Remember Dr Zhivago; Sputnik; Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space; the May Day military parades in Red Square; the rockets; the Kirov ballet; the Hermitage; iced vodka with pickled herrings; Soyuz and then glasnost and perestroika?

Times have changed but you can still enjoy the nostalgia of a country that spans 15 time zones - all the way from Germany to China, Japan and Alaska and which stretches north to south from the high Arctic to the Black Sea.

CruiseCapades operates a fleet of Russian IMZ Ural 750 sidecar motorcycles which you can hire for your own adventure or travel with one of our chauffeurs. The combinations comfortably carry three people with light picnics and minimal luggage or two people with surprisingly large loads.

The bikes are rugged, reliable and simple to maintain, identical to the 1938 BMW R71, but obviously much improved with highly reliable electrics and fuel systems and vastly improved braking.

The bikes are built tough, like Russian tanks, and were originally specifically designed for military use. Instead of soldiers with machine guns or bazookas, they now carry you and your luggage comfortably on a range of tours from our base at in Hazyview through the diverse and beautiful scenery of the Lowveld and the Panorama route. Our Ripping Rides have been specially selected to keep you to the most scenic roads and landscapes.

Ripping Rides
From Hazyview to Sabie – enjoy morning tea, breakfast or lunch, visit one of several picturesque waterfalls in the area and return. An easy half- to full day ride.

Hazyview to Sabie and then on to Graskop for a hearty breakfast or a delicious spread of pancakes. From there it’s just a short ride to Pilgrim’s Rest where you can enjoy lunch in this historic living museum village before a leisurely ride back to base.

The Panorama route is a long day’s ride but takes in the best of the escarpment. From Hazyview to Sabie, then Graskop, along the rim of the Blyde Canyon to God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the famous Three Rondavels viewpoint. From there you can ride comfortably on a good dirt road to Pilgrim’s Rest for a late lunch before returning, or better still, why not spend the night at the historic Royal Hotel, enjoy a leisurely dinner and drive slowly back to base the next day?

Intro Lesson
For a self-drive adventure, you must be in possession of a current license valid for a 750 cc motorcycle. A short introductory lesson is mandatory for all self drive rentals. Our vehicles are fully road legal and licensed to carry the driver and two passengers.

Our Ural sidecar fleet is meticulously maintained. You can be confident that your bike will have been fully serviced, safety checked and tanked up with fuel before you leave. The bikes carry a spare wheel which will fit either the bike or the sidecar. All bikes have a surprisingly spacious boot and a luggage rack.

They also have a tool kit and a comprehensive manual in case you need to change a wheel. We have a back-up vehicle available to rescue you anywhere within 150 kms of base should something go wrong. Further afield, we endeavour to facilitate support for you through another support service.

All our drivers are fully licensed and accredited tour guides. Passenger liability on all vehicles is underwritten by Lloyds of London. General accident insurance of up to R500 000 can be purchased for a small daily premium.

2008 Expeditions & Prices
The bikes are stable, remarkably comfortable and suited to sedate riding. Slow revving and long-legged they can take you on longer rides to Mozambique, Swaziland and Kwazulu-Natal. We will be happy to tailor a memorable ride for you to tourist attractions in the Lowveld and elsewhere.

PANORAMA ROUTE AND FALLS
Depart from our depot in Hazyview (25°02 52 S / 31°07 48 E) at 9:00 after coffee and rusks and ride to the Three Rondawels viewpoint situated on the Escarpment for a beautiful view over the Blyde River Canyon (the third-biggest canyon in the world and the biggest “green” canyon) and the Swadini Dam, and then visit the world-famous Bourke’s Luck Potholes (24°40 13 S / 30°48 31 E). Make your way back towards Graskop and visit the Berlin Falls en route. At Berlin Falls you have a delicious lunch at The Peacock Tavern and then visit the nearby Lisbon Falls, about 10 kilometres before Graskop. Depart from there via God’s Window (24°52 31 S / 30°53 08 E) and Graskop to Sabie at around 14:30 to arrive back in Hazyview at 16:30. This is a ride of approximately 200 kilometres.
Cost and conditions: Pre-booking at least three weeks in advance is essential. The cost is R700.00 per person inclusive of lunch. Drinks at The Peacock Tavern is for own account. Three persons per sidecar are allowed (driver and two passengers). A valid “A” motorcycle is required for the driver. Chauffeured drives are available on request. POA.

