A New Bike Safari by Private Air for 2017

I am so excited to introduce our newest safari by private air, one which combines two of my great and abiding interests: cycling and Africa’s wild places.

While this 14-day bike safari was designed to offer riders some of the most unique cycling experiences in the world — like tracking endangered rhinos by bike, or cycling on elephant paths –there are plenty of non-riding experiences to enjoy as well, and we welcome riders of all levels, and non-riders too, to join us.

Hosted Throughout by World-Class Cyclist Levi Leipheimer

I will be hosting the entire journey from July 6 to July 19, 2017. In addition, former professional cyclist and Tour de France podium-finisher, Levi Leipheimer, will be joining me as well as a southern African cyclist who has been riding and guiding more than 14 years. At each camp we’ll be joined by expert naturalist guides, and our bikes and gear will travel with us on our privately chartered, American classic Douglas DC-4.

The Cradle of Humankind & biking on elephant paths

We begin in the Magaliesberg hills on the outskirts of Johannesburg, and take an easy hike or bike ride though The Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site rich in fossils and the story of our human beginnings.

Next we board our private airliner loaded with bags and bikes, and fly directly to Mashatu Private Game Reserve, home to big cats, herds of elephants, game drives, night drives, sunset cocktails, fiery red skies, and early morning walking safaris. For the cyclists we also have the extraordinary opportunity to mountain bike along well-worn elephant paths!

Granite Landscapes & Ancient Caves

Our third contrasting habitat is the Matopos, a granite landscape exuding African mysticsim beneath soaring black eagles. Here we hike amongst colorful inselbergs, or ride mountain bikes through rural villages where excited kids run alongside. We’ll walk through ancient caves covered in San rock art, or take a “Rhino Ride” accompanied by park rangers in search of endangered black and white rhinos.

Classic Game-Viewing & Stylish Tented Camps

We then fly directly to the wildlife-rich savannas of Hwange National Park, a classic African experience with game drives, night drives, photo hides, and a stylish tented camp. This park is set atop the the vast Kalahari sands, making biking a herculean exercise, so we will rest our bike legs and focus on the many activities on offer, including some of the very best walking safaris in all of Africa.

Victoria Falls & the Zambezi River

The finale of our bike safari is Victoria Falls where we cruise the wild Zambezi River, have sundowners on the Victoria Falls bridge aboard our steam train, the Bushtracks Express, and ride single-track along the cliffs of the Batoka Gorge — possibly one of the world’s most stunning rides.

I am very excited to be exploring Southern Africa with Levi Leipheimer, and showing our guests the best my home has to offer on this one-of-a-kind bike safari. I hope you will join us for the safari of a lifetime.