October 2019 Newsletter
Hi Everybody,
Another month slips by effortlessly like a gear change on a BMW R1250 GSA with a quick-shifter, and now we’re already waist deep into October. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the clocks are about to go back and plunge us into long dark evenings once more, whereas you lucky people in the southern hemisphere are on the cusp of the new riding season and there’s so much riding to be done. Perfect!
In Ride Expeditions’ world, it’s a constant flurry of activity as we recover from the final Indian tour of the season and sort the logistics for the upcoming South East Asian, Colombian and South African season. Like a Bond villain plotting world domination, Anna overlooks a vast world map, as a team of minions move around model motorcycles to track the extent of the Ride Expeditions empire. Or something pretty close at least, probably involving slightly more computer screens and post-it notes …
So on with the news!
Himalayan Hurrah # 1
With the phenomenally successful Himalayan Heights season finished off last month, it was the swan song for the Himalayan Extreme as we currently have it… (some exciting updates and changes are coming soon). Just a few days ago a fearless team of riders returned home from Manali after the ride of a lifetime. Tracking their way through the stunningly beautiful Spiti Valley, they crossed rivers, bounced over rocky trails, rode through enormous valleys and stayed in some truly beautiful locations. Hell, some of them even sent a post a card from the highest Post Office in the world! What a trip.
But don’t worry if you’ve missed your chance this year – we’ll be back on the Royal Enfield Himalayans next year and we’d love you to join us for this incredible adventure. If you are up for it – drop us an email on info@rideexpeditions.com and put “I want to ride in the Himalayas” in the subject line.
Cape Crusader Takes Off
So, with the Indian roads due to disappear under a blanket of snow within a few short weeks, it’s only sunshine (and perhaps a smattering of baboon dung) that’s going to be covering the roads in South Africa as we prepare for the first of the season’s Cape Crusader tour. Starting from the bustling metropolis of Cape Town, this wonderful adventure takes in all the splendour of the untamed Cederberg Wilderness and the famously beautiful Garden Route as it heads all the way to the Addo Elephant National Park on a lovely mix of smooth and fast tarmac and long, sweeping dirt roads.
If you want to join us, we’ve got a limited number of spaces left, so you’d need to get a wiggle on and contact us quick sharp on info@rideexpeditions.com
We’ve also got a Bring Your Own Bike discount of 25% if you happen to have one stuck in a garage in South Africa as well as a pillion rider option, so if you want to bring along a friend or partner it’s a full £850 off the regular tour price. Sadly, non-riders can’t just hitch a ride with existing riders without actually knowing them – that would just be weird, even if it worked in Easy Rider.
All about the Mountains
So, onto next year, and one of our favourite tours: the Cardamom Mountain Explorer. Setting off from the amazing city of Siem Reap and the world heritage site of the Angkor Wat temples, this wonderful tour travels high up into the heart of this achingly beautiful land. We’ll follow crashing rivers deep in the jungle, tackle rocky climbs past incredible waterfalls and stay in some amazing locations, from tiny guesthouses to friendly homestays with the locals. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough to persuade you – this tour finishes up on a tropical island with miles of incredible beaches, lapped by the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand.
When the festivities of Christmas and New Year’s have died down and you’re sat twiddling your thumbs thinking of what you can do to pass the time, you may be interested to know we’ve still got a few spaces on the tour in February 2020. The tour is suitable for everyone from off-road novices to experienced riders and with so much to see this ride always goes down a treat – it’s seven days of trail riding heaven. Check out the tour here.
Come Again & Early Bird Bargains
Everyone likes a deal and we’re certainly up for a bit of money saving action for our lovely riders. So in case you missed the memo, for every returning rider you’ll automatically get a 5% discount for return bookings with us as a little thank you from all of us at Ride Expeditions.
And for new riders we’ve also got the Early Bird discount to encourage you guys to get things booked and in the diary. If you book one of our stunning motorcycle tours eighteen months or more ahead of your tour dates, you’ll get a 5% discount on the total price too. Sadly, as we speak Anna is saying no to double discounts for early booking returning riders! Maybe try an equestrian based gift as a bribe…
Himalayan Hurrah # 2
With this year’s Himalayan Heights tours barely finished, we’re already taking bookings for 2020, and the tour leaving on the 27th July is already sold out, and the one leaving on the 13th July is pretty damn full too. It’s a great start for us so thanks to all the riders who will be coming. We can’t wait to show the sights.
If you fancy joining what is consistently our best selling and most popular tour, then drop us an email. The details are all here and if you need more convincing – here’s the video. It’s such a good tour – no wonder they sell out so quick!
Baby Boy
It’s always good to see the team expand and so we’re delighted to announce that our Cambodian tour leader Vut and his wife Socheata have been blessed with a bouncing baby boy. Little Vuth Yuttkun was born on the 9th September at a healthy 3.8 kilos and is doing well – which largely involves sleeping and occasionally waking for food.
When Vut is not cooing over his little lad or looking after their daughter, who is probably less delighted at the new attention-seeking sibling, he’s busy fettling the Ride Expeditions fleet including the new Yamaha YZ250FX for our Cambodian tours. Is baby Vuth going to be a rider – you bet! Check out the bikes …
In the meantime, instead of ‘Helmets on Gentlemen’ it’s ‘Nappies on Little Man’!
Blog Burner
So, with Julian heading off to the Italian Riviera, we’ve got a brace of blogs for you this month. One about those tiny little travel bits and pieces you always forget from cable ties to toilet rolls as well as a very interesting review of some funky Pivot PegZ to mention just two.
And finally…
So for the final video, here’s a catch up on the Monster Energy Cup. Did anyone grab the million bucks?’
As Bugs Bunny once said – That’s All Folks …