CYCLING WORLDWIDE ADVENTURES 2018 EUROPE / ASIA / CENTRAL AMERICA / AFRICA Welcome to the Intrepid way of travel There’s nothing quite like jumping on a bike and exploring a city by road. In fact some cities, like Hanoi or Seville, seem to be built to do just that. While riding down cobbled streets and laneways sounds romantic (and it is), for me it’s all about hitting the open road – pedalling past Provence’s lavender fields, stopping by the side of the road in Tanzania to spot giraffe, or the satisfaction that comes with beating the hilly trails of Vinales. Perhaps the best bit about seeing it all on a bike is you can travel like a proper local, still get some exercise, and enjoy an environmentally friendly mode of transport. I believe that we have a responsibility as one of the world’s largest providers of adventure travel experiences to help conserve the environment for future generations. That’s why our commitment to responsible travel is so important to me. We’re always looking for ways to improve, from putting a stop to orphanage visits and elephant rides to carbon offsetting all our trips. Our not-for-profit arm, The Intrepid Foundation, also supports grassroots community projects around the world by matching traveller donations dollar-for-dollar. It’s crucial that we all play our part in making this a better world. In 2018 we’ve got a stack of pedal-powered trips to get excited about – designed specifically for riders of all levels and run by top-notch cycling guides. There’s our new adventures pedalling through the Middle East via Iran and Jordan, beachside escapes in Bali and the chance to act out your Tour de France dreams tackling the dips and climbs of the French Alps. This year I will be exploring Japan on two wheels. Cycling through Kyoto’s famous bamboo forests to Tenryuji Temple will no doubt be a highlight, and I’m particularly excited about seeing the iconic temples of Kyoto for the first time. Of course, active trips like this are always an excellent excuse to indulge in a soothing onsen and fuel up with plenty of delicious ramen, too. I hope you find plenty of inspiration in these pages and perhaps it will even spark a little wanderlust. James Thornton CEO Small wheels, big adventure We think the world’s at its best when there’s nothing between it and you. No big bus window. No iPhone screen. No maps or walls or guidebooks. Just the wind and the open road. That’s the thinking behind our brand new cycling trips. There’s a nice simplicity to cycling. You start at A and slowly ride your way to B, powered by nothing but your own legs… and maybe a Provencal orange cake and a couple of glasses of vino. This is cycling Intrepid-style. Which means it’s not the Tour de France. You don’t get prizes for coming in first, and the lycra bodysuits are definitely optional. These trips are for people who really want to see a place. Not just travel it. Ride on. 2 CyclingAvignon, France Life cycle Although your transport is mostly of the two-wheeled variety, these trips are still classic Intrepid. And that means plenty of real life experiences. It may be pulling over for an impromptu game of soccer in Panama, or drinking chai with friendly locals under a roadside tree in Rajasthan. Maybe even spotting an elusive leopard in Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park. They’re the moments you can’t really plan for. The little details you won’t find in any travel brochure. The bikes On most of our cycling trips we’ll be using hardtail mountain bikes, armed with front suspension. Depending on the country, we’ll use a mix of makes and models, like Giant Talon and Trek X Caliber 5, but they’re all pretty similar when it comes to form and function. Our bikes are serviced regularly in‑country, by local experts who know their stuff. We’ve also got a support vehicle that travels around with the group, so any pesky broken chains or flat tyres can be fixed in a jiffy. Small groups... Riding in groups of about 10 people (on average) means we can reach places other cycling tours can’t: think a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Cuba’s Las Terrazas, a stilt-house homestay in Mai Chau, Vietnam, or maybe an afternoon picnic on the ancient Tuscan ramparts of Lucca (try getting that from your big bus tours). A smaller group also means you get more one-on-one attention and support. If you’re tiring after a long day in the saddle, or you’d like a bit more time at a little Provencal market, just mention it to your leader. They’ll do all they can to help. Cycling 3 Our local leaders are all cycling junkies, but they go through