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Every Day an Adventure #3
Distant Suns
Sam’s dynamic third book Distant Suns transports you to Southern Africa and South America in an action packed three year journey. You are led effortlessly through these very different worlds by his enthusiasm and his acute observations on everything from human behaviour to remote and stunning locations.
- GenresTravelMotorcycle
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2008
About the author
Sam Manicom
13 books30 followersSam Manicom, overlander, traveller and author of 4 motorcycle books, was born in the Congo in Central West Africa where his parents worked. His family returned to the UK when he was 10 and he has been travelling for much of his life.
His first solo trip was age 16 by bicycle into Europe. Many backpacking, hiking, cycling and hitch hiking journeys later, and back in the UK but wanting to do something completely different, Sam learned to ride a motorcycle. Within 3 months of starting to ride, he set off to travel the length of Africa. This 1-year trip turned into an 8-year, 200,000 mile, around the world motorcycle adventure across 55 countries.
Sam’s 4 'Every Day an Adventure' series books take the reader travelling through the different sections of the eight-year journey. Africa – ‘Into Africa’, Asia and the Middle East – ‘Under Asian Skies’, Southern Africa and South America – ‘Distant Suns’, and North America – ‘Tortillas to Totems’.
His 5th book, released in February 2022, is called ‘The Moment Collectors’. An anthology of 20 authors original work compiled and published with the subtitle ‘Twenty Travellers’ Tales from Around the World.’
Sam now works full time in the world of adventure travel. He’s a keen advocate of motorcycle travel in particular and when not writing his books, magazine articles and conducting multimedia travel presentations within Europe and the USA, he’s very much involved with travel related organisations. Sam is a co-host for Adventure Rider Radio RAW.
In 2017 he was awarded the Overland Magazine ‘Spirit of Adventure’ Award for his contribution to Overlanding.
When he isn’t writing or presenting, Sam and his partner Birgit are usually off riding somewhere.
Find out more about Sam and his travels via his website www.Sam-Manicom.com ‘Every Day an Adventure’
And the first Adventure Bike TV ‘Under the Visor’ interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bToV6...
Catch up with Sam on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
His first solo trip was age 16 by bicycle into Europe. Many backpacking, hiking, cycling and hitch hiking journeys later, and back in the UK but wanting to do something completely different, Sam learned to ride a motorcycle. Within 3 months of starting to ride, he set off to travel the length of Africa. This 1-year trip turned into an 8-year, 200,000 mile, around the world motorcycle adventure across 55 countries.
Sam’s 4 'Every Day an Adventure' series books take the reader travelling through the different sections of the eight-year journey. Africa – ‘Into Africa’, Asia and the Middle East – ‘Under Asian Skies’, Southern Africa and South America – ‘Distant Suns’, and North America – ‘Tortillas to Totems’.
His 5th book, released in February 2022, is called ‘The Moment Collectors’. An anthology of 20 authors original work compiled and published with the subtitle ‘Twenty Travellers’ Tales from Around the World.’
Sam now works full time in the world of adventure travel. He’s a keen advocate of motorcycle travel in particular and when not writing his books, magazine articles and conducting multimedia travel presentations within Europe and the USA, he’s very much involved with travel related organisations. Sam is a co-host for Adventure Rider Radio RAW.
In 2017 he was awarded the Overland Magazine ‘Spirit of Adventure’ Award for his contribution to Overlanding.
When he isn’t writing or presenting, Sam and his partner Birgit are usually off riding somewhere.
Find out more about Sam and his travels via his website www.Sam-Manicom.com ‘Every Day an Adventure’
And the first Adventure Bike TV ‘Under the Visor’ interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bToV6...
Catch up with Sam on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 14, 2026
Hello Friends,
There is a great book in the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library that I read but somehow never reviewed: Distant Suns by Sam Manicom.
Like all of Sam’s books, I read and loved this one before I started regularly reviewing motorcycle travel books. In fact, it was Sam’s writing that started my addiction to the genre and inspired me to begin reviewing adventure motorcycle books in the first place.
This book marks a departure from his first two, as Sam trades solo travel for travelling with a partner. In this case, Birgit is both his riding partner and his life partner.
