TransEuropa: One Wild Ride for Phuket

Most people cross Europe at 30,000 feet with a gin and tonic in hand. I, on the other hand, thought it'd be a great idea to do it on a bicycle.

- Todd Miller

Starting this week, I'll cycle from the breezy shores of the Baltic Sea all the way to the sun-baked rock of Gibraltar. That's 6,000 slow-motion kilometres to question my decision to cross Europe the hard way.

By the time I reach the finish line, my legs might unfriend me - but they'll be pedaling for a purpose: Phuket's own Sustainable Maikhao Foundation (SMF). I'm trading in my flip-flops for bike cleats to shine a spotlight on an environmental cause that hits close to home.

Do I still have it in me?

This isn't my first long-haul spin. In 2010, I cycled coast-to-coast across North America. A year later, I crossed Europe - from Lisbon to Istanbul - on a totally different route, direction, bike and mission.

Fourteen years have spun past since I last tackled something this physically intense. The big question now is: do I still have the gears and the grit - to pull this off again?

Why the Sustainable Maikhao Foundation?

Because they don't just preach green - they get their hands dirty protecting what makes Phuket extraordinary: its natural environment.