some pretty rigorous training before being allowed behind the handlebars of an Intrepid cycling tour. Each one has undergone on-road supervision and knows how to do safety checks, basic repairs and emergency first-aid. But they’re still regular Intrepid leaders, which means they know the best local bars, cafes and hidden spots (not to mention handling all the logistical stuff). You just focus on the ride. Personal support Local knowledge Special interests Our leaders know what it’s like to sometimes have a Local leaders mean local knowledge – and our At Intrepid we know the best way to experience a bad moment (or day) on the bike. That’s why they’ll cycling leaders’ knowledge is second to none. As destination is by bike. But we also know that many always be there to ride with you, cheer you on, and well as having an in-depth understanding of each of you have special interests out of the saddle, sometimes push you to reach your own personal destination’s local culture and history, our cycling too. That’s why we ensure each of our leaders is cycling goals. leaders know the best places to ride and where to a qualified Intrepid tour leader before they even They’re there to help you out when your bike has a stop when you really need that hard-earned drink. get near a bike. This way they can help you find hiccup too – be it a flat tyre, misbehaving gears or They’ll even suggest additional places to ride for that perfect photo, the cooking school you always adjusting your bike so it fits you like a glove. those wanting to go a little bit further and rack up wanted to visit or even that one missing piece from some extra miles. your spoon collection. 4 Cycling Meet a few of our local leaders… Justaz Mollel ‘Justaz is proud of and enthused by Tanzania – its development, culture, people and environment. He was a good ambassador for Intrepid and seemed genuinely pleased to be part of the trip. He supported us and other local guides we worked with to ensure we got the best possible experience.’ ~ Heather Cross, Cycle Tanzania Sampath Kulathunge ‘We couldn’t have asked for any more from Sam. He provided us with the holiday of a lifetime. His crew were particularly impressive as well. They did everything for us!’ ~ Bronte Young, Cycle Sri Lanka Prapassorn (Is) Yapiang ‘Is was so enthusiastic and seems to love her job. She was very concerned about pleasing each of us and making sure we were all happy. Is imparted a lot of local knowledge on us, including how people live and farming methods.’ ~ Laura Sharkey, Cycle Indochina Kent Benson ‘Kent is clearly passionate about Italy and about cycling. His knowledge of cycling and of the routes we were travelling gave us loads of confidence. Kent was always keen to explain local customs or places in their historic context, and was able to expand our understanding of modern Italian The ‘other guys’ culture greatly.’ ~ Haydn Swan, Cycle Tuscany Our leaders are the first to admit that they couldn’t do their job so well without the rest of their crew supporting them – and from your feedback we know you feel the Aly Sturt-Scobie same way. Behind every amazing cycling ‘Aly made this trip for us! She was so personable leader is an equally dedicated and amazing and approachable and her love and passion for support driver, mechanic and occasional both France and cycling rubbed off on me. I would sign up for a future trip if I knew she would be the support rider – yes, sometimes that’s all the leader again!’ same person! ~ Amanda Harris, Cycle Provence Discover more trips, detailed destination information and the latest prices at intrepidtravel.com/cycling 5 On your bike To take the hassle out of preparing for your trip, we’ve included bike hire on all our dedicated cycling tours. Alternatively, you can bring your trusty bike from home. Hiring a bike Bringing your Flying with your The bikes we use are from proven brands, very own bike own bike well maintained, typically less than three years If you are a dedicated cyclist or just want All airlines will have their own rules when old (most are newer) and specifically chosen to to take your bike on a holiday, you can transporting bikes. You’ll need to box your bike suit the terrain you’ll be cycling on the trip. They usually bring it along for the ride. Just up for transport on the plane – the easiest way come in a full range of sizes from extra small to make sure you let us know at the time to do this is to go to your local bike shop and ask extra large and usually have front suspension, of booking, so we can make sure your if they will do it for you (a fee may apply).