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.

2013 has arrived and we know you like to travel as much as we do. So we’ve listed out some of our top 10 New Year’s resolutions specifically dedicated to travel. Lots of people make “travel” itself a New Year’s resolution, but we wanted to go deeper and make some suggestions of how to improve your travel experience in 2013.

Here are Backroads’ top 10 New Year’s travel resolutions:

1)      Travel somewhere you’ve never been – At Backroads we travel to hundreds of destinations around the globe, and we can help you find a bike tour or hiking tour to a place you’ve yet to discover. Instead of taking the same trip you do every year, be bold and try something new!

2)      Travel somewhere unexpected – Sure, everyone wants to take a Tuscany bike tour or a Provence walking tour, but consider traveling to a location more off the beaten path. For 2013, Backroads has introduced bike trips to Myanmar, for example, a country that has largely been closed to the modern world for many years. By biking through Myanmar, you will truly discover an “undiscovered” world untouched by tourism.

3)      Add activity to your trip – At Backroads, we believe half the fun of travel is the way you travel. Step out of the car or tour bus and hop on a bike, walk or even kayak down the river. Your travel experience will be so much richer out in the open air with some activity mixed in. You’ll even be able to enjoy all the gourmet dinners we provide without the guilt!

4)      Bring your kids along – Afraid to travel with your kids? Don’t be! We offer wonderful family adventures that will make a trip with the kids a great experience. Our family bike tours and family walking tours are designed with lots of kid-friendly activities, whether it’s a scavenger hunt, eating gelato in Sicily or fencing in the Loire Valley, that will entertain and educate not just them, but you, as well. Browse our family adventures.

5)      Try a solo trip – Traveling alone can be a life-changing experience and you can do it without worry with Backroads’ Singles + Solos travel program. We offer trips around the world designed for traveling solo. You’ll enjoy meeting other solo travelers on the trip and get plenty of time to explore the world on your own with the unparalleled service, support and guidance of the Backroads team. Browse our singles trips.

6)      Travel at a different time of year – Always take a summer vacation? Try traveling at the holidays to create once-in-a-lifetime memories. Paris in the spring? Yes, it’s lovely, but Europe in the fall can also be a wonderful time to travel. Mix it up this year!

7)      Try a new food – Backroads offers gourmet meals at many Michelin-starred restaurants and plenty of opportunities to try food local to your destination. It might be a little out of your comfort zone, but be brave and try a new food or dish. You just might be surprised at how good it tastes!

8)      Try something adventurous – Add some adventure to your travel! With Backroads, you can fence in Loire Valley, zip line in Costa Rica, hike a volcano in Hawaii and Sicily, visit ancient temples and the list goes on. No ho hum vacations for us! Make your travel exciting in 2013!

9)      Engage the locals – To really get the most out of travel, try to immerse yourself in the local culture. When you bike or hike a destination, you’re more likely to stop and have a conversation with the farmer selling produce by the road or chat with the couple next to you at the café. Make an effort to talk to the locals, ask them about the area and their favorite things to do. You’ll likely come away with a new world view.

10)   Learn a new language – It’s easier to engage the locals if you know a little bit of their language. Challenge yourself a few months before your trip to learn some key phrases in the language of the region you’ll be visiting. Not only will you feel more confident and comfortable, you may just be inspired to learn the language fluently.

Have you set any resolutions related to travel? Let us know what they are and if we can help you meet them! Give us a call 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific any day of the week if we can help you stick to those travel resolutions with a Backroads bike tour or Backroads hiking tour. Happy New Year!

Asia is a popular destination for many of our Backroads travelers. We wanted to share with you some of our favorite Asia bike tours and Asia walking tours as you plan your travels for 2013.

Myanmar – This year, Backroads is introducing an 8-day, 7-night Myanmar bike tour running through March and a Myanmar walking tour, which runs in December. Traveling to Myanmar is an experience few have had the opportunity to enjoy, as this country has largely been closed to tourism. Many of the locals you meet on our bike tour to Myanmar may never have seen someone from outside their country. On our bike trip, you’ll explore the “golden land” including temples, rivers, ancient ruins, a monastery and an extinct volcano and meet a few monkeys along the way.

