A British cyclist survived crocodile-infested waters in Guinea, robbers in Tunisia, cerebral malaria in Gabon and life in the “Axis of Evil” to complete an extraordinary 24,000-mile bike trip from South Korea to South Africa. And he doesn’t even like bicycles.

Saddle-sore and now minus his beard, Dan Martin, 27, from Peterborough, is relaxing in tourist-friendly Cape Town with his parents George and Sue before flying back to Britain on Tuesday. “It was an incredible journey and I’m beginning to miss it despite the dangers and hard living,” he said of his 426-day odyssey across Asia and Africa, which took in Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

Along the way he helped to clear mines in Guinea-Bissau, cycled along roads in war-torn Afghanistan, had a gun held to his head in Egypt and became a guest on an oil platform off Nigeria. He cycled to an altitude of 5,000 metres in Tibet and Nepal, causing blurred vision and bleeding from his nose and ears, was robbed in Tunisia and ate python and monkey in various African countries.

Mr Martin, who attended Stamford School in Lincolnshire and the University of Leeds, where he studied geography, left South Korea in September last year after teaching for a year. A promising rugby player, he represented junior teams in Northampton and then in Leeds, France and New Zealand before injuries ended his career.

In 2004-05 he cycled 12,000 miles (19,000 kilometres) from London to Cape Town along the east coast of Africa, which gave him the impetus for his latest venture. “It may sound strange but I hate bikes – they hurt your knees and backside and are tiring. They’re perfect for what I did but I wouldn’t choose them as transport.”

His highlights included a five-day trip to North Korea and cycling across Afghanistan and Kurdistan. “I couldn’t get across from South Korea to North Korea so I had to go on an organised trip from China. I lived in South Korea and you are told so much about the North which I didn’t find was true. In the demilitarised zone in the south you are not allowed to wave, make gestures or smile. In the north it was more relaxed and you could laugh and use binoculars.

“I was nervous about going into Afghanistan and didn’t tell my parents. I kept saying I was waiting for my visa when I was actually there – which I also did when I was in Iraq.”

After crossing the border in Pakistan, he cycled to the capital Kabul before crossing into Uzbekistan. “I cycled along main roads and it was scary but I never felt threatened. I must have looked strange but the Afghans were really pleasant. When I was in Kabul I had a Burns Night with two reporters, which was great.”

When in Egypt he was threatened by a teenage policeman who put an AK-47 to his head. “I think I was too near the Israeli border but I knew he wouldn’t shoot and just carried on.”

He did not take a mobile phone but kept in touch with friends and family via Facebook and his website, where he kept an online diary.

He suffered 22 punctures, 14 bouts of “tummy trouble”, got through two passports and used four litres of factor 50 sun cream. Mr Martin, who is 6ft 5in, also lost six stone during the trip and now weighs 15 stone. On average he cycled 100 miles a day.

He says that he did not give one bribe. “I read advice by people who have travelled Africa and they say, ‘smile, be nice and give money’. No way – I get really bloody-minded about that and refused. It was awkward sometimes but most police see a white man and think ‘cash machine’.”

So far he has raised £8,000 for the charity WildHearts, which encourages children in Britain to adopt healthier lifestyles and provides funding for small-scale businesses, mostly in West Africa. Once the pledges are paid, he hopes the figure will rise to £20,000.

The hardest part was the loneliness. “I cycled past three billion people but I was always alone. That’s what makes it challenging,” he said.

Nigeria was the most violent country, but he was also critical of British diplomacy. “They must get the most unhelpful people and give them jobs in British embassies.” The most frightening experience was contracting malaria in Gabon. “I felt really ill so I went to a local hospital and was there for five days. I thought I could take pills and carry on but I ended up on a drip and it was touch and go.”

He has to pay off the £2,000 cost of the trip and is planning his next venture but may meet resistance from his parents. “They’d like me to give this kind of thing up but I enjoy it too much,” he said.

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