Together, they travel on their own motorcycles from Germany to South Africa before sailing to Argentina, riding the length of South America, and crossing Central America.
This time, I listened to the story as an audiobook. As much as I’m old school and like having an actual paper copy in my hands, there is something special about hearing an audiobook narrated by its author. The excitement, the inflection, and even the disappointments feel authentic because they are. That adds a depth and nuance to the listening experience that is difficult to replicate.
It’s a great story, and here are the five things I loved most about this book.
1. The Author
As I’ve written before, if you don’t know Sam Manicom, you really need to.
Adventurer, author, podcaster, presenter, and adventure-motorcycling advocate, he is an icon in the motorcycle community. Most importantly, he is often described as the nicest guy in the room.
All of these qualities shine through in this book.
Without sounding too much like a fanboy, I’m convinced that by the time you finish reading it, you’ll be ready to join me in the Sam Manicom Fan Club.
Membership is easy. Just read his books.
2. The Couple
This book marks a significant change for Sam. For the first time, he is no longer travelling solo. Joining him on this adventure is Birgit, his riding and life partner.
Birgit rides her own motorcycle, which means the pair can carry more gear and supplies. Of course, two motorcycles also mean twice the maintenance and running costs. Adventure has a way of multiplying both the opportunities and the bills.
But the biggest adjustment is Sam trading some of his hard-won independence for companionship.
That might sound like a fairly routine life adjustment. However, on a multi-year motorcycle journey, the learning curve is compressed when you spend practically every waking hour together. There’s not much opportunity to nip out for a quiet coffee and let things settle.
Without spoiling the story, I’ll tell you that a serious medical issue arises that could have been extraordinarily difficult for a solo traveller to navigate. So sometimes two is better than one.
They make an impressive duo, and Sam’s reflections on the personal journey are something we can all learn from. Well, at least I did.
3. The People
Adventure travel is a bit about the motorcycle, a bit about the roads and topography, and a whole lot about the people you meet along the way.
On this journey, Sam and Birgit encounter people who are kind, helpful, and fun. They also meet some who are none of the above.
Even the occasional Nazi.
Sam does an excellent job of bringing these characters to life and describing how they navigate the good, the bad, and the Nazi.
It’s a reminder that travelling the world introduces you to the best of humanity, the worst of humanity, and occasionally someone who makes you wonder how humanity got here in the first place.
4. The Smells
Lots of authors can describe their experiences in an entertaining fashion. Fewer can capture the culture and atmosphere of a place so effectively that you feel as though you’re riding along with them.
But nobody describes the smells of a journey quite like Sam Manicom.
His powers of observation bring the experience to life in technicolour, with a full sensory soundtrack and its olfactory equivalent.
The aromas and perfumes of flowers and trees are expertly balanced by the acrid, malodorous reek of puke and excrement.
In book form, without the benefit of 1980s scratch-and-sniff technology, effectively conveying a smell is a tall order. Yet Sam manages it better than anyone else I’ve read.
You can almost smell the adventure.
And sometimes, you probably wish you couldn’t.
5. The Bikes
Sam continues to ride his trusty—well, most of the time—1991 BMW R80 GS, which he calls Libby, short for Liberty.
But in this book, we’re introduced to Birgit’s 1971 BMW R60/5, affectionately named Sir Henry the Hybrid.
Sir Henry earned the hybrid designation because he is a reclamation project assembled using parts from several different motorcycles and even cars. Necessity, it seems, is the mother of both invention and some rather creative parts sourcing.
Their motorcycles take an incredible beating throughout the journey. The inevitable breakdowns add some dramatic tension, but they also showcase Sam’s problem-solving skills and Birgit’s mechanical aptitude.
As someone who rides a lot but is a decidedly disinterested wrencher, I’m impressed by Sam and inspired by Birgit.
I admire people who can diagnose a mechanical problem, find a solution, and get back on the road. My own preferred mechanical strategy is to find someone who knows what they’re doing.
Preferably before anything expensive falls off.
In Summary
Like all of Sam’s books, Distant Suns stands entirely on its own. That said, I highly recommend reading it alongside the first two books in the series. The journey becomes even richer when you have the earlier adventures as context.
