India by Road - On Two, Three & Four Wheels

India by Road - On Two, Three & Four Wheels

 
India has an immense road network, with a vivid array of sights, sounds and smells. From creaking oxen carts to buzzing ‘auto-rickshaws’, brightly decorated trucks to flash modern cars, and bustling markets to new, shiny shopping arcades – the variety is endless. And what better way to experience it than by travelling on these roads yourself?

Directly reflecting the nation’s booming economy, India’s roads have been changing at a frantic pace over the past decade, with many narrow single tracks being replaced by dual-carriageways, and new roads appearing where there was previously nothing but barren land. But no matter how smooth the road may be, there is always an adventure out there!

I have been lucky enough to experience several thousand miles of the sub-continent’s roads first hand, having travelled around India by bicycle, bus, motorbike, truck (when the motorbike broke down!), and car, and there was seldom a dull moment. There is no better way to get up close and personal with the ‘real India’.

Some of my most memorable experiences have been cycling into the temple town of Madurai, famous for the Shree Meenakshi Temple, one of the most stunning examples of south Indian temple architecture, at night, and being chased by a herd of gaur (Indian bison) on a very wet and muddy track high up in the Western Ghats (hills) while riding a single cylinder 250cc motorbike. That particular journey didn’t end without us falling off and splashing unceremoniously into more than one puddle.

Food has always been an important part of Indian life, and Indian cuisine is very popular the world over. Road travel in India often takes you away from luxury hotels and fancy restaurants, and allows the traveller opportunity to experience Indian food at its most authentic, cooked in a small roadside dhaba, or even in a village home over a log fire. I was always pleasantly surprised by rural Indian hospitality and the simple yet sumptuous delights prepared using local produce, often fresh from the fields. Dhal roti is a common meal found when breaking a journey in northern India, while thali meals served on banana leaves are typical of the south.

Scenery ranges from snow clad mountains to endless desert, lush backwaters to dense jungle, and golden beaches to towering skyscrapers. I will never forget driving through Rajasthan to Jaisalmer, with miles of sandy desert stretching out as far as the eye can see in every direction, or ascending the Palani hills to Kodaikanal at night, with the lights of towns and villages on the plains below glittering like the contents of a jewel box, as the temperature gradually decreases with every hairpin bend.

And when your journey does bring you into one of the country’s busy cities, you will always be grateful for a hot bath and a cosy bed at the end of the day.