Alex thank you for a fantastic trip. I didn’t think that each day could get better than than the day before...and then some, what an amazing trip! You are the best! Thank you!
Holly Jean Gardiner, USA
Amazing trip with doctor and professor of life, food, and adventure with incredible investigative skills. You made this a memorable trip of a lifetime!
Bernard & Wendy Holt, USA
We thought both Alex and Marko were excellent. Alex is extremely energetic and entertaining and the pair worked well together as a team. The longest day when we cycled to Galichnik and had lunch in the small restaurant there was fantastic - one of the best MTB days we have ever had with great scenery and remoteness and then wonderful food finished off with a long and fun descent.
Jeremy Briggs, UK
Alex, we can't thank you enough for the wonderful time we had! The biking, hiking and kayaking were so wonderful and you integrated the scenery, food & people, seamlessly into everything.
Tom & Kim Birmingham, USA
Alex, thank you for a wonderful experience! Wishing you all the best!
Wendy Smith, USA
Thanks Alex for an awesome week! You took us to beautiful places, always super professional and patient, even when the children got restless and winny. We had great time!!!
Maya Steinberg, ISRAEL
Alex, back in the States. Just wanted to say thanks for a great, if a bit hard, week!!! Your love for your country really shines through.
Rene & Grant, USA
Round three of our trips to Macedonia. This time we climbed the highest peak! See you next time for our anniversary visit (greatest hits).
Borut, Danilo & Bojan, SLOVENIA
Alex, thank you for sharing your week with us and sharing your knowledge of the country, adventure and culture. We will take home a warm understanding of Macedonia's land and people.
Margo Jolly, USA
What a great trip, this week was special and you had a large part in making in that way. I really appreciate your patience and skills in taking care of us. I'm so happy that we got you as our guide!
Ginnie Bryant, USA
A wonderful biking, dining and wine consuming experience! Trip was well co-ordinated. Guide was the most professional, experienced, relaxed and good fun to hang out with, and greatly focused on safety and security of clients. Fun all round. Routes were challenging, interesting and varied. I had a wonderful time!
John Roche, IRELAND
Hi Alex,
We have arrived back in Australia and start work again tomorrow. Thanks again for your friendship and guiding us safely and interestingly around Macedonia. Hope to see you again when next in Macedonia.
Suzy & Keith, AUSTRALIA
Hi Alex
Thank you for everything you have done for us. You are a great guide! Hope to see you next year :)
Dan & Carola, CANADA
Hi Alex
Wanted to thank you again. We are heading home tomorrow. The children said that the trip wouldn't have been as much fun without you. We agree of course! You are always welcome in our home.
Lior, Hagar, Neta, Omer and Meirav, ISRAEL
Anela & Alex
This is a very touching account of the spiritual aspect of the great adventure we had together, and your words reverberate with the thoughts and feelings I had the first time I had the honor and the pleasure to join this group and see for my self something I could not have imagined before. You were asset to this group and it is clear that you were with us in body and soul. I am sure that if you wish to join this group in our next adventure you will find all our hurts willing to accept you as a full partner :-). Love and greetings from Israel, in my name, but I am sure in behalf of all the rest of the gang.
Amit Erez, ISRAEL
Alexander,
Thanks for a wonderful trip! We miss your country and in particular, you guys!
Yvonne & Tony Shu, USA
Alex,
You are extraordinary company and an inspired indivual!
You are a man of many talents, Aleks. I've been telling my friends to go to Macedonia! You and Marko were superb guides and friends. Thank you.
Mott Family, USA
Dear Alex and Stefan,
We have no words to thank you enough for the wonderful week we spent together in your beautiful and delightful country - Macedonia. It was challenging and enjoyable to ride through the Macedonian spectacular landscapes and magnificent views, in the varied tracks you prepared for us. We got everything you promised, far beyond our expectations. Starting with the thorough & detailed preparation towards the trip, through effective correspondence by email, which was, on your behalf, flexible and responsive, with quick compliance regarding the various changes we wanted to make from time to time, go on with the fact that everything was perfectly organized and suitable for our group, continued with your professionalism, sensitivity and thoughtfulness, always one step ahead - as if you were one of us, and finally your constant willingness to accept our requests in real time. We could not ask for more. Alex - we had the pleasure and the privilege to be in your presence and guidance. The 'Visit Macedonia' company and Stefan himself should be proud to have you on board. Both of you have now 11 'second homes' in Israel, We all looking forward to seeing and welcoming you here.
All the best,
Haraful, Yaroni, Rami, Shai, Idan, Avi, Musik, Levite, Arnon, Tzachi & Nitzan.
