MEDIA FACT SHEET
Madhya Pradesh
Cycling India's Wild Heart Between Two Tiger Reserves
A 10-day cycling and wildlife journey through central India, linking Pench and Kanha with forest roads, agricultural valleys, Gond and Baiga communities, weekly markets and repeated opportunities for wildlife viewing.
Main cycling days range from 40 to 64 km over mostly flat terrain and small hills. Game drives in Pench and Kanha are combined with cycling in the forest corridor between the reserves, including access to Rukhad Wildlife Sanctuary with a local park guide.
Fast Facts
Destination: Madhya Pradesh, India
Activity: Guided bicycle touring & wildlife safaris
Duration: 10 days
Start/finish: Nagpur
Riding: 40-64 km per day
Level: Leisurely
Terrain: Mostly flat roads & small hills
Roads: Primarily paved, with selected forest tracks and hard-packed sections
Wildlife: Pench, Rukhad & Kanha
Season: October to February
Lodging: Jungle lodges, cottages, treehouses & tented camp
Support: Cycling guides + support van + luggage truck
Price: From $4650
What Makes the Journey Different
This is an India cycling route organized around forest country rather than famous cities and monuments. The journey begins at Pench, rides through the wildlife corridor toward Kanha and uses bicycles to connect farming communities, tribal hamlets, markets and protected landscapes that most wildlife itineraries cross only by vehicle.
The wildlife component is substantial rather than decorative. The itinerary includes two game drives in Pench, four over two days in Kanha and a final Kanha game drive, while the cycling days explore the human and ecological landscape between the reserves.
Editorial Angles
India Beyond Palaces, Temples and Big Cities
Madhya Pradesh reveals a quieter central India of teak and Sal forests, farmland, small markets and communities where daily life remains closely tied to the surrounding landscape.
Tiger Country by Bicycle, Not Only by Jeep
The trip pairs traditional wildlife drives with riding through the Pench-Kanha forest corridor and special-permission cycling in Rukhad Wildlife Sanctuary, turning the land between the parks into part of the story.
Gond and Baiga Communities Along the Route
Village visits, a tribal museum, weekly markets, family interactions and roadside chai stops introduce the people who live in and around the same forests that support central India's wildlife.
From Pench to Kanha
- Pench National Park: Settle into a jungle lodge, then spend a full day on morning and afternoon game drives searching for tigers, leopards, sloth bears and other wildlife.
- Pench River & tribal market - 56 km: Ride through forest, farms and villages, visit a weekly market and finish with a hands-on dinner using vegetables from the lodge garden.
- Rukhad Wildlife Sanctuary - 50 km: Cycle with a local park guide through a key part of the Pench-Kanha wildlife corridor, learning to read tracks and animal signs along the way.
- Gond country - 64 km: Ride through agricultural valleys and forested hills, visit a Gond family for chai and continue to a tented camp near Kanha.
- Baiga villages & Kisli forest - 56-40 km: Visit Baiga hamlets, a tribal museum, Sal forests, village tracks, markets and a local school on the final riding days.
- Kanha National Park: Spend two days on four game drives, then make one final wildlife drive before returning to Nagpur for departure.
How Pedalers Runs the Trip
Guides: The cycling is led by local experts, including riding guide-naturalists in the forest regions. Park game drives use lodge naturalists and local park guides. Pedalers provides roughly one cycling guide for every six guests.
Bicycles: Hardtail mountain bikes are included.
Support: A support van and luggage truck travel with the group. The vehicles carry luggage and drinking water, provide lifts and shuttle riders past town centers or heavier traffic where cycling would add little to the day.
Accommodation: The current route uses Pench Tree Lodge, Bagh Villas and Kanha Earth Lodge, mixing treehouses and cottages with a boutique jungle camp and Gond-inspired forest cottages.
Food: Meals emphasize regional Indian cooking, fresh breads, rice, vegetables, lentils and curries, with guide-selected restaurants and lodge kitchens chosen for both flavor and traveler comfort. Drinking water is commercially bottled or purified.
About Pedalers
Pedalers has operated small-group active journeys since 1987, specializing in cycling, walking and canoe trips built around local knowledge, thoughtfully designed routes, regional food and distinctive accommodations.
The company focuses on destinations its team knows firsthand rather than maintaining a large global catalog.