his/her own bike, the above are some qualities you need to look for in a partner for seamless experience.

We were always on the same bike because we are compatible duo travelers. And we always have a proactive approach to every single ride.

We grew compatible and easy going couple over many may one day – and two day – bike trips.

Above all we were quick to ask sorry and correct our mistakes.

Probably its best to travel in groups led by an experienced bike ride organizer if you couldn’t find a perfect partner.

Which of my bike ride partner qualities do you agree with most?.

How To Reach Thirunelli Temple – A Famous Vishnu Temple on The Hills of Wayanad

Renu on October 15, 2019

This is guide for people looking to travel from Bangalore to Wayanad by road and guide on how to reach Thirunelli temple.

On September 14th 2019, We went on 3 days road trip from Bangalore to Wayanad to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary. During our stay in Wayanad, We visited Thirunelli Mahavishnu temple on the hills, about 10 mins drive from our resort. Early morning pooja performed at 5.30 in this temple is said to be very special. Though we couldn’t make it so early, we went around 10am and absolutely loved it.

So, this how to reach Thirunelli temple, a famous Maha Vishnu temple on the hills of Wayanad.

How to Reach Thirunelli Temple Wayanad

Thirunelli Vishnu temple in Wayanad, Kerala is situated 32 kms from Mananthavady. The Temple is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and trees with good parking facilities.

Thirunelli temple lies in the valley of Bhramagiri Hills, the name is connected to Lord Brahma and the ancient history of this temple.

We traveled from Bangalore to Wayanad in mid of September by car to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary. Thirunelly was our stay destination in Wayanad, we checked in at Jungle Retreat on our first day, and Visited Thirunelli Vishnu temple on the next day morning.

There are 3 routes if you are travelling from Bangalore to Wayanad with almost same distances.

Since there are 4 routes from Bangalore to Wayanad, If you want to know the best route on how to reach Thirunelli temple from Bangalore, read here.

Of all the routes, If you are planning to take Nagarhole reserve forest route, call up their office to confirm the entry for visitors to save any unplanned deviation.

There are hardly few shops selling refreshments, pooja items and some ayurvedic products.

Driving your own vehicle – Once you reach the temple, park your vehicle from the ample parking area, walk about 200 meters to reach the temple. There is no vehicle parking fee, nor any shoes counter fee.

Taking Bus or Auto or Taxi– You could take it from Kutta, the nearest public transport with bus and taxi facilities connecting Wayanad, including services to Nagarhole National park.

Thirunelli temple images — Ambalam View, Thirunelli temple Wayanad, Kerala

How We Planned Our Wayanad Road trip

During our 3 stays in Tirunelly Kerala, we came to know that the restaurant choices are very limited. We found a good restaurant in Kutta while we were on the way to Nagarhole Jungle safari, called Safari Inn , an accommodation serving with veg and non – veg food choices. Both Food and price were satisfactory.

This was our travel itinerary –

Day 1 – Travel from Bangalore to Wayanad

Day 2 – Tirunelli Vishnu Temple and Nagarhole jungle safari

Day 3 – Travel From Wayanad to Bangalore

Another suggestion I have for restaurant while you are travelling via Gonikoppal, is Spice Rack Restaurant, click here for the location and review.

Wayanad to Bangalore distance is 250 to 300 kms depends on the location you start.

Definitely you would need 2 days for up and down travel to Tirunelly, visit temple, do jungle safari and return back to your home. You could plan one day trip if you are travelling from Coorg or Mysore or any other nearby places in Kerala district.

We skipped Thirunelli wildlife sanctuary since we had plan to go Nagarhole wildlife jungle safari.

Our Experience in the Famous Maha Vishnu Temple Wayanad

This was our very first trip to Wayanad and to the ancient MahaVishnu temple, unlike our frequent visits to Thirukovilur Vishnu Temple (TamilNadu near Tiruvannamalai).

First thing you notice here is the calm and serene location of the temple located in a valley surrounded by trees and mountains.

Second, despite all the crowd, you could only hear the noise of the surrounding nature, definitely a rare sight in a very famous temple I say. That’s how we listened to the Papanasini river nearby, otherwise we had no clue of its popularity and historic significance, since we didn’t do much research about this temple beforehand.

