Trip Leader Kimberly Johnson describes herself as a “happy nomad” who loves to travel all over the world whether it’s Myanmar, Mexico or Martha’s Vineyard.  ”Each region fills every one of my senses and never disappoints in the adventures and experiences,” says Kimberly.

Now in her fourth year as a Backroads Trip Leader, Kimberly loves to share the joy of active travel with others and has led trips to many different regions across the globe. One of her favorite travel quotes from Miriam Beard says, “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” It’s a sentiment she heartily agrees with.

In April, Kimberly will be leading a Singles-Solos biking trip to Bali. Backroads’ Singles-Solos program groups individuals traveling alone for a social travel experience. Trip Leaders are essential in setting tone and fostering a chemistry between travelers. It’s a task Kimberly loves and our travelers attest to it!

The Bali Biking Trip takes guests through lush rice fields, exotic temples, local villages, busy markets, rough rivers and more to discover this artistic and devout Hindu culture. Highlights include seeing lava flows at Mount Agung, snorkeling the wreckage of the U.S.S. Liberty, preparing local cuisine and rafting the Ayung River.

Have you ever traveled with Kimberly? Share your experience! Want to travel with Kimberly? Give us a call from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848 to book her Singles-Solos Bali bike tour or to find out what other trips she’ll be leading this year.

Wow, can you imagine receiving a trip or money toward a trip as your wedding gift? We think that’s one of the best gifts that you can give a newlywed couple and so today we wanted to tackle a question we’re asked frequently: Does Backroads offer a honeymoon registry?

Yes, we do and here’s how it works!

Couples interested in taking a Backroads hiking trip or biking trip for their honeymoon or a later vacation need to first call Backroads to make their reservation. We ask for a $600 deposit per person to hold the reservation.

Then, simply invite friends and family to contribute to this ultimate wedding gift of an active honeymoon getaway. You can have them call Backroads directly at 800-462-2848 to make the contribution to your account, and each contributor will receive a gift card to present to you.

We know you’re going to want to write thank you notes for all the contributions, so at the time of the trip’s departure, we’ll provide you with a final list of all contributors and the amounts of their gifts. May we suggest knocking out those thank you notes on the plane ride to your honeymoon? Then you can mail them from your destination so they’ll see the postmark of the amazing locale they helped you to reach. You might even consider sending “thank you” post cards for a more unique approach!

We do require that all payments are made by the final payment date, which is usually 95-125 days prior to departure (so start asking early!). Any remaining balance will be due at that time. If Grandma or Aunt Susie decides to contribute after that date, we’ll credit you back, no problem!

So where should you choose to travel for your honeymoon? Should you take a honeymoon by bike or a hiking honeymoon? Here are a few of our top active honeymoon selections, ranging from European bike tours to Asian multisport adventures:

France: Dordogne & Bordeaux Biking, Loire Valley Biking, Provence Walking

Italy: Amalfi Coast Walking, Tuscany Biking, Italian Lakes Walking

Africa, Asia & the Pacific: Bali Biking, South Africa/Botswana Active Multisport, Morocco Multisport

Latin America: Costa Rice Multisport, Patagonia Hiking

US & Canada: Vermont Biking, Canadian Rockies Multisport, Martha’s Vineyard Biking, Wine Country Biking

Got questions about our honeymoon travel registry or are you ready to set up your dream honeymoon? Call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848.

Traveling to Cuba is a rare opportunity, but Backroads has worked with the US government to open the doors to this mysterious country. Thanks to a recently approved People-to-People license, we’re excited to offer confirmed trips to Cuba in May and June of 2013, as well as opportunities December 2013 through February 2014.

On this eight-day tour of Cuba, you’ll get to delve deeply into Cuban culture and interact with locals, a hallmark of Backroads’ tours. The itinerary will include visits to museums, art studios, coffee plantations, farms and national parks.

