Category: Tourism & Travel

1. Offroad Adventures in Thailand & Laos this Winter

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 12th Jul 2017

   For adventure riders Thailand and Laos provide superb, excellent value riding. In this naturally beautiful region with its wonderful cultural heritage, our offroad tours take you to some real hidden gems rarely seen by tourists and travellers.
   
   On our Dragon's Tail 7 day tour to the top of Thailand's highest mountain - Doi Inthanon - we ride through bamboo forest, elephant camps, the hot springs beauty spot of Pai, along the Ping river with its wooded banks and dramatic waterfalls, through tribal villages and visit the largest cave in SE Asia. As you'd expect the terrain is wonderful and varied - steep mountain mud trails, gentle stony tracks, river crossings, narrow tarmac roads... This is a weeks offroading like no other!  
   
   Golden Triangle tour extends Dragon's Tail  into the Golden triangle region on the Myanmar and Laos border for a 12 day adventure. Infamous for its historical opium production, this area provides a heady mix of lush jungle, hill-tribe villages, tranquil rice paddies, mist-shrouded mountains and mixed cultures.  We ride across the border into Myanmar, take a riverboat on the mighty Mekong into Laos and take in a little bit of China (in Thailand) in unique Santikharee village. 
   
   Laos: Gateway to China Adventure is more expedition than tour. We ride through Northern Thailand littered with its hilly national parks and village trails, continue through the Golden Triangle and then into Laos - one of the most unspoilt countries in the world and with many unpaved roads! The World Heritage City of Luang Prabang with its fabulous temples, palaces and museums is a cultural highlight and we visit an elephant camp and cross the Mekong River by boat. Whether you take our New Year tour, aimed at more experienced riders, or go in February you'll be in for a treat - a truly unique 14 day motorcycling experience! 
   
   Enduro training? Want to improve your offroad skills pre tour? No worries - we offer 1 and 3 day Enduro Training in Chiang Mai where you can get used to your bikes by practising on uphill sections, traversing log bridges, river crossings, sand, mud etc.
   
   And extra nights accommodation is available at very reasonable prices in Chiang Mai. Either relax by the pool or immerse yourself into the classic culture of elaborately ornamented temples - there's 30 'wats' to choose from. 

   For further details on all our other tours, locations and summer destinations too, please visit our website: www.hctravel.com

    

   

2. Tour the USA this season! It's not too late to book.

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 5th Jul 2017

   Still not arranged your motorcycle holiday this summer? Well, it's not too late to book an Authorised Harley-Davidson guided tour in the USA. We've got a few spaces remaining on our tours in September and October! Specifically the NEW Legends of the West tour (16-30 October) led by Gary 'Bear' Fleshman and our final Route 66 Original tour of the season (28 Sept-12 October).
   
   If you've only got 9 days available to holiday then Spectacular California (21-29 September) is a fantastic option. And there's only one remaining bike slot on Wild Wild West (14-29 September).
   
   Just don't wait too much longer to book your spot with Orange & Black by H-C Travel. We've been running tours to the USA for over 20 years and have been Authorised by Harley-Davidson since their programme started. Our tours offer you small group sizes, with the most experienced, knowledgable, professional, local guides, using great accommodation and backed by an office team of travel specialists!

   'We had an amazing time. Anyone taking this tour will be blown away, Gary knows all the secrets of Route 66'
   Ann & Tony Jones

   Call David now on 01256 771770 to book your place. Or if you prefer to ride alone check out our self-guided tours and rentals: www.orange-and-black.co.uk. 
   Orange & Black can also book your flights, organise specialist travel insurance and arrange a Harley "Try before you Fly" orientation ride!

   Ride Safe
   
   David Grist

   Orange & Black...... for your ride of a lifetime, every time!

3. Come ride 'Down Under' this winter with H-C Travel

   Posted on 10:00am Sunday 28th May 2017

   Some fabulous guided and self-guided riding beckons in New Zealand and Australia this coming winter. We've a variety of itineraries to choose from with different durations from 7 to 22 days. New Zealand is a breathtakingly beautiful land with its mystical rolling hills, ancient rainforest, majestic fjords and untouched wilderness. Australia is an awesome combination of big city excitement in Sydney and Melbourne, mouthwatering vineyards, thundering waterfalls, the Great Barrier Reef and miles of sweeping sandy beaches. And there surely can be no better way to experience the thrill of these countries than by motorcycle!

   Australia Offer: 2017/18 self-guided tours and rentals at 2016 prices, if you book before 30th June 2017!

   For further details on all our other tours, locations and summer destinations too, please visit our website: www.hctravel.com

   

4. The BBC are making a new road trip travel series which will take five people with physical disabilities on an inspiring adventure through Vietnam

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 18th May 2017

   The filming period will be from 12th June – 9th July 2017 and they are looking to speak to people about being interested over the next couple of days.