When it is normal in pilgrimage places to get surrounded by the aggressive beggars before you even set foot inside the temple, worst even when you are pulled between the street vendors, this temple was offering a tranquil experience.

Third, People were offering prayers in silence, moving in disciplined pace inside the temple maintaining silence. Some were praying by lighting up the temple’s embossed brass lamp of different sizes kept exclusively for the purpose. Hundreds of the lamps are kept for devotees as personal belongings are not allowed inside except for the pooja items.

Fourth, since it was maintained by a private trust, there was no unholy behavior of priests and administration are witnessed. Temple surroundings are including the parking area are beautifully maintained, even the stairs and the path leading to the holy river are maintained well.

Fifth, Small Sivalingas about 10 to 15 cms are found in the couple of places inside the temple, around the main sanctum which I believe is connected to the temple history.

a sacred pond in thirunelli temple images — Panchatheertham with Sivalinga (almost invisible) and Lord Vishnu Foot carved on Rock stone.

Thirunelli Temple – How to Pray, Dress Code and Temple Timing

Before you know how to reach Thirunelli temple, I think it is essential to plan the trip according to the Thirunelli temple open timing and the temple procedures.

Before Entering Tirunelly Vishnu temple – Know this: After parking the vehicle, we went straight to the temple to pray. But, ideally you will be carrying a change clothes after taking a dip in the nearby holy River called “Papanasini”. Then pray to the Sacred pond called Panchatheertham, a rock carved with miniature sivalinga with footprint of Lord Vishnu. There is a change room near this pond, but not sure of the tidiness. There are no restrictions if you want to enter the temple wearing wet clothes straight from the river.

Thirunelli Vishnu temple is open from 5.30 am to 12.30 and 5.30 to 8.00 pm. Early morning pooja is very special here, and many devotees visit this temple to perform respect to their forefathers.

If you are planning to attend the early morning pooja, it is better to book the Thirunelli agraharam resort at the foot of this temple stairs.

To know more about the temple, pooja timings and the contact number – visit this website http://thirunellitemple.org/index.php.

Thirunelly Vishnu Temple dress code for ladies is to wear decent attire of sarees or salwars, and for gents, only dhoti is allowed with no shirt.

To know about the ancient history, check this website.

Thirunelli Temple wayanad images — The holy river called “Papanasini” where poojas performed for forefathers

The name “Papanasini”, a holy river name of this Thirunelli temple reminded us of the similar experience we had in our recent trip to Papanasam, another famous tourist location near Kerala border. Even there is similarity in the name you see. And it was also a beautiful temple location amidst hills, with Thamirabarani river and Agasthiyar Waterfalls to crown the place.

Here in Thirunelli temple, we did not visit the Lord Shiva temple / cave near to the Vishnu temple due to lack of time. We left temple as soon as clicking pics in river and panchatheertham.

Then after chilling out for some time in Kutta, had lunch and went for jungle safari by 3pm.

Thirunelli Wildlife Sanctuary images — Places to Visit Thirunelli Wayanad

Returing To Bangalore From Wayanad – Via Kabini River

Next day, we checked out of the resort and returned back to Bangalore.

We took the following route to return back to Bangalore.

Wayanad (resort) – Tholpatty – Bavali wild life forest road – Mysuru – Bangalore

This route is one of the best scenic route suited for a peaceful drive.

You could use the same route to reach Thirunelly Vishnu temple, that is Bangalore – Mysuru – Bavali wildlife road – Tholpatty road. Somewhere in the tholpatty road it is approx. 13 kms journey to the temple. Less traffic and no bumpy roads to reach the destination.

On the way back, we stopped in Mysore for a long break. We had lunch in one of the non veg restaurants called Nandhini. Then had evening coffee at Malgudi cafe house situated inside the green hotel.

(Malgudi cafe house in Mysore is the best for coffee, dessert and sandwiches).

This is guide for someone on how to reach Thirunelly Vishnu temple from Bangalore by road via Mysuru and Nagarhole. Hope it helps to plan your journey.

The Spice Rack Restaurant in Gonikoppal near Coorg (Best Restaurant in Coorg)

Renu on October 3, 2019

When we were on 3 days road trip to Wayanad from Bangalore, we routed our trip through Gonikoppal. The reason we had to drive via Gonikoppal was that Nagarhole tiger reserve park route was closed due to bad rains. And while we were there, we went to the The Spice Rack Restaurant – one of the best restaurants in Gonikoppal.

