south africa€¦ · hermanus - cederberg 290km // hermanus is on the whale coast route and is...

S O U T H A F R I C A

M O R E I N F O

C A P E C R U S A D E R


T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S :

Itinerary

Tour Key Points

Tour key info & Highlights

Complete itinerary

Inclusions, exclusions and extras

Bikes & testimonials

Tour Gallery

About us & Why us

Contact details

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If you have never been to South Africa, you are in for a total treat from start to finish. The country may be still coming to terms with its multicultural and shared identity, but for a holiday destination it’s got all the boxes ticked. From the laid-back cool of the V & A dock development in Cape Town, the incredible Table Mountain reserve overlooking the entire region to the wide and beautiful beaches of the Southern Cape. And that’s before you even get on a bike.

We’ve named our first South African motorcycle tour the ‘Cape Crusader’ as when you are riding the incredible roads and trails you will feel like a true biking super hero – forget bucket list – this is dream motorcycling for sure.

This South African motorcycle tour will take you on incredible roads with perfect tarmac through achingly beautiful landscapes on the way to the remote and rugged Cederberg Wilderness. We’ll climb epic mountain passes, carve along astounding dirt roads and witness some of the most wonderful scenery you’ll ever encounter. We’ll visit nature reserves, safari parks and spot whales in the Indian Ocean. Did we mention the 50km long trail on the way to ’The Hell’ in the Swartberg mountain range? Yep – that one’s special.

But don’t think you’ll be roughing it on this trip – we’ll stay in plush western style hotels, wildlife lodges, remote farmhouses – a whole range of beautiful and interesting accommodation to really make your evenings as good as your days.

For the bikes, we’ll be using the BMW’s as the brand of choice, their incredible dealer network and metronomic efficiency making this an easy choice. All bikes will be the latest models and we’ve got options from the shorter & lighter 700GS, the ‘go everywhere’ 800GS and for the hard-core adventurers, the mighty 1200GS.

If you want an incredible holiday, the Cape Crusader is a tour that will deliver big time.

C A P E C R U S A D E R

01I T I N E R A R Y

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02T O U R K E Y P O I N T S

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Skill Level Required //

Tour Type //

Distance //

Duration //

Tour Price //

Start City //

End City //

Intermediate

Blacktop & Gravel (approx 65:35)

2,000km

13 days

£3495

Cape Town, South Africa

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

H I M A L A Y A S// 04


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The Motorcycles //

Support Crew //

Duration //

Terrain //

Average Daily Ride Hours //

Suitable For Pillion Riders? //

Latest model BMW’s - choose from the GS 700, 800 or 1200 (the 750, 850 and 1250 GS models will be available from late 2019).

A lead rider, a western medic and a 4x4 support vehicle. A substantial medical kit is carried in the support vehicle and there is space for people to sit / lay if they cannot ride.

13 days total

Tarmac (approx 65%) & gravel (approx 35%)

5 – 8 with plenty of drink / photo stops.

Yes, but only if the pillion is happy to ride in the 4x4 support vehicle for the rougher sections - approximately 20% of the trip.

03T O U R K E Y I N F O

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The BIG FIVE! – we’ll go on safari at Addo National Park in search of Lion, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Elephant and Leopard!

Spot giraffe & ostrich from our beautiful lodge.

Ride the epic gravel road down into ‘The Hell’.

Visit the penguin colony at Betty’s Bay.

Ride the challenging roads through adventure riding heaven: ‘Baviaanskloof’.

Whale spotting in Hermanus - the best land based whale spotting location in the world.

Ride the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain and enjoy the spectacular views across Cape Town and the Atlantic ocean.

Ride the world famous Chapmans Peak Drive... If this is not the most beautiful coastal road you’ve ever ridden, you need new glasses.

Got guts? Try bungee jumping from the highest jump in the southern hemisphere!

Got real guts? Extend your stay and get in the water with great white sharks!

T O U R H I G H L I G H T S

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Welcome To Cape Town! //

The first day of the tour starts with your arrival at Cape Town International Airport. You’ll be met from the plane and transferred directly to your hotel in the heart of the city. Once you’ve checked in it’s a chance to relax after the long flight. In the afternoon we’ll get all the riders together to meet the team and give you a full briefing of the exciting adventure ahead.

We’ll then venture out to the waterfront for a welcome dinner overlooking the harbour.

