- In the News
Media Mentions
Backroads has once again been ranked among the top travel operators globally in the prestigious 2008 World's Best Awards. It's our 11th consecutive win—in fact, we've been there every year since the Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters category was first established in 1998.
What makes this award especially gratifying is that it's decided not by a handful of judges but by a massive reader's poll. Backroads was evaluated in six key categories—staff and guides, itineraries/destinations, activities, accommodations, meals and overall value—and we're proud to have received our highest total score ever.
Making the Top 10 is gratifying and puts us in very distinguished company. At the same time, it simply reaffirms what we've been hearing all along from the most important judges: our own travelers. When Backroads guests tell us we have the best leaders in active/adventure travel, it inspires us to work harder than ever, meeting and exceeding their expectations. And that holds true across the board, as we pursue the most interesting destinations, the finest lodgings and cuisine, the deepest local connections and the highest standards of personal service.
Pedals of Incomparable Adventure
“With physical activity and eco-awareness on the rise, people are seeking new routes with it comes to the ultimate getaway. It's a trend that's picking up speed, as travellers combine bicycling with voyages to distant lands, provided by first-rate tour companies.”
City Life, April-May 2009
National Geographic Adventure magazine recognizes Backroads as Number One
Backroads has been ranked as the top adventure travel company in the Biking category in the prestigious 2009 National Geographic Adventure magazine's "The Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth" survey. "Backroads was evaluated in five key categories - quality of service, spirit of adventure, education, sustainability and client satisfaction - and we're proud to have received our highest total score ever" says Tom Hale, Backroads President and Founder.
Amalfi Coast Walking - Take a hike this summer to celebrate the milestones
“Busy parents don't have to plan every detail. It makes it so easy--you sign up, you give them your credit card and you show up. It's hard to beat that.”
Distributed by Tribune Media Services. Published in the following: South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Allentown Morning Call, Ventura County Star, Connecticut Post, Conejo Valley Star, Simi Valley Star, CNN.com, SmarterTraveler.com, June-July 2008
Bhutan Walking - A spiritual awakening
“We walked through the whiplashing flags in silence, powerless witnesses to these swirling masses of cloth that held the remembrances, wishes and dreams from days and decades past.”
Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Hayward Daily Review, Fremont Argus, Tri-Valley Herald, San Mateo Times, July 20, 2008
Argentina mountain biking among Outside's Trips of the Year
“Among the highlights: a screaming descent from an 11,000-foot mountain pass, overnights in restored haciendas, and the chance to feast on empanadas, chorizo and roast llama.”
Outside, April 2008
Insider Trips take guests deep into a region
“With art scholar Marie-Charlotte Bouton as your guide, tour St.-Paul-de-Mausole, the hospital where Van Gogh painted 140 works.”
Travel+Leisure, March 2008
Tackling the Tuscan Hills
“This trip seemed just right, enough biking to enjoy the countryside, but not too much to interfere with other explorations
or the chance to sip wine or meander in one of the hamlets along the way”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008
King of the Back Road
“Tom Hale is to adventure travel what (Nike's) Phil Knight is to sports apparel: A pacesetter.”
Eugene Register-Guard,
October 16, 2007
Bright Ideas: Tom Hale's seat-of-the-pants bike touring idea just keeps growing
“The first trip was to Death Valley. I wasn't 100 percent sure anybody would show up. We'll do over $50 million in sales this year.”
San Francisco Chronicle Magazine,
September 2, 2007
R&R in Costa Rica
“As if on cue, four white-faced monkeys appear, jumping from vine to vine of the thick-rooted ficus trees found here in Manuel Antonio National Park.”
Robb Report, August 2007
Adventure travel for families snowballs
“Being with other kids and hip young guides is so much more motivating.”
USA Today, August 10, 2007
Adventure Tours Lighten Up
“The company is responding to customers who have said they enjoy the four-star hotels, Michelin-star restaurants and gourmet picnics set up by Backroads staffers but are either unable to or uninterested in burning off the calories along the way.”
Wall Street Journal, July 2007
Fun in Funen: Cycling in Denmark
“With its modern design aesthetic, quiet charm, welcoming populace and unspoiled countryside, Denmark is a wonderful travel destination, especially for biking.
”
Culturevulture.net, February 2007
Adventure on the Back Road
“It's difficult to say what was most intriguing about the Backroads family multisport camping trip my children and I took to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks...”
Honolulu Star Bulletin, December 2006
Family Fun in Yosemite
How, on a Backroads Family Trip, an urban kid meets the challenges of camping adventures and shines.
Chicago Sun-Times, November 2006
Hungary, Slovakia, Poland: Castles in the Sky
Backroads' new Eastern Europe biking trip is selected as one of the 25 best new outfitted trips.
National Geographic Adventure, November 2006
Pedaling the Dolomites
A Backroads trip gives families the perfect combination of alone time, family time and adult- or kid-only time.
NYMetro Parents, September 2006
An Andes Adventure
An incredible week of hiking, biking and cultural exploration in the timeless landscape of Peru's Sacred Valley.
Marin magazine, September 2006
The World's Best Awards
Travel+Leisure readers are asked to pick the cream of the crop around the globe: the top hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, outfitters …Yet again, Backroads makes the list.
Travel+Leisure, August 2006
A Pasta a Day
A Backroads biking trip through Puglia leads to tasty rewards.
San Diego Union Tribune, June 2006
Going the Distance
Glaciers and mountains and bears, oh my! One writer enlists bike, raft and crampon to experience the grandeur and diversity of the Canadian Rockies.
SKI Magazine, June/July 2006
A Step In Maritime
Stroll along rugged coastlines, through picturesque gardens and in historical towns on a Nova Scotia walk with Backroads.
Home & Away, May/June 2006
The Wanderlist: Best Trips 2006
On Backroads' eight-day biking trip in Bali, you'll get the full-immersion tour, riding 12 to 47 miles a day and sleeping in garden and seaside spa resorts at night.
Outside, March 2006
The Must Rides
California's neighboring Sonoma and Napa Valleys have become synonymous with good riding. And they're not just local favorites, they're legitimate international must-rides.
Bicycling, January/February 2006