Testimonials:
Burma - Mountains, Beaches & Stupas Cycling Holiday

Bruce Irving, Norwich, England, UK

Myanmar is full of delightful honest people. One of my best redspokes trips ever. Superb accomodation and food. Mount Poppa was the most fabulous place I have ever stayed,  Nagpali beach is a must do!

Daniele Leyder, Kingston, Australia

I really enjoyed the experience of Bike riding in Myanmar. Countryside was beautiful and locals very welcoming. Very impressed by Chan’s organisation of the trip including the food.

I had forgotten to notify I was vegetarian, but he organised vegetarian meals for me at short notice. Very nice being able to hop in the bus when it was becoming too hard to continue pedalling in the heat. Chan would always make sure everyone was ok and enjoyed the trip.

Colm Faherty, Dublin, Ireland

A fascinating country at the cusp of great change. One of the best redspokes trips I have been on with an excellent local support team who cannot do enough to support the trip. I cannot recommend this trip highly enough!

John Roche, Leeds, UK

Our first experience of Burma was extremely positive. The support team were excellent they anticipated our every need always willing to help but not in the way. Nothing was too much trouble. The guide Mellow was very informative about the history and culture of Burma, we liked the extra trips e.g. Inle Lake, sunset boat trip at Bagan and visits to the many temples. The school visit was interesting so impressed by the enthusiastic pupils and their teachers.

Muriel Thomson, Aberdeen, Scotland

A lovely country with very friendly people. A good cycle route with varied countryside. Everything very well organised. Ngapali beach was super. Nice quiet beach and lots to do. Full day jungle trek we did was excellent.

Myanmar is certainly worth a visit before it gets too touristy.

Richard Kitson, Brighouse, West Yorks, England

Great to see Burma/Myanmar before it might get spoilt by tourism. Good cycling despite the poor surfaces in some places, but it's obvious that that is being addressed month by month. Accommodation in general was very good, considering, but where there was no tourism the places were basic, but that didn't come as a surprise.

It was great that we ate at genuine local venues each day for the main meals and the ride stops and this only enhances the trip. Burma was such a friendly and safe place and the bike support staff were first class.

Alf Glover, Chorley, England

A happy returning redspokes customer, I would certainly recommend this trip. Go before the country changes, lovely country and lovely people. Looking forward to next redspokes adventure!

Phil Hurcom, London, England, UK

A fabulous tour in a fascinating country full of wonderfully welcoming people, amazing sights and challenging cycling.

Kalayar and her team couldn't be more helpful, the accommodation was uniformly excellent even in the less traditionally tourist locations and the attractions of Myanmar combine to make this a great 2 weeks.

Kate Cheesman, London, England

Excellent trip. Dermot and local staff wonderful. Bikes excellent and superbly maintained by those overnight "elves" who oiled, cleaned and polished them and sometimes even left flowers on them! - Wonderful "invisible" beings!!

Beautiful countryside & amazing people. Go now before it turns into Thailand

Martin Hamilton, Telford, England, UK

Absolutely superb trip, exceeded all my expectations. The crew looked after us fantastically well - nothing was too much trouble. Overall an excellent trip to a fascinating country.

Diana de Rooij & Gerrit Aarnoudse, Utrecht, Netherlands

Very happy with our very first organized tour experience, as part of our honeymoon :) I'm glad we chose cycling with redspokes to explore the beautiful country of Burma/ Myanmar. I wish redspokes all the best with organizing and touring. Keep exploring new routes!

Marjorie Leighton, Campbeltown, Scotland

This was my first cycling holiday. There were parts that were harder than I had anticipated. However I made it and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would do it again. It was a great way to see the country and the way of life and interact with the locals. The organisation, accommodation, food, guides and bikes were of a high standard. I am glad to have done the trip with the beach extension as this gave another insight into life in the country and the ability to keep cycling or not. I would recommend it to anyone.