The Spice Rack Restaurant in Gonikoppal

We stopped for lunch in the late afternoon on 14th September, since we knew there will not be any choices on the Hill station. Except for the Dinner which we pre-ordered in the Resort we were going to stay, we had nothing planned for the entire 3 days journey.

We were not exactly hungry. From morning since the time we started our car, we were binge eating on the fruits and snacks throughout the journey. Also we had heavy breakfast in A2B in the Mysore highways.

Now we wanted a good ambiance restaurant with good restroom facilities to refresh after a long drive.

The Spice Rack restaurant had all the comfort we looked for including the ample parking space in the underground.

Find the link – https://g.page/TheSpiceRack?share

What we ate in Spice Rack Restaurant

We ordered Fried chicken to go with the Mutton biryani. Though it was the best biryani in Coorg or anywhere I have tasted, I very much liked the fried chicken more than the biryani.

Chicken was dipped in flour with groundnuts and deep oil fried, which gave the dish nutty and crunchy taste which I never had before.

Mutton was served with plain gravy and raita. Accompanied by the lemon soda we ordered.

It was sufficient for us two.

We spent about an hr for refreshment and lunching. Then we headed to Wayanad resort, it was a thrilling experience riding among the woods and hairpin bends.

Best restaurant in Gonikoppal Coorg — Spice Rack Restaurnat in Gonikoppal

The best thing about this Spice Rack Restaurant was that it has a quiet and pleasant ambiance with good tasty food for a fair price. That’s all we look in any restaurant, isn’t?

We would love to visit here again on our next trip to Wayanad or Coorg.

(Here is the guide If you are planning to go Dubare Elephant camp and Nisargadhama temple in Coorg)

What We did and Where we ate in our 3 days Vacation to Wayanad

It was dawn by the time we reached the restaurant, unpacked our luggage, ordered ginger tea, spent the evening enjoying the view. We clicked some pics of the spotted deer grazing in a far away land before the desperate monkeys wanted the share of our tea and snacks. Thankfully there was no tv or mobile network, so we had to pick each other’s brain until we until had non-veg meals for dinner :).

On day -2, we went to Tirunelli Vishnu Temple, then after lunch in Safari Inn at Kutta, we went for 3hrs safari ride to Nagarhole National Park. Again non-veg meals in the resort for dinner.

On day -3, Return back from Wayanad to Bangalore via Bavali – Nagarhole reserve forest – Kabini river. Followed by a long rest and lunch in Mysore, had an awesome time in Malgudi Cafe house for dessert and coffee. Soon, we added this Malgudi cafe house in the Green Hotel Mysore to our all time favourite places to hang out.

Click the link for google map – https://goo.gl/maps/aA1bfDGLLsUx9m3r8

Best Restaurant in Mysore — Best Place to hangout for dessert and coffee – The Green Hotel Mysore

Best Coffee in Mysore — The Malgudi Coffee house in The Green Hotel Mysore

I would say this was one of the best road trips we have ever experienced. Loved every single minute of our time together.

Sum Up

If you are planning a trip to Wayanad via Gonikoppal, either from Bangalore or Coorg, I would suggest The Spice Rack Restaurant. When compared to the reviews of all other restaurant choices mentioned online, I found The Spice Rack restaurant in Gonikoppal to be elite, with fast service and good quality and tasty food. And definitely a go to place for the best biriyani in Coorg. Cheers!!.

Total 4 Routes: Best Route from Bangalore to Wayanad

Renu on September 20, 2019

best route to reach Wayanad from Bangalore

When you are planning on a Bangalore to Wayanad trip plan, you will be presented with 4 different routes. Which one is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad?.

We went on a 3 days Bangalore to Wayanad Road trip, and stayed 2 nights in Jungle Retreat resorts on Thirunelli road.

When we started our onward trip, our journey didn’t go as planned. We had to pivot from the plan to reach Wayanad. And we had to take entirely different route for the return journey.

So, I now know how to reach Wayanad from Bangalore.

Bangalore To Wayanad Trip Plan By Car

Whenever we plan a trip, it is always my responsibility for the itinerary and the baggage packing.

It is in my best interest to look for a best route with more good choices for pit stops.

So I take at-least a week’s time to analyse the routes, gather info from the forums, etc., Finally it wouldn’t take much time to plan the travel including pit stops and list out the travel essentials.

