Ride Wild Tours

WHERE

The RIDE WILD TOUR will follow the same route as the Imana Wild Ride which starts in Kei Mouth (80km north of East London) and finishes at Umngazi River Bungalows (20km south of Port St Johns).

DURATION

The tour involves four days of mountain biking plus your travel days either side = 6 days leave.

Day 1: Travel to the start in Kei Mouth
Day 2: Kei Mouth – Kob Inn
Day 3: Kob Inn – The Haven
Day 4: The Haven – Ocean View (Coffee Bay)
Day 5: Ocean View – Umngazi River Bungalows
Day 6: Travel home !

Wednesday 26th May (arrive Kei), start Thurs 27th – Sunday 30th May (finish Umngazi)
Monday 6th September (arrive Kei), start Tues 7th – Friday 10th Sept (finish Umngazi)

COSTS

Three nights hotel accommodation (Kob Inn, The Haven and Ocean View)
Welcome dinner in Kei Mouth on the evening of arrival
Sunrise breakfast in Kei prior to the start of the tour
Three full meals each day
Backup services to transport your overnight bags
Bike wash facilities
Medical cover
Two guides
Permits to enter the Reserves en route
A quality Ride Wild Tour finishers’garment

Excluded in the above is:

I seldom use superlative adjectives to save it for those rare extreme cases to describe extra ordinary situations. This event was one of those rare occasions and I can only but describe it as extremely awesome. It was even much better than I could picture it in my mind. It was a great privilege to do the trip. Absolutely beautiful and serene to be so close to nature.

Thank you for the warm hospitality and nice company. Only problem is when I left it was the expectation to return with a little bit less of myself but with all the nice food it worked out the other way round. The accommodation and food were just perfect.

We are still on a high after our tour. We have been raving about all our experiences to our friends but as Kerry said you just can't describe the magical ingredient that made the trip so wonderful. As far as feedback is concerned, there is absolutely nothing you can do to improve the tour. We all thought that everything was perfect. However, if we had lots of bucks and time it would have been nice to stay an extra day at each place to really appreciate them fully!

Steve, Pete and Mike were fantastic with giving us advice (e.g. how to cycle on sand, how to push your bike up a hill, which way to lean when the boat tipped!), giving us detailed info on what lay ahead so that we could prepare ourselves mentally and really motivating us during the tough bits.

Nothing could have prepared us for the sheer joy of cycling on the beach. Although we had heard that the last day wasn't as good, not one of us would have given that day up - it was a privilege to ride that route.

Thank you for all the great organizing. There are so many logistics that must go into organizing a trip like this. Congratulations ! It all went very well . Besides the utter exhaustion, (especially after day 3 ) it was fantastic !! Absolutely stunning scenery, fun times, bonding, delicious food (esp seafood buffet at The Haven on Sat night) and great slide shows every night by Pete and Brian. Thanks again to everybody involved. Pete was unbelievable – no signs of frustration while waiting hours and hours for the ladies to catch up. He was terrific. (and a HUGE help !)

We can cater for group bookings (min of 15pax) but require at least 6 months notice as well as a 50% deposit on confirmation of dates. At an additional cost to the tour fee, the package may be customized to include: accommodation at Kei Mouth, transfers from East London to Kei Mouth and Umngazi back to East London, bike mechanics, masseurs etc. There is also the option of a 3 day tour which would finish at Coffee Bay.

Non-riding friends and family are welcome to join the group and follow the backup vehicle to the next overnight between stages. They will need to drive their own vehicle and be prepared to depart at an arranged time at the start of each day (unless they’re willing to find their own way). Vehicles must be able to handle some rough sections of dirt road. The cost for supporters is R3500 (excl VAT).

LOGISTICS

It is up to you to find your way to the start and home from the finish (we will look after you for the duration of the Tour). Various options include flying into East London Airport and organizing a transfer to Kei Mouth (about an hour’s drive) or getting a driver to drop you off at Kei Mouth on the afternoon before the Tour starts.

The Tour will finish at Umngazi River Bungalows which enjoys a 98% occupancy year round. In other words the chances of getting in there at short notice are very slim. The next best option is to move through to Cremorne Estate in Port St Johns (about 25km from the finish) which is also a lovely spot. You will need to arrange your own transport out of Umngazi.

A minimum of 20 people is required to run the Tour. Should we not meet this requirement the Tour will be cancelled. This will be finalized at least 6 weeks prior to the tour.
Each person must ensure they are physically fit to handle the four days and 200km of testing riding.
Each person will be required to sign an Indemnity at registration before the Tour starts.
No refunds will be issued once your booking is confirmed. It is up to you to find a replacement should you be unable to participate for whatever reason.
In the case of a replacement please notify the organizers immediately by completing a new Booking Form and e-mailing it to Rebecca.

All bookings and enquiries will be handled by Rebecca (see contact details herewith)
Individuals and groups will be accepted up to a maximum of 30pax and minimum of 15pax / Tour on a first come, first pay basis.
Booking deadlines for each respective tour are:

Tour 1: Monday 12th April
Tour 2: Monday 2nd August

If booking in a group (two or more) please submit all booking forms together and indicate the names of those in your group.
It is preferable to book a minimum of two people due to hotel rooms catering for combinations of two or more. Any individuals wishing to book may have to share a room with someone else.
Complete the form below and fax/e-mail (just this form not all the other blurb herewith please!) to Rebecca (see details below).