G-Bikes, ISRAEL
We contacted Alex from ride.mk with an interest in mountain biking through some of Macedonia's great scenic areas.
We advised we had 4 days and named a few general places we wanted to see.
From this Alex arranged a custom tour specifically for us providing multiple riding options.
With Alex as our driver / tour guide / ride leader we had a fantastic time with the experience being beyond our expectations.
We highly recommend a cycling tour of Macedonia with Alex at ride.mk as we were very appeciative of his:
- Attention detail, such as phoning ahead each morning to all the accomodation and meals places to ensure there were ready for us.
- Flexibility to be able to change route plans with little notice
- Choice of routes, accommodation offerings, great lunch and dinner choices off the tourist tracks
- Capacity to understand skill and energy levels
- Knowledge of the areas we went with intelligent and considered opinions
- Importantly Alex was a very safe driver in a country full of crazy drivers
We are hoping to do more touring again in 2017 with Alex.
Suzy and Keith, AUSTRALIA
Here you go Alex …
Best-guided trip I've ever been on. Definitely the best for meeting and talking with local people. Alex is super gregarious and he was always happy to help us talk with people we met while riding. Made the trip very special for us. It was a great experience to meet so many amazingly friendly people in Macedonia. Definitely the best food I've had on any KE trip. Exceptional home cooked meals with local families Alex knows. Excellent hidden gem restaurants. Great riding too! I'd highly recommend to anyone.
All the best,
Dennis Mudd, USA
Hi Alex,
We had a great time and really appreciate all the work you did to make our trip memorable. Mark and I are especially looking forward to seeing what you captured with that camera on your helmet. By the way, Mark is engaged in an ongoing search for rakia in NY; if it's here, he’ll find it!
June & Mark, USA
Dear Alex,
Thank you for your email. Rick and I are still smiling from the trip. It was fabulous --and I really loved cycling down the mountain!
Shelly & Rick, USA
Alex,
I had a wonderful time on the trip.Can't wait to see the photos and videos of the trip. All my best!
Tani Tagaki, USA
Hi Alex,
First of all thanks for sending us the routes. I will always remember where we went now, so that's good as it was a great trip.
Cheers,
Andy, UK
Good morning Alex,
We finally arrived in Ogden after a long trip! The hikes in the mountains of Macedonia were among the highlights of the journey. We enjoyed the landscape, the shepherds, the sheep, the dogs, and the cheese!! Best wishes, and may you have continued success in your awesome business.
Nancy & Brian, USA
In the past two years I've fallen in love with the Balkans. It's Europe the way we imagine it once was: farmers tending fields by hand, horse carriages rolling across cobblestones in tiny villages, traditions that haven't changed in centuries. During this tour in Macedonia last summer, my love affair with Macedonia deepened. Our tour wound across mountains and across lakes and traversed deep forests. We met local people in their wonderful towns and villages and delighted in local cuisine. Our knowledgeable guide was passionate about his country and gave us an insider's view. Some of the riding was challenging, but for the most part it was leisurely (our group was mostly 60+). We had plenty of time to stop, take pictures, snack and take everything in. I'll be back!
Jim Johnson, USA
Founder & President of BikeTours
This is a tour I will always remember fondly. I remember first getting the announcement from Bike Tours and thinking that I knew nothing of Macedonia. That alone was enough reason to go! I am very glad. An amazing and beautiful country, with equally amazing and beautiful people.
Stu Davidson, USA
Alex, Thanks again for your wonderful leadership and camaraderie during our trip to your beautiful country. It was indeed an enjoyable and memorable trip.
Geoffrey & Susan Phillips, USA
Aleks,
Thanks for the downhill training! Great to get to know you a bit and to meet wonderful Anela! Love Macedonia...
Jane Madwick, UK
Dear Aleksandar,
Coming back for the second time in Macedonia was a great challenge for all of us. We all got a lot more than we anticipated. Great riding in beautiful mountains, a lot different than Western Macedonia. Lots of long downhills, again great food and wines, and the unforgettable Macedonian hospitality. We will never forget our visit to Berovo, the white & yellow cheese in the sheepfold, and especially the lunch in Ablanica local farm. Vasko and Gabriela were the best hosts ever, we were welcomed as Dukes with 18 different homemade food specialities. Thanks and see you next year.