After the trip plan is designed, I would then discuss with hubby to take his opinion. Sometimes he agrees with the plan, sometimes he suggests alternative. At times he would add any additional sightseeing places along the way.

Now, all my research has gone for a toss as we faced an unexpected roadblock, and had to take an entirely new route to reach Wayanad.

So, from our experience I am suggesting the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad by road.

Even Though we stayed in Thirunelli, for the ease of reading I have mentioned the end destination as “Wayanad”. Since your destination could be anywhere in Wayanad so feel free to change it accordingly in google map.

Best Route from Bangalore to Wayanad: 4 Routes with Same Distances

When you are presented with 4 different routes with same distances: then which is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad. I have given both pros and cons for the most frequented route by travelers, to make an informed decision.

Route 1:

Bangalore to Wayanad via shravanabelagola – Srirangapatna – Bandhipur Tiger Reserve(320 km)

This route looks best for the people travelling from Peenya, Yeshwanthpur, Malleshwaram and other nearby places. And I suggest taking the Nice ring road (toll road) and connecting to the Mysore highways.

Restaurant choices – Plenty of Veg and Non veg Choices on the NH until Karnataka Border.

Route 2:

Bangalore to Wayanad via Srirangapatna – Hunsur – Nagarhole national park – Kutta (253 km)

This route looks best for the people starting from Bangalore South zone, this was the route we took to reach Wayanad on our onward journey.

The drive was smooth in NH, except we were diverted from Nagarhole National Park because of heavy rains.

Nagarhole National park route was closed for both – travelers and the safari tourists.

So we had to take the Gonikoppal route to reach Wayanad (route 3).

But thanks to the road diversion, we got to eat in one of the best restaurants in Gonikoppal.

Restaurants in Coorg and Wayanad — Gonikoppal_SpiceRack Restaurant

Note: To avoid any time delay like how we faced at that time, you could call Nagerhole National park office to check for the entry and timings if any.

Note on Nagarhole Wildlife Safari

Although Nagarhole to Kutta route was closed for wildlife safari, Safari from Kutta to Naharhole was operative. And we were able to book tickets to safari from the resort we stayed at, and it was a seamless process instead of booking directly. If you are not booking through the resort / hotel you are staying, you need to be there 45 mins before safari time to stand in a queue for booking.

Restaurant choices – Limited after you cross Hunsur, and very limited going forward. We found a small restaurant called Safari Inn lodge in Kutta during our wildlife safari, otherwise we had no choice but to eat in our resort.

Route 3:

Bangalore to Wayanad via Srirangapatna – Hunsur – Gonikoppal -Tholpetty – Tirunelli – Kattikulam (303 kms)

This is the next best route from Bangalore to Wayanad, with good restaurant choices and good roadways connecting the destination. We had a good time travelling via Gonikoppal, we absolutely loved driving through woods and hair pin bends.

We reached only around 8pm to the Jungle Retreat Resort in the Thirunelli road.

sightseeing and stay in wayanad — View from our resort in wayanad

One of the main attractions in the Thirunelly is the Vishnu Temple on the hills and we were just 6kms ride away from the temple.

Next day morning we went to this temple on the account of celebrating our Wedding anniversary.

Read: How to reach Tirunelli Vishnu Temple, temple timings and dress code.

Also this is the best route to reach Coorg from Bangalore with Gonikoppal being the centre point for pit stop.

Read: 4 Days Road trip to Coorg from Bangalore by Bike.

Restaurant Choices – After Hunsur, Gonikoppal is the best place with good restaurant choices. Otherwise it’s difficult to find any except for small tea shops.

Route 4:

Bangalore to Wayanad via Kanakapura – Malavalli – Somanathapura – Kabini -Bavali – Kattikulam (290 kms)

We discovered this route on our way back from Wayanad to Bangalore. Since route 2 doesn’t always work, this is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad I can strongly suggest.

This is also the only best route to reach Kabini river from Bangalore.

best route from Wayanad to bangalore via kabini river — ***Kabini River view***

Kabini reservoir view at this location – https://g.page/Kabini-Resort?share

Which is The ONE Best Route to Reach Wayanad from Bangalore?

