I recently finished my first biking trip. It was a weeklong bike and cruise tour with AmWaterways, the distinguished river cruise line, and Backroads, an adventure travel company.
The cruise collaboration is a new segment of business for Backroads, which has been taking travelers on active adventures for four decades. To me, combining a river cruise and biking is a perfect way to explore a destination. We went through four countries along the Danube during my week, but Backroads offers trips to so many other places I want to visit.
The company just announced a bunch of new trips it is offering in 2017, and here are some of the highlights from all the new adventures you can choose.
Backroads' new destinations include an adventure to Japan, with a walking and hiking tour of "Imperial Tokyo" and the Northern Alps. A Bermuda bike tour explores pastel villages, pink-sand beaches and British colonial history. A Munich to Salzburg bike tour takes you from Germany's Bavaria to Austria's Tyrolean Alps. And a Basque Country multisport adventure tour ventures from Bilbao to Biarritz, with visits to beaches, the Pyrenees and a chance to hike, bike and experience Basque culture.
The active river cruise segment I told you about is expanding, too, with additional departures on the Danube and Rhine, the Seine in France and Portugal's Douro River. Also, Backroads is launching a Galapagos, Andes and Amazon river cruise walking tour, which combines land activities and cruising on the Napo River inside the Amazon basin.
Backroads is also rolling out a new Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos river cruise biking tour. You sail and bike along the Mekong River to explore villages, jungles, bustling cities and ancient temples while diving deep into the culture, cuisine and customs.
"We have the best trip designers in the industry, and they are passionate about finding new destinations for our guests to explore," said Tom Hale, Backroads Founder and President. "Each year, they research, travel to and test new regions for future Backroads trips, and for 2017 they have certainly outdone themselves."
So, where shall I go next? There are so many choices, and they all look incredible!
Thanks for reading, and always travel fit!
JR