In December 2016, I set out to explore South East Asia. I had no real plan other than to explore some tourist attractions there. After two weeks of backpacking around a few locations, I arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As I wandered around the city, I chanced upon a motorcycle rental shop. It was here that the idea of touring Cambodia on a motorcycle was born. I was really excited to do it after my riding experience in India, Bhutan and Nepal.

I really enjoyed the trip around the wild, raw countryside of Cambodia visiting some amazing temples and monasteries, including Angkor Wat. In the middle of that journey I made up my mind to explore each country on a motorcycle, and that decision led me to think about my next destination, Vietnam. While traveling in an overnight bus to Vietnam, one thing that kept coming to my mind during the  journey from Phnom Penh to Saigon, was that the motorcycle trip is really fast, and I wanted to take it “easy and slow”. The idea was to explore more without much planning. That’s when I hit upon an idea that changed my life. 

It was to get a bicycle from Saigon and ride all the way to Hanoi. It’s a common and popular thing for tourists to travel this route on a motorcycle, but I wanted to try the same on a bicycle. There was one concern though that kept on bothering me, as to ‘how could I make such a big trip on a bicycle without any experience and being overweight.’ I did a lot of thinking about the trip, and I bought a basic bicycle with some accessories to start my journey. I thought, if I ever felt like I could not do it, I would sell the bicycle and get back to my backpack journey. After a lot of questions and confusion in my head, I finally started my first cycling trip from Saigon towards Hanoi. 

The first week was a lot of hard work, but slowly I grew in strength and found comfort. Somehow, despite the very hot weather and rain, I began to enjoy the journey as I reached Hanoi. In the middle of the journey, I decided to extend my journey beyond Hanoi and all the way to Laos. Hence, when I got to Hanoi, my physical and mental condition were far better. I felt quite excited to explore Laos with its big mountains and wild landscapes.

Although my first bicycle trip to Vietnam and Laos was very difficult, it was also at the same time a great learning experience. After all the punctures, torrential rain, falling off and struggling up the cornish hills and highland mountains; it is yet one of the best things I have ever done. ‘What an amazing adventure!’ I thought. There was something pure, simple and liberating about cycling. It kind of enables you to live your day to day life with fulfillment. All along my tour so far, I learnt a few things about bikes and accessories. It made me pause and think…. Why stop here? I went on to think of possible routes and countries I could cycle and document with the help of my camera. Having researched, and from experience, I decided to get a better bike and accessories, and continue with more journeys. The next year I came back to Vietnam again and cycled the Ho Chi Minh trail from Saigon to Hanoi. 

After my S.E.Asian tour, I set off on a challenging journey to cycle around New Zealand & Australia, through some of the harshest weathers and remote regions that the tropics have to offer. This is a fascinating part of the world and I have wanted to explore and experience first hand, how people have adapted to living in their environments, how landscapes, lifestyles and cultures change between the tropics. When I started cycling, I always wanted to cross the Nullarbor plain. This trip will push me mentally and physically, testing me at every turn, as I head out on the open road with nothing but my bicycle, belongings and a whole lot of determination.