From the list of 4 routes mentioned, I found Route 4 is the best route for Bangalore to Wayanad trip plan with so many advantages –

1. Good roadways all the way connecting Wayanad

2. No restriction for drive through Nagarhole National park entrance

3. Enjoy Wildlife enroute

4. Awesome view of the Kabini river as far as your eyes could see (some resorts here with Kabini River view are pretty expensive).

Don’t Break Forest Law – Otherwise Pay 500 rupees Penalty

Note that when you drive through Nagarhole national park, you have but 1hr to cross the exit gate.

If you delay more than 1 hr to reach the exit gate, that means you have stopped your vehicle in the middle of forest, which is against the forest law.

And you will be levied Rs. 500 fine for breaking the law.

Also if any forest rangers found you wandering outside the vehicle anywhere in the forest route, you will be levied heavy penalties, just a heads up guys :).

No one would warn you about this at the entry gate. You can inquire about this time restriction at the entry gate when you purchase an entry ticket (Ticket with a time stamp, with fare 100 rupees for a car).

Read – Is it Safe to Drive From Bangalore to Coorg by Bike?

Things to Note Before Plan Your Bangalore Wayanad Road Trip

Don’t bother to take route 1 and route 2, directly go for route 4. It is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad I could suggest.
Mandatorily pack some food and snacks, or you could buy some when you are in Mysore. It helps when you are left with no good restaurants of your choice. This tip is actually helpful for travelling to any place you see.
Carry a water kettle to make instant noodles, instant soup and instant coffee when you think your resort is charging you way too much for simple snacks and beverages. This is the best water kettle I have been using for ages and it works best for all kinds of travels.
Carry back up power banks to charge your mobile phones for emergencies. This is one of the most essentials in our travel bags apart from toiletries, water bottles, kettle and protein packed snack bars. This is the best Bluetooth earphones under 2000 best suited for road trips.
Thanks to our car we were able to charge our phones, otherwise it would have been so difficult in those 3 days. Also it doesn’t hurt to carry 3 or 4 different network sim cards, from our experience “Jio” saved us more than “Airtel”. On the safer side it is better to share the resort’s contact details to your family members for emergencies.
While you are in Tirunelly / Wayanad, you could take your kids to Tholpetty park as well apart from Nagarhole National Park safari ride. And Visit Thirunelli Vishnu Temple for spiritual experience.

Are you a regular road tripper?. Here are some interesting articles for you to explore from my Website. Feel free to explore more of our bike trip experiences

7 Good Qualities of A Bike Ride Partner (A guide to select a Travel Partner)

Renu’s Solo Trip To Kumbakonam – How I roamed Kumbakonam for 5 days in a Rented Bike

How to Go Trip to Goa from Bangalore – Both by Air and Bus

This is How to Prepare for a Long Bike ride in India – Free Guide

Kumbakonam Famous Food Items – And Where to Eat

Renu on February 6, 2018

Kumbakonam famous food items – the list of famous food items and the names of restaurants.

“Where to eat?” is the first thought comes to our mind if we are travelling to new places.

Kumbakonam is like our second home, we have been to this famous temple city many times in the past couple of years. A small vibrant city decorated with equal number of temples and lily ponds – a unique sight to see in any place.

Here is the list of famous food items and where to eat in Kumbakonam.

What is Kumbakonam Famous for?

Kumbakonam is famous for numerous Ancient temples and Navagraha temples across the town. Every year lacs of devotees visit Kumbakonam during Mahamaham festival and during the Margazhi festival season.

So, mainly Kumbakonam is famous for its yearly Masi magam festival (during march), all year around Navagraha temple visits and Margazhi festival (during December).

For such a small town, Kumbakonam is busy all year around with tourists.

It is hard to decide where to eat in Kumbakonam, especially with fake ratings and reviews for restaurants these days.

Myself and my hubby have spent the majority of our vacation in Kumbakonam in our 11 days long bike trip in 2017 and 2018.

During our stay, we have explored all the major eateries – both vegetarian and non-vegetarian restaurants in Kumbakonam.

I am suggesting the following places to eat in Kumbakonam based on the quality of food, ambiance, fast service and value for money.

Famous food items (with images) in Kumbakonam with best places to eat is detailed below.

Also, I am suggesting the best ginger tea shop at the end of this article for tea lovers in the coffee famous town.

