You can keep your five star resorts, overpriced drinks, and tourist traps. We've learned from experience that a proper motorcycle holiday is the only vacation that'll truly scratch the itch.
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Who says you have to travel abroad for a big adventure? We've got some of the most epic motorcycle destinations in the world right here in our backyard, and these seven, in particular, are not to be missed.
This new "What's it really like" video series Garrett got us started on seems long overdue, although it's quite a challenge putting these riding opportunities into words. Such is true with all forms of travel in that no words ... no photos ... or videos ... can possibly recreate the experience of actually being there.
This latest video about our Self-Guided, Truck Supported Full Patagonia Adventure package explains a motorcycle trip format that came into existence for few simple reasons:
a) RIDE Adventures got started as a result of my own Self-Guided riding and exploration, and the spirit and challenge that comes with solo travel is something I will forever cherish.
b) Add a bit of my own cautious nature, recognizing that in the most remote places, it's safer to be riding with someone instead of completely alone.
c) Consider feedback we've received from Customers over the years that "I don't want to be stuck in a group in Patagonia, but I also don't want to be out there completely alone."
Combine all these thoughts, and this unique Self-Guided, Truck Supported motorcycle trip format has been the perfect response to such a combination of hopes & needs. Bonus is, because we've removed the Lead Guide from the services offered in this package, it helps cut-down the cost per rider. Per these points from our latest video:
With our 8-year anniversary just a few days away and as you may have seen on our last eNewsletter, RIDE Adventures just announced that we’re starting operations in Asia, our 5th continent!
I snuck out a few blog posts back in April during the research trip in Thailand and Laos, as a few of our Customers and friends joined me for what was truly a trip full of surprises. (See the 1st post here, the 2nd one here, and the 3rdhere. What lies below is a summary of those trip updates.)
Surprises? To me, the guy that has spent most of the last 10 years riding adventure bikes through 25 countries on 4 other continents? Through places like the Skeleton Coast, the Namib Desert, the Alps, Andes, Rockies and Dolomites? Yes, Thailand and Laos still surprised me.
Trying to be as informative as we can in helping Riders choose the right motorcycle trip format, there are plenty of points to consider if you think "Self-Guided" is how you'd like to experience your next international adventure.
For some, the only way to ride is being out there solo, with no strings attached, schedules to follow, or fellow riders to wait for as they put on their riding gloves at a snail's pace. The spirit and mystery that goes into solo motorcycle travel can be felt in onlookers at the gas stations and obscure locations that we end up in, as people around you wonder "where is that rider from, and where they are going all geared-up like that?" The time to think, ponder, and pontificate within one's helmet can be found in it's purest form during these solo rides, while almost completely on the flip-side, it often makes for the best opportunities to meet new people, as we don't already have our regular entourage to confine us.
Many of our Self-Guided Customers have chosen this format for the sake of being able to form their own Private Group motorcycle trip affordably. Because Guided Group tours come with an array of fixed or common costs to consider, it's often financially unfeasible for private groups of 2-3 Riders to afford the full services we provide with a Lead Motorcycle Guide and Support Truck with Driver.
As if the scenery in central Colombia isn't enough, the Guided and Self-Guided motorcycle tours we offer in Colombia also lend us a learning opportunity. By the time we're in the Cocora Valley region nearing Salento, the elevation, climate, and soil type are perfect for growing one of the most famous forms of plant life in the world: "Coffea Arabica" perhaps better known as "coffee." Maybe you've heard of it : )
As part of our regular riding routes in Colombia, we have the opportunity to tour actual working coffee plantations and see what it takes to grace us with that essential cup of joy every morning.
On the heels of our recently announcement of these great new service offerings for riding motorcycles in Colombia, it's time to share some of "why" we would bother to offer trips here in the first place.
What wasn't explained in that eNewsletter was that, indeed, RIDE Adventures did have Colombian operations in place back in the first few years of business from 2010-13. Sadly, but as can happen in any situation, our working relationships with the people previously involved came to an end, so it's only now about 4 years later that we've been able to reestablish a team worthy of taking care of our Customers in Colombia. This means great things for adventure riders from around the world who might have never thought they would ride in a country like this.
So here we go, 5 Top Reasons:
1) BECAUSE "YES," IT’S SAFE TO RIDE IN COLOMBIA!!!
Most of the world thinks of motorcycles as just another way to get to another destination, only different from a car in that we get a little wind in our hair or bugs in our teeth (keeping in mind proper helmet use of course : ) Part of what makes a motorcycle the best vehicle for genuine adventures is just the fact that you're not trapped "within" the windows of a vehicle, or in the case of dual sport bikes, that you're not confined to a particular type of terrain.
Riders often dream of taking one of the bucket list trips at RIDE Adventures, and one of the destinations we'd like to feature today is a glimpse at a South Africa motorcycle tour. While you might not need additional reasons to go on an amazing adventure like this, here are 10 more to-pardon the pun-get your engine humming, presented by Simon and our crew based in South Africa.
As another gigantic season of Patagonia riding comes to a close, our thanks goes out to all Customers who endured the sometimes-grueling Patagonia conditions, terrains, and weather since all the riding began back in September. A special and HUGE thanks goes out to those who shared Customer Testimonials. Not exaggerating folks, reading your appreciation and positive reactions to the motorcycle rentals, routes & hotel packages we set up for you is still one of the greatest thrills we could ask for!
Moving into the winter months for Patagonia (late May through September) we're very excited to announce some new motorcycle trip packages in the Atacama Desert, much further north in Chile. I had blogged about the Atacama region not too long ago, and admittedly got a bit emotional as it brought back memories of my first couple years living, working, riding, and guiding in Chile. Since then, our work in Patagonia, Europe, and southern Africa has been so time-consuming, that attention to the Atacama region had just sort of "slipped" down the list of priorities, as inappropriate as that may be.
