We have always wondered if we, as individuals, have the power to positively impact the current rhino crisis. Instead of just following the tragic headlines on the news, we have decided to take action! We, two sisters, will ride from Hong Kong to Singapore in a bid to raise awareness about rhino poaching in a cycling project titled “Buy No Rhino”.

On April 20th we will start our epic 6,000km journey which will take us through the length of South East Asia, from Hong Kong to China mainland, crossing into Vietnam, continuing through Laos, back to the coast line of Vietnam, then covering Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and finishing in Singapore.

Globetrotting, analytically wired Vicky (35) lives in a typical German town in beer-loving Bavaria, number crunching the whole day as a financial controller. Extrovert, energetic Ness (30) works in the fashion industry in the ever-stylish Cape Town.

The ever-increasing rhino poaching crisis in Southern Africa has left us feeling frustrated and powerless. The war against rhino poaching has to be won in Asia and not in Africa. We firmly believe this! Therefore we will target Vietnam, China and Thailand, the main consumer markets of rhino horn.

We are collaborating on an art project with Project Rhino KZN, partners of the Kingsley Holgate Foundation. Educating the youth is key to curbing the demand of rhino horn in Asian countries. We are planning to visit schools along our route and roll out the Rhino Art project. Furthermore we will be collecting signatures for the World Youth Wildlife Declaration, which will be presented to the CITES 2016 summit in Cape Town.

A part of our vision is to inspire people to realise that everyone can make a difference and that they have the power to change their surroundings.

httpv://youtu.be/UyBi7dZbbhI

Our Pyga mountain bikes will be loaded to the brim with front and back panniers, carrying all our essential survival equipment. As cosmopolitan urbanites we’ll have to drastically cut down our wardrobes. Merely three riding kits have space between our carefully selected, super lightweight camping gear. One thing is for sure, most of the space will be taken up by all our electronic goodies, which we cannot do without. Our panniers will be crammed with e-book readers, phones, laptops, a Garmin, a GoPro and cameras… never mind the tangled, chaotic heap of cables to charge all these devices.

Currently spending most of our working hours typing away on our laptops we are exhilarated about this change in our daily routine. Long hours in the saddle at Mother Nature’s mercy (from scorching heat to torrential downpours and the occasional mosquito onslaught) will certainly be rewarded with spectacular landscapes and ancient architectural gems.