Actually, I’d go one step further: buy all four books and travel the world with Sam. Then buy a second set and give it to a friend.
They’ll love you for it.
And if they don’t, you may need to reconsider your choice of friends.
There is a great book in the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library that I read but somehow never reviewed: Distant Suns by Sam Manicom.
Like all of Sam’s books, I read and loved this one before I started regularly reviewing motorcycle travel books. In fact, it was Sam’s writing that started my addiction to the genre and inspired me to begin reviewing adventure motorcycle books in the first place.
This book marks a departure from his first two, as Sam trades solo travel for travelling with a partner. In this case, Birgit is both his riding partner and his life partner.
Together, they travel on their own motorcycles from Germany to South Africa before sailing to Argentina, riding the length of South America, and crossing Central America.
This time, I listened to the story as an audiobook. As much as I’m old school and like having an actual paper copy in my hands, there is something special about hearing an audiobook narrated by its author. The excitement, the inflection, and even the disappointments feel authentic because they are. That adds a depth and nuance to the listening experience that is difficult to replicate.
It’s a great story, and here are the five things I loved most about this book.
1. The Author
As I’ve written before, if you don’t know Sam Manicom, you really need to.
Adventurer, author, podcaster, presenter, and adventure-motorcycling advocate, he is an icon in the motorcycle community. Most importantly, he is often described as the nicest guy in the room.
All of these qualities shine through in this book.
Without sounding too much like a fanboy, I’m convinced that by the time you finish reading it, you’ll be ready to join me in the Sam Manicom Fan Club.
Membership is easy. Just read his books.
2. The Couple
This book marks a significant change for Sam. For the first time, he is no longer travelling solo. Joining him on this adventure is Birgit, his riding and life partner.
Birgit rides her own motorcycle, which means the pair can carry more gear and supplies. Of course, two motorcycles also mean twice the maintenance and running costs. Adventure has a way of multiplying both the opportunities and the bills.
But the biggest adjustment is Sam trading some of his hard-won independence for companionship.
That might sound like a fairly routine life adjustment. However, on a multi-year motorcycle journey, the learning curve is compressed when you spend practically every waking hour together. There’s not much opportunity to nip out for a quiet coffee and let things settle.
Without spoiling the story, I’ll tell you that a serious medical issue arises that could have been extraordinarily difficult for a solo traveller to navigate. So sometimes two is better than one.
They make an impressive duo, and Sam’s reflections on the personal journey are something we can all learn from. Well, at least I did.
3. The People
Adventure travel is a bit about the motorcycle, a bit about the roads and topography, and a whole lot about the people you meet along the way.
On this journey, Sam and Birgit encounter people who are kind, helpful, and fun. They also meet some who are none of the above.
Even the occasional Nazi.
Sam does an excellent job of bringing these characters to life and describing how they navigate the good, the bad, and the Nazi.
It’s a reminder that travelling the world introduces you to the best of humanity, the worst of humanity, and occasionally someone who makes you wonder how humanity got here in the first place.
4. The Smells
Lots of authors can describe their experiences in an entertaining fashion. Fewer can capture the culture and atmosphere of a place so effectively that you feel as though you’re riding along with them.
But nobody describes the smells of a journey quite like Sam Manicom.
His powers of observation bring the experience to life in technicolour, with a full sensory soundtrack and its olfactory equivalent.
The aromas and perfumes of flowers and trees are expertly balanced by the acrid, malodorous reek of puke and excrement.
In book form, without the benefit of 1980s scratch-and-sniff technology, effectively conveying a smell is a tall order. Yet Sam manages it better than anyone else I’ve read.
You can almost smell the adventure.
And sometimes, you probably wish you couldn’t.
5. The Bikes
Sam continues to ride his trusty—well, most of the time—1991 BMW R80 GS, which he calls Libby, short for Liberty.
But in this book, we’re introduced to Birgit’s 1971 BMW R60/5, affectionately named Sir Henry the Hybrid.
Sir Henry earned the hybrid designation because he is a reclamation project assembled using parts from several different motorcycles and even cars. Necessity, it seems, is the mother of both invention and some rather creative parts sourcing.
