Big Dog's Adventure Tours & Safaris Reviews 33

My wife and I missed the previous Camino Tour and I promised myself that I would not let it happen again. Big Dog John Parkin knows his way around sight seeing trips in SA, and this latest edition did not disappoint. With military precision, the trip was well planned and ran like clockwork. We saw the most amazing Trappist Monasteries and Catholic Churches built around the late 1800's and stayed in the best accommodation and the dining was on another level! We met some wonderful, like minded bikers which I'm sure we'll meet again on BDATS trips. Highly recommend!

Wow, what a trip! Ride, ride and ride some more. Met some awesome people made good friends. Saw places we would never usually see. We learnt so much and the churches were beautiful. John our tour guide was fantastic, friendly and very knowledgeable about the places we went to. The accommodation was top class and the food to die for. Thank you Big Dog's Adventure Tours & Safaris we will definitely join you again on another adventure. Bill & Angela

Had the last weekend with John "Big Dog" Parkin on the "Camino Trail" of Trappist Monasteries in the local KZN Midlands area.
The tour was started promptly and on time leaving the first point of departure. All forms and indemnities which had to be completed were on the website beforehand and no wasting time on doing these first.
Day 1 is always a bit longer due to the distances travelled to get to the first destination.
Day 2 was interesting as we started to delve deeper into the life and times of the founders and current Trappist monasteries.
Day 3 had some interesting times as well as a guided tour of a mill built at the turn of the 20th century.
Day 4 back home.
The tour, roads and places of interest were very well researched and at all the stops as well as visits to the missions were planned and no surprises to any of the residents when we arrived.
Overnight accommodation was excellent and top class food. Nobody had a shortage of anything from early morning coffee till after dinner tea.
The roads, some gravel and some tar were easy to ride for any class of rider.
Very well organized - thank you very much for the experience
Very well organised tour

John

Where friends become family .. thank you so much for all the effort and love you put into your tours to make it enjoyable for us. Always a highlight to look forward to when The Big Dog launches its tours.

I was lucky enough to be part of the CAMINO ADVENTURE Trip in July 2022 which was nothing short of epic!
The motorcycle adventure tour was spectacular and expertly presented by John Big Dog Parkin who is knowledgable and professional - a qualified Tour Guide and a very experienced motorcycle guide.
The routes were perfectly chosen to get the most out of our motorcycle skills on and off-road, and the stops are perfectly matched to the CAMINO theme that was based on the Trappist's Churches and Monasteries in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Excellent food and accommodations and an awesome bunch of guests made this trip deliver well beyond all my expectations. Great value for money and perfect for a weekend adventure.
I highly recommend this adventure motorcycle tour as an experience that is truly soul stirring.

I have just read about your planned BIG Dog tour in the UK ! It sounds amazing and I am so envious of those bikers lucky enough to join you !
I remember every detail of the last Big Dog tour here in SA! We had such an amazing adventure ! The tour you put together was very special not only was it full of interesting cultural and historical places to experience, great places to stay, delicious food and plenty of friendly banter but it was also genuinely so much FUN !
And I think you waved a magic wand to ensure that everyone on the tour was as determined as we were to enjoy every moment!
I hope all your plans come together!
Lots of love
Be safe
Margie

I have met John at a outdoor show. From the word go he did impress me, grap my attention and was thorough in his explanation. May be that's where my opinion off him was build.

We have share interest through the BMW Pretoria Club and it was a honour to be part to hand over some of his rider challenge awards.

I am a afrikaans speaking person and originate out of the Standerton area. As one would expects, I have adopted the boer version of the war stories. John did invite me on one of his tours in the Val area, of which a did a few times before, but the afrikaans version. Very early in the tour, I realise that this can be a upsetting tour.

To my surprise, it did not.... John manage to convey the correct message to support both sides of the story. He also manage to show me in my own back yard, gems that I was looking for.

To me, John is a person that like to explore and know his subjects, but also that can offer it to you with a passion.

He lives his passion for outdoor, friends and adventure.

I will always support his initiatives.