Accommodation: 4* hotel with a pool. Included meals: Dinner.

04F U L L I T I N E R A R Y

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Cape Town Acclimatisation Day //

So, you can’t be in Cape Town and not go up onto Table Mountain – it’s one of the most iconic sights in Africa and apparently older than the Himalayas, though there are no eye witnesses to confirm. So, after breakfast we’ll take you to the gently rotating cable car that climbs steeply to the top. It’s a massive and stunning area that you can explore, you might even get a photo with a Dassie and of course the obligatory selfie.

Once descended from the mountain, you’ve got some time to explore Cape Town, before collecting the bikes later in the afternoon.

Accommodation: 4* hotel with a pool. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

D A Y 2

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F U L L I T I N E R A R Y


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Cape Town to Hermanus 240km //

OK so today the real adventure begins! So, hop on and thumb the starter… We’ll start the day with a trip down the fantastic Cape peninsula and follow stunning coastal roads down to the historic Cape of Good Hope.

We then follow the coast east through picturesque coastal towns and villages all the way to Hermanus for our first stop. Along the way we will stop to visit a penguin colony at the famous ‘Betty’s Bay’.

Accommodation: Guesthouse with sea views. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

D A Y 3


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Hermanus - Cederberg 290km //

Hermanus is on the Whale Coast route and is reputed to be the best place on earth for seeing whales while still on the land. Get your binoculars out and you could see a Southern-right whale before breakfast – now that’s a pretty special way to start the day.

Once saddled up, we’ll leave the Whale coast to spend the day on joyful sweeping roads, heading north and passing through wine country on the way to Cederberg. Once we get into the wilderness that is Cederberg, we hit the gravel and witness the scenery change.

Tonight we stay in a beautiful lodge in the middle of nowhere! One of our team will man the ‘braai’ (a South African BBQ) and cook up a massive feast, South African style!

Accommodation: 4* rural lodge. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

D A Y 4

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Cederberg - Montagu 225km //

There’s some fantastic riding today from epic and sweeping blacktop to wonderfully flowing and joyful dirt roads. We start the day by riding north to see the ancient cave art and Stadsaal rock formations.

We then climb on winding gravel roads up the impressive Katbakkies pass, followed by a life affirming descent from the high plains and on to one of the straightest and longest dirt roads we have ever ridden.

Once the dirt is behind us, it’s a fantastic, fast and furious ride on the tarmac on the run down to Montagu. Don’t forget to stop at the top of the valley – that view is a keeper.

Accommodation: Rural cottages. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Montagu - Die Hel | 390km //

Leaving the lush valleys of Montagu behind, we will head into the famous Karoo region today. A massive ribbon of smooth tarmac takes us on the famous Route 62 – only four down from Route 66 so it must be good. We’ll ride the immensely beautiful ‘Tradouw Pass’ and a few more miles on it’s selfie time at Ronnie’s Sex Shop – it has to be done!

But if it’s one road that will define your tour it’s the next one. The roads on the way up the Swartberg range are stunning, clinging to the side of the rocks through endless hairpins to reach the start of the road to ‘The Hell’. It’s a 48km dirt track that traces an achingly beautiful valley over all surfaces from hardpack dirt to rocks, sand and water. When we get to our overnight accommodation you’ll have earned a drink as we spend the night around a roaring fire miles from anywhere. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Accommodation: Basic cottages. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

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Die Hel - Oudtshoorn | 175km //

So, if you enjoyed the trail the day before, it’s good news as we have to retrace our steps back up the 48 km before hanging a left and over the top of the Swartberg Pass. The view at the top is stunning, so don’t forget to send a selfie to your mates. The road down is pretty epic too, with more of those hairpins dropping down into a deep valley.

From here we’ll ride further into the Karoo and straight into Ostrich country. We’ll sweep through the Groot Swartberg Nature Reserve and pass over the enormous mountain range twice and come full circle to Oudtshoorn. We’ll stay in a beautiful lodge where giraffe and ostrich roam free. This is Africa! And this will surely be the most luxurious tent you’ll ever have stayed in!

Accommodation: Luxury tents. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Oudtshoorn - Knysna 140km //

Spend the morning relaxing in this incredible accommodation, feed the giraffes and explore the ostrich farm. After lunch we’ll hit the road for an incredible afternoon of riding. We’ll ride a mix of gravel and tar roads down the Montagu Pass and over the Seven Passes – you’ll be grinning from start to finish!

