New Moto Travel Book Released: Moment Collectors ASIA

Renowned world traveler and author Sam Manicom is back with a new book sure to fuel your wanderlust. Titled “The Moment Collectors ASIA,” the inspirational read invites you to vicariously live some of the most powerful adventures experienced by overland riders traveling through the world’s largest continent.

In this book, 20 motorcycle travelers—ranging from seasoned adventurers to wide-eyed novices—recount those unforgettable moments that made them think, “This is exactly why I’m out here!”

With inspirational writing, the authors take readers through some of the most magnificent landscapes in the world. Connected by motorcycles and an insatiable curiosity, the stories shared have readers traveling from the heat of the central Asian steppes to the snow-topped mountains of Nepal, from backroads India, to riding and exploring the history of Korea, from the forests of Burma to the extremes of eastern Siberia, and much more. 

Readers experience stories from a wide range of cultures and are introduced to genuine kindness. They’ll ride asphalt, gravel, sand and mud with the authors in some of the most remote parts of the world, and to counter those big sky tales, they’ll be taken through the dense traffic of Asian cities. Within the stories shared, readers will be invited to a wedding in the ‘Stans,’ to drink vodka for breakfast, teach in the jungles of Cambodia and camp on the beach with ghosts. The authors eat foods that range from taste bud delights to gut wrenching experiences. 

A long motorcycle journey is inevitably a blend of both good and bad days, uncertainty, fear, tedium, delight, pain, surprises and laughter. Sometimes the unexpected encounters can be incredibly difficult to deal with. Mixed in with the laughter and the smiles, in several of these stories you’ll find examples of such demanding moments. 

Are these writers challenge addicts? No, but they have discovered a way to see the world that gifts them with days full of unique moments and delights, which more than counter the risks. 

Readers will have fun with the authors, but almost certainly cringe at some of the tales. They will experience the challenge of a motorcycle breakdown, terminally at the start of a journey, and find out what ‘Plan B’ had in store. They will experience tales of riding with no real plan, but a direction. Readers will also ride with authors on detailed journeys where forward-planning dreams are brought to life. 

With the wonderfully varied storytelling styles, the foreword by world rider Elspeth Beard, 20 photos, and 70 illustrations, The Moment Collectors ASIA is rounded off with pages of contacts and useful links. Moreover, keeping the original voice of the travelers was essential to the editor. “It’s important to us that this international book of travel, by authors from around the globe, retains the clear identity of each of them. With this in mind, the quirks of authors’ nationalities, their spelling, punctuation, and slang are alive within their chapters.” 

In keeping with the preceding travel book, The Moment Collectors – Twenty Travellers’ Tales from Around the World (2022), some of these stories are from the hugely experienced world riders, and some adventures are from those relatively new to wandering and exploring on two wheels. Some of the authors are well known, and others are individuals or couples that readers may be meeting for the first time. 

Within its pages, the new Moment Collectors includes published authors of books, magazine articles, blogs, and first-time writers. Several ride solo, some in pairs and a couple are two up. They are the mix of travelers whose paths can be crossed on the open road. Though motorcycle travelers, their stories will be of interest to any who sets off to explore the planet. 

The Moment Collectors ASIA will be released in late October 2024 in paperback and Kindle versions. For more information visit sam-manicom.com.

 Art: Simon Roberts