Vancouver, B.C. - National Geographic Traveler's 2014 "50 Tours of a Lifetime," has just been announced and BikeHike Adventures' Transylvania Traverse in Romania is amongst one of those winning tours. This is the ninth year National Geographic Traveler has run their 50 Tours of a Lifetime annual lineup and BikeHike Adventures, now in their 20th year of operation, has been included four of those nine years.
The 10-day multi-sport adventure is through remote Transylvania, where life is full of genuine traditions and folklore. Adventurers are encouraged to "step back in time" and get a glimpse of Old World Europe. The tour focuses on traversing by foot, horse, bike and cart, a region that is dotted with small villages where the locals still spend their lives working as blacksmiths, carpenters, shepherds and weavers. Travellers will catch a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, have local farmers teach them how to milk a cow, meet with beekeepers who like to share pieces of honeycomb to taste, and stop to interact with artisans making local handicrafts. Nights are spent in traditional guesthouses run by locals who provide organic and home-cooked specialties while educating guests about their authentic ways of life. There are also two nights in one of Prince Charles' Romanian Estates.
"We are so excited to have our Romania trip ranked as "A Tour of a Lifetime" by such a prestigious travel publication," says Trish Sare, owner and founder. "National Geographic Traveler editors and staff members perform extensive research and produce highly respected travel information, and we thank them for this recognition. Our Transylvania Traverse gets active travellers off-the-beaten-path in Europe and experiencing a way of life that has scarcely changed for the past couple of hundred years."
Tours are limited to small groups ranging from two to 12 individuals in order to provide a more authentic experience, and with no single supplement fee, solo travellers are as welcome as larger groups. The trip costs $3,299 US and the scheduled dates for 2014 are June 13-22, July 18-27, August 15-24, and September 12-21.