CYCLE AND CRUISE IN TAIWAN AND JAPAN
Cycling is a both sport and a fine way to relax for many. To break away from the daily routine of work and household chores, many would pick a pastime, a sport or if time and budget permits, a holiday. While it is not uncommon for cycling enthusiasts to fly to various destinations around the world for cycling trips, Star Cruises upped the antics by offering a more interesting way to see the world. Think fly, cruise, cycle! Interested? Read on!
The world somehow looks different when you see it on foot, on a bike or on board a ship – seeing the world with different perspectives maybe. There is now a chance to meet fellow like-minded cyclists, be part of an elaborately planned fly-cruise-cycle trip that has all the amenities taken care of by the planners, and all you need to do is enjoy yourself and soak in the beautiful views of Taiwan and Japan, all while on board a luxurious ship and a trusty bicycle. We are talking about the Star Cruises' Cycling Cruise 2014. to Taiwan and Japan. Now this is what we mean by seeing the world from different perspectives!
The success of their previous 2 Cycling Cruise trips had given the planners at Star Cruises the confidence to continue with more of such special themed trips, visiting other port-of-calls – in this case Taiwan and Japan. The previous trips went from Penang to Phuket.
PERFECT FOR A HOLIDAY CYCLING TRIP WITH ADDED FLAVOUR
For cyclists who prefer to travel in style without the hassle of too much planning, the Star Cruises' Cycling Cruise is a perfect solution. To start off, passengers from Singapore and Taiwan will make up the cycling group for this trip. This is a good opportunity to make friends with cyclists from other communities. A lot more cost-efficient as compared to smaller self-planned group ride trips. A point to note is: this is not a regular cruise, so if anyone is keen to participate, mark your calendars and join this trip. It's only limited to 80 participants so don't take too long to decide.
SAFETY DURING RIDES
The cycling group will be joined by experts, qualified first-aiders, and 2 safety vans to cater to first-aid and other logistic needs. In addition, the ship's doctor would also be on stand-by during all rides. On the cyclists' end, they would be pre-tagged with an emergency contact number and their respective cabin numbers, and thus be assured that they are well taken care of throughout the trip, even in bad situations like an accident or losing contact while riding.
CATERED FOR DIFFERENT LEVELS
During the previous Cycling Cruise trips, cyclists were divided into 2 groups with the less experienced group going on a shorter route. The cycling speed were within the capacity of the cyclists in the respective groups and there were ample stops for rest and photo-taking. For non-cyclists, they can still accompany their partners on this trip and spend time on other interesting activities while the cyclists complete their rides. The groups will then gather after the ride for meals and leisure before the following day's ride.
CYCLING STAGES
The cycling portion of the trip is good for most regular road cyclists and can be considered a mini 3-stage Tour de Taipei & Japan as it is conducted over 3 consecutive days with the last day free for rest.
This is the breakdown for each "stage".
Taipei: Danshui to Keelung (60km)
Ishigaki: Ishigaki Port to Kabirawan (50km)
Naha: Naha Port to Zanpamisaki (64 km)
BICYCLES FOR THE TRIP
This trip is a joint project with Giant Bicycles. For those who do not wish to lug their bikes along for this trip, they can rent a flat bar road bike with Star Cruises at small fee for the duration of the trip.
OTHER SPECIAL INTEREST CYCLE CRUISE TRIPS
Star Cruises currently do not have any special itinerary for bike parks or off-road destinations as all trips are subjected to port-of-call for each ship and availability of cabins. For those who has a solid plan waiting to be fulfilled, Star Cruises will need a minimum of 30 passengers to start a group trip. (Subject to itinerary feasibility of course)
MORE INFORMATION
For more information and reservations, contact Star Cruises at 6226 1168 or visit the website at www.starcruises.com. For more timely updates, join their facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tourdestarcruises/
All information and photos by Star Cruises