The highlights of our trip to Cuba include:

• Delving into Hemingway’s Cuba during a visit to the Museo Ernest Hemingway
• Discussing Cuba’s rich arts heritage with artists at private studios and a community art project
• Learning about Cuban enterprise from budding entrepreneurs, including owners of private restaurants (paladares) and private room rentals (casa particulares)
• Chatting with local farmers, cowboys and coffee plantation workers
• Talking conservation with local naturalists
• Learning about Afro-Cuban religious traditions with a Santeria priest
• Meeting musicians, dancers and performers from such groups as the Yoruba Association of Cuba and the Spanish Ballet of Cuba

As the primary focus of this Cuba tour is education and an exchange of information about cultures, it will not be nearly as active as the typical Backroads hiking tour or biking tour. There will be opportunities for some walking, however. Additionally, accommodations and food will be simpler than Backroads’ Premiere Inn tours and Classic Inn tours.

To reserve a spot or for more information, please call us at 800-462-2848 daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time. We anticipate demand will exceed capacity, so don’t wait too long to experience this once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunity! Visit the Backroads’ website at www.backroads.com/trips/ACUQ for a more detailed itinerary and departure dates.

We love kids here at Backroads! It’s a joy to see them biking through the rolling hills of Tuscany with their parents, hiking around a volcano in Hawaii and ziplining through the jungles of Costa Rica. Since we see so many families on our active family vacations each year, it’s only natural that we have a few tips for active travel with kids. We want you and your family to have the best vacation possible and a little preparation can make sure it’s a trip your children will remember for the rest of their lives.

Here are our top 5 tips for the best active travel experience with kids:

1)      Getting home and back can be the least fun parts of your family biking tour or family hiking tour. Make flying fun by bringing games, books, favorite snacks and a surprise for after the flight. Be sure to ask the flight attendant if they have any special packets for kids. Select pre and post hotels that cater to families and offer kid activities and amenities—our Travel Planners can help you with that. Research activities in your gateway city that the whole family can enjoy: aquariums, zoos, parks, children’s museums and theatres.

2)      When packing for kids on an active family trip, be sure to include plastic bags for sticky and dirty clothes, a nightlight to brighten unfamiliar rooms, pediatrician contact information, medications, a comforting toy and addresses of their friends so they can send postcards.

3)      Staying at a hotel can be an exciting experience for children. To make your family’s stay more enjoyable, give kids a tour of the property when you arrive and explain the rules regarding the minibar, in-room movies and telephone.

4)      Practice hiking and biking with your kids before you arrive on your family bike tour or family walking tour. The additional time together on training rides and hikes can make great family bonding days.  And not only that, the kids became familiar with what gear they need, how to layer clothing properly, and what snacks and food they like most on the trail and on the bike.

5)      Have a meeting before your family adventure and agree to rules regarding the use of electronics during your trip. Consider allowing electronics during travel to and from only; a camera as the only electronic item for kids during the tour; or simply leaving phones and Gameboys at home.  If parents also agree to unplug, they’ll likely get more buy-in from the kids. The rewards of real family bonding, full immersion into the culture or nature of a place, disconnecting from the distractions of daily life and home, and creating more opportunity for incredible memories far outweighs the hardship of giving up the electronics.

Come explore the world with your family on a Backroads family adventure vacation. We’re pretty sure the kids will forget about the PlayStation quickly and be ready to send off postcard after postcard to their buddies as they enjoy all our trips have to offer.

For more information about Backroads Family Trips, please visit www.Backroads.com or call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 800-462-2848. You can also check out our online Family Trip Advisor to get help finding the perfect adventure for your family.

Sometime in your life, you’ve got to see the American West whether it’s the canyons of Utah or the mountains and hot springs in Wyoming. We happen to think the best way to see this region is on a bike tour or hiking tour of the American West.

Backroads offers active tours to Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and more, giving you the opportunity to see these glorious vistas in the open air as you pedal through each state or hike on your own two feet. Smell the wildflowers, see the mountains unobstructed and drink in the fresh alpine air.

