Leg 1 (United States → Taiwan) , teams had to look for their clue written in
Mandarin on a
digital billboard in
Ximending. • Episode 1: "Kindness of Strangers" (September 25, 2011) • Prize: The Express Pass (awarded to Ernie & Cindy) ;Locations •
Hacienda Heights, California (
Hsi Lai Temple) (Starting Line) •
Los Angeles (
Los Angeles International Airport) →
Taipei, Taiwan • Taipei (
Ximending Commercial District) • Taipei (
Taipei Confucius Temple) • Taipei (
Core Pacific City Mall) • Taipei (
Dajia Riverside Park) • Taipei (
Martyrs' Shrine) ;Episode summary • At
Hsi Lai Temple, teams had to search through hundreds of
oil-paper umbrellas for one that had the correct set of letters –
TAI – printed on it. When combined twice with their clue of six other letters –
WANPEI – it revealed the name of their first destination:
Taipei, Taiwan. Once they presented Phil with a correct umbrella, he gave them keys to one of the vehicles parked outside the temple. The last team to complete this task (Kaylani & Lisa) would be penalized with a
Hazard later in the leg. • The first eight teams to arrive at
Los Angeles International Airport were booked on an earlier flight to Taipei via
China Airlines with the remaining three teams booked on a second flight via
EVA Air that departed twenty minutes later. Once there, teams had to travel to the
Ximending Commercial District, where they were told to "look up" for their next clue and had to figure out that their clue was displayed on a
digital billboard at Jun Plaza: red and yellow balloons that revealed the
Chinese characters ''''
(
Taipei Confucius Temple)''. • In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to find a nearby
payphone, call a given phone number, and listen to one of
Confucius's proverbs:
"In all things, success depends on previous preparation, and without such previous preparation, there is sure to be failure." Without writing down any of the message, they had to repeat the proverb verbatim to a monk in order to receive their next clue. If they were incorrect, they had to call the number again before trying again. • The Hazard required Kaylani & Lisa to travel to the
Core Pacific City Mall, where one of them had to perform an indoor
bungee jump before they could continue racing. • After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to
Dajia Riverside Park, where they had to join a
dragon boat team. One team member kept pace by beating a drum while the other team member joined the paddling crew on the
Keelung River. Once they made it through the course, they received their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: the
Martyrs' Shrine. ;Additional note • This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 2 (Taiwan → Indonesia) had racers
spelunking the natural caves of Goa Jomblang to find a
kris. • Episode 2: "The Sprint of Our Life" (October 2, 2011) • Prize: A trip to the
Carton House in
Ireland (awarded to Andy & Tommy) • Eliminated: Ron & Bill Ethan & Jenna ;Locations •
Taipei (
Martyrs' Shrine) • Taipei →
Jakarta, Indonesia • Jakarta →
Yogyakarta •
Piyungan (Bukit Indah Restaurant & Hotel) (Unaired) • This was a double-elimination leg.
Leg 3 (Indonesia) , the largest
Buddhist temple in the world, served as both the site of this leg's Roadblock and the Pit Stop. • Episode 3: "Don't Lay Down on Me Now!" (October 9, 2011) • Prize: A trip to
Atlantis, The Palm in
Dubai (awarded to Andy & Tommy) • Eliminated: Kaylani & Lisa ;Locations •
Yogyakarta (
Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat) • Yogyakarta (
Fort Vredeburg) • Salakmalang Village (
Lesehan Restaurant) •
Magelang (
Borobudur) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams had to join a series of
Dutch colonial-era Bicycle Guard reenactors and ride
omafiets with their group from Kraton through the streets of
Yogyakarta to
Fort Vredeburg, where they received their next clue directing them to the Salakmalang Village. • This leg's Detour was a choice between Rice Field or Grass Fed. In Rice Field, teams carried lunch to
rice paddy workers and, while the workers ate their lunch, planted 300 rice seedlings in order to receive their next clue. In Grass Fed, teams had to fill two bags with freshly cut grass and then pick up two sheep from a shed. After delivering the grass and sheep to a farm, they had to retrieve six buckets of water from a well, using only two buckets at a time, in order to fill a trough for the sheep and receive their next clue. • After the Detour, teams traveled to
Borobudur. They had to use the international entrance, where they were given
batik sarongs to put on. They then walked up to the top of the temple, where they received their next clue. • In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to walk around the top tier of Borobudur in a clockwise direction, counting the statues of the
Five Dhyani Buddhas, while also paying attention to the
mudra depicted on the statues. Each racer had to provide the correct numbers of Buddhas by
mudra, including a demonstration of each, in order to receive their next clue, which directed them to the nearby Pit Stop.
