The Iron Horse Maidens just can’t say no to adventure in the saddle. Read on for more about their African mountain bike safari, and don’t forget to check out the amazing photos here.

In a last-minute rush, Megan and I decided to book ourselves and our husbands on a four-day bicycle safari that started only two days after the finish of the South African Absa Cape Epic.

What were we thinking? We kept asking ourselves this question on days 4, 5, and the rest of the Epic. It was done, though — no turning back at this point. Our spots were booked and paid for and our air tickets were purchased. Our Epic was going to be continued for four more days in the saddle, only this time with armed guides amongst elephants, giraffes, lions, and countless other African wildlife.

We managed to rest for two days and then re-pack all our bike equipment. It all seemed very routine for Megan and me — just packing up for another week on the bike! We had this dialed by now. It was going to be a breeze. Only four days with slow, mellow cruising on elephant singletrack for three or four hours a day, gourmet meals followed by afternoon siestas, only to wake up to Jeep drives, more animal spotting, and sundowners overlooking the beautiful African plains.

We were picked up at Johannesburg airport, then had a five-hour drive to the South African border. There we had to cross over into Botswana. This was no ordinary crossing. You get into a little cage-foofie-slide-thing in the air, and you get pulled over the mighty Limpopo river with all your bikes and bags (and gasoline). This was a first for all of us — I have never entered into a new country in this fashion before. Once on the other side, we were met by the Mashatu crew, our bikes were loaded up, and off we went. Our adventures were about to begin!

After driving for about 10 minutes we started seeing animals — they were everywhere. We saw too many elephant herds to keep count, giraffes, antelope, jackals…the list goes on an on. On top of that, the sun was setting and the sky was turning into the most brilliant red, orange, and pink hues that are possible only in Africa. It was magical: the warm wind in your hair, the sunset, and these incredible animals as far as the eye could see. We drove for about an hour; by this time the darkness had set in and we arrived at our first camp.

The camp was spectacular. It was situated under a giant, old Mashatu tree, with cots placed in a half-circle around the fire. There were no fences or walls or tents — just our open beds under the stars. It was magical. We each had to pull a time out of a hat, and whichever time we pulled out was when we had to stay awake and do night watch for an hour. The animals stay away as long as there is some movement in the camp, and as long as the fire keeps burning. This was such a primitive feeling, knowing that you had to stay awake, otherwise you and your friends could become dinner! I had the pleasure of getting the 3-4 a.m. slot. Megan saw a herd of elephants walk right past our camp without even giving us a glance, and the next morning there were fresh lion and hyena footprints all around our camp.

After some instruction from our guides we set off on our first mountain bike ride. We had a guide with a rifle in the front and back to protect us from whatever we might stumble across. It was so bizarre to be riding your bicycle past elephants and other wild animals. We spotted lions, cheetahs, antelope, and giraffes, and we saw these gigantic birds. Joe led us to another big Mashatu tree, and there in the middle of nowhere they had set up tea and muffins and scones for a mid-morning snack. This is the life! With full bellies we set off again for the last few hours of riding, heading to our second camp. Another beautiful camp, some more gourmet food, the best outdoor shower overlooking the nothingness and sipping red wine while watching the sun go down. Repeat this for two more days and you may never want to leave this place.

Our time was up, and we had to leave paradise. Driving back through the wide-open savannah, you couldn’t help but feel the tears well up in your eyes. We were all very quiet, just trying to absorb a cheetah kill that we saw earlier that morning. America and the real world were waiting for us. The experience was the most magical adventure ever, and I would strongly recommend anyone who is heading to Africa to include this into her itinerary.

Thank you Joe, Moosa, Sparks, and Greg for the best trip ever. It will always have a special place in my heart. Check out their website at www.cyclemashatu.co.za. – Anka Martin, Iron Horse Maidens