Thailand – Elephants, rice paddies and fire balloons, oh my! These are just a few of the adventures you’ll experience on our Thailand biking tour. The 8-day, 7-night trip lets you take in the best of Thailand with help from the locals. You’ll receive a blessing from village elders, light a fire balloon and make a wish, eat incredible homemade Thai curry and sample the country’s delicious street food, and conclude the trip with a jungle trek on an elephant. Looking for adventure? This is the one! Thailand biking runs in January, February and December.

Bhutan – We offer a Bhutan walking tour and a Bhutan multisport tour for those looking for a more active exploration of Bhutan. Namgay, a longtime friend of Backroads and Bhutanese local, will give you an inside tour of this lovely country hidden deep in the Himalayas. He’ll lead you on a hike to a 14^th century temple accessible only by foot, rafting down the Po Chhu River, to a visit to an impressive giant Buddha statue,  past a temple hanging on a cliff and to a local teahouse for a warm brew. The 8-day, 7-night Bhutan adventures run March and April and September through November.

China – See China like you never imagined by bike. Our China bike tour lets you pedal through this ancient country through both rural villages and modern cities. Don’t be surprised when local children rush out to greet you, so excited to see visitors! You’ll also take a private boat cruise down the Li River, visit local street markets, see the famous Terra Cotta warriors, pedal the 500-year-old city walls of Xian and see the Great Wall. China Biking is a 9-day, 8-night adventure running April, May, September and October.

Vietnam/Cambodia – See Vietnam and Cambodia by bike or by hiking through these areas. These are some of our most popular Asian bike tours and Asian walking tours. If you choose by bike, you’ll share the road with many others, like food carts, water buffalo and locals and kids headed to school and work; it’s quite an experience! Visit Hoi An, Vietnam’s oldest town, bike over Cloud Pass, stop at Cam Kim Island, ride through Angkor Wat at sunrise and visit famous ancient temples. Our Vietnam bike tours and Vietnam walking tours run January-March, November and December and are 9-10 days.

Where have you visited in Asia? Are there any Asia tours you’d like to add to your bucket list or 2013 travel plans? Let us know!

If you have any questions about our adventure tours to Asia or would like to get one booked, please give us a call 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific at 800-462-2848.

In November, President Obama traveled to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, as the first sitting U.S. president to do so. The visit, according to Christian Chumbley, Backroads regional manager of Asia, Pacific and Africa, helps legitimize the democratic process in the country and sends a signal they’re headed in the right direction.

Backroads is giving travelers the opportunity to visit this long closed-off country beginning January of 2013 on the heels of the President’s visit to the country. Long a favorite of Trip Leaders who enjoyed side tours to Myanmar while traveling to neighboring countries, Backroads is excited to finally be able to offer this Myanmar tour to groups looking to discover truly off-the-grid destinations. For the last year, we’ve had many requests to travel to Myanmar and the volume only increased after President Obama’s visit.

We are extremely excited about the itinerary and think you’ll be surprised that Myanmar, also called “the Golden Land,” is such as sunny scenic place. On the bike tour, you’ll participate in an evening candle-lighting tradition at a sacred Buddhist site, travel past 2000 temples and pagodas, hike up 777 steps to the summit of an extinct volcano and visit a cave filled with more than 2,000 Buddha statues and shrines. You also get to interact with its people, many of whom have never met anyone from outside their village, much less their country.

We’ve chosen only our most sought after Trip Leaders to guide you on this Myanmar biking tour. Trip Leader Matt Allen, for example, grew up in the region and lived in what was then Burma for several years with his family as a young man. Matt has been in and out of the country dozens of times and has witnessed firsthand its changes over the last 20 years.

Chuck Bartlet, who comes highly recommended by past guests for his extensive knowledge and above-and-beyond service, has been leading our popular Vietnam biking tour for years along with our India adventure tours and will also be leading the Myanmar tour.

While our January dates are all booked up, we still have room in February and March, but hurry because this bike tour itinerary is filling up fast. This is your chance to explore a country largely undiscovered by outsiders and enjoy its natural charm. “Myanmar’s character has not been all that influenced by travelers and feels really emergent and genuine,” says Chumbley. “There’s something truly authentic about all the villages, towns and people.”

We’re also working on a Myanmar walking/hiking tour for the end of 2013 if you miss this one. Call us today at 800-462-2848 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pacific to discover Myanmar for yourself!