Leg 4 (Indonesia → Thailand) 's traditional floating village of
Koh Panyi. • Episode 4: "This Is Gonna Be a Fine Mess" (October 16, 2011) • Prize: 5,000 each (awarded to Andy & Tommy) ;Locations •
Yogyakarta (
Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort & Spa) • Yogyakarta →
Phuket, Thailand •
Mueang Phuket (Nonthasak Marina) •
Ao Phang Nga National Park (Khai Nai Island) • Ao Phang Nga National Park (Soap Island) • Ao Phang Nga National Park (
Koh Yao Noi) • Ao Phang Nga National Park (
Koh Panyi – Soccer Field) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Phuket, Thailand. Once there, teams had to travel to the Nonthasak Marina and find their next clue. • This leg's Detour was a choice between Coral Reconstruction or Beach Preparation, both tasks designed to help Thailand recover following the
2004 tsunami. In each task, teams rode on speedboats to Khai Nai Island. In Coral Reconstruction, teams built a
coral nursery out of pipes. Once complete, they used a kayak to take the nursery and several coral fragments out to a buoy where they had to set the nursery on the ocean floor and then properly set the coral fragments into the nursery in order to receive their next clue. In Beach Preparation, teams had to properly set up a series of twenty beach chairs and ten umbrellas marked with a specific symbol given in their clue in order to receive their next clue. • After the Detour, teams were given a compass and a medallion and were instructed to travel north for thirteen minutes until they reached the island shown on the medallion: Soap Island. • In this leg's Roadblock, teams traveled to
Koh Yao Noi, where one team member had to climb the island's sheer rock wall until they reached a bird's nest that held their next clue. • After the Roadblock, teams were given a map of
Phang Nga province and a compass and were instructed to lead their boat captain to the Pit Stop at
Koh Panyi. ;Additional note • This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 5 (Thailand) that they originally disassembled. • Episode 5: "I Feel Like I'm in the Circus" (October 23, 2011) • Prize: A trip to
Bali, Indonesia (awarded to Amani & Marcus) • Eliminated: Liz & Marie ;Locations •
Ao Phang Nga National Park (
Koh Panyi – Soccer Field) •
Mueang Phang Nga (
Ton Pariwat Wildlife Conservation Area – Anda Adventures) • Mueang Phang Nga (Song Phraek –
Spirit House Shop) • Mueang Phang Nga (Noppring – Wat Chanathikaram) • Mueang Phuket →
Bangkok • Bangkok (
Wat Suwannaram –
Bangkok Noi Canal) • Bangkok (
M.R. Kukrit Heritage House) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams had to travel to the
Ton Pariwat Wildlife Conservation Area. There, teams had to ride elephants up the Khlong Song Phraek River to their next clue. • For their Speed Bump, Liz & Marie had to clean up elephant dung and wash an
elephant before they could ride it to the Roadblock. • In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member searched for a man playing a traditional Thai flute and then had to search the water around him for a bundle that contained a ceramic
carp with their clue inside. • After the first Roadblock, teams had to travel to a nearby store, take apart a traditional
spirit house, and then deliver it to Wat Chanathikaram, where they found their next clue. • In this leg's second Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to correctly rebuild the
spirit house in order to receive a bag of fish food and their next clue. • After the second Roadblock, teams had to travel by bus to
Bangkok and then travel to the
Bangkok Noi Canal, where they had to feed the fish at the canal in order to receive their next clue. Teams were then directed to the Pit Stop: the
M.R. Kukrit Heritage House.
