Elisha & Vanessa are twin sisters, who got into cycle touring in 2007.
“We were both living in New Zealand and decided that we would go on holiday to Asia together. We looked at a bunch of brochures and decided that a cycle tour of Vietnam would be loads of fun, but we were not keen on the idea of following a set tour itinerary, and figured that we could arrange a cycle tour by ourselves! Although we were both fit, we hadn’t cycled since we were 13!”
“Well, we bought touring bikes, panniers and other equipment and later that year we spent 3 1/2 weeks cycle touring down the Vietnamese coast and through the Central and Southern Highlands and absolutely loved every minute! We enjoyed some short tours around New Zealand over the next few years, Elisha got married, and our careers progressed…”
In 2009, both Vanessa & Elisha took a break from their work and spent 2 months exploring Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Northern Vietnam (read the blog of their trip). They travelled lightly, fitting everything (including camping gear) into just rear panniers.
“The things I love most about cycle touring are the sense of independence and freedom, interaction with un-touristed communities, unexpected lessons learned about myself and others and, or course, the ability to eat SO MUCH delicious food without gaining weight!” says Vanessa. “I can hardly imagine a holiday spent inside a bus or car now – cycling may take a bit longer but the quality of the holiday more than makes up for the quantity of kilometres covered! I am planning a solo Cape-Rianga to Bluff cycle tour of New Zealand this summer.
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