After covering a distance of 1,500 kilometres and visiting five national parks during six-day journey, an all-women group of 15 bike riders returned to Bhopal on Tuesday night.
Their journey titled Tigress on the Trail was organised by MP Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC). They were welcomed by MPTDC additional managing director Sonia Meena at Palash Hotel. She presented certificates and medals to them.
Meena said bikers will act as ambassadors for state tourism department. She said state has great scope for adventure activities and is safe state for women tourists. She said event was a part of Safe Women Destination campaign, financed by Centre’s Nirbhaya Fund.
The bike riders shared experiences on the occasion. Meenakshi Rao, who led the group, works for railways. She said night safari in Panna National Park was the most exciting part of their journey.
Silwana from Italy said she was impressed with countryside, especially its potters. Odisha’s Amita Singh said dhabha owners where they had meals did not charge anything from them. Indian Institute of Soybean Research director Neeta Khandekar, 57, said when she decided to embark on the journey, many of her colleagues and friends told her that she should not undertake such an arduous trip at her age. “But I ignored it,” she said. Of the riders, nine were from Madhya Pradesh, two from Maharashtra, one each from Karnataka, Odisha and West Bengal and one from Italy.
