Cycling Holidays in the Middle East

This was a great trip because of the staff that were with us. The guide Anas was so accommodating and helpful, always smiling and wanting to share as much knowledge about Jordan as possible. No problem was too difficult for him to try to sort. The driver Walid was also hugely experienced and helpful. We were a very small group-3 of us and another super couple. Luckily it worked very well. There was a private group of 9 who were doing the same holiday and I presume that was how the 14 was made up. We were made to wait an hour every morning to let the private tour go first and this was probably the most annoying thing about the trip as we had to wait until 9.00 or 10.00 to leave and so had less time in the evening at our destination – a bit unfair but nothing our group had control over. Also think you should state there is really not much cycling in your brochure. And what cycling there is, is predominately downhill-and some of the downhill is very scary. Quite a few accidents between the 2 groups. We had a poor cycling guide who did not maintain a steady pace and this did not help with uphills and downhills. He seemed to care little what the group was doing, rarely looked behind and was also focusing on his training! Our guide spoke with him but I would suggest he is moved on. We had a day with an excellent cycling guide-ammar and so this guy’s failings really stood out.

Susan Dick Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

An amazing trip cycling, taking in breathtaking and varied scenery.

Richard Armishaw Cycle Morocco's Great South

Be prepared for heavy vehicle traffic and lots of poor roads with Dust prevalent. Cycling Laos is for strong cyclists more interested in getting from A to B than taking in the scenery, local customs and culture. I have done several Exodus cycling holidays and this was the most demanding (correctly graded) but least rewarding trip I have done. The trip would be greatly improved by a change from the key roads to more circular trips that can use the back roads. The very full distance and set sight seeing agenda means early morning starts, combined with late finishes leaving little time to dawdle or do anything other than go out to eat in the evening. Unusually, I was probably the weakest cyclist in this lovely group which meant I never had time to stop to take photographs or take in the views. After the day’s cycling and the transfers, by the time we got to the overnight stays (all of a good standard for this kind of trip) you barely had time to freshen up and prepare for the next day before you were out to dinner and then early to bed for next early start. There was little or no time to take in the delights described in the trip notes. The roads are misleadingly described as being “often to yourself” and does not mention the fairly constant presence of heavy lorries. When these lorries or other fast traffic combines with the deteriorating roads you will have to put up with the dust. Our trip was just after the rice harvest (in some areas there are two) and crop burning meant there was a constant grey haze (even after a full night of rain) obliterating the potentially amazing views of rural Laos. I would recommend you do not go on the late Feb departure and check current forecasts of the harvest time. If you are looking for rural rides and time to take in the scenery I would suggest looking at other trips altogether. All cyclists take note of the grading for this trip and, unless you are a strong cyclist, consider an e-bike.

Alan Carter Cycling in Laos