Why Escape Adventures?
What a world we live in. In this crazy information age, it's easy to forget the shear thrill of being somewhere extraordinary. We guarantee to reconnect you with our astounding world - countries brimming with wonderful places and people.
Escape: verb. break free from confinement or control
Adventures: noun. unusual and exciting or daring experiences
There’s sticking to the beaten track, and then there’s Escape Adventures. Our philosophy is to steer clear of mainstream tourist attractions and get into the heart of the destinations we cycle tour, whether that involves an overnighter with buffalo farmers in Colombia, home and yurt stays in Kyrgyzstan, staying in a Fijian village or camping with a Maasai family in Kenya. Our mission is to get you a little out of your normal comfort zone and give you a whole heap of opportunities to have unique and personal experiences.
Founded 20 years ago by owner operators John Etherington and Mandy Richards, Escape Adventures is a small New Zealand company. It all began for us in 1999 in Kenya & Tanzania, which is still one of our most popular cycle tours. Since then the business has grown, and we have cycle tours in nine different countries. We employ just one part timer - Alice who is our marketing dynamo, eight fabulous New Zealand based tour leaders and seven awesome local crew. Together we are driven by the reward that comes with creating and leading tours that will touch your soul and stay in your memory forever!
As for the cycling - you’ll need to be comfortable spending the day on your bike or able to chug your way up a hill or two, but you won’t be banging out huge kilometres. It is the adventure and the experience that is important - the bike just happens to be the best way to travel!
What makes us different from our competitors?
Real Adventure
Escape Adventures are full immersion, off the beaten track cycle tours full of opportunities to get out of your comfort zone!
Our Riding Routes
Taking the lesser used or less formed route options means we often travel through small and remote towns and we get to stay in smaller locally owned guesthouses and sometimes home-stays rather than the flashest city hotels. At times these routes can be tough, but in a wonderful kind of way - it is where adventure happens! And with it comes the satisfaction of overcoming the challenges and finishing the day feeling like you have achieved.
All our tours are our OWN tours
We personally research, create and lead all of our cycle tours. Our tours are NOT contracted out to a ground operator.
Up close and personal
Getting to know the locals is a very special and unforgettable part of our adventures. We’ve developed a network of incredible locals who support us, house us, feed us and love interacting with us as much as we do with them.
Small but perfectly formed
You will join a fun bunch of 6-12 bikers from around the world and will travel as a relaxed, fun and intimate group that feels like a 'bunch of mates on tour'. Our groups are the perfect size for integrating into local communities - and mean that we can offer the best of ourselves and pay attention to the little things that make a difference.
Tour leaders become friends
All of our tours are led by two of our New Zealand based Escape Adventures leaders. We pride ourselves on the calibre and resourcefulness of these great people who you will be spending your adventure with. Our leaders are passionate bikers, great foodies, bike fixer-uppers, trained for health support (Pre-Hospital Emergency Care), and they are focused on making sure that your cycle tour is a fun, safe adventure of a lifetime. All of our tours also have a wonderful local support team, interpreter and drivers.
Making a difference
A lot of people want to help developing communities, but don't know how. By supporting local accommodations, restaurants and small businesses makes a real difference to the local economy.