12,000 km from Sweden to Kenya by motorbike
Trip
12,000 km from Sweden to Kenya by motorbike
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Ali Said rode a motorcycle from Sweden to Kenya. He traveled over 12,000 kilometers, a trip that was once on his bucket list.
He flew to Sweden in August, bought the bike and started cycling back to Kenya. He arrived in the country last week, on October 5.
The 37-year-old talks to Business daily lifestyle about his love of adventure and motorcycles.
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How many bikes have you owned?
11 bikes. My starter bike was a BMW 1150GS. It cost Sh1.3 million.
Which bike is your favorite?
My current bike, which is a KTM 1290 Super Adventure R. I used it on the Sweden to Kenya trip. I rode it on the trip that had been on my bucket list for years. It took me three months to reach Kenya. My main goal was to complete the trip in one month. But it didn’t happen due to logistical issues.
Why take such a long journey?
Besides being on my bucket list, I wanted to educate everyone I interacted with about Kenya and its magical adventures. I passed 16 countries including Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
Most memorable of these?
Egypt because of good food, fuel is cheap, the cities are beautiful, for example Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel, [which has massive rock-cut temples].
The other is Ethiopia. It is extremely beautiful with lots of mountains, valleys and rivers, but very scary considering the safety issues. Kenya also has amazing things to offer; sea, mountains, forests, waterfalls, wildlife, nature…
How painful was the journey?
I had to sacrifice sleep some nights. Some nights I slept in hostels and cheap guest rooms. Other times I was forced to spend the night outdoors under the stars. Some small towns had bad rooms full of bugs and crawling insects. Other days were good.
Traveling by road and crossing the borders of different countries also has its challenges. In Greece I was refused entry but my visa had not expired. Also, my passport pages got full and I was denied a visa to Sudan, I had to travel over 950 kilometers to reach Aswan in Egypt to get my visa approved.
What is your indulgence?
I collect helmets. I have 12 now. Cycling is a super expensive hobby. It is also a form of therapy. When you’re in a bad mood and riding, it feels therapeutic.
What do you like about the bike you have right now?
It handles easily on-road and off-road.
In your backpack you always find?
Two liters of water and snacks.
Long-distance cycling is not for the faint of heart. How do you increase stamina?
I keep fit, eat well and I walk a lot.
What have you recently discovered about travel?
Everything is possible, don’t give up easily.
Two countries you would visit every year if you could?
Three actually; South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda.
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