Riaan Manser - Explorer and first man to circumnavigate Madagascar alone and unaided. (With a little bit of help from us!)

Riaan’s rise to prominence began with the unbelievable world-first circumnavigation of the African continent by bicycle. It took him exactly two years, two months & fifteen days, alone & unaided, he pedalled a staggering 34 500 kilometres (22 680 miles) through 34 different countries, some of them ranked as the most dangerous & most inhospitable places in our world today. Manser’s achievement earned him the title “Out There Adventurer of the Year 2006” & his first book, “Around Africa on my Bicycle”, became a bestseller & continues to enjoy huge success.

In July 2009, Riaan set another world first when he became the first person to circumnavigate Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, by kayak - also alone & unaided. This colossal journey, which saw him paddle 5 000 kilometres (3 107 miles) in eleven months, was, he said, considerably more demanding, both physically & mentally. Conquering extreme loneliness whilst enduring treacherous conditions such as, pounding seas, cyclones & an unrelenting sun which, combined with salt water, almost pickled him alive.

MadagasCaT hosted Riaan for a week on Yacht Gecko to give him a well deserved rest and time to de-salinate! In return he was kind enough to dedicate a chapter to us in his “Around Madagascar in my Kayak” book.

Riaan and MadagasCaT are in the process of planning a humanitarian operation for the people of Southern Madagascar who are in dire straits due to drought, famine and climate change. We hope to raise funds and contributions of essentials to send to the deep south. More about this project will feature on this website as the plan gains traction.