Most Famous Pure Veg Restaurant – Mangalambiga Coffee and Tiffin Center

Where – Behind Adi kumbeshwarar Temple, Kumbakonam

Google map link – https://g.page/mangalambiga?share

If you are a pure vegetarian, your search for good food in Kumbakonam ends here. This restaurant and cafe serves all south Indian tiffin items – Pongal, Vada, All varieties of dosa, Poori sabji, upma etc.,

My personal favourite – Poori and tomato Uttapam

Open on all days from 6.30 am to 10.00 pm, this restaurant serves best veg food in Kumbakonam throughout the day. Even with all the popularity, this restaurant remains humble with limited seats and food served only by senior citizens till date.

The Best place to try all Kumbakonam Famous Food items and Snacks -“Only Coffee” Restaurant.

I am an early riser, and a Coffee lover.

Almost everyday we used to travel 10kms from center Kumbakonam town to “Only Coffee” restaurant for steaming cup of coffee. If we had no long travel plans to any temples, we used to hangout there until we finish our breakfast. Sometimes we roam around near by agri field, chill out, take some pics and come back to the same restaurant for Lunch.

Even Though they have another branch in centre town, a restaurant facing Holy Mahamaham tank, we always loved going to this place for the scenic ride and friendly staffs

The name says “Only Coffee” so obviously anyone would think of it as a coffee shop.

We did too.

When we stayed in Aditya Resorts for 2 days where we had no option for dining, we came out of the resort in a mindset to ride to the nearby coffee shop.

We found “Only Coffee” in the immediate neighborhood, with the display of clay toys and some interesting books.

The friendly hotel staff asked us whether we wanted to have some snacks to go with coffee, we said yes, and we chose “kolukattai” from the choice of salad and sandwich.

This is the best restaurant that serves snacks, healthy options suited for all the ages.

Famous Snacks in Only Coffee restaurant: They had “today’s special” green salads, sandwiches, south indian special pidi kolukattai, kuli paniyaram, etc.,

Since then, our entire two days stay in Aditya Resort, we never had to roam searching for food and snacks in Kumbakonam. Even after we moved to different accommodation in the city, we came back almost everyday, sometimes twice in a day for their dosa varieties and coffee.

They serve all kinds of typical Tamil Nadu breakfast items.

They also serve unlimited and limited meals for lunch, the only time rice item was available, we chose limited meals because we preferred light food for lunch.

Not only their food is healthy (they use only less oil for food items, so they don’t serve any deep fried snacks) but also they have a variety of healthy snacks and pickles for sale. They also sell wood pressed cooking oil (Marachekku oil), some children books and wooden play toys. According to me, this place is the best vegetarian restaurant in Kumbakonam.

We absolutely enjoyed eating every time in “Only Coffee”.

Its definitely a best place for healthy, vegetarian food choices to eat with family and friends.

Only Coffee Restaurant, Best Vegetarian Food in Kumbakonam — Only Coffee Restaurant, Tiruvidaimaruthur

Only coffee Restaurant – The best hangout place for all kinds of TamilNadu food and snacks 3x a day.

You will absolutely love its peaceful ambiance with the healthy variety of vegetarian tiffin and meals, packed organic snack, pickles, evening salads and Sandwiches served all time with hot coffee/tea/milk.

Alert

“Only coffee” Restaurant is operating only at centre town kumbakonam, opposite to holy mahamaham tank. Call up and check for “Only Coffee” Thiruvidaimaruthur branch, as it was closed for renovation when we visited last time in Dec 2018

Small Shop Serving Quality Food items and Snacks all the time In Kumbakonam- “Ayya Kadai“

Initially, we thought of it as a tea stall, because hardly 15 people can sit inside this shop. Later we came to know they serve food 2 times a day apart from coffee/tea with snacks.

We found this shop when we stayed in “Poppy’s SET hotel” for 3 days Mahamaham festival in Kumbakonam.

Famous food list in Ayya Kadai: Poori masala, pongal, idli, dosa varieties for breakfast and dinner, variety rice and parotta for lunch.

Famous Snacks List in Ayya Kadai: Methu vada (Urad dhal vada), Paruppu Vada (Channa dal vada), Valalikkai Bajji (Banana Besan Fry) are must try here. They are available in the morning and noon timings, different dishes at different times throughout the day.

