BikeHike Gets Nominated for The Geotourism Challenge

National Geographic and Ashoka's Changemakers are holding the Geotourism Challenge. It's a global search for innovations in tourism that sustain, enhance and presesrve local culture and place. BikeHike Adventures was nominated by Alison Price, one of our intrepid travellers. Thank you Alison. Here's her Nomination. Wish us luck.

Project Description:
Emotional and physical nourishment in Panama (and beyond)! BikeHike Adventures is a small eco-tourism outlet run by Trish Sare out of Vancouver.


Alison Price's Story:
Before departing to Panama, I was comforted by conversations with Trish Sare, the owner of BikeHike Adventures, that we shared a travel creed to live, albeit for a few days, like a local. We traveled light across Panama with a local guide, discovering places I could have never found on my own. I biked to the beat of howling monkeys and woke to the chirps of tropical birds. We crossed the canal under the watchful eye of security guards more accustomed to passing cargo ships than five mud slathered bikers. We slowly explored or rode through sleepy villages and talked with locals about everything from baseball to the war in Iraq. I was embarrassed to learn that many refer to the 1989 invasion to capture Gen. Noriega as the “War with America”, yet I never felt the American disgust I am hyper-aware of and work everyday to change. Climbing mountains gave us the viewpoint of birds and a ravenous taste for fish, plantains and juicy fresh fruit. Panama was a dream on the checklist I keep securely in my head, and the trip couldn’t have been better nourishment for my sense of adventure to keep going and be a changemaker.