Sarah WallockPublished December 2023
This November, I took the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bike across India in luxury.
What? Yes, you heard that right. And with 430 of my coworkers from Backroads!
Each year, the active travel company where I work offers an all-staff bike ride in a different part of the world. Last year, I missed the company trip to Provence, because I had made plans to visit Peru on my yearly trip credit. But boy was I excited when they announced I had an opportunity to go to India.
You only go to India when it calls you.
The Founder of our incredible local tour operator said to me, in response to my sharing with him that it’s been a country I’ve been curious about for many years, since college.
From November 2022, I marked my calendar and nearly counted the months until India.
I was beside myself with joy, excitement, gratitude, and enthusiasm. What an absolute privilege to have the resources, support and health to get to travel and learn about this spectacular world.
I traveled for five days with Backroads and a few days on either end of the group trip. This totaled 9 days in Rajasthan.
The Logistics: How I Got There
I flew directly from SFO to Mumbai on Air India with a small group of coworkers on a comfortable 16-hour flight. I paid a reasonable $1,500 round-trip for my direct flights. We took hopper flights on IndiGo to Jodhpur and from Udaipur.
I arranged transport in advance from our guest house host, Pritam. I tried this for the first time in Peru, because I was traveling alone as a woman in a new city. Wow, did it change the game for me! After 30 hours of travel we arrived to an airport we’d never been to and had one less thing to think about. I think I’ll be booking airport transfers more often now.
Jodhpur: Tuk-Tuks & the Almond Tree
One of my coworkers booked us The Almond Tree. We were all so impressed with her pick – it was the perfect find! In a quiet neighborhood, with a pool, and away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. The Almond Tree was such a warm and inviting welcome to India.
For the first few days of the trip, we explored Jodhpur, met up with other coworkers, and bumped into some without planning it. We particularly loved lunch at Gopal Rooftop and getting henna done. The group’s tuk-tuk confidence was growing and I really enjoyed the ride going back and forth from the city center for the first three days.
We met up with our 430-person team in Jodhpur and the adventure continued!
Together, at a massive luxury hotel in the city center, we sat down, in India, for an all-company meeting. What an incredible way to celebrate the success of the year. Good vibrations were everywhere.
Kumbhalgarh: Sweeping Mountain Views & Fantastic Hotels
Our group shuttled outside of the city center for a welcome lunch in the countryside. Buffets of food, local dancers, and celebratory scenes surrounded our bike staging area. It was fantastic and mind-blowing.
We set off on our bikes and cycled past camels, cows, and goats to Kumbhalgarh, where we stayed for the next two nights. Each night, a spectacular party unfolded with local crafts for sale, food, drinks, and dancing.
While I had all of 9 days in Rajasthan, some of these moments around Kumbhalgarh were particularly special. I loved riding in an open-top Jeep along rolling rural roads.
Udaipur: Power Pedaling & a Bollywood Gala
Our move day consisted of a 70-kilometer ride to Udaipur. What a breathtaking day.
We climbed through undulating desert landscapes and cycled on gravel paths through rural villages – I was on the edge of my bike seat! As a snowboarder and hiker, with not a ton of bike experience, physically, this was a challenging day.
But the experience was pure magic.
And to make it even more special, I had a biking partner by my side who traversed the entire route with me. What an unexplainable feeling and a miraculous journey.
Our properties near Udaipur were equally as jaw-dropping. Being a budget backpacker and literal nature backpacker, on her second luxury trip ever, I was completely blown away. And I’m getting used to seeing the world in comfort!
Our final night, Backroads had planned a Bollywood Gala with local performers, dancing, food, and drinks to commemorate our 4-day bike trip through India and celebrate our work from the past year.
Watching the dancers perform truly moved me. Dance is a universal language and something that can be celebrated across the world. It’s a way we can communicate across cultures. Across language barriers. And share a part of ourselves. It was such an honor to witness this dance troupe perform.
All trip, I couldn’t stop pinching myself.
Final Moments in India: Rooftop Diwali & Heading Home
By the final day of our company-sponsored event, I started to think about going home. Having lived in California, New York, New Zealand, and Colorado, I have to remind myself which home I am going back to.
I think the beauty of travel is that, if you find home within yourself, you can be comfortable anywhere in the world.
After leaving the large company group, I spent my last day exploring Udaipur (final dosas included). I showered, got cozy in my haveli overlooking the river, and returned home.
Home is a warm shower, a smile. It is a comfortable bed in a safe building. Home is living out of a backpack. It is owning nothing but having relationships and experiences that mean everything. Home is everywhere and home is nowhere.
Home is being a traveler.
Celebrating Diwali in Udaipur
With a revival of energy and a welcoming invitation from a new friend, I jumped out of bed and ran upstairs to test the weather and get a look at my new surroundings. At the haveli, women were dancing to live music. There were fragrant aromas of cumin and garam masala, smiling faces, and lights twinkling above the river. What I thought would be a quiet night of rejuvenation, actually turned out to be one of my favorite nights in India. Happy Diwali!
As much as I wanted to stay on that rooftop terrace, where I felt safe, and watch the dancers, meet fellow travelers, chat to the haveli hosts, and cheers to Diwali – I knew there might be something special on the other side.
My curiosity propelled me to run back downstairs, grab a coat, and meander through the brightly lit streets of Udaipur to meet my new friends on a different rooftop, just across the river.
And I am so glad I did, as I can’t imagine a more celebratory ending to my 9 days in Rajasthan than sitting on that rooftop with a group of kindred spirits watching the reflection of the lights glimmer, sharing laughs and enjoying vibrant Diwali in India.
Travel is, and will always be, home.
