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I crossed the China-Mongolia border at the town of Zamiin-Uud, from where I then took a night train across the Gobi Desert towards Ulaanbaatar, the capital. Having been here before, I quickly stocked up on supplies and left the city the following day. Ulaanbaatar can be quite chaotic, but just a few kilometres outside of the city it’s a totally different story, with the Mongolian steppe stretching as far as the eye can reach. On my previous bike tour in Mongolia I checked out

I left Shangri La behind and started my ride up to the Tibetan Plateau. As per usual, I scouted maps and satellite images for the least busy roads possible. I picked the S214 heading northeast, and it certainly was the right choice: There were stretches were I wouldn’t see a single car for hours, and only a handful of people per day who lived in small, quiet villages in the valleys. I enjoyed the solitude as I climbed up to 4000m for the first time on this trip, despite havin

After traveling with just a backpack for a few weeks, I felt like getting back on the bike to be able to cover larger distances, so I flew to Shanghai. Here I bought a locally manufactured steel bike from 2Wheels, picked up some bike bags from Rekki Works, and set off with a plan to cycle across Yunnan & Sichuan. I shipped my bike to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, with China Railway Express, and traveled there by rail. Leaving Kunming by bike was comfortable, like with all m

Despite being Africa’s biggest country and having countless of interesting places and sights, Algeria doesn’t see many foreign visitors. This is mainly due of the lack of tourist infrastructure and restrictions implemented by the government. Despite (or because of) this, I decided to spend a month here this past fall/winter. The Route I will be focussing on my route in the Sahara desert, in a region known as the ‘Grand Erg Occidental’ or ‘Great Western Erg’. If you want to cy

Despite being the smallest country in North Africa, Tunisia has lots to offer when it comes to historic & natural sights. Although it is rather touristy, it’s easy to get off the beaten path. Especially when traveling by bicycle. The Route I decided to explore the southern part of the country, at the northern edge of the Sahara desert. The conditions here during fall/winter are perfect for cycling, with average temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. The northern part

This summer I had the privilege of exploring Afghanistan on my bicycle, something which wouldn’t have been possible (or advisable) for the majority of the past 40 years when the country was plagued by wars. In this post I will share my experience, the route I took, and provide tips & information on the customs & logistics in Afghanistan. The Route I will be focussing on my crossing of the mountains, the Hindu Kush, in Central Afganistan, as I was likely the first person to cy

My initial plan was to spend quite some time in Northern Pakistan, but unfortunately just as I entered the country, the conflict with India started kicking off: In Gilgit, the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan, I had to decide whether I stick with my initial route which would take me to Skardu and close to the border areas with India & Kashmir, or if I head in the opposite direction towards the city of Chitral. Due to the uncertainty at the time I chose the latter, just to be safe.

My journey cycling the Karakoram Highway continues, but not in China: After crossing the world’s highest border, the 4700m high Khunjerab Pass by bus (one is not allowed to cross in independently), I reached the Pakistani border town of Sost in the Autonomous Region of Gilgit-Baltistan. Although it might not be as modern or well organised as China, one great feat was that I was able to communicate with locals again, as everyone here speaks English. And the scenery here was ev