Under Asian Skies

Novice biker Sam Manicom left his job and sold his house to ride a motorbike the length of Africa. But once the travel bug bit, he couldn’t stop.
‘Under Asian Skies’ is the sequel to his first book ‘Into Africa’, and just like that one this is packed with adventure. Sam narrowly escapes a serious wipe-out in the vast Australian Outback, falls critically ill in Thailand and is rescued by a prostitute, gets arrested in Madras, dodges the manic traffic of India’s Grand Trunk Road and rides sheet ice on the road home through Turkey.
To make ends meet, he works as a fruit picker in Australia. He meets hippies, aborigines and escapees from the law, gets involved with smugglers and falls in love. Woven into the story are the tales of people met and time shared, and of the landscapes and cultures. He says that this is the most culturally diverse region of the world he’s been lucky enough to travel. ’Every time you reach a border, life changes dramatically.’ That can be down to language changes but also the sounds, scents, foods, the road conditions, the clothes and even how quickly a smile is shared. He adds in graphic descriptions of how the landscapes change; from the wilderness challenges of Australia, to the white sand crystal clear waters of SE Asia, to the Himalayas and the deserts of Baluchistan and Iran.
Sam Manicom’s descriptions have been described as having the reader travelling there alongside of him, though at the more dire times, the reader might wish to be sitting at home in their armchair!
What shines through is his sheer joy of being on the road, and the pure adrenaline buzz that each day can bring. Every day holds an adventure and once again, those adventures demand that Sam’s Guardian Angel is on hand to work overtime. Just one man, a motorcycle and a dream being lived – every day.
He's been described as 'One of the foremost and most readable adventure motorcyclists writing about their adventures on two wheels.’ In 2018 Sam was presented with the 'Spirit of Adventure' Award by Overland Magazine in recognition of his contribution to overlanding and long distance motorcycle travel.

Ted Simon ‘A unique and wonderful adventure’
Horizons Unlimited ‘Sam has the skills of the story teller and this book easily transports you into three years of journey across Asia. He manages to bring the sounds, scents and heat of Asia to life without wordy overkill and he has obviously researched his historical facts carefully’
Motorcycle Monthly ‘Highly recommended’
Adventure Rider Radio ‘Escape into the world through Manicom’s words’
Motorcycle News ‘Why buy it? Inspiration!’
Australian Road Rider Magazine ‘Out of the usual mould and fun’
RiDE Magazine ‘He had plenty of mishaps, but has a wonderful way of making it sound like every experience, good or bad, is adding to life’s rich tapestry.’
Adventure Travel Magazine ‘Accessible and well written, this will prod anyone with a bike license to take off’
Motorcycle Explorer Magazine ‘A truly entertaining account’
Trail Bike Magazine ‘A great read’
Overland Magazine ‘A story that is full of honesty, humour and descriptive detail where the little events, thoughts and conversations are just as compelling as the pivotal points in the story’
Overland Live ‘Entertaining and informative‘