Category: Tourism & Travel

1. ‏ Ride with Henry Cole on 90th Anniversary of Route 66‏

   Posted on 3:30pm Friday 20th Nov 2015

   To celebrate the creation of Route 66 in 1926, Orange & Black is organising a special celebratory tour led by guide Bear (Gary Fleshman) and they are delighted to announce a very special tour guest: Henry Cole, TV motorcycle tour show presenter.

   Henry says: 
   
   "Route 66 was a road that changed my life. So much so that I made not one but two TV programmes featuring the ‘Mother Road’.There is no ribbon of road like Route 66. Every mile is steeped in automotive history, along this boulevard of dreams lie the first petrol station, the first road side diners, the first motels, all to cater for the new breed of automotive traveller. Every day you feel you're riding in your very own road movie but it's your reality as you ride your Harley on America’s Main Street. The 90th Anniversary of Route 66 seems like the perfect opportunity to celebrate the World’s most iconic road especially in the company of Bear, Orange & Black's walking talking all-American encyclopaedia of Route 66 guide, who's travelled it nearly 150 times! If you speak to anyone Bear has been on tour with they will tell you just how much of a unique experience it is. 

   
   Starting in Chicago on 30 September 2016, they have just 15 shiny new 2016 Harley-Davidsons available and they will ride all the way to Santa Monica Pier, with a full service support vehicle. He’ll be stopping at some of the great little places that Bear knows on the Orange & Black Route 66 Guided Tour, meet some of his personal friends, and of course I want to take you to some of the places that I really want to visit again that you’ll recognise from my TV programmes.
   
   David at Orange & Black told me of a comment he received from a customer who had just completed his second tour with Bear. When asked what his single favourite moment was, he said ‘Chicago to LA’. I know exactly what he means. It’s going to be a great ride and a fun-filled two weeks on the road - I do hope you will join us!"
   
   See the details on the tour here
   
   

2. Meet Simon Reeve at The Adventure Travel Show 2016

   Posted on 9:00am Tuesday 10th Nov 2015

   Simon Reeve, a familiar face on British TV and renowned for his extraordinary journeys to over 110 countries, will be speaking at The Adventure Travel Show.

   The Adventure Travel Show, is your chance to immerse yourself in a weekend of Adventure travel inspiration and will host the biggest collection of specialist travel operators under one roof. Plus, you can listen to over 100 FREE Talks in 4 theatres from explorers, industry experts, guide book writers and expedition leaders who will help you uncover your perfect adventure.

   The Adventure Travel Show takes place in London’s Olympia on 23-24 January 2016. General show tickets in advance cost £8 or £10 on the door, under 16s are free. Weekend tickets are also available for £12 in advance or £15 on the door. For full details, talk timetables and to book tickets please visit www.adventureshow.com or call 0871 230 7159.
   

   Simon Reeve

   After a decade spent making more than 60 programmes Simon has become a familiar face on British TV, well known for his extraordinary foreign journeys where he has visited more than 110 countries. Most of Simon's documentaries combine travel and adventure with global environmental, wildlife and conservation issues, and have taken him across jungles, deserts, mountains and oceans, and to some of the most beautiful, dangerous and remote regions of the world. Simon's dodged bullets on frontlines, hunted with the Bushmen of the Kalahari, dived with manta rays, seals and sharks, survived malaria, walked through minefields, tracked lions on foot and these are just some of his many feats!

   Simon’s own journey started after he left school with few qualifications. After a period on the dole, he ran charity shops, stacked shelves, and eventually found a job as a post-boy on a newspaper. He quickly graduated to research and writing, and then spent years working, often covertly, on investigations into nuclear smuggling and terrorism. His 1998 investigative book The New Jackals, the first in the world on Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, became an international bestseller, and was followed by his book One Day in September, which is also an Oscar-winning documentary movie. Since making the leap to television Simon has shown his adventures in multiple award-winning TV series for the BBC which have been broadcasted in dozens of countries, enthralling millions…

   Simon Reeve will be speaking at The Adventure Travel Show within the main Adventure Auditorium on Sunday 24th January at 10:30am, followed by an interactive question & answer session. Simon Reeve’s talk and more than 100 other show talks are included within the cost of the show ticket (£8 in advance or £10 on the door).

3. Spencer Conway circumnavigated Africa by motorbike, solo and unsupported

   Posted on 9:00am Saturday 7th Nov 2015

   His new TV series premieres on Travel Channel, Sky and Virgin on the 8th of November in the UK and the 9th in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This exceedingly grueling and dangerous adventure is dramatically captured on film by Spencer, often in challenging and sometimes, life-threatening situations. It is both raw and gritty and makes for dramatic viewing.
   