Here are a few of our top Western vacations that we think you should consider this year:

New Mexico Biking: Santa Fe & Taos – This 6-day, 5-night New Mexico bike tour takes you through the land that inspired artist Georgia O’Keefe, across the fifth highest bridge in the US, a chance to bike the Enchanted Circle around Wheeler Peak and through Spanish and Indian ruins. Runs May, June, September & October.

Wyoming: Yellowstone and Tetons Multisport – This is your chance to see mud pots, spouting geysers and steaming vents, along with the beautiful peaks of the Tetons and the Snake River as you white-water raft  down it. This 6-day 5-night tour screams adventure! Get ready to bike Wyoming, hike Grand Teton National Park and kayak Yellowstone Lake. This Wyoming adventure is offered as a Classic Tour June-September, for Singles-Solos  in July, for families June-August and as a deluxe camping experience June-August.

Montana Biking – Right next door to Wyoming is beautiful Montana where you’ll get to bike the Going-to-the-Sun Road and take in the true alpine beauty of the American West. As you bike Montana, pedal past Lake McDonald, sparkling waterfalls, through glacier-carved valleys and even take a trek into Canada and visit a National Park. As the finale, raft down the Flathead River. This is a 6-day, 5-night trip that runs July-August as a classic tour and June and August for Singles-Solos.

Utah: Bryce & Zion Biking – Red rocks galore are what you’ll find on this bike trip through Utah. You’ll see rocks of all shapes and sizes from whimsically-shaped formations to towers and arches. Get ready to be amazed at what Mother Nature creates! On this Utah bike tour, you’ll also work your way through many canyons, bike through Zion National Park with its colored pinnacles, spires and hoodoos, as well as marvel at Mount Carmel’s white sandstone Elkhard Cliffs. This bike tour of Utah runs 6 days and 5 nights June-September and is also available for Singles and Solos in July.

Where have you always dreamed of heading out West? Don’t forget to bring your cowboy boots and cowboy hat – oh yeah, and your sense of adventure!

To book any of our active trips to the American West, please call us daily 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time at 800-462-2848.

Part of what makes Backroads so special is our emphasis on introducing our guests to the local culture of the region where they’re traveling. We often employ local guides who live in the area to give you an authentic look at what it’s like to live there and our Trip Leaders are also incredibly knowledgeable about the areas where they travel.

From the design of the trip to our Trip Leaders, we’ll guide you along the way to explore the local culture, but here are a few tips in advance to help you get the most out of your active trip.

• Stop – You are on a bike tour or walking tour, after all, so you have the option to stop and take in the world around you. Hop off the bike and browse the local food market or walk into a café and strike up a conversation. You’ll be amazed at the rich interactions you’ll remember for years to come.
• Know Your No-No’s – Following the proper etiquette in other countries can be an important way to demonstrate respect for another culture and increase the likelihood of engaging interactions.  For specific regional customs, ask your Trip Planner before you leave or check with your culturally-savvy Trip Leader as to the correct “do’s” and “don’ts.”
• Be Chatty – Learn a few basic phrases and practice them with the locals. Don’t be shy. Ask questions and share your excitement and you’ll be surprised by the enthusiastic response! Check with your Trip Planner for a list of commonly used words and phrases.
• Get Educated – Read up on the region before you get there. Backroads provides a list of travel-inspiring books for recommended reading for each of our bike trips and hiking trips.
• Take a Picture – Photographing new places is one of travel’s most rewarding gifts. Be sensitive when shooting local peoples and religious or ceremonial sites by asking permission first. Show your appreciation by thanking them. You could also ask for their name and address and sending them a copy of the photograph.

What tips do you have for immersing yourself in the local culture? How did you strike up a conversation with a local on an active vacation? We’d love to hear!

For more advice on how to enhance your cultural experience before you depart, check with our Trip Planners 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848.

In [Part One] of our blog series about the Backroads’ Quality Index, we shared with you 6 reasons why Backroads delivers the best service in active travel, ranging from our two support vans on every trip to local expertise and thoughtful trip design. We developed the Backroads’  Quality Index as a way to show you the differences that set Backroads’ active vacations apart from other providers.

In Part Two of our series, we’ll share with you 7 more reasons why you should choose Backroads as your active travel provider.

