The four women riders at the reception of the Embassy of India, Hanoi. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - A group of four female motorcycling enthusiasts fromIndia have reached Vietnam as part of their journey to cover UNESCO WorldHeritage Sites in seven nations along Mekong River.
Their 17,000-km expedition, which started on February 11 from Hyderabad ofIndia, covers India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladeshin seven weeks.
The team plans to visit 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in five countries andpromote tourism in the 35 UNESCO sites in India by biking through the newlybuilt India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMT) Highway.
The main objective of the expedition, also called Road to Mekong, is to promotetourism in India and showcase the rich culture and tradition of the country aswell as its shared historical and cultural roots with the extended Indiansubcontinent.
Additionally, the ride will highlight safe tourism opportunities for womentravellers in India and encourage international travellers visiting other ASEANcountries to include India as an extended travel itinerary through the IMTHighway.
On their arrival, the motorcyclists were welcomed byParvathaneni Harish, India’s Ambassador to Vietnam.
“The expedition coincided with the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-Indiadialogue relations,” said the ambassador, stressing the significance of theexpedition’s mission.
According to Jai Bharathi, the Road Captain, it took them nearly eight monthsto prepare for the trip, “because it covers many countries and includes quitemany people. Everything has to be documented so we wanted the production crewalong with us as well. In total, there are 12 people in the trip,” she said.
Besides conquering new paths, the team has been organising evenings and teabreaks at selected pit stops in major cities and district headquarters in whichthey can interact with locals about India’s culture and history.
The indispensable companions of the four women riders in the expedition arefour 400cc bikes manufactured by India-based two-wheel manufacturer, BajajDominar.
“The bikes are too good and easy to handle,” said Bharathi. “As we arepromoting our country’s tourism, it’s important that we use motorcycles made inIndia.”
The team will have seven days to drive across Vietnam after visiting thecountry’s heritage sites, including Ho Dynasty Citadel in the central provinceof Thanh Hoa, Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh, Hue ImperialCity in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and My Son Sanctuary in the centralprovince of Quang Nam.
They are expected to leave Vietnam on March 16 and reach India on March 27.-VNA
VNA