   On a Yamaha Tenere, he raised over £30,000 for Save the Children. 
   
   Information about Spencer can be found on his website. Richard E Grant is his Patron.

   www.africa-bike-adventure.com
   
   facebook
   
   A DVD has been released by dukevideo

   
   

4. Magical Winter Biking - New Zealand

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 1st Nov 2015

   … we turn left onto Highway 6 and head south. To my right are driftwood strewn beaches, and ahead an empty road winds through the trees and fields. Every now and again I pick up the rhythms of the bends and it feels like I'm floating over the road. We stop briefly at Ross, once a gold mining town, and now recovering from its near closure thanks to tourism (you can even try your hand at panning for gold.) And then the serious riding begins.

   White snowcapped mountains rise above the trees as the Triumph climbs rapidly, and I can sense the bike’s enjoying this (the 3000 m peaks are just 30 km from the ocean). Riding style can be scratch or relax, either way it is sublime. The blue white glaciers of Fox and Franz Josef loom closer at every turn in the bright sunlight, wild waterfalls splash us as we zip past, narrow bridges slow us down. Having to overtake is a surprise, there’s so little traffic. And then we’re there – our helicopter awaits for a scenic flight that possibly beats even the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Tomorrow – Westland, Haast and Queenstown here we come…

   I wish every winter could be like this!

   Southern Moonlight
   14-day self-guided tour
   November – April
   From £1620 pp.
   Flight inclusive tours available

   Call me, Dave Simpson if you would like to experience some Kiwi winter magic on 01256 770775 or simply reply to this email.

   Like Winter Biking - New Zealand on Facebook

   www.hctravel.com

5. United People of Adventure: Discover Madagascar with Touratech

   Posted on 10:00am Thursday 15th Oct 2015

   Have you ever dreamed of exploring an exotic island on a motorbike? This dream could now come true. Under the slogan "United People of Adventure", Touratech founder Herbert Schwarz and his wife Ramona invite motorcycle travellers from six continents to join them on an adventure ride on the Island of Madagascar - of course on fully equipped Touratech bikes and with the appropriate riding gear. If you don't want to miss this once in a lifetime chance, please apply online with a short video (in English language).
   
   Madagascar is the fourth biggest island in the world and enthrals with its unique flora and fauna, impressive landscapes and cultural diversity. This will also play an important role in the "United People of Adventure" project, as the name says it all: Each one of the six team members comes from another continent, so motorbike travellers from Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America as well as Oceania / Australia will join the Touratech crew in April 2016.
   
   "We're looking for fellow riders who share - even though they speak different languages, have different skills and talents and come from different cultural backgrounds - the love for adventure riding beyond the well-trodden paths of tourism", Ramona and Herbert Schwarz point out. The team will be accompanied by an experienced film and photographer crew which were already part of many Touratech journeys in the past: TV journalist Wolfgang Danner, cinematographer Jan-Peter Sölter, photographer Jon Beck, actor and producer Kurt Yaeger and journalist Jonathan Bentman will capture this adventure on film.
   
   It is all about adventure and team spirit. So don't expect pre-booked hotel rooms or defined routes, but sand and gravel, mud and water instead. The riders will get to know the Madagascan way of life, make unforgettable experiences and explore one of the most fascinating islands on the best adventure bikes currently available: Upon arrival at the airport in Antanarivo, a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, a F 800 GS Adventure, a Ducati Multistrada, a Honda Africa Twin 1000, a KTM 1190 Adventure, a Suzuki DL 1000 V-Strom, a Triumph Tiger 800 XCx and a Yamaha Super Ténéré Worldcrosser will be waiting for the team members - all equipped and provided by Touratech. Touratech will also provide the complete riding gear and pays for the flight tickets, there will be no costs for the participants.
   
   Riders who would like to join this adventure ride in April 2016 are asked to upload a three minute video in English language explaining what makes them a perfect team member for "United People of Adventure". Deadline for the application is December 15th 2015. In the first selection phase two candidates from each continent will be chosen and invited to Niedereschach where they meet with Ramona and Herbert Schwarz. In this personal meeting they will figure out who fits their team the best.
   
   The six lucky “chosen ones” will be announced in February 2016. Please find all the information and conditions of participation at www.real-adv.com. More pictures and videos can be found at #realADV.