Leg 6 (Thailand → Malawi) , teams found a clue at the
King's African Rifles National War Memorial, which commemorates the African soldiers who fought during both World Wars. • Episode 6: "We Love Your Country Already; It Is Very Spacious" (October 30, 2011) • Prize: A trip for two to the
British Virgin Islands (awarded to Andy & Tommy) ;Locations •
Bangkok (
M.R. Kukrit Heritage House) • Bangkok →
Lilongwe, Malawi • Lilongwe (Limbe Tobacco Warehouse) • Lilongwe (Memorial Tower) • Lilongwe (Old Market – White Horse De-Signs Tailor Shop Lilongwe LEA School) • Lilongwe (Mchesi – R-K Furniture Shop) • Lilongwe (Kumbali Village) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Lilongwe, Malawi. Once there, teams had to travel to Limbe Tobacco Warehouse and find their next clue. • In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to transport ten bales of
tobacco leaves through a warehouse, using only a handcart that could carry one bag at a time, to a drop-off zone in another part of the warehouse in order to receive their next clue. • After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Memorial Tower, where they found their next clue. • This leg's Detour was a choice between All Sewn Up or Not Grown Up. In All Sewn Up, teams went to the White Horse De-Sign Tailor Shop in the old market and chose a customer. They then used manual
sewing machines to finish the customer's suit in order to receive their next clue. In Not Grown Up, teams traveled to Lilongwe LEA School, where they had to use provided materials to build two toy
trucks. Once they were properly constructed, the
headmistress gave the trucks to students, who tested them before the team received their next clue. • After the Detour, teams had to find their next clue at the R-K Furniture Shop, from which they had to transport two handcrafted wooden beds to Kumbali Village and then carry the beds to the Pit Stop. They were allowed to ask the shop owner to call a truck for them. Teams used the beds to spend the night at the village. ;Additional note • This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 7 (Malawi) focused on tasks at
Lake Malawi. • Episode 7: "Move Goat" (November 6, 2011) • Prize: 15,000 (awarded to Andy & Tommy) • Eliminated: Justin & Jennifer ;Locations •
Lilongwe (Kumbali Village) • Lilongwe →
Salima (Salima Bus Station) • Chigumukile Village (
Lake Malawi) • Chigumukile Village (Jamaica Shop) • Senga Bay (Sunbird Livingstonia Beach) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by bus to
Salima. • For their Speed Bump, Amani & Marcus had to solve a
sliding puzzle that depicted the
flag of Malawi before they could continue racing. • In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to use a bicycle taxi known as a
kabaza to take a customer carrying fish to one of three different destinations written on a board tied to the fish. After they dropped off their customer at their required address, they headed back to the bus station to trade their earnings of
MK100 (roughly $0.66) for their next clue. • This leg's Detour on
Lake Malawi was a choice between Dugout or Lugout. In Dugout, teams had to participate in the annual Lake Malawi
Dugout Canoe Race and use a traditional canoe to paddle out to drummers on the lake before paddling back to shore in order to receive their clue. In Lugout, teams had to wade to a ferryboat on the lake and unload passengers and cargo by carrying them ashore. Once they unloaded all of the cargo and passengers, they received their clue. Ernie & Cindy used their Express Pass to bypass this Detour. • After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Jamaica Shop in Chigumukile Village, where they found their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: Sunbird Livingstonia Beach at Senga Bay. ;Additional note • Laurence & Zac attempted to use the U-Turn on Amani & Marcus. However, Amani & Marcus had already passed the U-Turn by this point and were therefore unaffected.
Leg 8 (Malawi → Denmark) , teams had to climb to the top of the
Church of Our Saviour's tower in order to search for their next clue. • Episode 8: "Super Shady" (November 13, 2011) • Prize: A trip to
Fiji (awarded to Ernie & Cindy) • Eliminated: Laurence & Zac ;Locations • Senga Bay (Sunbird Livingstonia Beach) •
Lilongwe →
Copenhagen, Denmark • Copenhagen (
Church of Our Saviour) •
Hillerød (
Frederiksborg Slot) •
Kongens Lyngby (
Frilandsmuseet) • Kongens Lyngby (
Karlstrup Windmill) • Copenhagen (
Larsens Plads –
Havet Sailing Ship) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Copenhagen, Denmark. Once there, teams had to drive to the
Church of Our Saviour, where they had to climb to the top of the church and search for two clues on the top of the tower. The first was a flag on the tower that said
Borg Slot and the other was a banner on a nearby building that said
Frederiks. These led teams to their next location:
Frederiksborg Slot in
Hillerød. • In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to don
Renaissance period clothing and perform a complex three-part
Renaissance dance to the satisfaction of a
countess in order to receive their next clue. • After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the
Frilandsmuseet, where they found their next clue. • This leg's Detour was a choice between All Hopped Up or All Churned Out. In All Hopped Up, teams had to lay out a proper
rabbit show jumping course. They then had to pick a rabbit and each team member had to run it through the course without knocking over any of the obstacles in order to receive their next clue. In All Churned Out, teams had to use a traditional
butter churn to churn fresh cream into butter and then cleanly stamp out six sticks of butter using a special mold in order to receive their next clue. • After the Detour, teams had to travel to the
Karlstrup Windmill in
Kongens Lyngby in order to find their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the
Havet, a sailing ship docked at
Larsens Plads in Copenhagen. ;Additional note • This leg featured a Double U-Turn. Ernie & Cindy chose to use the U-Turn on Bill & Cathi, while Bill & Cathi chose to use the U-Turn on Laurence & Zac.
