Hello all,
So, with most of us being confined to barracks for weeks on end then the DIY jobs should all be completed, you’ve probably got vastly fitter and healthier, learned a new language and taught yourself to play the clarinet. Or maybe you’ve not shaved for days, you live in pyjamas and are now drowning under pizza boxes and beer cans.
But whatever it is, living with Coronavirus restrictions has been an interesting experience that few would like to repeat. The shoots of recovery are slowly beginning to show in many countries although others still seem to be wrestling with even acknowledging the threat. Of course, this difference in response and effective control between countries means that a return to normal travel seems a way off, but with some countries tentatively beginning to open their borders there is hope. And while the UK and the USA have had terrible death rates, the figures in other countries and indeed almost all that Ride Expeditions operate our tours are, although no less tragic, thankfully much lower and in some case without any apparent loss of life through COVID-19.
- Mongolia: 179 cases, no recorded deaths
- Cambodia: 125 cases, no recorded deaths.
- Vietnam: 328 cases, no recorded deaths.
- Laos: 19 cases, no recorded deaths.
- Namibia: 24 cases, no recorded deaths.
- South Africa: 31k cases, 643 recorded deaths.
- India: 182k case, 5,164 recorded deaths.
- Colombia: 28k cases, 890 recorded deaths.
So on with the news…
NAMIBIA UNLEASHED IS ON!
While we’ve been tucked up in Ride Expeditions HQ, we’ve really managed to use our time well. And so, after the numerous recce rides last year, and countless hours spent pouring over maps, route plans and tour details, we are finally ready to announce our newest and most exciting adventure tour… Drum roll please – NAMIBIA UNLEASHED is ready to go!
Namibia is one of the most sparsely populated countries on the planet but has truly epic countryside and incredible scenery to explore – for Motorcyclists it’s a dream location! Endless trails snaking across vast savannahs, rocky trails through almost lunar landscapes, twisting trails following dry riverbeds, amazing wildlife, stunning sunsets – it’s got the lot!
But don’t think we’ll be roughing it out in the bush at night – far from it. This is a Luxury standard tour with some truly exceptional overnight destinations. We’ve got luxury lodges in the middle of the desert, beach front villas, spa hotels, safari tents – the whole nine yards and more. We’ll swim in infinity pools and dine around campfires under a million stars. And the riding – well just WOW!
To take on the vastness of Namibia, we’re relying on Bavaria’s finest to accompany us. Top of the range BMWs from the nimble F850 to the world conquering R1250 GS will be our bikes of choice, and for those of you who have ridden the mighty GS – you’ll know just how good they are in whatever terrain you choose – blasting the dirt roads has never been so good.
Check out the full itinerary here – and enjoy our stunning video below!
We’re tentatively looking at the first tour in September – this clearly will be a subject to how the current situation pans out. We’re desperate to get riding on this tour and if you want to be the first to experience Namibia Unleashed – get in touch – the first tour is heavily discounted!
But if you want to wait for normality to return, we’ll be running the same tour in September 2021 and maybe a few dates before.
BIKE TRAVEL - THE NEW SITE FOR ADVENTUROUS MOTORCYCLISTS
So, with some time away from actually riding bikes, we’ve been able to press on with another long-planned project. And that’s Bike Travel.
Ride Expeditions have been providing high quality supported motorcycle adventures for years now, but we know that there are just as many ways to experience countries as there are bikers out there. So, we wanted to create a hub for a whole host of different experiences and tours across the world – a one-stop shop to help motorcyclists pick out the best operators and the best tours across the world. From riding Route 66 on a Harley, to following the Great Ocean Road on a KTM – cruising the Amalfi Coast on a Ducati to tackling the Pamir Highway on a Suzuki. And that’s exactly what Bike Travel will provide.
We’ll list tours across the world, carefully selecting the best in each sector and in each country. From road to trail, adventure to sports bike we want to showcase the best tour operators that we’ve thoroughly vetted and researched. We’ll be looking at tours that include the bike hire, as well as ones where you can use your own bike, self-guided tours using GPS or road book and fully supported and guided tours. And to cover all bases, we’ll also be
listing tours and adventures to suit every budget – from shoestring to luxury, budget to bank-busting!
We’ll start off with a big push on the European sector – we’re Brits at heart (even though we’re currently residing in sun-kissed South Africa) and with air travel up in the air (sadly not literally), we reckon that tours just across the channel from the UK will make a lot of sense in the not so distant future.
But we’re not going to limit the new website to just tours – we want to provide riding tips, gear reviews and bike reviews. We want to bring you the best clothing, the best luggage – whatever you need. We’ll be launching the new site from mid-July, but in the meantime if you’ve experienced a great tour or rental experience anywhere in the world – get in touch and let us know and we’ll check them out. The future is bright, although not necessarily orange!
CAPE CRUSADER 2.0
Our already epic Cape Crusader big bike tour of South Africa’s Western Cape has just got even better! We’ve extended the route to ride further north from the Cederberg, now venturing into the vast expanse of the Tankwa Karoo. We ride straight through the middle of a game reserve that’s home to the Big 5 where our lead man Henk once found himself face to face with a rhino! (Sure, it’s not for the faint hearted, but this is proper adventure motorcycling!) We’ve upgraded the accommodation in key locations and we’re now classing this trip as ‘Luxury’ standard… and with the falling value of the South African Rand, we’ve been able to do this without increasing the price in sterling by a single penny – perfect!
Toby and the South African team have put a serious amount of work into refining what was already an incredible tour. We can now confidently say – this tour of South Africa’s Western Cape is as good as it gets! Incredible riding, wildlife, food, wine, accommodation, scenery, coast, wilderness… it really has got everything, and it will blow you away!
Check out the updated tour page here.
AND FINALLY
So, we always finish with a cracking bit of video and this month is no exception. It’s a stunning resto-mod on a basket case $400 Honda CR250. If the end result was not impressive enough to convince you, then the fact that builder Cameron Niemela had to battle cancer during the build takes things to another level. Kind of puts a bit of lockdown into context! Enjoy the film and that sweeeet ride!
This post first appeared on Cambodia Motorcycle Tours | Ride Cambodia, please read the originial post: here
