A bike trip with daughter

Travelling in the company of those we love is home in motion

– Leign Hunt

I am writing this piece almost two years after we went on this bike trip. It was monsoon time and what better way to experience the beauty of India’s western ghats than to go on a bike trip. What made it more memorable was that I was accompanied by my then eleven year old daughter. I was initially little unsure of taking her along as bike rides are inherently unsafe and rains add another level of challenge, but this is not the first time I was taking a leap of faith. It turned out to be a great trip. Come along and share the ride..… 

Day 1:

Plan was to make an early start, but it was raining profusely when we got up. After loading the bike with all our luggage and when it was still raining, we decided to make a start at around 6.30 am. The plan was to reach Ganpatiphule (200 odd KMs from our home in Mumbai) that evening riding on NH 17. It kept raining throughout the day which slowed our progress, but we finally reached our hotel at Ganpatiphule around 7 pm amidst heavy showers. Considering that the rain had pounded us throughout the day, I was feeling sorry for my daughter. I therefore asked her if she wants to cancel the trip and head back home. I was so glad that she declined the offer. I could see a spark of adventure in her which the rains had not been able to douse.

Day 2:

This was my second time to this coastal town, but I guess rains add a different level of charm to the entire Konkan region and this town was no different. Ganpatiphule is famous for the sea facing abode of Lord Ganesha, but the beaches in and around this place are pristine and give you another reason to visit this place. We got up early next day and decided to go to the temple. The ride from the hotel to the temple and back was just of 6 kms, but it was one of the best stretches of road that I have ever been to. The road runs parallel to the ocean and it some places, the road is at the level of the sea and at others, it goes over a small hill giving a panoramic view of the ocean. After a well spent morning, we headed to our next destination – GOA. The plan was to ride on NH4 till Rajapur (famous for its mangoes) and then merge with NH 17 and head to Goa. It rained intermittently, but far less compared to the pounding of yesterday. While entering Goa, I asked my daughter – should we go to ‘happening’ part of Goa or to quieter part of Goa. An eleven year old girl gave the obvious answer and we headed to Calangute. After checking-in our hotel, we decided to go to Baga beach. An evening stroll along the beach amidst the glowing lights from the shacks that line up the entire stretch of Baga beach was a nice way to end Day 2. We had left the thoughts of cancelling the trip far behind and were looking forward to next few days. 

Day 3:

This was a day with many twists and turns. We decided to visit the Candolim beach in the morning and then head to South Goa. The main part of the plan for today was to visit Dudhsagar falls. The moment we rode back to hotel after visiting Candolim beach, the clutch wire snapped. Luckily, I had a spare wire, but it took us more than an hour to fix it. This delayed our start and on the way to South Goa (Senquirin), I realized that my shoe sole had come off – thanks to rain bashing. It took us an hour to get that fixed which resulted in us reaching Kulem, the base village for Dudhsagar, at 4 pm only to be told that the jeeps that take the tourists to Dudhsagar falls stop at 4. We were disappointed and had no option but to come back.  The only good part of the day was that in the evening we decided to treat ourselves with some good authentic Goan food.

Day 4:

The plan for today was to see some beaches on the way to Gokarna. We started from our hotel and first went to Colva beach and then went to see Palolem beach. After crossing into Karnataka, we decided to stop at Karwar where we first went to the beach and then decided to go to a local sea food place for lunch. We had one of the best meals of the trip at this place (Swetha Lunch Home). We reached our homestay at Gokarna in the evening and went straight to the famous Om beach. We went to sleep early hoping for an early morning start the next day.

Day 5:

While we had planned to start early, but again we were delayed by the rain. The plan for today was to reach Hampi in the evening but see Jog falls on the way. The rain soaked forest roads made the ride to Jog Falls a very refreshing experience. The best way to see Jog falls is to go down the valley and see the water falling from the height, but we didn’t have the time to do this. So, we just spent couple of hours soaking in the natural beauty of the place and headed to Hampi, our next stop. It had started to rain again as we started approaching Hampi.    

Day 6:

This day was reserved for Hampi. It is a beautiful town rich in history with remnants of Vijayanagara Kingdom spread across the town. It is an open museum that includes forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, pillared halls, water structures and others. We started with Virupaksha Temple and ended the walk at Vijay Vittla Temple where the carved stone chariot is the main attraction. While many people climb the Matanga Hill to see the sunset, but we didn’t have much energy left after walking the entire day. We managed to find another spot to see the spectacular sunset. The sights of Hampi is still etched in my memory!

Day 7 & 8:

It took us two days to return from Hampi to Mumbai. We made a stopover at Pune at the end of Day 7 and resumed the last leg of the journey from Pune to Mumbai. The downpour was so heavy on the last day that we had to stop several times and we took almost 9 hours to reach home from Pune.

This was my first long ride with my daughter. It was tiring, but both of us thoroughly enjoyed the trip and shared some amazing experiences. I hope she remembers this trip with her Papa. I will definitely remember this one!!