Alison Urquhart, Sydney, Australia

I loved experiencing Burma at handlebar level. It's a great way to see the country and to meet the locals. The riding is varied with flat sections, challenging climbs and some challenging road surfaces. I was very happy with the bike I hired from redspokes and Jules and Phoe Aung ensured that it fitted me and was expertly maintained over the trip. The food is delicious and there is plenty to eat. I have celiac disease and had no problems eating gluten free.I loved my time at Ngapali Beach “swimming, body surfing and with my cabin right on the beach front.

Our local staff was awesome“ ensuring that we had everything we needed and more. They had a great sense of humour and we shared many laughs. In summary, redspokes organized a great tour of Myanmar at a great price and I can't wait to tour with redspokes again.

Julie Saunders, Otaki, New Zealand

I thoroughly enjoyed another wonderful redspokes adventure. Burma is a great country, the people were so welcoming & friendly accompanied by great scenery. We had a great team looking after us who shared their knowledge. As always it was enjoyable to experience some of places that are not visited by many tourists.

Peter and Geraldine McGill, Belfast, Northern Ireland

 This was the first redspokes cycle trip for us,we have in the past used other companies. However we were hugely impressed by the local redspokes team particularly Kalayar who nurtured and looked after everyone. She was amazing & a HUGE asset. Nothing was too much bother and both she & her team worked very hard to ensure that we all had a positive experience. One note of caution, this is not a cycling trip for 'softies'. The climbs are tough as is on occasions the terrain. This is a very challenging trip but worth the effort.

We were also impressed by redspokes commitment to the local communities, good to see that tourism can be used positively for the benefit of all.

Karen and Rob Jones, Kenilworth, England

We chose this trip because it included some challenging cycling and is a new country to tourism. Most of the accommodation was better than expected, and a couple of places challenging, but this is to be expected. It was our first 2 week trip - full on and no real rest days because we wanted to make the most of Bagan etc. It was great to see the beach, but would have been good to have longer there - don't know how this would be possible. Would it be possible to do any sort of circular cycle for a day?

It was good to eat in the local restaurants and try new foods and be helped to do this by the Burmese guides. The local agent Kayalar was great and I would be confident to contact her if we wanted a future trip to Burma. Thanks for a great experience.

Deborah Hammond, Washington, United States.

This trip had absolutely no glitches, amazing for two weeks in a poor country, I am incredibly impressed by your logistical genius.

Excellent local guides especially in Bagan.

Matthew Conduit, Toronto, Canada

"This was my third redspokes tour and it won't be my last! Everybody should run to see Burma now before it changes forever. As always redspokes got me to places away from the main tourist draws, off the beaten path, which made me feel like I was the only foreigner for hundreds of miles. And with the wonderful local guides I was always made to feel at home even though I was only a visitor."

Claire Bugler, Abergavenny, Wales

Dermot was a fabulous guide full of enthusiasm and constantly making an effort to ensure everyone was having a great trip. The local team really were lovely too and their strength is certainly their warmth and friendliness. Burma is a beautiful country with some fabulous cycling. It is definitely a country on the move though so I feel privileged to have experienced it now at such an interesting point in its development. I loved the relaxed style with which Dermot ran this trip. As someone who has travelled independently in the past I was concerned about joining a tour and losing the sense of adventure and exploration but wanted to join a tour for some company whilst travelling. Despite having a larger group I still felt there was a nice sense of independence and that things weren't too prescriptive.

Some plans were flexible and we were included in the decision making when possible which I really liked. Therefore it was perfect for me. I know that there was discussion regarding cutting the Nepali beach section of the trip, I guess it is difficult to please everyone but I thought this was one of the best sections of the trip, the beach was fabulous and I enjoyed the riding here most too. I think it would be a real shame not to visit the area. I hope that the Burma trip goes from strength to strength and lots more people get to see what a great country it is, good luck with future trips. Thank you redspokes!

Julie Watkinson, Edinburgh, Scotland

As usual, redspokes gets you to places that other tourists generally don't see, and that comes with its own challenges - the accommodation can be "rustic" at times! For me that just adds to the appeal... you can't beat a bit of reality once in a while. 

