Staff Picks: Our Favourite Blogs Of 2021

 

This year our staff, along with 8 talented guest authors, managed to produce over 100 blogs for our website. They covered topics as diverse as our carbon footprint, virtual tours, nutrition, bikepacking, travel insurance, lockdown tales and memories from past Tour d’Afrique expeditions. Henry Gold kept readers enthralled with his philosophical pieces from the ‘Founder’s Thoughts’ series while Marketing Manager, Shanny Hill, continued his informative ‘TDA Talks’ videos.

We recently posted the 10 most popular blogs from 2021, in terms of readership, but here we are revealing the TDA staff’s favourite blogs from this past year. Let us know in the comments section if you have any you would like to add! Enjoy…

Henry Gold – Founder

Danny Gold & The 2006 Tour d’Afrique

“It only took me 15 years to convince my nephew, Danny Gold, to write about his experiences on the 2006 Tour d’Afrique.”

A TDA Bike Trip, 20 Years In The Making

“My sister, Judith, started planning to join our trips 20 years ago. This year, she finally made it.”

Shanny Hill – Marketing Manager

Meltdown Madness: Bandits, Dust Devils & Lava Rocks

“I can still remember the feeling of being on this road being tenderized by the road and trying to keep my eyes on the horizon looking for a shrub, a telephone pole, anything to hide under/behind to get a break from the intense sun. What a joy !?”

What It Is Like Being On A Cycling Tour During A Pandemic

“It’s been very encouraging to see two trips finish COVID-free and it was great to hear from the tour leaders how they made that happen.”

>>Related Blog: A Journal Of The Plague Year – The Best Blogs of 2020 – Staff Picks

Micah Markson – Tech Wizard

“Its Time To Register”, Says Founder Henry Gold

“When we posted this blog early in the year, and I filmed the video of Henry, I was less than confident in its message. But now, having been myself on the whole Great American Roadtrip tour and seeing it was possible to run a whole tour despite the ongoing pandemic, I am feeling much more optimistic about travel in the near future.”

Michael Coo – Office Manager

Lockdown Tales: Hard Men, Captain COVID & Perspective

“Way back during the darkest days of COVID, TDA Field Staffer Doug Percival entertained us with his own unique take on the pandemic and the travel industry.”

A New Research Paper From Professor Yanez

“The pandemic has made clear just how important science is to our society. TDA master chef Yanez Novoa submitted his own peer-reviewed paper to the ongoing research.”

Miles MacDonald – Operations Manager

TDA’s Great American Transit

“I think the blog showed the possibility for new observations in travel regardless of the means, mode or reason.”

Sharita van der Merwe – South Africa Office

The Dinder Experiment: A Shitshow Goes Sideways

“Love it because I’m a sucker for shitshows. Some of my best memories from all the years doing TDA.”

Cristiano Werneck – Brazil Office

Cycling Louisiana

“Having lived in New Orleans for a year as a 12 year old, I was stoked when I heard I was gonna be back after decades. I ended up not going, but this blog not only made me feel as if I was there but also made me very happy to be seeing blogs from the field again after so much time of no tours.”