Seasonal Greetings to all our loyal readers across the world. In the UK, the first flurries of snow have just fallen, giving a light sugar frosting to the landscape as cars slide into each other in the rush hour traffic – it’s like a real-life Christmas card out there. Not that our esteemed leader would have any of these issues, Toby is getting hot and sweaty (and sometimes soggy!) in the jungles of Northern Vietnam, taking our intrepid band of riders on the stunning Laos to Vietnam adventure.

TOBY HARD AT WORK IN LAOS

So it’s time for an end of year catch up of what’s been going on in the world of Ride Expeditions. We’ve been as busy as a gang of beavers on double espressos, and the team have been dotted all over the UK, India, Nepal and Cambodia doing what we do best – running and planning epic motorcycle adventures.

NEW TOURS, NEW DESTINATIONS

After our hugely successful Spiti Valley Recce in July – new tour on sale soon – the team moved on to planning and Riding the next new tour. This time it was our blogger and wordsmith Julian who took a month off from the computer to take the helm. Backed up by our regular support team of lead and sweep riders, driver and mechanic, JC took a select band of seven enthusiastic customers on an epic 2700 km trip all the way from Northern India, on to the Upper Mustang Valley and finishing in eastern Nepal some 25 days later.

GOT CURVES? WE GOT CURVES

The team conquered everything from mad Diwali traffic in India to one of the most challenging roads on the planet – the infamous Behna hill which is somewhere between a mountain river and an extreme enduro section.

We even rode all the way to the Tibetan border, drank warm Yaks milk with a nomadic tribe and bathed elephants in a vast nature reserve. Now that’s a holiday!

WE MADE IT TO CHINA

But if that sounds like a bit of a long time to be on a mo-cycle – don’t worry! When the tour hits the schedules it’s going to be in a choice of 12 or 9 day tours and will start and finish in Nepal. We’re confident this is going to be every bit as popular as our Himalayan Height tours and will give a great progression for riders who want to take their adventuring to the next level. Bring it on for 2018!

RIDE THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL

This one is going to be so much fun. Starting in the bustling Cambodian city of Phnom Penh, our brand-new tour follows the path of the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail, the route that provided a vital arms route during the terrible Vietnam war. These days the trail is far more peaceful and scythes through achingly beautiful countryside and travels along deep river valley and wide rice plains taking us to our final destination of Luang Prabang in the hidden gem that is Laos.

You’ve got a choice of either Kawasaki KLX300s or the awesome fuel-injected Yamaha WRF450 – first world problems eh!

A TRAIL AND A KAWASAKI  – IT”S GOING TO BE A GOOD DAY

Over seventeen long and hugely enjoyable days Toby and the team will take you on an unforgettable trip – this is one to put straight into the diary without even bothering with the bucket list! Full info is at  right here

And the good news – we’ve still got a handful of places left before we zip up the kit bags and head off. The tour runs from February 21^st until March 9^th, so if you are interested get in contact with Anna on [email protected] as soon as you can. You will never forget this epic adventure.

TRAILS LIKE THESE MAKE FOR GREAT DAYS

LAOS TO VIETNAM – A CROSS BORDER ODYSSEY

Now this is the tour that we are currently riding – a fantastic journey from the Vientiane, the elegant and interesting capital of Laos and finishing in the madness and excitement of downtown Hanoi. On the way we’re experiencing everything from epic trails, river crossings on canoes, tractors and boats to rocky climbs and muddy jungle roads. But it’s not all riding. We’ve been watching elephants bathe, cruising on the river and swimming in waterfalls – what a way to spend a holiday!

A SLOW BOAT TO LAOS

Our next trip to ride this route heads out on April 5^th and over thirteen days will deliver some of the best riding that you will ever experience. It’s a fully supported tour with a travelling medic, lead and sweep riders and of course a fully kitted support truck that takes everything from bike spares to food and drinks. And don’t worry about your luggage – it’s in the truck too so all you need is a Camelbak and a smile!

We’ll be riding the amazingly capable CRF250L so with Honda’s legendary reliability, all you’ve got to worry about is having a great time.

MMM – FRESH HONDAS

Find out more here & sign up by sending an email to [email protected].

BRACE YOURSELF – IT’S BLOG TIME

So our blogs are proving to be some of the most read in the biking community – with a wealth of information covering everything from helping an injured rider to how to cope with deep water crossing – it’s a font of knowledge for on and off-road riders.

This month Julian has turned his attention to the controversial subject of neck braces – should you be wearing one or not?

Head over to the blog here to read all about it.

THINKING ABOUT PROTECTION? ALWAYS  SMART MOVE

That’s all for this month and for 2017. Thanks for all your support and we look forward to riding with you in the New Year (don’t forget, if your handle bars touch the ground, you get Benny the Bear riding pillion).

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from the team at Ride Expeditions. Have a great one!