My first safari and a positive one: Not in the least by the happy and helpful attitude of René who had prepared this trip to my satisfaction! The program description matches reality! A fantastic though sometimes physically challenging tour. Prepare yourself and bring bike parts and tools (and practice using them :)) – you won’t find bike parts you need anywhere nearby. Hotels were of good standard. Temperature during July was like a good Northern European summer, so perfect for biking. Bring a sweater for the evenings and a rain jacket and you will be fine. Rene has composed a trip with a lot of variation in landscape, accomodation so you will see Kenya in a very different way than the thousands that drive through Kenya. Thank you Rene for an unforgettable vacation and good luck with the next trip!

My fifth safari -this time cycling- was a wonderful experience. A varied program, without a dull moment. Rene set out a magnificent round trip, starting and ending in Naivasha. We cycled it all, sometimes it was hard work, but it was fun all the time. We followed exceptional and spectacular routes; sometimes you came into areas with no influence of tourism, where you really experienced life in Kenya.
We always felt welcome (and attracted a lot of attention)! We had several safaris with, of course, the climax: the Masai Mara. There we had a perfect guide who was able to show us the big five, all with a prey (and visible from nearby). Very pleased with the service from African Cycling. They know Kenya, know what cycling is, have their local contacts, organize a support car and team, arrange good hotels and food, provide good service.

Rene quickly makes everyone feel at ease, whilst providing a great adventure in the real Kenya. Rene is very positive and clear in his communication, is flexible when needed and looks after the companions very well. He knows a lot about Kenya, but lets yourself experience the beautiful nature and the friendly people.

For me the trip had exactly the right mixture of sports, relaxation and time to enjoy the nature, wildlife and people. Yes it was sometime challenging to climb another dusty dirt road, trying to avoid another flat tire due to the many rocks, but we always got to the hotel before getting completely devastated and there was always a good shower and sometimes even swimming pool waiting for us. Rene clearly enjoyed the ride as well, and fortunately was equally glad to be at the hotel. It felt good to recover during dinner, it which Rene turned out to be great story teller of all his previous trips, whilst keeping interest in the others.

The experience was precisely what I had hoped for, no thoughts other than concentration on the road, the bike and on the surrounding nature slowly passing by.

The cycle trip was an amazing experience, to see, smell and taste Africa. There is a good balance between cycling and rest days. And the hotels that we stayed in where good, of course one better than the other. The highlight of the trip was for me the Masai Mara, such a beautiful place.

I could go on for ever but the best thing is for you to experience it for yourself. The people who organized it were very friendly and supporting. If you wasn’t in love with African already you’ll be definitely after this trip!!

An unforgettable adventure trip: exploring Kenya by bike.

Well organized:  René is an excellent guide who knows the route well and has an eye for the safety and well-being of the cyclists. Excellent Hotels for African standards; Not all as luxurious, but they all provide good quality in the most basic needs. Good support team: transporting luggage, providing lunch on the way and assistance in calamities (e.g., bicycle repairs)

Interesting biking route: We cycled through a huge diversity in the landscape (mountains, savannah, plantations, forests, lakes), both on paved roads and on unpaved roads (and also vehicle tracks).

Perfect tour balance: This in terms of effort/sports performance and the build-up. The first half of the tour: fewer kilometers and more rest days. The last half with longer distances and fewer rest days. At the beginning of the tour a safari in a small park with limited wildlife and in the last part of the tour to the big5 of wildlife. Diversity in safari’s: on a bike, by car, and by boat with a nice ratio between cycling days and rest/safari days. Almost every day new and special experiences, no moments of boredom.

Thnx René, for this very special adventure that I will always remember! I hope we will explore other countries in the future together!

In februari 2019 heb ik de 16 daagse reis gemaakt naar Kenia met Africa Cycling. Een avontuur door een deel van Kenia waar niet veel toeristen komen en zeker niet op een MTB! Het was geweldig om “in een treintje” door het verkeer van steden als Naivasha te fietsen en dan weer in de rust van de theeplantages en de uitgestrektheid van de Masia Mara. Het was hard werken, doorzettingsvermogen en een goede basisconditie moet er zijn, maar de beloningen waren zo mooi en ontroerend. Soms tot tranen geroerd als we ontvangen werden in het hotel met een handdoekje om onze vuile gezichten en handen op te frissen. De afwisseling met een dagje “game drive” maakte de reis speciaal omdat je ook kunt ervaren hoe het is om de Big 5 te spotten! De expertise en het enthousiasme van Rene en Anton hebben bijgedragen om een tandje bij te zetten zodat het voor mezelf een onvergetelijke ervaring is geworden!

Een super ervaring en manier om Afrika te ontdekken met René als gids.
Alles op de fiets, maar met het gemak dat als je er even doorheen zit, je gewoon in de Jeep mee kunt rijden met de fiets op het dak, hoe gaaf is dat.
Na een dag fietsen, s-middags aankomen in een hotel, de één nog mooier dan de ander, een enkel hotel iets soberder, waar je heerlijk kunt genieten van een warme douche en lekker eten. Een goede verdeling tussen inspannende fietsdagen, waar je soms afziet maar vooral geniet van de diversiteit aan landschappen en dorpjes. Daarnaast voldoende dagen van ontspanning, die je luierend kunt doorbrengen bij het hotel of genietend van de safaris. Boot safaris, met een geweldige diversiteit aan vogels, nijlpaarden, herten. En 4×4 safari’s, waar we de Big5 hebben gespot. De gastvrijheid van de Kenianen is enorm, zo ook de nieuwgierigheid van de lokale bevolking als je door het schone Afrika fietst. Kinderen die met je mee rennen, zwaaiende mensen langs de weg, we waren een bezienswaardigheid voor ze, net als zij en hun leefwijze voor ons waren.
Een topervaring om nooit te vergeten….

Wow what an adventure! As an experienced cyclist who loves to see wildlife and nature, this trip ticked all my boxes. I wanted to be immersed into Africa, and see a variety of wildlife, in particular getting up close with Lions. I wanted to do this trip because the challenge of cycling in the African heat and on many different surfaces would be something different and exciting. And Boy was it! The cycling was challenging at many times but there was always an option to adjust that for yourself. The main challenge for me was the different surfaces of gravel, rock sometimes and sandy parts, which improved my cycling skills by the end of the trip. What you see while cycling is enough to take your mind off it though, straight away on Day 2 we were cycling alongside wildlife which was pretty breathtaking! It became common for one of our fellow cyclists at the front of the group to call out ‘Giraffe!’ of ‘Zebra!’ we were frequently joined by Africa’s wildlife, to accompany our ride. The landscape and views were incredible, one of my favourites when we reached Kerio Valley. You could just gaze out at the view for hours! Rich with culture, we experienced lots of rolling hills as we went through Kenyan tea plantations, and passed many a local on our way down to the ultimate highlight of the trip – the Masai Mara. I’ve never experienced anything like it. The cycling was a good level of tough, gravel roads, that you feel through every piece of your body, and when you arrive the biggest feeling of satisfaction takes over. The next day is the true reward, and my favourite day of the whole trip. We saw lions, elephants, hippos, hyena, rhino, giraffe, cheetah and even the hard to spot beautiful leopard. It was an experience of a lifetime, physically challenging but rich with the feeling of being fully immersed into African wildlife. The trip was planned so well, and I never felt unsafe or out of my depths. I would not have taken such a trip or planned this for myself, Rene is the best guide I could possibly ask for. So knowledgeable on Kenya, the people, the weather, the roads and routes. Aswell as being super motivating when you feel the cycling might just be reaching your limit!