I am Dr. Siddartha Oswal. I am from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, and I am a dental surgeon.
Hi, this is Jaya. I am a dentist, and I am also from Jalgaon. I'm here with my husband.
Nice. Is this your first bike ride?
No, actually, we have been on bike rides before. We have been to Ladakh and Spiti.
Nice. What made you get into bike riding?
Actually, I have been doing bike rides since 2005. I love the riding experience. I love everything about bikes.
Was there any specific reason or experience that made you feel that riding is something you want to do your whole life?
Yes. I think riding connects you to nature. When you travel by car, you don't connect with the surroundings in the same way. While riding, you experience all kinds of weather and terrain. It's difficult to explain how you feel while riding.
For me, I actually started bike rides because of him. I saw the love he had for bikes just in the way he spoke about riding and motorcycles. I thought it was his passion, and I wanted to join him on his journey.
Through riding, I got to know that you actually discover yourself when you go on bike rides. You learn about your capabilities and your limits, and you can expand them. I think that's where growth happens. We need to get out of our comfort zones, and that gives us different kinds of experiences that we truly want to have for ourselves.
Riding in the mountains keeps you grounded. It brings out a better version of yourself.
Definitely. When you go on community trips, you meet many different people. You get to know life from different perspectives and realize that life doesn't revolve only around you. It goes far beyond that, and you do whatever you can to expand your horizons.
Out of all your bike trips, which place would you suggest everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime?
Actually, every place is different. You have to go and experience each one. Leh-Ladakh is different, Spiti is different, and Tawang is different. You need to experience all of these places.
It's not about saying one is the best and another isn't. There are different terrains, different types of rides, and different tracks. Some routes offer off-roading, while others have smooth tarmac roads. I think we don't need to compare anything—we just need to enjoy the experience.
How was Tawang? How were the roads and the weather?
Tawang was beautiful. I enjoyed every moment of it. Just yesterday, we experienced all three seasons. In the morning, it was sunny. In the afternoon at Sela, we had snowfall. At night, we experienced heavy rain.
So it was completely different, and yes, it was great.
Nature here is amazing. We actually got to experience all three major seasons of India in a single day.
That's very nice. If you had to give a tip to future Tawang riders, what would it be?
I would say, be prepared for everything. Be prepared for extreme climates as well. Go with an open mind and simply enjoy.
And carry waterproof socks.
Yes, most importantly, carry waterproof socks. And carry a dryer with you so you can enjoy everything comfortably.
That's a great tip. How would you describe your experience with DreamRiders—from the sales call to the point where we are standing right now?
It's been good. We have had a very good experience with DreamRiders. The management and the entire team have been excellent.
All the team members are very helpful and always ready to assist. For example, yesterday I forgot my bag at the hotel after we had already ridden about 14 kilometers away.
The captains, marshals, and everyone involved were very cooperative. They told us to continue while they arranged to get the bag. They successfully brought it back to us.
Thank you, DreamRiders, for being so helpful.
Special thanks to Arvind. He handled the situation very calmly and efficiently.
DreamRiders, nice job.
Thank you.