Mixed Abilities — Not everyone is a competitive cyclist or a marathon runner, and Backroads trips are designed to cater to all fitness levels, even if you’re a beginner. By providing two vans on every trip and three Trip Leaders, we’re able to accommodate everyone’s needs. Each trip also comes with multiple route options to help you choose if you’d like to bike or hike more or less on any given day. We also strive to match you with riding/walking companions who enjoy a similar pace.

Multiple Daily Routes – Our trip planning experts design several different routes each day so you can enjoy the best of a region at your individual pace. All routes have directions and are described in detail.

The Right Trip Size – We believe the number of travelers on our active tours in “just right” … not too many and not too few. Our trips host groups that are small enough to remain flexible but big enough to provide interesting dynamics. Optimum size also varies based on the type of trip, whether it’s a Singles Adventure, a family adventure tour or a classic bike tour.

Authentic Hotels – Backroads offers two levels of accommodations: Premiere or Casual. This distinction helps you understand clearly what to expect and what you’re paying for. No matter the type of accommodations you choose, you can be sure Backroads selects lodging that balances high quality and demonstrable value.

Family Trip Expertise – We love families here at Backroads and consider ourselves the experts in active family travel! Since 2000, we’ve run more than 2400 dedicated family trips around the world. View our selection of active family trips.

Singles-Solos — For more than two decades we’ve led the way in active trips for single and solo travelers. Read about our single room policy, early booking deals, singles Facebook community—plus more dates and destinations than ever. Our popular Bikefest tour is back for 2013 with TWO dates due to popular demand.

Smart, Invaluable Extras – We think of all the details here at Backroads! Items like cyclometers, elevation profiles, daily regional snapshots, downloadable GPS directions available on biking trips in the U.S. and Europe, telescoping walking sticks, cold beer and drinks at the end of each day, custom-built kids bikes and so much more make a Backroads tour truly special.

What do you think is the best part about traveling with Backroads? What “extra” that we provide is your favorite?

To join us on an active tour for 2013 or beyond, please call us 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848. Happy travels!

We think food and active travel go perfectly together. For one, you can burn off most of the calories you consume dining on delicious local cuisine and two, there’s no better way to experience the true flavor of a region than through its local fare.

Backroads offers several hiking tours and biking tours that have a big food focus whether it’s taking a cooking class, shopping the local market or dining with locals. Here are some of our favorite active tours for foodies:

Puglia Biking Tour

Tour the Puglia region of Italy by bike and experience all of its gastronomic delights! On our 6-day, 5-night Puglia Bike Tour, you’ll travel the Italian Adriatic Coast, which brings to mind the whitewashed coastal villages of Greece. Olive trees and fennel stretch as far as the eye can see interspersed with age-old farmhouses. You’ll sample a full-bodied primitivo and other notable vini Pugliesi, cook with local Pugliese chefs during a culinary lesson, learn how mozzarella is made and enjoy organic homemade Pugliese dishes. The Puglia Biking tour runs April-June and August-October.

Peru Walking & Hiking Tour

You may be surprised to hear that our 7-day, 6-night Peru hiking tour also has a food focus in addition to the amazing Machu Picchu ruins and active Andes activities.  Some of the culinary experiences in which you’ll indulge in Peru include sipping a pisco sour at the Cusco Museum, shopping the lively Pisac market and take a cooking class with a local Peruvian chef from Sol y Luna. Then get ready to burn all the calories you’ve consumed during two days of hiking to Machu Picchu. The Peru walking tour runs March-October, as well as some dates in December.

Tuscany Walking & Cooking Tour

New for 2013 is our Tuscany Walking and Cooking Tour. Tuscany has always been a popular destination for us and guests are always asking for recipes and techniques to recreate the mouth-watering Tuscan dishes at home, so we’ve created a Tuscany tour focused around one of everyone’s favorite highlights of the area: its glorious food! On our Tuscany cooking & walking tour, you’ll have the opportunity to cook side by side with Italian “le nonne” (grandmas),  chat up a Tuscan butcher about meats, have lunch under the grape vines, enjoy a private wine talk, sample honey made by monks at Monte Oliveto Maggiore, visit a working cheese farm and much more! The 6-day, 5-night trip runs May-July, September and October.

