About | The Traveling Tortoises

Werner The Traveling Tortoises riding KTM 890 Adventure R motorcycle Enduristan luggage nomadic traveler expedition

So who are The Traveling Tortoises???

Well we are your average Joe and Jane that decided to put it all on the line. We aren't very good riders, actually we are both novice riders learning every day. In September 2022 we sold it all, YES EVERYTHING we own! We packed our bikes and hit the road. There is no "plan" no "destination", this is not a "trip" this is a LIFESTYLE. We ride when we want, where we want and take every day as it comes. We travel slow, to take in where we are, to see more, to smell more and experience more. And we are super excited to share this crazy idea with you all!! So WELCOME TO OUR WORLD!! Now LET'S GOOOO!!!

The Tortoises

So here we are, a husband and wife. Two crazy people putting it all on a dream to travel the world on two wheels! But its better to hear our story from each one of us. So have a look down below and enjoy our craziness with us!

Werner The Traveling Tortoises Enduristan KTM 890 Adventure R motorcycle adventures explorer traveller expedition nomadic

KTM 890 Adventure R "Buddy"

Werner Maritz

Hi, so yeah I am Werner Maritz. Born in South Africa and raised all over the place. From a very young age I have been traveling. Brought up in a military household we where constantly moving around, other than seeing many places and cultures, this also bred a love for traveling in me. I get bored extremely fast when I am in the same place for a very long time. Yes my very long time is much shorter than other people, this is also why I have always searched out jobs that forced me to travel. I have had many lives before this one and lived in many countries. But my travels has always been with work, this time it is different. This time together with Cissy we can decide where we go and how we get there. When we leave and when we stay. Exploring new places has never been this fun and the freedom of the open road has become an addiction. The urge to keep on moving and exploring has just become bigger and bigger. Now why motorbikes? Well I had a Kawasaki 175 KDX when I was a teenager, I had so much fun on that little bike but never traveled with it. But fond memories of feeling free while riding it will never leave me. Later I had a Yamaha R6, yes a little crock rocket that I truly loved. I first got this bike to commute to work and back, but then I did a couple of road trips on it. Not the rite bike for long stretches , there is a reason why its fast! And why its called a crotch rocket! But as much as I loved this little blue bullet it limited me to where I can go. Many years past and I eventually got hold of a KTM 640 Adventure, my all time favourite bike. Growing up watching this bike fly over any terrain in the Dakar just had me hooked! But this bike called "Big O" also opened so many places to me and adventures with friends. The only reason I am not on her now is for the fact that parts for this bike is very hard to come by, but don't worry she is not gone. She has moved to the farm with my dad and she will never leave the family. She still goes on adventures and gets taken care of. But as you all know I ride a KTM 890 Adventure R called "Buddy" and I have zero complaints! For what we doing now it truly is the perfect bike for me. So yeah a dream that started as a teenager to travel on two wheels has now finally come to life and I could not enjoy it more. But the adventure and journey has only started and who knows where the roads will lead us! We have one shot at this life and we need to live it the best we can, we write our own stories... So what els to say than.... Lets Goooooo!!!!

Cissy The Traveling Tortoises KTM 390 Adventure Enduristan Arai Helmet Traveller Nomadic adventurer explorer girl next to bike

KTM 390 Adventure "Mouse"

Cissy Maritz

Hi everyone! So an "about" about myself.. I will try my best. As you can hear in the Youtube Channel, I am definitely not South African! My birth country is actually the Netherlands and in contrast to Werner I am not a naturally born traveler. I grew up in one place, a really small village in the eastern part of the Netherlands, close to the German border. My childhood mainly revolved around horses (and other animals). If anyone ever told me I was going to go travel permanently on a motorbike I would probably have sent them to a mental institute, motorbikes was never an interest of mine. But here we are, nevertheless! So, how did I get here you might wonder. Well, after we got married we started moving a lot, and I mean A LOT. Even across borders. So eventually I got used to not being in one place for more than a year. Once we started talking about traveling permanently it wasn't so much of a big deal anymore. Initially we talked about traveling with a car, we had one set up already. But I wasn't about to be a 'passenger princess', and as a real South African, Werner wasn't going to be a passenger. So he saw the opportunity and suggested I jump on a motorbike. To me the motorbike meant freedom. Since I got to South Africa, I felt a bit restricted in what I could do by myself. The motorbike gave me back that feeling of freedom and control, but it also gave opportunities to see the world in a whole new perspective. I can smell and feel the environment, we stop more and do more when we are traveling this way. I am still not a motorbike fanatic, I never will be. To me the motorbike is a tool to have experiences and a new way to live my life as an adventure.

And I hope, through our social media, you can experience this with me.