I can't praise the staff enough - I can honestly say I've never been so well looked after on a cycling trip! Kalayar is an angel and nothing is too much trouble for her and her team. The scenery on this trip is fantastic but what made it for me are the Burmese people - they're the most amazing smiley, friendly, gentle people I've ever encountered and cycling in their country was an absolute joy.

Judy Bedford, Leeds, UK

"An excellent trip which was well organised and managed by Claire and her team who made our visit to Burma so memorable. Every care was made to ensure the cycling each day ran smoothly and safely, the bikes were good for the terrain and well serviced every day. The team were wonderful and very attentive I can't speak too highly of them all. The group size of 12 was about right. Loved the variation of the tour with so many places visited eg Bagan and Napali Beach. Visiting the school and meeting the children was a highlight of the trip for me."

Becky Layton, California, United States

The Burma trip exceeded expectations! We are now loyal followers of redspokes. The pre-tour support was good and the local tour support in Myanmar was the best we've experienced. Our tour leader, Kalayar, was warm, lovely and knowledgeable. Her team were incredibly gracious and attentive to our every need. They sang, played guitar and danced for us on several occasions! Our on-road cyclist guides were strong, supportive and encouraging. The cycling was challenging and rewarding. redspokes is active in the communities where they do business and supports a school in the Rahkine State near the Bay of Bengal. We stopped there one day and were greeted by hundreds of kids for the "handover ceremony". It was amazing!

Nigel Fielden, Sale, Cheshire, England, UK

A really interesting tour - relatively modest on mileage but some punishing surfaces to ride on, particularly in the latter stages. The country is fascinating, the people friendlier than anywhere I've been, and the tour provides a nice mix of different landscapes to cycle through.

Kay Thompson, Christchurch, New Zealand

The bike trip was fantastic and well organised. The food varied throughout the trip which was great, the snacks along the way brilliant. The locals were extremely friendly and always wanting to help. I felt very safe as the trip was well supported.

Ros Lawson, Edinburgh, Scotland

Another outstanding trip with redspokes and another trip that begins with lovely accommodation that deteriorates the more rural you get! This is however, part of a personal challenge & one that really can't be avoided if you want to visit parts of Burma (Myanmar) that are as yet un-Westernised.

It is an incredibly beautiful country with lovely welcoming people & an abundance of temples! Highlights of the trip were Bagan & Ngapali Beach. I would have happily had an extra day at the beach & extended the trip slightly, (I'm sure others would agree).

David Harrington, Davis, California, USA

What absolutely delightful, charming, friendly, and most helpful staff we had to look after us: to make sure we remained safe while on our bikes, to make sure we were well hydrated and fed along the routes, to tend to our luggage before we knew it needed tending, to kept us informed and to educate us, to take care of the nearly endless little details and behind the scenes scrambling and work, and to make sure we enjoyed our Myanmar journey every step and pedal of the way!

"You want ice cream? We will get that across the street for you!" "How big is the pool? We will measure it for you (22 x 34')!" "You are not feeling up for dinner? We will give you Choco-Pie snacks now for when you wake up hungry at midnight!"

Kalayar was absolutely the sweetest and most genuinely caring woman I've ever encountered on a tour; she considered the six of us bikers her "children" in looking after our well-being, health, safety, and happiness for the entire two weeks. She also looks after her crew and fellow country men and women with the same concern, donating food or money to road crews as we biked throughout the country, supporting education with school supplies and books, and so many more things that we are certainly unaware.

The landscapes were varied and beautiful, the routes and roads challenging but not an issue with the excellent front suspension Trek 4300s, the weather nearly ideal (save for a few days with rain showers and occasional downpours), and the locals we encountered through every village simply the most sweet, friendly, curious, and happily smiling people in the world! Myanmar is relatively still a land and people beautifully untouched by outsiders, especially when compared to the many neighboring countries in SE Asia that have been increasingly influenced for decades. This precious gift won't last forever. Please start training now and give beautiful Kalayar a loving hug from Lu Kong Gee Koko and Ah Shay Gee Nyi from California!