Danilo, Bojan (x2) & Borut, SLOVENIA
Hello Alexander & Goran,
We want to let you know that we have had a great time and we all enjoyed ourselves so very very much!!! A lot of it is due to the well-organized trip and the fantastic leading and escorting by you both. You have a beautiful country with breath taking views! Riding in the remote areas and meeting the local people was a great bonus to us. Sticking to the timetable was so accurate and ticked like a Swiss clock. The rides were balanced very well, and meals were fantastic.
Thank you and see you next time,
Itamar, The Israeli's Gladiators, ISRAEL
Dear Aleks,
Thank you for looking after us so well this week. We've had a fantastic introduction to Macedonian biking and to Macedonian culture. It has been a great privilege to experience the hospitality of families in their homes, to visit ancient villages, and to eat superb food in unforgettable places. Your planning and organisation have been faultless. Everything worked perfectly: hotels were welcoming and comfortable, transfers were always efficient, even the weather seemed part of the team. The biking you showed us is world class and the high mountain trails are truly magical.
Our highlights? Lunches with wild mushrooms, with Pavle in Galicnik, and with grilled fish by the lake in Ohrid; supper of tavce gravce in Leunovo; delicious Macedonian wines at the vineyard; and of course riding endless high mountian prairies above Mavrovo and in the Galicica national park. We have had a superb week with you in Macedonia and intend to be back soon!
With thanks and good wishes,
Eris and Harry Lyall, Chelmsford, UK
Dear Alex,
Thanks for a really ecellent holiday. Lots of good riding, with a mix of forest and highland tracks and a little bit of single track thrown in. The ride through the Galicica National Park was a particular highlight with great views and fast trails, and a little single track at the end to complete a great ride. You have ensured we have been fed well, from lovely mushrooms, salads, peppers, meats, and some great cheeses! You have been a great host, and made us feel welcome. Aleksandar, you have also been a great guide, great company, and a good judge of how much harder riding to put in, and with a good sense of the logistics and timing to make the tour work.
Robert Oakeshott, Cambridge, UK
Featured as one of THE BEST TOURS FOR 2014 in Slovenian Sokol Magazine.
The three superlatives: Nature, People & Food.
At the end of 2014, in our best tours of 2014 we didn't include riding in the Dolomites, Canadian Whistler, or the snowy Annapurna. Instead, we have chosen a closer and smaller destination, Macedonia. The 10 of us were discovering the endless vastenss of Mavrovo and Galicica National Parks, and riding the steep Kozuf mountain, which tends to become the next Eldorado for freeriding. In three days we added 150km and more than 6700m of altitude, 3000m of which in climbing. In those areas of wild, but unusually serene nature, we were enchanted by the people living there. And the food was so good that you just had to lick your fingers after.
Tine Guzej, Sokol Magazine Slovenija, Winter 2015
Aleksandar,
Thank you for all those beautifull days that we have spent in Macedonia. It was magnificent. And the video is super! Thank you again.
Bojan Ivanusa, SLOVENIA
Hello Alex!
I have just seen the video you made and wasn't able not to thank you again. Even one month after our ride I still feel the smell of highland grass, voices of birds and exciting views of Macedonian mountains. Delight feelings of downhill tracks call me back again next year.
Dr. Pikovsky Vadim, ISRAEL
Unforgettable experiences from Macedonia.
From the first moment we entered Macedonia, we were introduced to the local dish known as "Shopska Salad", tomatoes, cucumbers, and salty cheese. Our two guides, Alexander the Great and Alexander Little accompanied us along the journey and it was excellent, everyone was satisfied. From day one at Popova Shapka we had stunning landscapes, snow at the mountains, and we passed streams that descend from the mountains. Mavrovo was all green with water and forest paths rising higher and higher. In Ohrid we had spectacular views over the lake, and the excellent local trout fish for lunch. From steep uphills to long and fast downhills, to the rural village with homemade Macedonian meals, Pelister has it all. The local alcoholic beverage called "Rakija" always raised the mood and brought Yaron as a lead singer in our group. True thanks to Alexander for the organization. It was great fun.
Eli Huminer, ISRAEL
Aleksandar,
We have successfully finished our cycling tour in you beautiful country. It was unforgettable. Thank you for the beautiful video which besides the photos is a very nice memory from our tour. If Macedonia was a bit closer to us, we would have come back pretty soon...
Bojan and Friends, SLOVENIA
Hi Alex,
On behalf of our group: Shimon, Arie, Elon and me I wish to thank you for a great week of epic riding. The organization, the food, the hotels, the rides, everything was above our expectations thanks to you. We landed safely with a great smile on our faces.
Danny Sadeh, ISRAEL
Canot wait for the next tour. What a day!!
Dani Peled, ISRAEL