Tonight we stay on Thesen Island within the Knysna estuary – an absolutely beautiful place to spend a couple of nights, with plenty of excellent restaurants and bars to choose from.

Accommodation: Private house with a pool. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

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Knysna Rest Day //

This little place is so pretty it seemed like a good time to stop, catch our breath and take in the scenery around this stunning coastal lagoon. There’s plenty to do if you fancy it, from horse riding in the Pledge Nature reserve or maybe a bit of big game fishing in the Indian Ocean. This resort is on the iconic Garden Route and it’s a popular place to stop over and chill. There’s even a motorcycle exhibition with over 100 classic bikes to drool over!

Oh, and if you’re completely nuts, you can jump off a bridge with a big elastic band tied to your feet – the highest ‘bungee from a bridge’ in the world!

Accommodation: Private house with a pool. Included meals: Breakfast.

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Knysna - Baviaanskloof | 185km //

We start the day with a ride up to the Knysna Heads viewpoint. After this we take a short tour to venture into a township to see how the people live here. Leaving Knysna and the Indian Ocean behind we head back towards the country’s interior. Climbing through the lush mountain passes in the exquisite Diepwalle Forest as we head up to Uniondale.

On this road you’ll have to be careful not to pick up the famous ghost of the Uniondale hitchhiker who apparently climbs aboard passing motorcycles before jumping off at the next T-junction. As long as she can do the corners correctly – it shouldn’t be a problem!

Then we’ll power on through twisty, dirt tracks and finish our day in Baviaanskloof, which is Dutch for Baboons Ravine. If you’ve not yet seen a baboon up close, this may be your chance, but away from the town they are quite nervous of people so don’t worry – they are not going to run off with your Alpinestars!

Have you ever slept in a cave? …

Accommodation: Amazing (but basic) cave lodges. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

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Baviaanskloof to Addo Elephant National Park | 325km //

This morning we continue our journey through Baviaanskloof and head east towards the Addo Elephant National Park. It’s the final day of riding and we’ve saved the best til last! Baviaanskloof is an incredible place – the riding is challenging but so much fun and monkeys, baboons and buffalo roam free.

We then follow the path of the the Gamtoosrivier for mile after mile before tracing the borders of a host of nature reserves to end the day at the appropriately named Addo Elephant Park. Wonder what we’ll see here …

Accommodation: Beautiful African style 4* game lodge.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Addo Safari //

Today is all about the animals rather than the bikes and watching herds of majestic elephants lingering by the waterholes should be a good way to start the day. If we are lucky we will see the odd lion, rhino, cape buffalo and leopard, so make sure to bring your Box Brownie and binoculars for this one. This is Africa in the raw and it makes a fantastic end to a fantastic adventure.

We’ll finish the tour with cold beers and cocktails followed by a farewell dinner and maybe even a few awards for the most memorable contributions. Who’s going to win the golden tutu?

Accommodation: Beautiful African style 4* game lodge.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Addo - Port Elizabeth //

So with the riding done, what do you want to do next? With flights from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg, Cape Town & Victoria Falls to name but a few you can keep your adventure going if you’re not ready to fly home yet. For those who would like to fly from Port Elizabeth, we can assist in arranging transfers to the airport.

What an adventure – what a holiday!

Accommodation: Not Included. Included meals: Breakfast.

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Tour Inclusions // The latest BMW 700GS (upgrades to 800GS or 1200GS available)

Fully comprehensive motorcycle insurance

Quality twin share accommodation as per itinerary (single room supplement £395)

All fuel

All meals as per itinerary

Support vehicle/s carrying your luggage, a spare bike, spare parts, tools, cold drinks etc.

Western medic

GEOS emergency assistance

Full support crew: lead rider and a western medic

Ride Expeditions personalised travel app (for android and ios)

Jeep safari at Addo National Park

All entrance fees & special riding permits

Cable car to the top of Table Mountain

Airport pickup

Welcome pack

We donate a percentage of tour profits to a local charity / school

1 tree planted on your behalf

05I N C L U S I O N S , E X C L U S I O N S , & E X T R A S


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+++

Tour Exclusions //

Optional Extras //

Personal travel insurance

International flights

South African Visa

Alcohol

Motorcycle damages (insurance excess £1,400 - speak to us about extra cover for ‘insurance

excess waivers’)

BMW 800GS + £65

BMW 1200GS + £400

Single Room +£395

xxxxx


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06M O T O R C Y C L E S

BMW F750 GS //

BMW F850 GS //

BMW 1250 GS //

The BMW F750GS may be the baby brother in BMWs world conquering GS range, but it shares the same adventure DNA as its bigger siblings. The single cylinder engine gives the bike a slim and purposeful profile, while still having the power to eat up the miles on the black top. On the rough stuff that the 750s lighter weight, low seat height and wide bars make easy to control and give you the confidence and feedback you need to enjoy the ride. If you haven’t had much experience of adventure bikes, the F750 will be the ideal place to start and will be a great companion on our South African adventure.