   This is an amazing opportunity for the right person and it will be a once-in-a life time trip.

   They would like the main mode of transport to be the classic motorbike (but there will be other vehicles involved) so it’s important the person they take has a motorbike driving licence and a passion for bikes. They will be making adaptions to the bikes in Vietnam so they are suitable for disabled riders.

   They are particularly looking for female riders at this stage so if you are interested get in touch.

   Paul - [email protected]
   07921 648 237

   

    

5. Best Biking routes in the USA

   Posted on 8:00am Thursday 4th May 2017

   

   Touring the good old USA in the ultimate American coast to coast biking trip is on the bucket list of most bikers. Who among us hasn’t dreamt of riding the infamous Route 66 from the saddle of a Harley Davidson while listening to Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild? It might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason.

   The truth is the USA offers some of the most amazing empty roads and spectacular scenery that you’ll find anywhere in the world, and is probably the most biker friendly country you’ll visit too, featuring plenty of iconic biker friendly accommodations and bars along every route. While there are hundreds of amazing routes you can take in America, let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular routes.

   Route 66 – From Chicago to Santa Monica
   
   
   

   This list would not feel right unless we started with the world famous “Mother Road” highway – Route 66. One of the original highways in the US Highway System, Route 66 spans a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). Beginning in Chicago, IL, this historic cross country route established in 1926 will take you through a total of 8 states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally to California.

   The so called Main Street of America is not just a hugely visited route because of its legend however, as it features a huge variety of beautiful landscapes, national parks, monuments, ghost towns, and kitschy iconic pieces of Americana that are definitely a sight to behold.

   From the quirky Cadillac Ranch in Texas, the breathtaking Painted Desert in Arizona, the Teepee shaped Wigwam Motels, or the Jesse James Museum in Missouri, there are enough historic, natural and cultural landmarks throughout the route to guarantee that you’ll get your kicks on Route 66. TheRoute-66.com has a very complete list of attractions you well encounter along the way.

   Valley of Fire Loop 

   

   About 20 minutes away from Las Vegas you’ll find about 100 miles of the most amazing ride areas in all of America. Featuring twisty, windy roads with scenic vistas of desert, canyons and Lake Mead, this route will take you to the Valley of Fire State park and back, visiting some amazing locations along the way.

   Starting in North Las Vegas on the I-15, you will border Lake Mead and the Colorado River until reaching the Valley of Fire. The Valley of Fire State Park, located about 50 miles northwest of Las Vegas, offers some of the most incredible vistas for bikers throughout its 42,000 acres of spectacular red sandstone formations dating back over 150 million years. Owing its name to the way that the sandstone appears to be on fire when reflecting the harsh desert sun, The Valley of Fire is the oldest state park in Nevada and offers riders a great spots to camp and amazing hiking trails.

   However, since this route should only take you about a day or so the best bet will always be to simply return to Las Vegas and enjoy yourself with some of their famous shows, bars and of course casinos! If you want to know which casinos are the best to visit, Vikingslots travel guide of Las Vegas can help you determine which casino is right for you.

   Route 50 – The Backbone of America

   

    

   “For the unhurried, this little-known highway is the best national road across the middle of the United States,” William Least Heat-Moon, Blue Highway (1982)

   Route 50, also dubbed ‘The Backbone of America’ by Time Magazine, is a coast to coast highway that stretches 3000 miles long, spanning 13 states on its way from West Sacramento, California to Ocean City, Maryland. Running mainly through rural areas and passing hundreds of old, little towns, the Nevada section of the route is known by travelers as “‘The loneliest road in America”, as you will find nothing but mountains, sand, blue sky and the open road ahead of you for as far as the eye can see.

   Running through national parks, caves, petroglyphs, ghost towns, lakes and forests, this route will allow you to see a little bit of everything along the way, particularly the natural beauty found throughout Middle America.

   Once you arrive in Maryland, you will also be in the perfect place to start two more of the East Coast's best routes The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive.

   The Three Sisters (aka The Twisted Sisters)

   

   Three Sisters starts in Medina, TX, and offers bikers a 131-mile roller coaster ride that will absolutely blow you away and change the way that you view Texas for good. Filled with twisty mountain-like curves and sharp turns (hence the name the twisted sisters), this road will take you through large hills, clear rivers, the amazing million dollar vistas of Frio Canyon, and even authentic J.R. Ewing-style Texas ranches.

   If you feel like doing a little fishing along your journey, the Nueces River is the perfect place to catch largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and the Texas native Guadalupe bass, as well as a variety of panfish such as redbreast sunfish, green sunfish and even Rio Grande perch.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

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