If you’re looking for wild adventures in 2016 you might find you need to ‘saddle up’ to discover something really special. Be it horseback, bicycle or motorbike journeys there are some extraordinary experiences being planned whether your a beginner or experienced rider.

Your Trusty Steed – Horse Riding Adventures

Some of our favourite trips have been on horseback – from riding through the remote wilderness of British Colombia and Mongolia to galloping the Atlantic beaches in Morocco. This summer Tori joined Willie Leahy a world-renowned breeder of Connemara ponies who has been running riding trails across the beautiful rugged countryside of Connemara in west Ireland since the 1960’s – read her blog here.

All in all there is something really special about making a journey on horseback particularly with the expert operators we work with. Expect horses you will love to ride, experienced, knowledgeable guides and stunning scenery.

The trips vary in pace and required ability. Some are fast paced and others, particularly longer treks through the mountains like riding across the Andes require technical ability and a calm and steady pace.

In 2016 you can choose to giddy up on a literary horseback discovery expedition in Israel to discover Mark Twain’s Holy Land from his 1869 book ‘The Innocents Abroad’. Or spend 13 days on a unique horse trek in Bhutan a land of demons and spirits, steeped in mysticism, from the jungle covered lowlands to the forested hills. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of following in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia to discover the beautiful landscapes of Wadi Rum or the historic routes of nomads, ancient warriors, and thousands of traders using the Silk Road on a Kyrgyzstan horse riding adventure.

This Christmas there’s an exciting Gaucho estancia ride in Argentina and those with a calling to do something significant may opt to horse ride across the Andes on what could be called the ‘ultimate’ horse riding adventure in Patagonia from Chile to Argentina.

We’ve got lots of great horse riding trips featured on our website so check them out and get in touch for full details.

Pedal Mania – Cycle Adventures

There are so many reasons to make sure the saddle you opt for is on a bike. Cycling trips offer a pace that enables you to see much more of the world – driving can be too fast to take everything in, and walking can be too slow for some people. You’ll be out in the fresh air and let’s face it, a bike is the only transport you can carry on a plane (although all the trips we feature have local bikes to rent too!).

Larissa got hooked on cycle trips after organising a group of fashionistas to cycle from London to Paris every summer for a few years to raise money for the Environmental Justice Foundation. Many of the people who signed up were full of trepidation – one had never ridden a bike before – but with a bit of planning and more time cycling around Richmond Park than drinking beers in the pub and everyone achieved something extraordinary and beyond the usual limits of their comfort zones.

Cycling, as well as getting you fit, gets you further off the beaten track and visit places that few people get to see and you’ll meet more people along the way as a bike can be an instant ice-breaker. Expect full days that are never dull. A really good bit? You can eat as much as you like. You’ll burn a super duper amount of calories so enjoy feasting to your heart’s content on local gastronomy and all this while you travel in a way that’s gentler on the planet.

We feature a broad mix of cycle trips on Another World Adventures – from challenging road cycling, to gentler explorations and pioneering mountain bike expeditions. There’s something for everyone.

Ever fancied exploring the wildlife hub of the world as you cycle coast to coast in Costa Rica or Southern India? Or take in the Big Five on an alternative cycle Safari in Tanzania. While everyone else treks the famous pilgrim’s route in Northern Spain you could cycle the Camino de Santiago de Compostela or join a small group to get off the beaten track on a Burma cycle trip through the Shan Highlands, crossing the central plains around Mandalay, and down a fabulous descent from Mt Popa.

We’ve got lots of great cycle adventures featured on our website so check them out and get in touch for full details.

Vroom Vroom – Motorbike Journeys

In 2015 Another World Adventures added intrepid journeys by motorbike to our roster of featured experiences. Having lusted for years over the extraordinary and remote road trips through the Himalaya we finally found our perfect expert operator whose trips will truly be the ride of your life.

Imagine a trip where your saddle comes in the shape of a legendary Royal Enfield motorbike and the route is the highest road in the world riding through India from Manali to Leh. Or you and your biker companions take on the Spiti Valley which lies above 10,000 ft and is an extraordinary place. In the rain shadow of the mysterious Tibetan Plateau, the area is considered a desert and riding here is like exploring another planet.

If you’re thinking about joining these rides you’ll need to have a full motorcycle licence, and a recommend a minimum of two year’s riding experience, time in the saddle and miles ridden are of more relevance to an adventure like this.

Riding in India is very different from Europe and although the speeds at which the group travels are relatively low, demands on planning and observation are high. Other factors making demands on riders are the heat (and possibly cold), conditions of the road – including sections of unpaved dirt – and getting used to the bikes’ reversed foot controls.

So whether you opt for horse power, pedal power or petrol power as long as you’re in the saddle in 2016 we think you’re all set for a ride of a lifetime.