Two-wheeler wanderlust: Ten years and 120 countries later, Anita has finally accomplished her goal of travelling around the world on a motorcycle. — Photos from Anita Yusof’s Facebook page
KUALA LUMPUR: After 10 years of navigating countless challenges on the road, Malaysian solo traveller Anita Yusof has completed her dream of travelling around the world on a motorcycle.
She embarked on the first and second legs of what she calls her Global Dream Ride in 2015 and 2019, respectively. The 58-year-old former lecturer has since ridden across more than 120 countries spanning seven continents, her trusty companion being a Yamaha FZ150i motorbike.
Summing up her global adventure, the intrepid traveller from Ipoh, Perak, said the experience was immensely rewarding.
More than just a question of distance or destinations, the adventure became a true test of physical endurance, mental strength and self-belief.
The second part of Anita’s Global Dream Ride, which she completed last month, cost her nearly RM400,000, with her journey taking her to 81 countries, including South Africa, Ethiopia and Mexico, as well as destinations like Alaska and Antarctica.
Not all moments were pleasant.
Anita admitted that one of the most difficult episodes occurred when she was stranded in Ethiopia for nearly three weeks due to documentation issues.
“Getting the motorcycle out of Ethiopia was extremely difficult because it had ‘overstayed’ due to the pandemic and the authorities wanted to confiscate it.
“It was like a nightmare, but I managed to convince the officers to allow me to take it,” she told Bernama, adding that her journey then continued to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
True to the saying that a rainbow appears after the rain, Anita later had the opportunity to perform the umrah, despite her initial apprehension over Saudi Arabia’s strict regulations, including restrictions on women riding motorcycles.
Fortune smiled upon her as she managed to pass through all checkpoints without incident.
Reflecting on how her global journey began, Anita said initially, the idea of travelling around the world on a motorcycle had never crossed her mind as she neither possessed a motorcycle licence nor knew how to ride one.
A personal life crisis in 2012 changed everything, prompting her to do something she described as “crazy”.
“During that difficult period, I came across a blog written by cyclist Zahariz Khuzaimah about his travels in Kyrgyzstan. His striking images and stories ignited a strong desire to find out how to get there,” she said.
“I got in touch with him and he told me those places were remote and difficult to reach.”
Anita said hiring a car or driver would have been too costly for a solo traveller.
“Zahariz initially suggested cycling, but I felt it was unsuitable. He then proposed travelling by motorcycle,” she said.
She found this idea intriguing, even though she was already 44 years old.
She learned to ride in 2012, and started riding within Malaysia before gradually venturing to neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
Just after one year of riding experience, she made her way to Kyrgyzstan, followed by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
“That was the beginning of my transformation from a backpacker into an adventure rider.
“In 2015, I went on my first world tour, taking a year of unpaid leave to travel across four continents and 40 countries such as North America, South America, Europe and Asia,” she said, adding that the total distance covered exceeded 65,000km.
When she returned home, she was craving for more. Anita, then a lecturer at the Ipoh campus of Institut Pendidikan Guru, opted for early retirement, and embarked on the second leg of the Global Dream Ride in 2019.
While abroad, she did not always rely on hotels, she also stayed in budget lodgings, campsites or with acquaintances she met along the way.
To ensure her safety while crossing remote regions, she equipped herself with essential gear, including extra fuel.