Leg 9 (Denmark → Germany → Belgium) where they rode the Pirate Carousel
teacups while building their next clue out of
Lego bricks. • Episode 9: "It's Speedo Time" (November 20, 2011) • Prize: A trip to
Panama (awarded to Amani & Marcus) ;Locations •
Copenhagen (
Larsens Plads –
Havet Sailing Ship) • Copenhagen (
Andersens Boulevard – Statue of
Hans Christian Andersen &
Teatermuseet i Hofteatret) •
Billund (
Legoland Billund) •
Hamburg, Germany (
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof) →
Brussels, Belgium • Brussels (
European Parliament Building) • Brussels (
Concert Noble) • Brussels (Parc Élisabeth) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams had locate the Statue of
Hans Christian Andersen in
Copenhagen, where they found their next clue. • In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to memorize a poem on the base of the statue of and then use a map on a provided bicycle's wheel to navigate to the
Teatermuseet i Hofteatret, where they had to recite the poem verbatim and with dramatic flair in order to receive their next clue. If they failed, they had to go back to the statue before returning to the theater to try again. • After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to
Legoland Billund and find the Pirate Carousel, where they received a box of
Lego bricks. While on the ride and when it was in motion, teams had to assemble the puzzle, which revealed their next destination: the
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof in
Hamburg, Germany. Teams had to drive to the train station in order to find their next clue, which instructed them to travel by train to
Brussels, Belgium. Once there, teams had to travel to the
European Parliament Building, where they found their next clue. • At
Concert Noble, teams had to compete in a
bodybuilding competition in honor of
Jean-Claude Van Damme. Racers had to put on
bikinis, cover their bodies with posing oil, and then learn a series of bodybuilding poses. Teams had to perform the routine in front of three judges and earn a score of at least twelve points in order to receive their next clue. • Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Parc Élisabeth. ;Additional notes • The bodybuilding task was one option from a Detour and was titled Bodybuilding Posedown, but was not presented as such in the episode. • There was no rest period at the end of this leg, and all teams were instead instructed to continue racing.
Leg 10 (Belgium) at the
Atomium in
Brussels. • Episode 10: "Release the Brake!" (November 27, 2011) • Prize: A
Ford Mustang for each team member (awarded to Andy & Tommy) • Eliminated: Bill & Cathi ;Locations •
Lommel (
Ford Proving Grounds) •
Ghent (
Hoofdbrug) • Ghent (Hoefslagstraatje &
Leie River Dulle Griet) •
Geraardsbergen (
Muur van Geraardsbergen) •
Beersel (Steenweg op Ukkel 75 Stoofstraat 52) •
Brussels (
Atomium) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams had to drive themselves to the
Ford Proving Grounds in
Lommel, which had their next clue. • In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to test drive a
Ford Mustang. They first had to accelerate to and then brake at a designated spot. They then had to navigate a
slalom course within sixteen seconds without hitting a cone and stop inside a marked spot. Lastly, they finished by performing two victory
doughnuts before receiving their next clue. • After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the
Hoofdbrug in
Ghent and find their next clue. • This leg's Detour was a choice between Water or Waffle. In Water, teams had to use provided materials to build a raft and search the
Leie River for the two halves of their next clue. In Waffle, teams had to build a waffle stand and then bake and decorate eighteen
Belgian waffles to the chef's satisfaction before receiving their next clue. • After the Detour, teams had to drive to the
Muur van Geraardsbergen, where they released a flock of
homing pigeons and were then given an address where the pigeons were flying. Once there, teams could retrieve their next clue from one of the pigeons – a picture of the
Atomium – which teams had to identify in order to find the Pit Stop.