If you are looking for a go everywhere adventure bike, then you need look no further than the F850. With legions of fans and riders all over the world, this bike has established itself as a ‘go to’ bike for adventurers. It’s capable and controllable on the rough stuff and can stillget a hustle on when you hit the tarmac – it’s the perfect choice for our South Africa adventures. But don’t think that the BMWs ruggedness let you think it’s a basic and unsophisticated bike – the BMW has all the bells and whistles you’d expect on a top end sports bike from electronically adjustable suspension to variable power modes and ABS technology – all wrapped up in a Tonka toy tough chassis. What more are you going to want?

Thanks to the incredibly successful ‘Long Way Round’ TV show, the mighty BMW 1250 GS is the bike that has defined adventure motorcycling and ultimately served to change the entire motorcycle industry away from sports bikes and firmly towards adventure bikes. And the bike continues to impress with that enormously powerful and iconic boxer engine giving the machine incredible flexibility both on and off road. But don’t take this bike lightly – it’s enormously powerful and physically large and once you take it away from the tarmac then you need to be a very competent rider to get the best of the big GS without it biting back. But if you are that guy, then there’s little better than getting the 1250 on the pipe on therough stuff. Love it.

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Cameron King //

Daniel Short //

Deb Reardon //

“So myself and 2 other mates flew into South Africa to join Ride Expeditions on there maiden voyage of the Cape Crusader trip and

what a trip it turned out to be… All and all, I could not recommend both Ride Expeditions and the Cape Crusader enough and with a

bit of luck I’m hoping I can make a 3rd trip with Ride Expeditions this year.”

“Accommodation throughout the tour was varied in style but that’s not to say it was bad, far from! From sleeping in hotels to 5 star tents to

caves to guesthouses! All of this added to the adventure! Food on the tour was also amazing.”

“I recently did the Cape Crusader with Ride expeditions and I couldn’t recommend Toby & Anna more highly… This was a true

adventure with amazing rides through the Swartberg range and the must do Baviaanskloof National park and much more.”

What a trip...

Amazing and unforgettable...

Highly recommended...

07T E S T I M O N I A L S

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ABOUT US //

WHY US //14 Reasons

Born in 2012, Ride Expeditions is a British owned company that has always operated with the aim of combining expert local knowledge with high western standards. It is this winning combination that has resulted in our success of running truly world class motorcycle adventure tours.

1. WE CARE ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS FROM START TO FINISH.Ride Expeditions is a company set up and wholly owned by Toby Jacobs and Anna Giddings. They’ve taken it from a dream after travelling the world to a fantastically successful motorcycle tour company operating tours in India, Cambodia, Laos , Vietnam and South Africa with more destinations planned every year. Everything they and the staff do is to make sure their customers have epic holidays and they all work very hard to ensure that happens.

2. WE WORK WITH THE BEST LOCAL OPERATORS.Running motorcycle tours takes hard work, commitment and above all, passion. Before setting up our tours we research the area and seek out only the best local operators to work with. Established companies with that same passion and commitment, companies that have all the correct licences, the correct insurance and of course the right attitude.

3. WE TAKE SAFETY SERIOUSLY.OK so let’s be honest here – riding bikes carries risks. Riding unfamiliar bikes in unfamiliar countries increases that risk substantially, so we take safety very, very seriously. The first step is to ensure that only riders with full motorcycle licences in their own country come on our tours – we don’t want you learning the basics with us! We run our tours to reduce the possibilities of accidents happening by appropriate and sensible rules, and if things go wrong we’ve got medical backup, GPS tracking and emergency rescue capability.

