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Biking in Goa -- bohemian culture on two wheels
A dirt road, a thousand palms and an 500cc Enfield Bullet. It's not just Nirvana. It's Goa
Two wheels good. Goa better. Writer Deepti Dutt on her Enfield. Come to the eastern side of the world, where “motorbike culture” has reached its organic zenith, and you’re bound to find your way to Goa.
In this Indian coastal resort destination, dedicated bikers find a much more subtle, aesthetic, beautiful and “freeing” sense of biking than exists in most other parts of the world. Almost esoteric and female in expression -- hold on to your ball bearings, boys -- is Goa's long, winding, palm-lined expressway to heaven.
The unique sound associated with Goa's pathways is that of an Enfield Bullet, the mother of all motorbikes. In the quiet villages of North Goa, the thud-boom approach of a Bullet can be heard from miles away.
In this still mostly rural Indian state, Bullets are plentiful for rent, purchase and trade. However the 500cc Enfield Bullet is certainly not a toy. It's a big, heavy mother.
For the wild types of the world, for whom a week of spa treatments or shopping sounds like “been there, done that, bought the T-shirt,” a weeklong riding holiday in Goa is the luxury end of a yet undiscovered Bohemia.Get in touch with Suzie Lumsden at Blazing Trails Tours and let her set you up with one of her gorgeously maintained Enfields and a weeklong guided plan to some of Goa’s most exhilarating green countryside rides. Book a space at Noi Varo on the Siolim riverside, or Kaju Varo in Aswem Beach, the newest players in the deluxe homestay scene, and you'll be assured of comfortable digs, delicious meals, caring staff, kaftan lounging and expert Ayurvedic massages.
If your balance is still not restored, and you’re looking for something a little more yang-heavy, call Peter Paulo Dos Santos at Casa Tres Amigos. A former band manager from Germany, Peter has for two decades been running guided tours from Goa all the way up to the Himalayas. His fast-paced tours sometimes end up at The Confluence music festival 11,500 feet up in Ladakh. Or at Gangotri, the source of the River Ganges. That's a mother of a challenge, crusing half the length of India. How many people can say they've done that?
