On a humble folding bicycle and with a weathered heart, 46-year-old Dr Raj Phanden pedals into his 128th country — Fiji — carrying nothing but a small bag, a will of steel, and a story that has touched people across continents.
Better known globally as Cycle Baba, Dr Phanden is not your average tourist.
He’s a qualified Ayurvedic doctor from the town of Bhuna in Haryana, India, and for the last several years, he has been cycling across the world to raise awareness about environmental protection, with a touch of ancient Indian medicine and a great deal of hope.
However, this remarkable journey was born, not out of adventure, but out of grief.
After losing his wife in a road accident and both parents in 2015, Dr Phanden found himself in deep despair.
“I was alone. I took some medicine and just slept all day,” he shared to The Fiji Times.
“But then I thought, this is not my life.
“So, I left everything and started this journey.”
He now calls the world his home. His only travel companions are his bicycle and his belief that kindness still exists in every corner of the globe.
“This world is so amazing. People are so nice. People are like a god for me.”
Fiji: The 128th Chapter
In Fiji for 15 days, Dr Phanden has pedaled from Nadi along the Queen’s Highway and is now planning his return via the King’s Highway, clocking close to 250 kilometers.
“The rain has been a challenge,” he laughed.
“But I can manage, I rest anywhere — sometimes under shelter, sometimes outdoors.”
“I can sleep anywhere, I’ve done this in Australia too where I cycled from Perth to Sydney, over 5,000 kilometres, staying in the wild most of the time.”
From Hospitals to Highways
Before his travels, Dr Phanden ran his own Ayurvedic hospital in India, where he practised for over a decade.
“I’m an MD in Ayurveda,” he explained, proudly.
“I worked as a doctor for 10 to 12 years before this.
“Ayurveda is a traditional Indian system of medicine that focuses on holistic healing and maintaining balance between the body, mind and spirit.
“It’s a comprehensive approach to health and wellness that emphasises natural remedies, lifestyle adjustments, and personalised care.”
He recalls growing up in a government residential school in India, Navodaya Vidyalaya, a place that shaped his independent spirit.
“My father was a farmer and a bank clerk,” he said.
“I studied in a free, fully residential school from sixth to twelfth standard. I was into sports and cultural activities — it was a nice childhood.”
During his trips around the world, Dr Phanden has seen the effects of drug use.
“Drug is only for mental status,” he said softly.
“If you believe in yourself, you can do anything. You can leave drugs too. You just need willpower.
“If you want to live, you can live.”
Speaking from personal experience, he said the biggest problems he has observed globally are not just drugs, but the environment and junk food.
“These are killing us. Slowly. And people don’t realise.”
No security, just faith.
Despite cycling through over 120 countries, Dr Phanden doesn’t carry any security gear.
“Some people try to snatch my phone or camera,” he said.
“But I’m ready to give it to them. The bicycle man is always poor.
“People are amazing. I trust them.”
His current bicycle, a compact folding one, is his third, designed specifically for island nations.
His main touring bike, which can carry over 50kgs of gear, including camping and cooking tools, waits for him in the Netherlands.
Dr Phanden’s ultimate goal? To travel from Argentina to Alaska without taking a single flight.
Flights, he said , are only for countries he can’t reach by land or sea, like those in the Pacific.
“Yes, it’s expensive,” he admitted, “but I’m doing it because I believe in something greater.”
After Fiji, he plans to travel to Kiribati and Samoa and eventually complete all 196 UN-recognised countries.
He doesn’t claim to be the only person on such a mission.
“Many people are trying this one,” he said. “I’m not searching for anything. I’m doing my job.
“If even one person reads my story and decides to change their life, to live better, to respect the earth, then this journey is worth it.”
