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That’s the advice from Helge Pedersen, the renowned adventurer who has spent many years travelling the world by motorcycle, ship, plane and train. In the course of his adventures and as part of his work with the GlobeRiders touring company, Helge has visited over 100 countries on six continents. However, the intrepid adventurer is showing no signs of slowing down in 2008 as the destinations planned for the GlobeRiders 2008 program clearly demonstrate.
For the first time, GlobeRiders will conduct three tours this year, two of them completely new. If an international adventure with like-minded riders in a ‘supported, but not pampered’ environment is your dream, then the team is waiting for you to get in touch. Here are a few highlights of where you could be going on two wheels…
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GlobeRiders World Tour 2008 – Beijing to Munich, and all waypoints in-between
The World Tour is the original GlobeRiders adventure. This year will be the fifth version of this remarkable tour from Beijing to the BMW Motorrad Days festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The rarely visited lands of north-eastern China; Inner Mongolia; eight time zones of Siberia and the Russian Urals; resorts along the Black Sea; Eastern and Western Europe, and all points along the way await you on this grand ride across the Eurasian continent.
Beginning in May, this 54-day, 9,900 mile tour includes almost too many highlights to mention, such as a visit to the Great Wall of China; cultural and historic tours in Russia, Ukraine and Poland; a boat ride on Lake Baikal, which contains one-fifth of the world’s fresh water; a full day’s exploration and selected activities in Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Volgograd and Lviv; several days in the Yalta/Odessa region, known as the Ukrainian Riviera; a visit to the BMW Corporate Headquarters and remodelled Museum in Munich, Germany, where Helge’s original R 80 GS ‘Olga’ is on permanent display; and much, much more.
GlobeRiders Indochina Adventure – a historical and cultural odyssey through the Mini-Dragons
GlobeRiders’ final tour for 2008 is the much-anticipated Indochina Adventure. What was once largely a French colony is now emerging as the second economic powerhouse of Asia – the Mini-Dragons. Nonetheless, on this 56-day tour, you’ll ride off the beaten path as much as possible, while taking in the most important historic and World Heritage sites en route. Although the tour is almost sold-out from previous clients (some of whom have been on the reservation list for nearly two years!) there are a few remaining places available for this tour.
The Indochina Adventure tour begins on 24 September in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, and ends on 18 November in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants will experience 7,400 miles of discovery through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.
GlobeRiders Japan Hanami Tour 2008 – open roads, cherry blossoms, the rising sun
Starting on 21 April in Tokyo and finishing on 7 May, GlobeRiders first venture in 2008 will be an all-new Japan Hanami Tour. In Japanese "hana" is flower, and the verb "miru" is to view or see, thus, Hanami means "flower viewing", specifically the viewing of cherry blossoms. Participants will spend 17 days touring Japan at its finest, during cherry blossom season, when the entire nation turns out for parties and picnics under these sacred flowers. The journey will encompass the new and the old, from the frantic pace of Tokyo, to the serene calm of hot springs resorts in the north.
Although this tour is technically sold-out, there is always the possibility of a withdrawal, so you may wish to join the waiting list. Alternatively, why not get your name down for the 2010 tour!
Comprehensive information on all of the above adventure tours is available by visiting the GlobeRiders website. The site also includes details of the 2009 touring programme, which visits Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia.
Why not find out more by logging on to the www.globeriders.com website and registering for the newsletter, which also includes ‘Live!Journals’ (blogs with stories, photos and slideshows ) for people – such as the families of those who are on the trips – to follow while tours are underway. Furthermore, there is also a link to a real-time satellite-tracking page, as one of the organizers’ bikes is equipped with a GPS transponder that uploads the tour’s current position every 60 minutes during the trips.
Please note that GlobeRiders tours are for the rider/traveller who desires an experience few others will ever equal. Not just anyone may join the tours, as interested participants have to qualify by having the right experience, the right bike and the flexibility to deal with the unexpected. Because of the scope and complexity of GlobeRiders’ operations and logistics, the company generally offers any given tour only once every two years, and if you think you might like to be part of the action, they would be delighted to talk to you.
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