A Pakistani traveler and adventurer, Kamran Ali, entered the United Arab Emirates from Oman last week after exploring 45 countries across four continents on a bicycle in the last five years.
Ali, who was born in Layyah in the Punjab province, has driven over 50,000 kilometers on his dependable two-wheeler and is currently en route to South Africa. He claimed that it took 13 years for him to realize his ambition of living close to people, nature, and various cultures.
In 2002, Ali completed his postgraduate studies and then made the decision to pursue further education in Germany.
“I was on a plane from Islamabad to Frankfurt, and we must be flying over Eastern Turkiye when the beauty of the landscape struck,” he recalled. “That’s when I made a secret pledge to myself to see all such places in the world from close by.”
After receiving his degree, in 2011, he quit his work as a software developer in Germany and began an international cycling journey to Pakistan from Rostock. However, the tragic passing of his mother forced him to cancel the adventure journey within six months.
In March 2015, Ali resumed his tour from where he had left off in Sivas, Turkiye, and covered 10,000 kilometers to reach Layyah in August that year.
“I still wanted to go on,” he said. “So I planned the longest trip ever from the tip of South America to the North Pole.”
He continued by saying that he was the only Pakistani to have bicycled across the entire continent of America. Ali said that in 2016, he traveled 33,100 kilometers from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Alaska over the course of four years.
The Pakistani explorer began a new voyage a few weeks ago; this one would take him from the Middle East to South Africa. Beginning his journey in early January, he left Muscat, Oman, and arrived in Dubai two weeks later.
His current plan is for him to fly to Saudi Arabia, board a ferry to Sudan, and then set off on a journey through Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania to South Africa.
“Cycling for me is no longer a hobby or sport or even an adventure,” Ali said. “It’s a way of life. My bicycle travels have taught me that the world could be a better place if people knew about each other a little more. Realizing that we are one can help us become more compassionate.”
He initially started his overseas tours using his savings since he had the desire to see the entire planet. Since then, things have changed, and Ali now strives to obtain sponsorships by sharing tales from all over the world through vibrant photographs, films, and writings.
He was an enthusiastic photographer, and he also participated in some regional shows.
I’m traveling to pursue my desire for a greater sense of fulfillment through interacting with people and places, hearing their experiences, and picking up lessons from the people I meet,” he stated. “Until I am forced to stop, I have no intention of stopping.”