What a great company to do tours with !
The itineraries are always interesting and at great prices .

The Big Dog team put real thought into the trips and the group is well informed of routes and their comfort is paramount to the support team.

Always a great group of people on the trips and the group dynamics are managed subtly to ensure all have a great experience!

Looking forward to the next expedition and comfortably recommend the company to those looking for some life adventures !

I have done trips with John before, his knowledge of South Africa and in-depth research makes any trip an absolute pleasure and so interesting. He knows the country and beyond our borders like the back of his hand. His arrangements are top class and you can be assured that once you have done a trip with him you will want to go back for more. I look forward to doing more trips with you in the future John.

Vicky and I, have had the pleasure of attending various Big Dog Adventure Tours. Always reasonably priced and well run, John pays attention to detail and puts the safety of the riders first. He combines Adventure Riding and local history unbelievably well, keeping everyone waiting for the next bit of nostalgia. The accommodation and meals are amazing. I would have no hesitation in recommending this company for the ultimate Adventure Riding experience.

John has the wonderful knack of turning a motorcycle tour into a fascinating & memorable experience, imparting a wealth of knowledge about the history of the area traversed, immersing the rider beyond the surrounds, bringing to life various points of interest along the route. Routes are well planned, with a decent skew toward gravel roads and dirt tracks. John’s depth of historical and general knowledge is impressive, as is his ability to sniff out a good artisanal brewery or two along the journey where parched throats can be resuscitated and friendships forged! I highly recommend any trip with Big Dog’s Adventure tours.

John Parkin is the best tour guide I have ever met. Safety first. Customer satisfaction , and route planning is excellent .Crisis management and organising is top notch. Historian of note , and he knows his way around. John , your tours are of high quality , and I would recommend to anyone. Would love to join you on one in the UK.
Best of luck.

John is an amazing tour guide. All the tours are well planned and organized from the sights that will be seen to where you stay. All off his trips have been amazing, safe and memorable. John has a great source of knowledge on history. All of his tours can be recommended.

A review on Big Dog's adventures is like waiting for any chicken meal on a trip (chuckle)...loooong!! If you want: luxury, fun, good meals, intelligent and traceable info, friends for life and the ride of your life BIG DOG TOURS are the ONLY answer!! Trips are safe, well planned, extremely informative..FIVE STAR in all categories!! Don't miss out. Don't hesitate. Trips fill up fast. You don't want to miss out on an adventure of a life time!! Arrive as a stranger..leave as Big Dog family. Well done John and all people working behind he scenes. You DOGS rock!!!!

John is an amazing tour guide that does his homework on all fronts. From the sights that wil be seen to where you stay. All off his trips have been amazing and memorable and would defnitely like to do more of them.

John is probably one of the best tour guides I have had the privilege of knowing. His preparation for each tour is meticulous and this is reflected in the quality experienced of events I have attended. His knowledge of the history of the various battle sites visited is amazing. He has also organized a number of events for our motorcycle club - Airborne Riders MC - each one surpassed our expectations.

Where to start. Everything about John's tours is special. His preparation and planning down to every little detail aids in ensuring that the trips run like well oiled machines. His knowledge of so many things and interesting places is extremely impressive.
Highly recommended and always fantastic

John leads the most amazing tours and you instantly feel part of the pack when traveling together. The historic tours is very informative and from the tours I have been on saw places that would never crossed my path if not for the Big Dog. The accommodation and food is all ways top notch. Will surely be part of a trip in the future again and highly recommend this truly adventure tours

I took part in Big Dogs "Desert To Daisies" tour. It was an epic ride, well put together with fantastic stops. John was very knowledgeable about the areas we passed through and was happy to share his knowledge with his guests. I loved the long dirt sections of this particular tour and will definitely be touring with Big Dog Adventure Tours and Safaris again, and again, and again - Brian

As a pillion riding with Big Dog Adventures it is a real adventure. I get to see the incredible scenery and places that John has mapped out on his different tours. John’s knowledge of history is incredible and so very interesting.
Thank you Big Dog Adventures