Leg 11 (Belgium → Netherlands → Panama) in
Panama City served as the Pit Stop on this penultimate leg. • Episode 11: "We Are Charlie Chaplin" (December 4, 2011) • Prize: A trip to the
Turks and Caicos Islands (awarded to Jeremy & Sandy) • Eliminated: Andy & Tommy ;Locations •
Brussels (
Atomium) • Brussels (Rue de l'Étuve –
The Adventures of Tintin Mural) • Brussels →
Amsterdam, Netherlands • Amsterdam →
Panama City, Panama •
Chagres National Park (Puerto El Corotu & Parara Puru) • Panama City (
San Francisco – San Francisco Bay Towers) • Panama City (
Plaza de Francia –
Ferdinand de Lesseps Statue) • Panama City (El Mercado de Mariscos Salsipuedes Market) • Panama City (
Cathedral Square) • Panama City (
Panamá Viejo) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams had to dress up as the two
detectives from the Belgian
The Adventures of Tintin comic, and had to figure out one of the three names by which the characters are known in Belgium. Then, using a photo given to them with the clue, teams had to find a man dressed as
Tintin standing in front of a Tintin mural and tell him any variation of the characters' names in order to receive their next clue. Teams were instructed to travel by train to
Amsterdam, Netherlands, and then fly to
Panama City, Panama. Once there, teams had to travel by boat to Parara Puru and sign up for one of four times the next morning to receive a temporary
tattoo, which revealed their next location: the San Francisco Bay Towers in
San Francisco. • In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to cross a
tightrope between the 35-story towers, pick up their clue from the other tower, and then cross back to the first tower. • After the Roadblock, teams were given a riddle – ''"
Success in Suez led him to Panama. His failure inspired others to succeed. Find him beneath a rooster and you'll find your next clue."'' – directing them to the statue of
Ferdinand de Lesseps in the
Plaza de Francia. • This season's final Detour was a choice between Filet or Sole. In Filet, teams traveled to Panama's largest
fish market, where they had to deliver fish to different stalls throughout the market. Each stall only accepted a certain kind of fish up to a certain weight. Once they were done with their deliveries, they received their next clue. In Sole, teams traveled to the Salsipuedes Market, where they had to find a
sandal stall and use one piece of leather each to make the sole and strapping for a pair of sandals in order to receive their next clue. • After the Detour, teams had to travel to
Cathedral Square, where they had to search through a group of
tamborito dancers wearing
pollera dresses for the location of the Pit Stop –
Panamá Viejo – which was etched on the dancers' necklaces and written on one dancer's dress.
Leg 12 (Panama → United States) 's historic
Swan House was the finish line for the 19th season of
The Amazing Race. • Episode 12: "Go Out and Get It Done" (December 11, 2011) • Prize: US$1,000,000 • Winners: Ernie & Cindy • Runners-up: Jeremy & Sandy • Third place: Amani & Marcus ;Locations •
Panama City (
Panamá Viejo) • Panama City →
Atlanta, Georgia • Atlanta (
FlightSafety International) • Atlanta (
Margaret Mitchell House) • Atlanta (
Turner Field) • Atlanta (
Swan House) ;Episode summary • At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to
Atlanta, Georgia. Once there, teams had to travel to
FlightSafety International and find their next clue. There, teams had to select a
flight instructor, who taught them how to operate a
Learjet flight simulator, and then successfully complete a simulated landing at
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport from an altitude of in order to receive their next clue. Teams were then instructed to find their next clue at "the former residence known as The Dump", which they had to figure out was the
former home of
Margaret Mitchell, author of
Gone with the Wind. • In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to type out their next clue using a vintage
Remington 3 typewriter, duplicating an example message perfectly and with no mistakes. Additionally, as the typewriters did not have a key for the number
1, they had to figure out that they could use the lower-case letter
l as a substitute. • After the Roadblock, teams had to figure out that the three numbers on the clue were an homage to
Hank Aaron: 44 (his
uniform number), 715 (the number of home runs he hit to break the
Major League Baseball home run record) and 74 (the
year in which he broke the record). Teams had to figure out that they had to go to
Turner Field, where one team member had to loop a rope through a series of
carabiners, each representing a specific country on a large unlabeled vertical map, and map out the racecourse while their teammate gave help from the ground below. Once they had the correct course, teams received their final clue, which directed them to the finish line:
Swan House. ==Reception==