Almost all the prices were less than or equal to Rs. 20/- including the variety rice(like tomato rice, puliyogare, lemon rice and curd rice), so it is obvious to doubt the quality of food.

But it is a super clean small eatery shop run by 3 elderly guys, and they promise to deliver the quality food and they live up to their words. And from my experience, it is the super clean place in Kumbakonam serving good quality food and snack items.

Evening Parotta In Ayya Kadai, Kumbakonam — Ayya Kadai, Kumbakonam centre town

Ayya Kadai – is the best choice in Kumbakonam town for anyone looking to eat light (and healthy) without hurting the pocket. Also, it is a must try place for an evening snack – masala vada and other oil fried snacks with coffee or tea.

Google Map link – https://goo.gl/maps/efzmdoiTVN2mJKMV7

Try Pandian Hotel For Famous Non veg Food items when in Kumbakonam

I love to eat Non-Veg for dinner, if not daily at least twice in a week is a must for me. Rajesh does not like non-veg as much as I like it, but he too loves to indulge in it, if it catches his eye.

After asking few people in the busy street, we were guided to a hotel across “Sarangapani temple”. We very much liked the variety of food they had in the menu, in fact, we had a hard time picking orders from the menu.

Non-veg Hotel in Kumbakonam, Pandian Hotel — Pandian Hotel Menu

Idiyappam In Kumbakonam, Pandian Hotel — Idiyappam With Chicken gravy

Non-Veg Hotel in Kumbakonam, Pandiyan Hotel — Muttai Lappa with Prawn Masala

Non-Veg Hotel in Kumbakonam — Egg Kothu Parotta with Fish Fry

Food was served in Banana leaf, calm place to enjoy the feast. We had enjoyed two varieties of parottas, Kothu parotta, chicken masala and prawn masala with butter milk.

No chinese items were available.

We loved going back for the crispy Kothu Parotta and the Idiyappam. (Note: You need to be little early in the evening for idiyappam, since there is a huge demand).

We were also suggested to go Hotel Shanmuga, which is also a famous non-veg serving restaurant. The other day we tried some chinese there, but we didn’t enjoy it as much as we did in all other restaurants in Kumbakonam. Eventhough Hotel Shanmuga is popular among localities, we personaly did not like it much because of noisy ambiance and poor quality food.

Pandian Hotel in Kumbakonam – Pure authentic restaurant serves all kinds of Non-Veg items with a wide variety of parottas, dosa items, idiyappam, and meals.

Google map link – https://goo.gl/maps/utsGgKZEKMRxEaS68

For Family Lunch – Indeco Hotels Swamimalai

Indeco Hotels located 4kms from Kumbakonam, is one of the award winning eco-friendly resorts.

This finest heritage resort offers guests an unique opportunity to experience rich cultural heritage in tranquil environment.

We got to expereince this place when I went on 5 days solo trip to Kumbakonam, later husband joined me for the weekend.

Their saatvik meal was delicious and spent quality time sightseeing their heritage collections (arts and automobiles) after the unlimited meals.

Here are some pics from the trip.

kumbakonam is famous for — Pet Deers In Indeco Hotels Swamimalai

kumbakonam famous for — Heritage Collections – Hotel Indeco Swamimalai

Famous Tea Shop for Snacks and Ginger Tea in Center Town Kumbakonam

Speaking of tea, all I would suggest is to go to this shop opposite to clock tower in center town Kumbakonam.

You will get the best ginger tea all the time.

You can also enjoy coffee or flavoured milk, all of them are good here.

Ginger tea shop in Kumbakonam — Ginger tea famous Sri Balaji Shop, opposite to clock tower in Kumbakonam

If you want to have some evening snacks before having tea, then above mentioned “ayya kadai” is the only place I would suggest.

You can have snacks and can come back to have tea here.

Sum -Up

You could also try the famous sweet shop in Kumbakonam town named Murari sweets. Their famous ajmeet cake, dry jamun are must try sweets. Buy only from a shop near to Ramar temple, as there are many fake brands all over the town.

In general, Kumbakonam famous food items are usual south indian dishes apart from degree coffee.

Since we are not a foodie we did not attempt to eat in all the restaurants in Kumbakonam. Instead, we went and explored which was convenient for us and repeatedly went to same places for comfort.

Oh yeah, while you are there, try Kumbakonam famous degree coffee in any of the restaurants. Happy Sightseeing !!.