Tour of Kanha

13th – 16th Aug 2022

Tour of Kanha is a fully supported cycling tour in and around Kanha National Park in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Come experience the pristine jungles of Kanha, consisting mainly of dense Sal forest. You will hardly come across any city influence or vehicular traffic and ride through picture-perfect villages with colourful homes having terracotta tile roofs. You will also soak in the indigenous cultures of Baiga and Gond tribes.

Start Point: Balaghat, MP (How to reach)
End Point: Balaghat, MP
Total Mileage: 420 KMs (Approx)
Riding Days: 4 (12th Aug’22 will be Day 0)
Attractions: Traffic-free route, riding in forest, wild-life, baiga tribes, beautiful villages.

Tour Fees: Rs 23,000
Late Registrations: Rs 25,000

DAY 1 – The Curtain Raiser

Balaghat – Lamta – Khatia
13th Aug 2022

Near Mukki Gate

The starting point will be Balaghat,  which means ‘a city above the ghats’. As soon as you start pedalling, you will notice civilisation dissolving within 5 kms making way for the wilderness. We will do our first climb of the tour near Lamta before reaching Kalapani wildlife experience centre. After this you continue your ride with beautiful jungle on both sides of the road and finally reach Khatia gate of Kanha National Park.

Start Point: Balaghat, End Point: Khatia Gate
Distance: 116 KMs. Elevation: +
1014 m |  -840 m

Day 2 – Into the Baigaland

Khatia – Sarodha Dadar (C.G.)
14th Aug 2022

Todays is a long day on the saddle where you will be riding through dense and green forest patches and picture-perfect villages, where you will witness the raw and rustic rural lifestyle. Minute observation of tribal lifestyle in terms of – their attire, minimalism and being completely in tune with the surrounding habitat, makes the entire experience one of its kind. We cross into the neighbouring Chhattisgarh state and head towards Saroda Dadar to experience the Chilpi Ghati from above with breathtaking views.

Start Point: Khatia End Point: Saroda Dadar
Distance: 122 KMs. Elevation: +1658 m | -1241 m

Day 3 – Independence Day

Saroda Dadar – Mukki
15th Aug 2022

Another 100+ KMs day which will start with the fast descend of the Chilpi Ghati and take us towards the Khajuraho of Chattisgarh, Bhoramdeo Temple. There on we will head to view the Sarada dam from the front and then it’s backwaters. It will be a beautiful ride where you may imbibe the sights and smells of the forest and listen to the symphony that the jungle orchestrates for anyone ready to lend it an ear. It comprises of a wide assortment of bird songs during the day time and insect sounds as the night falls. 

Start Point: Saroda Dadar End Point: Mukki
Distance:
 116 KMs,  Elevation: +1616 m | -1953 m

Day 4 – The Epilogue

Mukki – Baihar – Ukwa – Balaghat
16th Aug 2022

Today we will travel back to Balaghat from Mukki. This route can be termed as the icing on the cake! This is because most of the route is downhill as it goes through beautiful forest on both sides and then go downhill on the beautiful Lougur ghat before reaching Balaghat.

Start Point: Mukki End Point: Balaghat
Distance:
 82 KMs, Elevation:  +836 m | -1082 m

{Pre-Registration takes 2 minutes to fill and is basically an expression of interest. No fees needs to be paid at this time. We evaluate your profile and send an invitation by email, then you can pay the fees and register for the tour.}

  • 4 Nights of stay in tents/resorts in exotic natural locations (Twin Sharing)
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Hydration Snacks on all 4 days
  • Baggage transport from one location to another on all days
  • Support Stations on route
  • Backup Vehicles
  • Medical Assistance
  • Trained Bike Technician to help with maintenance and breakdown
  • Various departmental permissions and entry fees 
  • A Tour Jersey and other goodies
  • Finisher’s Medal and Certificate
  • Riding on beautiful forest trails
  • Loads of Fun, Memories & Friends

TOUR EXTRAS

1. Bike transportation: Nagpur to Balaghat, to and fro – Rs 1000
2. Rider transportation: Nagpur to Balaghat, to and fro – Rs 3000
3. Rental Bike (will be made available at Balaghat on Day 0): Rs 3500. Hybrids and MTBs available. We try to arrange bikes as per rider’s height but you may get a plus or minus sized bike as per availability on first come first serve basis. Bikes are a mixed bunch of reputed brands. Any damages incurred will have to be borne by the rider. 

  • Day 0: Hotel Midtown, Balaghat
  • Day 1: Mahua Tiger Resort, Mocha
  • Day 2: Ethnic Johar Tourist Resort, Saroda Dadar
  • Day 3: MPT Safari lodge, Mukki

WHY SHOULD I DO THIS TOUR?

