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About

Itchy Boots

My name is Noraly, but most people know me as 'Itchy Boots'.

Riding motorcycles and traveling the world are the two biggest passions in my life, and I love that I am able to share my motorcycle adventures with you as a full-time filmmaker!

Motorcycle adventures

In 2018, I quit my job as a geologist, sold my belongings, and left The Netherlands to live on the road permanently. 

Since then, I rode over 130.000 kilometers solo around the world, passing through 49 different countries on 5 different motorcycles.

How it all started

At age 23, I graduated with an MSc. degree in Geochemistry. After receiving my degree, I traveled to Australia to collect rock samples for my Ph.D. research which I was going to start as soon as I returned to The Netherlands. But, it all turned out quite differently. After collecting all the samples, I decided to travel a bit more. I explored Australia, went to New Zealand, and after that to India.

When I was in India, I realized that I didn’t want to pursue a career in science after all. What I wanted was to travel and explore. So, I canceled my Ph.D research and continued traveling. After only a couple of months, I found myself in Indonesia with only 100 euros left in my bank account. I then flew to Perth, Australia, to earn some money to fill up my bank account. There, I ended up working in the mining industry as an exploration geologist for six months. 

At work as a geologist in Australia At work as a geologist in Australia

After 6 months, I had saved up enough money and left Australia. I then backpacked solo through South East Asia, Central America, South America, and East Africa. Two years later, the money that I'd made in Australia was finished. Completely broke, jobless, and homeless, I returned to The Netherlands.

Luckily, I quickly found a job for an international dredging company, and for the following 5 years, I worked on many different dredging projects all over the world. I worked and lived in the Bahamas, Brazil, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Panama, and many other places in between. 

Working all over the world for a dredging company Working all over the world for a dredging company

Also in my spare time, I continued traveling. During those years, I went to Greenland, took the Trans-Siberia Express train through Russia and Mongolia, and visited lots of places within Europe.

Working in all these different countries and traveling in between was great, but it wasn't the same as being a full-time traveler. So in July 2018, I made the decision to become a full-time traveler again. I sold my house, left my job, and booked a one-way ticket to India.

From backpacker to motorcycle traveler

My plan was to become a travel blogger, write destination guides and give tips to other solo travelers. I started my blog and called it ‘Itchy Boots’. I wrote about India and Bangladesh while backpacking through these countries. When I was exploring the north of India, I stayed in a town called Manali. There I noticed how cheap it was to rent a motorcycle.

The idea of being able to travel on a motorcycle made my heart jump up and beat faster. I used to be an enthusiastic rider when I lived in The Netherlands. In 2015, I got my motorcycle license and bought a second-hand Ducati Monster 796. When I wasn’t working or traveling, I would be riding my Ducati for hours on end. Always alone and without a destination in mind. But, in 2018, when I sold my house and quit my job to go travel permanently, I had to sell my Ducati as well. With pain in my heart, I had to say goodbye to her.

My first motorbike, a Ducati Monster My first motorbike, a Ducati Monster

So, I rented a white Royal Enfield Himalayan BS3 in Manali and rode on my own 3.000 kilometers through the Himalayan mountains. This was the first time that I traveled weeks on end on a motorcycle and it was also the first time that I attempted off-road motorcycling.

Even though I struggled during that first trip, I knew that this was going to be my new mode of transport. No more backpacking and public transport, just me and a motorcycle from now on.

India to Europe on my own motorbike

After returning the rental bike, I bought a brand-new white Royal Enfield Himalayan in Delhi. I named her Basanti, after a known Bollywood character in the movie 'Sholay'. My idea was to ride from India to Malaysia, via Myanmar and Thailand. I also thought that it would be better to document this journey on video instead of just writing about it on my blog, so I bought a GoPro action camera and started my YouTube Channel Itchy Boots.

When I arrived in Malaysia, I didn’t want to stop and decided to ship Basanti to Oman. From there, I kept on riding and rode via Iran, Central Asia, and Turkey back to Europe. My 36.000 kilometer journey took eight months, and I passed through 25 countries.

Back in The Netherlands with Basanti Back in The Netherlands with Basanti

Patagonia to Alaska Adventure

After I returned, I quickly planned my next bike adventure. Traveling from Patagonia to Alaska was going to be my next ride. Unfortunately, my beloved Basanti could not join me on this adventure. Being a bike manufactured in India, she did not meet the European safety and technical requirements, and could therefore not be registered in The Netherlands. Luckily, I could make a deal with Royal Enfield’s distributor in The Netherlands. In exchange for Basanti, they would give me a new Himalayan with a Dutch license plate, which I named Dhanno.

I shipped Dhanno to Argentina where I started my new epic motorcycle journey. I traveled for 5 months through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. Then Covid-19 happened and the world stood still. In the end, I had no other choice but to leave Dhanno behind in Lima, and fly back to The Netherlands. It took 8 months before I finally managed to get Dhanno out of Peru and have her shipped back to The Netherlands. Just in time to escape confiscation by Peruvian customs!

Exploring the Andes in Peru before I had to return to The Netherlands Exploring the Andes in Peru before I had to return to The Netherlands

Europe and Africa 

When Europe opened up in the summer of 2020, I bought a secondhand Honda CB500X, and named the bike ‘Ronin’. With Ronin, I traveled through Northern Europe: Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. When I returned from this trip, European borders were closing again and after spending a long winter in The Netherlands, I decided I had to take more drastic measures and relocated to South Africa. 

In South Africa, I bought another secondhand Honda, a CRF250L this time, I named her Savannah. In the next 6 months, I explored South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe and even ended up participating in the Kalahari Rally! Due to ownership issues and the unfortunate breaking of my bike's subframe during the last stage of the rally, I handed over Savannah to the motorcycle museum in Knysna, South Africa, and headed back to The Netherlands. 

Back on the road to Alaska 

Exactly two years after starting my Patagonia to Alaska adventure, I restarted my journey in Ecuador. It took me almost another year to reach Alaska and finally take a dip into the Arctic Ocean. To be able to finish this journey was a huge milestone for me! 

After clocking a total of 43.000 kilometers on my Honda CRF300l Rally, I wasn't ready to call it quits on this motorcycle. I decided to give my bike a total make-over, and ship her to another continent for more adventures. Three months on a containership and a trip on a truck later, and I picked her up in Malaga, Spain. I am now riding my motorcycle down the West coast of Africa! 

If you want to know more about my motorcycles and the routes I have ridden with them, please visit my Route-page.

Season 7

Gear & Equipment

Find out out what I am taking with me to Africa

Read here