Their motorcycles take an incredible beating throughout the journey. The inevitable breakdowns add some dramatic tension, but they also showcase Sam’s problem-solving skills and Birgit’s mechanical aptitude.
As someone who rides a lot but is a decidedly disinterested wrencher, I’m impressed by Sam and inspired by Birgit.
I admire people who can diagnose a mechanical problem, find a solution, and get back on the road. My own preferred mechanical strategy is to find someone who knows what they’re doing.
Preferably before anything expensive falls off.
In Summary
Like all of Sam’s books, Distant Suns stands entirely on its own. That said, I highly recommend reading it alongside the first two books in the series. The journey becomes even richer when you have the earlier adventures as context.
Actually, I’d go one step further: buy all four books and travel the world with Sam. Then buy a second set and give it to a friend.
They’ll love you for it.
And if they don’t, you may need to reconsider your choice of friends.
September 2, 2020
Sam’s third book was a bit different from his first two EPIC adventures…
This time the story (3rd of 4 books spanning 200,000 miles over eight years of adventuring) picks up pretty much where the last one left off. Travelling now with Sam and his beloved Birgit on two bikes!
This third book takes you down through Africa again but at a very different pace. Sam, by now a seasoned traveller experiencing a very different Africa from his experiences of his first book. Then an amazing serendipity whisks them across the ocean and on to South and Central America!
If you’re already hungry for some more adventures of your own, this book will surely whet your appetite further still! If you’re more the type content to live such adventures through the tales of others’ this book is great for that too!
Sam is a natural story-teller, that much is apparent from having read his first two books, this one too is just as good! In fact truth be told, when my copy arrived I devoured the first 100+ pages in a single sitting the morning it had arrived!
Order your copy now, you’ll not be disappointed!
I just thought I’d write a quick testimonial before I start his fourth book (Tortilla to Totems) which just arrived in the post today...
www.sam-manicom.com
This time the story (3rd of 4 books spanning 200,000 miles over eight years of adventuring) picks up pretty much where the last one left off. Travelling now with Sam and his beloved Birgit on two bikes!
This third book takes you down through Africa again but at a very different pace. Sam, by now a seasoned traveller experiencing a very different Africa from his experiences of his first book. Then an amazing serendipity whisks them across the ocean and on to South and Central America!
If you’re already hungry for some more adventures of your own, this book will surely whet your appetite further still! If you’re more the type content to live such adventures through the tales of others’ this book is great for that too!
Sam is a natural story-teller, that much is apparent from having read his first two books, this one too is just as good! In fact truth be told, when my copy arrived I devoured the first 100+ pages in a single sitting the morning it had arrived!
Order your copy now, you’ll not be disappointed!
I just thought I’d write a quick testimonial before I start his fourth book (Tortilla to Totems) which just arrived in the post today...
www.sam-manicom.com
November 23, 2021
Sam´s and Birgit´s third book, Distant Suns takes us on his and Birgit's journey from Mombasa, Kenya to South Africa via Cruise Ship (!) To South America and further south to then head north towards Mexico.
I am very impressed with Birgit, who drives a very slightly modified BMW R60 / 5 from 1971!
She rides this old bike through Africa, South America, USA, on all kinds of surfaces, and this aging bike handles it very well.
This should generate shock waves for anyone who thinks you have to have Touratech - fully equipped BMW GS 1200, Honda Africas, Ducatis, KTM ;s worst, to go out on an RTW at all. (Round The World Trip)
And you understand that she is maybe inexperienced motorcyclist but not a inexperienced traveller She learns to drive (fast as luck would have it!)
They travel slowly and you learn a lot about the countries because the presence from the first books is still there.
A lot happens, but most importantly, the encounters with people, the descriptions of the surroundings are the best thing about the book.
Gunnar / Sweden
November 23, 2022
Great read, wonderful storytelling. In my opinion much better than Ted Simon, less tedious self introspection and more about the places and the things he sees.
February 3, 2023
Would have enjoyed more descriptions of the random people in the places he visited.
June 11, 2025
Read this while biking Africa. Made me want to do the Americas. Loved the little drawings and pictures in the middle.
July 4, 2016
Good to revisit the places I travelled through in South America in the eighties and see them again through someone else's eyes.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews