SpiceRoads Blog

SpiceRoads has over 80 itineraries on its website so choosing the right tour can be a bit of a challenge. Here are some of our suggestions on what to consider when choosing your tour.

There are several factors to take into account when choosing your bike tour with SpiceRoads. Some of them may seem obvious but make sure you have at least considered the following:

• Where to go: One of the easiest ways to start is by selecting a destination that you really want to go to or at least narrowing it down to a few. One thing to remember is that even if we do not have a tour there that suits the rest of your needs, we can always see if we can do a custom tour for you.

• When to go: This may go hand in hand with the destination as seasonal differences make different destinations more attractive at different times of year. While some destinations (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma) are ok to visit throughout the year, there are some times when the weather will be more suitable for cycling than others. A lot of the destinations in IndoChina are best in November – April. On the other hand destinations like China, Mongolia, Nepal, Northern India, Japan are all best from April to October. Our tours are scheduled according to suitable times for cycling and our staff can advise you on the weather.

• What type of riding: When it comes to our longer tours there are really 3 styles of riding. Firstly there is our classic touring that uses mountain bikes (and in some case hybrid) but is predominantly on paved roads although there may be some dirt track. Then there are road biking tours which are longer distances and faster speeds. Finally we have mountain bike tours where the difficulty of terrain may vary significantly from tour to tour and even from day to day. Ask our team about the terrain on the tour to make sure it matches your expectation.

• Level of difficulty: Make sure the tour you choose matches your riding level. If there isn’t enough riding you might be frustrated if you are used to doing longer daily distances, but if it’s too much cycling each day than you are used to then you might push yourself too hard. This is a holiday and you should be in your comfort zone for the best experience. If you are choosing one of the more difficult tours then we do advise you to get some training in beforehand so you can enjoy the trip

• How long for: For most people you are limited by time and you may also want to add some extra days before or after the tour. Some people simply do not want to spend there whole holiday on a group cycle tour. In several destinations we have similar tours of varying lengths although in a lot of destinations we are limited to only one or two tours. However, as with all the factors we can always customise a tour for you to suit your needs. While some people do ask to join the tour a few days late or leave a few days early this does have some impact on the group dynamics so wherever possible we avoid it.

• Who to travel with: Ask yourself whether you want to join a group where you can meet and cycle with other guests or do you want your own private trip where you can customise it as much as you want. Generally, we find that a lot of people want to join a group, and especially those who are traveling by themselves. However, often when people are booking with a group of friends family they decided to make it a private trip and if there are enough people they find it may work out cheaper.

• Level of accommodation: Keep in mind that the more remote you are going the more limited the level of accommodation. In general, where it is possible we try to use 3 or 4 star accommodation, but we also mix it up to get a good balance throughout the tour. This does mean you could stay in a homestay one night, a tented camp the next and a 4 star beach resort on another day! Ask us about the level of accommodation.

• Level of cultural activities: Every guest is different and each person has a different perception of the level of culture they want. Our tours do vary considerably in what you may see, but as you are always with a local guide there will always be some level of cultural interactions with them and they should adapt it (within reason) to the needs of the group. Obviously on some tours you will see temple after temple while on other tours you will be mainly riding through amazing landscapes! Chose the tour with your level of interest in mind.

So, above are some key factors to take into account when choosing a tour. However, probably the best tip of them all is to tell one of our lovely tour consultants your requirements and ask there advise!