4. WE RIDE WITH PROPER MEDICAL COVER.Leaving customer safety to chance is not how Ride Expeditions operates. All our tours are accompanied by an appropriately qualified medic travelling with a full trauma kit, so if things do go pear-shaped, emergency care is on hand straight away. Medical emergencies in remote locations can be extremely serious – that’s why we use Paramedics or doctors rather than just first-aiders.

5. WE TRACK ALL OUR TOURS.When you are a long way from home, letting your loved ones know you are safe and sound is important. All our tour guides carry Spot Trackers that track our progress throughout the tour, and we send a link back home, so your family can follow your progress. You can also send the link to your friends to make them jealous!

08A B O U T U S & W H Y U S


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6. WE TRAVEL WITH A PROPERLY EQUIPPED SUPPORT TRUCK.All of our tours are accompanied by a fully equipped support vehicle which transports your luggage along with carrying a comprehensive tool kit, spare parts and fuel. If there re is a problem with a bike, we’ll fix it straight away or the travelling mechanic will pass their bike to the customer to allow them to continue. Also if you’re feeling tired, you can always ride in the truck.

7. WE USE PTS TO PROTECT YOUR MONEY.All payments for our tours are protected and insured using Protected Trust Services – PTS– until your adventure is complete. It’s a bit like an escrow account, so when you book with us, all monies are held in an independently managed trust account, insured from failure of either ourselves or our tour partners to deliver the agreed tour. Once the tour is over, the money passes over to Ride Expeditions and you head home tired but happy.

8. WE OFFER DISCOUNTS.Although there is a standard cost for all our tours, we do offer discounts for group or club bookings and can offer bespoke individual tours to groups. We also offer Early bird discounts, pioneer tour prices for the newer tours and of course we reward returning customers every time they ride with us.

9. WE HAVE AN APP!Yes, we really do and it’s pretty damn clever too. The app contains your full itinerary, tour documents and all necessary paperwork and we can send important update notifications direct to your pocket. Whilst on tour, all riders in your group are able to upload photos and text, which you can then export as a PDF diary at the end of the trip.

10. WE MAKE BOOKING SIMPLE.We appreciate that all our riders have busy lives, and once you’ve decided on a tour, the booking process needs to be swift and pain free, and that’s exactly what we do. We can book your flights, book pre or post tour accommodation, advise on travel insurance and visas – the whole thing and as we accept direct card payments, there’s no hassle with money orders or bank transfers. For the tour we take a non-refundable deposit on booking and then the balance is due two months before the tour.

11. WE USE TRANSPARENT PRICING.Most of our tours are inclusive, so everything from the start of the tour to the end is included, save for alcoholic drinks and personal spending, meaning you can know the total costs you are committing to.

If there are aspects of the tour that are not included, we will let you know, either from the tour description or before booking. We’re not going to hit you with hidden extras – we don’t like companies that do that, and we don’t want to be one!

12. WE HAVE A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE.We commit to donating a percentage of profits from each and every tour to a local charity or school in the country that you are riding in. We enjoy riding through these countries so much, and it is only right that we give something back.

13. WE PLANT TREES!For every booked tour, Ride Expeditions plants a tree. It may only be a small gesture but over the years, that’s a lot of trees we’ve put back into the areas that we enjoy on our tours.

14. WE JUST LOVE BIKES.So maybe this should be the first one in the list, but it’s a good point on which to finish. Ride Expeditions is all about bikes – from our ride leaders, tour staff, website staff, company owners – we are all bike obsessed – that’s why we do this! We don’t run any other type of tour and when we’re not riding bikes, we’re thinking about riding bikes.


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Your AdventureStarts Here //

Adress //

Phone //

Email //

Here at Ride Expeditions we know that taking on a trip like these ones can be a once in a lifetime adventure. We endeavor to tailor every experience for each rider and we’ll do everything we can at this end to make sure that each and every would-be adventurer has the support they need to get here.

Please provide us with as much information as possible and don’t be afraid to ask us questions. If you want to really pick our brains then leave us a contact phone number and a good time to call and one of the adventure directors will get back to you personally…

Thanks a million

The Ride Expeditions Team.

EBENEEZER HOUSE 5A POOLE ROAD, BOURNEMOUTH,DORSET,BH2 5QJ,UNITED KINGDOM

UK +44 (0)1273 930 383

[email protected]

09C O N T A C T U S

R I D E E X P E D I T I O N S . C O M

south africa€¦ · hermanus - cederberg 290km // hermanus is on the whale coast route and is...

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