KAPAMA CHEETAH PROJECT
One-day Adventure: Depart from our depot in Hazyview (25°02 52 S / 31°07 48 E) at 9:00 after coffee and rusks and ride to the Kapama Cheetah Project (24°48 33 S / 31°03 33 S) situated near Hoedspruit. This is a ride of about 90 kilometres through Bushbuckridge and Acornhoek. Arrive in time for the 11:00 conducted tour which takes you through the Project. And don’t think you will only see cheetahs! Have lunch at the restaurant after the tour, and then take a ride through their Safari Park where you will see a number of antelope species, and perhaps even a pack of wild dogs. Depart from there at around 14:30 to arrive back in Hazyview at 16:00.
Cost and conditions: Pre-booking at least three weeks in advance is essential. The cost is R750.00 per person inclusive of entrance fees and lunch. Drinks at the restaurant is for own account. Three persons per sidecar are allowed (driver and two passengers). A valid “A” motorcycle is required for the driver. Chauffeured drives are available on request. POA.

Two-day Adventure: The itinerary is the same as the One-day Adventure, except that you overnight in a rustic tented Camp in the Kapama Safari Park (no electricity or TV! - only storm lanterns and a hot water donkey) and braai under the stars. Return to Hazyview the next morning
after a bush breakfast in the camp.
Cost and conditions: Pre-booking at least three weeks in advance is essential. The cost is R1450.00 per person, inclusive of entrance fees, lunch and accommodation. Drinks are for own account. We can supply vacuum-packed meat and salads of your choice for your evening braai as
well as food for your breakfast. POA. Three persons per sidecar are allowed (driver and two passengers). A valid “A” motorcycle is required for the driver. Chauffeured drives are available on request. POA.

MAUCHSBERG TO IN-DIE-DIEPTE ADVENTURE TRAILS
These conducted Adventure Trails take place in a Forestry concession area of 18,000 ha on the Escarpment between Sabie and Pilgrim’s Rest. The views and vista’s are awesome, and the terrain is rugged enough to give anybody quite a few adrenalin highs!

One-day Adventure: This adventure is available on weekdays and public holidays only. We depart from Mac-Mac Forest Retreat (24°59 31 S / 30°48 43 E) at 9:00 after coffee and rusks and ride through indigenous forests and plantations up to the tower on Mauchsberg (24°59 50 S / 30°45 39 E) which is 2102m above MSL, the third ?? highest mountain in Mpumalanga. A picnic breakfast basket is provided, and we enjoy our meal with magnificent views over Sabie, Graskop, the Escarpment and the Lowveld. On a clear day you could probably see right into Mozambique! After breakfast we descend into the valleys to In-die-Diepte where we visit Christmas Pools, situated in the Blyde River. From there we hit the back roads to historical Pilgrim’s Rest (24°52 57 S / 30°44 59 E) where we have a late lunch at The Vines Restaurant. After lunch we ride back to Mac-Mac via Burger’s Pass to arrive there at about 17:00.
Cost and conditions: Pre-booking at least three weeks in advance is essential. The cost is R800.00 per person inclusive of breakfast and lunch. Drinks at the restaurant is for own account. Due to the rugged terrain, only two persons per sidecar are allowed (driver and passenger). A valid “A” motorcycle is required for the driver. Drivers should be quite fit with strong arms! Warm clothing or riding gear is advisable during summer, and essential in winter.

Two-day Adventure: Adventurers arrive at Mac-Mac Forest Retreat on Friday afternoon where dinner, bed and breakfast is provided. We depart at 10:00 on Saturday for Mauchberg where we enjoy a picnic lunch on top of the mountain. After lunch we descend to In-die-Diepte where we braai and overnight in a comfortable house. On Sunday morning after coffee and rusks, we hit the back roads to Pilgrim’s Rest where we have a brunch at The Vines. We are back at Mac-Mac at around 13:00.
Cost and conditions: Pre-booking at least three weeks in advance is essential. The cost is R1900.00 per person, inclusive of all accommodation and meals. Drinks at the restaurant is for own account. Due to the rugged terrain, only two persons per sidecar are allowed (driver and passenger). A valid “A” motorcycle is required for the driver. Drivers should be quite fit with strong arms! Warm clothing or riding gear is advisable during summer, and essential in winter.