My First Wild Island Adventure - Riaan Manser

In July 2009, world-famous Explorer Riaan Manser set another world first when he became the first person to circumnavigate the world's fourth largest island, Madagascar, by kayak!  Alone and unaided!

The colossal journey, which saw him paddle 5 000 km in eleven months, was, he said, extremely demanding, both physically and mentally.  Conquering extreme loneliness whilst enduring treacherous conditions like pounding seas, cyclones and an unrelenting sun which, combined with salt water, almost pickled him alive.

During his circumnavigation he had many memorable close encounters with Madagascar's marine life - humpback whales breaching metres away from his kayak, glant leatherback turtles gliding alongside him and even having his boat rammed by a shark.

"Riaan's achievement ranks against some of the greatest feats of endurance.  It will even challenge the iconic first scaling of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and should go down in the annals of adventure as one of the greatest of all time" - Johan Loots, kayakbuilder and innovator extraordinaire.

In April 2010, Riaan's efforts were rewarded with his second accolade, "Adventurer of the Year 2009".