Did we make you hungry?! Go ahead and reserve your spot on one of these fantastic food-focused tours for 2013. You’ll come home full of culinary inspiration and stories to share with family and friends. Call us today at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific.

Here at Backroads, we believe we’re the best choice for an active vacation, be it a walking tour in Europe or a bike tour through southeast Asia. Sure, lots of active travel companies make claims about why their service is the best, but we can prove it! How? The Backroads’  Quality Index, a way to demonstrate to you the true differences that set Backroads’ active vacations apart from the rest.

In Part 1 of our Quality Index blog post, we’ll share with you 6 reasons we believe Backroads is the leader of the pack:

Never Subcontracted – We run all of our own active tours around the world, allowing us to control the quality. We never subcontract to other vendors.

Two Support Vans – On all of our bike trips, walking trips and multisport trips, we support you with two vans*. That way, if part of the group needs a break, they can head back to the hotel, while the other van supports those still walking or biking. It also allows us to provide snacks, fix bikes, etc. without sacrificing service to everyone else.

Three Trip Leaders – By sending three Trip Leaders on EVERY tour, we ensure that everyone is catered to. Our active trips have a 6:1 guest to leader ratio, and our travelers consistently score our Trip Leaders 9.7 out of 10, saying they “make all the difference.”

Local Expertise – On our international trips, we bring along local guides to pair with our Trip Leaders to give you an authentic experience of the region where you’re traveling.

The Right Bikes – Our bike fleet is the best in the active travel industry with more than 4000 expertly maintained bikes, including our custom titanium Backroads bike, our top-rated Specialized S-Works Roubaix and women’s Ruby Pro, and our Co-Motion Periscope Torpedo tandem.

Thoughtful Trip Design – We employ a team of nine trip designers, lead by our founder and CEO Tom Hale who brings three decades of experience, ensuring you truly get to see the “back roads” and the best of each area.

What is your favorite part of the Backroads experience? To experience our quality firsthand, call us today at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.- 5 p.m.  Pacific to get start selecting the perfect active tour for you.

*95% of Backroads guests travel with the support of two or more vans and three leaders. The remaining 5% are on trips with very few guests where only one van and two leaders are needed to maintain our high service standards.

Can you imagine going from never having changed a bike tire to leading a group of 60 on a bike tour to one of the country’s most popular regions? Meet Backroads Trip Leader Matt Sulkis! It’s not a challenge he shied away from!

In fact, Matt came to Backroads as a bit of a surprise. “I was not a cyclist, did not know how to change a tire and had never planned on traveling or guiding for a living,” says Matt. But he heard about Backroads’ adventure tours through a friend while he was still working for an environmental consulting firm in Vancouver. He decided to give it a go.

Fast forward three years and Matt is now leading Backroads’ annual Bikefest bike trip through Wine Country. On this sojourn, which we like to describe as deluxe camping, singles and solos bike through the rolling hills of northern California, sip wines from myriad wineries and enjoy rollicking campfires and live music every evening. It is a “fest” indeed!

Now, says Matt, “I now own a quiver of bikes and have been moving all over the world nonstop for three years. It has been quite a gift.”

“I think that seeing the world by bicycle is unique,” says Matt. “You are engaging so many of your senses, have complete control over where you go and what you see, and are being green in the process. I love that our guests choose to see the  world this way.”

If we haven’t convinced you to travel with Matt yet, well, then check out his tent set-up skills in this quick, fun video below. On a Backroads deluxe camping adventure tour, our Trip Leaders set up camp for you, so all you have to do is show up, relax and lay your head on the pillow. Take a look:

Interested in our Singles Bikefest? We’ve added a second date for 2013 due to its popularity last year. Party with us in either July or September. [Read our blog on Bikefest for more information] or call us at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily to save your spot!