Category: Travel

Cycle Through Zanzibar With HIPZ

cycle through Zanzibar with HIPZ
Beach near Nnugwi, Zanzibar

Imagine an amazing cycling trip, a life-changing experience, all whilst helping an incredible charity. Here’s how you can cycle through Zanzibar and support HIPZ in their life-saving work:

What comes to mind when you think of Zanzibar? White sandy beaches, clear blue seas, Freddie Mercury…? Zanzibar is a holiday-maker’s dream but it is also home to 1.3 million people who are living with an under-resourced health care system. This idyllic island has just one doctor to every 20,000 people. To put this into context, the UK has one doctor to every 400 people.

In 2007, the charity Health Improvement Project Zanzibar (HIPZ) started working in Makunduchi Hospital. At the time there were no doctors, non-existent management and extremely run down, dilapidated facilities. There were high levels of infant and maternal mortality, malnutrition, and disease. HIPZ’s involvement has led to a reduction in child and maternal mortality, a significant improvement in facilities, and an increase in trained staff. This success led to HIPZ supporting a second hospital, Kivunge, in 2012. HIPZ is unique in the way that it works, ensuring that it never replaces the statutory responsibilities of the government. You can read more here. (more…)

Cycling in Tenerife

Cycling in Tenerife
Image courtesy of Thomas Cook Airlines

My recent trip to explore Tenerife with Thomas Cook Airlines changed my perception of what this Mediterranean island has to offer. It’s not just sunloungers, cocktails and all inclusive stays. It’s actually a great destination for action and adventure on holiday.

Thomas Cook Airlines kindly invited me and a team of adventure travel bloggers to join them for a four day trip to Playa de Las Americas to see just exactly what Tenerife has to offer in terms of outdoor adventure. Now my knowledge and perception of Playa de Las Americas prior to this trip was limited! I’ll be honest, I had succumbed to the reports that it’s the party capital of Tenerife so I was keen to experience and learn more about the other side of the region. (more…)

A Mini Guide to a Cycling Holiday in the Loire Valley

cycling holiday in Loire

The Loire Valley offers outstanding wines, French splendour, sophisticated cities and fairytale fortresses, ideal for exploring on two wheels. Contrary to popular belief, it’s perfectly possible to squeeze an awesome cycling holiday in the Loire into a short stay and Brittany Ferries offer some great options for cycling holidays in Loire. Of course, the more time you’ve got, the better, but this doesn’t mean that even a few days can’t be used for a simply outstanding cycling trip around the Loire. (more…)

End of Summer Update: Disappointment Cycling in the French Alps

summer travelSummer….where did you go?

Erm…where did summer go? I don’t know about you but as the children have returned to school, it feels like summer 2016 was the quickest summer ever. As sometimes happens, I’ve not blogged anywhere nearly as often as I had hoped. Life kind of took over a little, but I think I’m back on track now! Whilst Mother Nature has blessed us with a late surge of warm, hazy summer sun this September, the leaves on the trees are rapidly changing colour, the nights are inevitably drawing in and Autumn is definitely quickly approaching. (more…)

Cycling Lake Constance: a fairytale cycling holiday

Cycling Lake ConstanceTake beautiful landscapes surrounding a magnificent Lake, romantic architecture, vineyards, waterfalls, cuckoos and rainbows and you have the fairytale that is cycling Lake Constance.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. For me, there is no better way to explore a new country than on two wheels. A cycling holiday provides a wonderful adventure, an opportunity to visit new countries and to see aspects of them you wouldn’t ordinarily get to witness by car. There’s a true sense of freedom, of independence, a feeling of travelling like a local and really getting to know somewhere. Lake Constance offers mainly flat cycling with the occasional incline; it’s the perfect option for couples with a non cycling partner, and families with older children. (more…)

5 Reasons to Book a Cycling Holiday

5 top reasons to book a cycling holidayIf you’re contemplating whether to book a cycling holiday, contemplate no more! There is no better way to explore somewhere new than on two wheels! Read on for my top five reasons why you shouldn’t hesitate to book a cycling holiday this summer!

Ordinary Cycling Girl HQ is full of much excitement this week as we prepare for our next cycling holiday adventure! We’re heading to Lake Constance and we can’t wait! There really is nothing I like more than travelling to somewhere new and exploring it on two wheels. There’s something very special about the opportunities it provides to experience a country in a whole different way to if you were simply visiting and exploring on foot. (more…)

The Magic of Cycling in Rio 2016

Cycling in RioSometimes life throws amazing opportunities at you. Sometimes, things come along that you never imagined you would get to experience. Cycling in Rio de Janeiro is one of those things and if you ever get the opportunity, grab it with both hands! I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would get the opportunity to go cycling in Rio. But April saw us visit Brazil’s carnival city where we had chance to do just that, and here’s why you should go cycling in Rio too! (more…)

Top 5 Destinations for Unforgettable Mountain Biking Holidays

mountain biking holidaysIn 2016 I am hoping to do more mountain biking, and also lots more travel!! We’ve been thinking for a while now, how cool it would be to combine the two; so I’ve been doing a fair bit of reading into cycling holidays, particularly mountain biking holidays and looking at the various destinations available. There are some amazing places out there, waiting for you to adventure to, to conquer their slopes and take in their views!

If you follow me on facebook, you’ll have seen that we’ve just got ourselves sorted for our summer holiday and yes, this year we are heading on our first mountain biking holiday!  I cannot wait to try some downhill mountain biking!

So, why, as road cyclists, have mountain biking holidays tempted us?

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The Cycle Touring Travel Bug

cycle touringI have the cycle touring travel bug! And I’ve got it bad. I didn’t think I would get bitten quite so badly; I’m a road cyclist really; it’s always been my true cycling love – getting out on the open road, challenging myself and feeling some improvement in my fitness levels and abilities. But since my return from Catalunya, I’ve spent some part of nearly every day researching my next cycle touring travel destination, dreaming of cycling in places I’ve never cycled before, surrounded by mountains, seas, vineyards…

Cycle touring can be extreme – some people love it so much they travel across continents – or it can simply be a weekend in the UK or a few weeks holiday in Europe. Exploring your favourite countries by bike adds a whole different dimension to your travel adventures and your cycling experience. Cycle touring is far less competitive than road cycling. There are no strava segments to worry about, no assigned ride speeds, no competitive feelings about who is riding the best bike with the best components, or wearing the best kit. Cycle touring is purely about exploring the country you’re in and enjoying your time on the bike. I like that concept. I like it a lot. (more…)

Leisure Cycling in Catalunya and Family Friendly Cycle Routes

Family friendly cycle routes in CatalunyaOn your next visit to Spain, go leisure cycling in Catalunya. It is steeped in culture and history with dramatic landscapes alongside crystal clear waters and beautiful beaches, all calling for you to explore during a two wheeled cycling adventure. I’ve fallen completely in love with the area and I challenge you not to do the same.

If you’re looking a for a holiday with a difference, pure leisure cycling as a couple or to take your children on, this may well fit the bill.

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