Gill Newman, Marlow, England UK

This was a fantastic trip. Whilst I didn't find the cycling particularly challenging, there was a nice balance between cycle days and sights / rest days. More time at the beach would have been good. I thought Julian was an outstanding leader. He was organised, supportive towards those who were finding it difficult, encouraging towards others to get the best out of them and overall a very friendly and personable guy. 5*

Keith & Pat Green, Dudley, West Midlands

We both enjoyed the trip to Myanamar. The locals seemed really pleased to see us and were very friendly. The scenery was very green and lush with lots of colorful flowers and there were lots of cultural things to see. The whole team looked after us very well and the riding group itself was good fun.

Kathryn Mayne, Boulmer, England

I was very impressed with local crew who were keen to make our visit as smooth and interesting as possible. Visiting a variety of areas of Myanmar, the city, the hills, the valleys, and the beach all added to the overall experience of trip.

Mike and Berta Glodowski, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

The tour provided us with a memorable opportunity to see and come in contact with a beautiful country and its people, certainly before it becomes commercialized and further developed. As we cycled deeper into rural areas the dress, appearance and demeanor of the people became much more interesting. As with new tours or those that push the boundaries into less developed areas there were a few unforeseen challenges presented to our group and the local crew, though these challenges were certainly worth the overall experience and I expect logistics will continue to improve as the tour evolves. Nevertheless the support crew attempted to the very best of there ability to ensure all riders were provided for.

Special thanks to the crew for decorating the restaurant and gifts to my wife and I as we celebrated our 30 year wedding anniversary on beautiful Ngapali Beach thus making it the most memorable anniversary yet.

Jay MacDonnell and Ewa Burton, Gormley, Canada

A great trip with a lovely crew (redspokes is lucky to have them) - a pleasure to see Burma before tourism and the modern world take hold.

Cheryl Hyslop and Mike Burgener, Ottawa, Canada

We've already recommended this trip to our friends! The tour made it easy for us to see aspects of Burma that we never would have uncovered on our own. It was very well organized and the local support team was amazing ! They could not have been more accommodating and helpful.

Kristina Isberg, California, USA

Burma is an incredible place to cycle, and I'm so glad I did the redspokes inaugural tour! The people are so friendly and curious about visitors. The food was wonderful. There is a rich Buddhist culture and it was incredible to visit Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the temples of Bagan and all the local stupas. While the poverty was obvious, as well as the lack of quality roads, I still learned a lot and felt I was providing money into the country. As Burma opens to tourism, I was glad to be there to experience this amazing country!

Louise Ryan, Pearl Beach, Australia

I loved this tour! Kalayar's caring and thoughtful leadership added significant value .... She ensured that her cyclists were not only healthy and happy, but that we were learning and experiencing the culture of here beloved Myanmar.

Nic and Julie Hodgetts, Sutton Coldfield, UK

We have just had the most amazing time in Myanmar. The organisation was second to none. Bagan was breathtaking and dare we say that the electric bikes were a great way of seeing the pagodas and temples. Myanmar is a very special place and we are so pleased to have seen it at this time. Now looking forward to planning our next redspokes trip.

Steve Coral, Boulder, Colorado, USA

redspokes puts together an awesome trip. The cycling can be serious, but my friend and I had no shame being the slow man group, bringing up the rear, stopping a lot and chatting up the locals. No one looked down on us for riding the sag bus about 20% of the time. The local crew was wonderful, always super supportive. It's fascinating being on this kind of gritty trip, you're close to the ground and the local population, gathering experiences that the tour bus riders can never access.

Jonathan Pearce, Marrickville, NSW, Australia

 redspokes has given me the opportunity to enjoy challenging cycling in beautiful parts of the world with great companions whilst also supporting worthy local causes. Chapeau to Dermot!

Niamh Collins, Cavan, Ireland

Fantastic trip with great travel companions and a fantastic support crew. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would unreservedly recommend it. Thank you.

Susan Smith, Manchester, England, UK