Why wE?
Post COVID lockdowns, travel is back in a big way.
There's an old cliché employed by travel writers; It's not so much the destination as the journey. wE absolutely agree.
Traveller vs Tourist
Plenty of travellers don't want to be a typical "tourist", they want to be an explorer. The art of exploring and discovering new lands is a time old tradition and human desire. With the rise of the social and digital world, people are seeking out authentic experiential holidays for good reason.
You can watch a YouTube video introducing a famous city but nothing can replace immersing yourself in a place. The sights, sounds and smells all build an authentic experience and memories for life.
Travel as Adventure
What are the best travel stories and memories? Why is it that the most interesting tales of a trip are often those where things did not go to plan and surprises were part of the experience. Travel has always been a path to self discovery but increasingly it's become a tired old treadmill and worn path that offers little in the way of adventure and personal growth.
Too many cities offer their famous sights in very predictable ways via lacklustre ticket bundles and short organised packaged tours that make the participant feel like a cog in a touristic machine that sucks you in and spits you out feeling no different than when you landed in a place.
Journey vs Destination
Wheel Explorer emphasises the journey over the destination. All our self guided tours are designed with the journey in mind. There is no starting point or destination, rather a circular loop that the bike or scooter rider can join at any point and time of their choosing.
It might sound a bit like a hop on and hop off bus tour but it couldn't be further from that tired old format.
Hop on and off bus tours can be found in all popular city tourist destinations. They offer a lazy, passive way of seeing a city. Sure they have commentary and allow the tourist to get off and view the sights but in a way which is not at all conducive to adventure or exploration.
What about a walking tour? That sounds more like it. Yes and no. There is no doubt you will be immersed in your surroundings and will get an intimate connection with the locations around you but a walking pace is not only slow but very taxing on your energy levels, already low from air travel, jet lag and all the anticipation. Combine that with a few museum visits and we all know that travel exhaustion.
There is only so much you can see on for and so most walking tours are relatively short, about 1 to 5km at best. They also tend to focus on the most touristed areas and often in the centre of the city, often the very place that is the most congested and urbanised. Not always where you will find the true spirit of a city.
So if the bus and walking options are limited, what form of transport may there be that ticks the boxes?
wE believe the answer is found with TWO WHEELS. The humble bicycle is the most efficient form of transport available and 99% of us know how to ride one so it's accessible to everyone. With the electrification of the bicycle and the introduction of the electric scooter, travellers now have the ultimate way to explore their chosen destinations.
One of the best ways to experience a city is to simply sit and watch it. People watching is an art form and one that always rewards the viewer. It's tempting to rush around a place to "download" it, but sometimes a city takes its time to reveal itself.
Our tours offer you the freedom to stop and observe, lie in wait for unique photo opportunities or just to catch a slice of life. On a traditional tour you don't have that freedom. You are herded lie sheep in a small area and your group announces itself loudly to locals. It's unlikely you will witness authentic local moments when you are part of a crowd.
"I love the feeling of being out on a bike, on my own, or with friends. It's freedom, it's fun, it's exhilarating. It's the perfect way to clear your mind and challenge your body." - Diane Ackerman