For a very memorable riding experience through the charming forests of  Kanha, the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh, state in the heart of India. You will encounter picture-perfect villages of Baiga and Gond tribes taking you back in time to minimalist living and connect with nature.  You will hardly come across any city influence or vehicular traffic.

WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT IS PROVIDED DURING THE TOUR? WHAT ELSE IS INCLUDED?

This is a fully supported bicycle tour. There will be 1 to 3 support stations (depending upon the length of the route) along the route with ample supply of water, drinks, beverages, snacks etc. Beside this there will be multiple backup and breakdown support vehicles plying the routes. Mobile medical assistance will also be available during the tour.

For more details please see Inclusions tab.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO DO THIS TOUR?

Any regular cyclist, aged 18 or more, who can ride 100KMs easily on any given day is eligible to do this tour. However please note that right to invite a participant is reserved with the organisers and their decision will be final.

CAN SOMEONE ACCOMPANY ME ON THE TOUR?

No. Sorry we won’t be able to accommodate any additional persons on the tour beside the participants.

DOES THE TOUR FEE INCLUDE TRANSPORT TO AND FROM BALAGHAT? WHAT ABOUT STAY ON DAY 0 IN BALAGHAT?

No, transportation to Balaghat is not included in tour fees. However we can help you in getting the arrangements done. The Day 0 stay is included in the tour fees. 

IS THERE A LUGGAGE LIMIT?

There is a one bag per rider limit. Each rider is entitled to one piece of baggage (the max limit is 30 litres/15 Kgs). However we advise you not to carry any fragile items or expensive gadgets/ equipments in your baggage. We do not provide any guarantee for the safety of any fragile/expensive items in the baggage. We will not be responsible for any loss/ theft or damages.

WHAT KIND OF BIKE IS MOST SUITABLE FOR THIS TOUR? DO I BRING MY OWN BIKE?

In our recce done recently we found most of the road to be smooth and perfect for road bikes, so we would suggest you to bring a road bike for this tour and we expect most of the participants will be bringing road bikes. However a cross bike can be very useful as well specially if roads deteriorate due to rains before the tour. We also expect to see some hybrids lining up at the start line, so I think they are ok too. We won’t suggest mountain bikes for this tour, but if that’s what you have and are confident of doing the distance and climbing involved here with it, we are not going to stop you 🙂 And yes if you want us to arrange bikes on rent, we can do that too.

WHAT IS THE ROUTE LIKE? IS LOTS OF CLIMBING INVOLVED?

First 2 days each include a 7-8 KMs long ghat sections so most of the climbing will happen on first 2 days, remaining 2 days will be a bit relaxed with no long climbs, but will have some short climbs and some rolling terrain sections. Total climbing would be around 4000 meters during the tour. 

HOW DO I TRAVEL WITH MY BICYCLE TILL BALAGHAT?

The nearest airport is Gondia (40km) and nearest major airport is in Nagpur (170km) but Raipur (230km) and Jabalpur (240km) airports are not that far too. Nearest major railway station is Gondia which is 40km from Balaghat. Modern bicycles are really easy to carry in cars using a bike rack, or even in the boot of the car. If you are travelling by train, then you can easily remove both the wheels and then carry the bike with you in some bag. If you are flying to Nagpur, then you can easily check-in your bike in bike-box. Local bike shops can help you with packing it in a cardboard box, if you don’t have a proper bike bag for travelling. People travel all over the world with their bikes, so it’s a good idea to talk to someone who has already done so.

WILL I ENCOUNTER WILD ANIMALS DURING THE RIDE?

It is tendency of wild animals to avoid any human presence and that is why it is so difficult to spot them even when you enter the core area of jungles. As we will be bicycling in buffer areas only where otherwise too there is significant number of villages and other human settlements, chances of this are very low to none. The route has been chosen in consultation with forest officials and is safe for riding. Also Kanha has a core area of 917 square kilometre and roughly 400 staff patrol daily 8- 10 km on foot. Further, on desolate patches volunteers will ensure that participants ride in a group.

HOW IS THE MOBILE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY THROUGH OUT THE ROUTE?

There will be sections of routes where you won’t have connectivity for few kilometres on the route. In our recce we found Jio network had the best coverage.

I AM NOT AVAILABLE ON THESE DATES, ARE MORE EVENTS PLANNED IN FUTURE?

Yes. We have many tours in pipeline. Please follow us on our social media handles so that we can keep you posted .

CANCELLATION POLICY

Before 1st July 22 – 90% Refund
Before 15th July 22 – 50% Refund
Before 1st Aug 22 – 25% Refund
After 1st Aug 22 – Sorry No Refunds