Legendary British adventurer Nick Sanders says the greatest discoveries are not the places you visit, but the people you meet
Most people dream of travelling around the world once in their lifetime.
Nick Sanders has done it eleven times by bicycle and motorcycle. Today, he is on his twelfth global circumnavigation, proving that after more than four decades of adventure, the road still has new stories to tell.
The legendary British explorer, who will be among the headline personalities at the Asia Offroad Expo & Convention (AOX) 2026 to be held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur from October 23 to 25, has spent 44 years pushing the boundaries of endurance. https://www.carsifu.my/news/inaugural-asia-offroad-expo-convention-aox-2026-takes-off
His achievements have earned him an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to endurance riding, but for Sanders, the greatest reward has never been breaking records. https://www.nicksanders.com/
It has always been about discovering humanity.
Driven by Something That Never Switches Off
At an age when many people begin slowing down, Sanders admits he is trying to do just that. Yet the urge to explore refuses to disappear.
"I think drive is something you are born with, so it doesn't really go away," he says.
"That is both good and difficult. Good because without it nothing would be achieved, but when it never switches off, it's almost a curse. I'm not able not to do another journey."
That relentless curiosity has carried him across continents, deserts, mountain ranges and some of the world's most remote landscapes, making him one of the most accomplished long-distance adventurers of modern times.
Why Slower Journeys Reveal a Bigger World
Few explorers have mastered both the motorcycle and the bicycle as Sanders has.
He has ridden powerful motorcycles around the globe in record-breaking time, yet he believes travelling slowly offers a far richer understanding of the world.
Motorcycles allow riders to cover enormous distances quickly, but they also depend on fuel, mechanical reliability and logistics. Bicycles demand patience, careful planning and physical endurance, yet they offer something machines cannot.
"Slow down, see more," he says.
On a bicycle, every climb is earned, every conversation is unhurried and every encounter becomes more personal. Cyclists cannot simply accelerate away from challenges. They become part of the landscape rather than spectators passing through it.
"You are in the road movie," Sanders says, "not just watching it."
Kindness and hospitality greet him everywhere
Despite travelling through regions that many people consider dangerous, Sanders believes fear is often exaggerated.
In more than four decades of adventure, he says he has never personally experienced hostility from strangers.
"I have never witnessed or been the recipient of a hostile act in 44 years of adventuring."
Instead, what he remembers most are acts of extraordinary generosity.
During his early journeys around the world, complete strangers regularly invited him into their homes to eat, rest and recover before continuing his journey.
Even on recent travels through Saudi Arabia, Sanders found that people frequently insisted on paying for his groceries before he could reach the cashier.
For him, these everyday moments reveal a truth often overshadowed by headlines.
"Most people are kind and want to help you."
True Adventure Is About Testing Yourself
Sanders believes the greatest challenge is not crossing deserts or mountain ranges but discovering what lies within ourselves.
He argues that most people never come close to reaching their true potential because they rarely place themselves in situations that demand resilience.
"Adventure is a shortcut to understanding yourself," he explains.
The lessons are rarely easy. Every difficult climb, every unexpected setback and every obstacle become an opportunity to learn more about one's own limits—and occasionally to discover those limits were never as fixed as they seemed.
"The more you ride your bicycle, the further you can ride. The more you think, the more you understand."
When Experience Means Knowing When Not to Go
Although Sanders believes the world is overwhelmingly welcoming, he also knows experience means recognising genuine danger.
One of the most serious incidents during his career occurred while leading a motorcycle expedition from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska, when his support vehicle driver was kidnapped by an armed drug cartel. Sanders successfully navigated the crisis and ensured the man's safe return.
His experiences in Mali also reinforced the importance of judgement over bravado.
Having successfully led three expeditions to Timbuktu, Sanders decided against organising another after security conditions deteriorated. Tragically, two French motorcyclists travelling independently were later murdered there.
For Sanders, adventure is never about taking reckless risks.
It is about making informed decisions and knowing when the journey should wait.
Technology Makes Travel Easier—But Not Necessarily Better
When Sanders completed his first round-the-world cycling expedition in 1981, travellers relied on paper maps, instinct and conversations with local people.
There was no internet, GPS, smartphones, online bookings or instant translation.
"If you had a problem, you had to deal with it yourself," he recalls.
Today, technology has made travel safer and more accessible for millions of people, something Sanders wholeheartedly welcomes.
Yet he believes something valuable has also changed.
"The person-to-person interface is what makes the magic possible."
Modern travellers can navigate almost anywhere with a phone in their pocket, but Sanders believes the most memorable journeys still begin with curiosity, conversation and human connection.
The Final Motorcycle Adventure
Even after eleven completed circumnavigations, Sanders is not finished.
He is currently riding a Royal Enfield Bear 650 around the world—his twelfth global journey—which he describes as his final major motorcycle expedition.
The future, he says, belongs to a quieter form of exploration.
Having become the first person to ride an electric bicycle around the world in 2024, he intends to continue travelling on two wheels, only at a gentler pace.
For Sanders, adventure has never been measured by speed.
It has always been measured by experience.
A Message for the Next Generation
As Sanders prepares to inspire visitors at AOX 2026, his advice to aspiring overlanders is refreshingly simple. So, plan a date with him in KL.
"Don't overcomplicate your journey. Carry less. Manage your needs."
He encourages young adventurers to trust their ideas rather than be discouraged by those who say something cannot be done.
"If someone tells you something cannot be done, it's usually because they themselves cannot do it."
After forty-four years on the road, Nick Sanders believes the greatest achievement is not the miles travelled, the records broken or the countries visited.
It is becoming a better ambassador for humanity.
"Read, learn, experience different cultures and enjoy your modesty," he says.
"You may not be saving lives, but by being a great human ambassador, your enrichment may one day help save the world."
It is a philosophy forged over hundreds of thousands of kilometres, countless border crossings and millions of turns of the wheels.
And perhaps, after twelve journeys around the world, that is the greatest adventure of all.
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