Itchy Boots: Travel YouTuber, Motorcycle Adventures, Videos and Solo Style

Quick facts

Who is Itchy Boots?

Itchy Boots is Noraly Schoenmaker, a Dutch solo motorcycle traveler and full-time filmmaker from Rotterdam, the biggest motorcycle travel vlogger on YouTube with three million subscribers and over half a billion views.

In 2018 she stood at a life crossroads — broken relationship, forced house sale, quitting her geologist job. The turning point: ride into adventure and film it. She sold her belongings, said goodbye with pain to her Ducati Monster 796, and left the Netherlands to live on the road permanently.

The plan was travel blogging with destination guides for solo travelers — Itchy Boots began as a written blog from backpacking India and Bangladesh. In Manali, northern India, she noticed how cheap motorcycle rental was. A 3,000 km solo Himalayan rental ride — her first weeks-long bike trip and first off-road — beat faster. She bought a GoPro, and video replaced writing.

Her riding journey

Season arcs from her official about page:

1. Himalayas to Malaysia (2018–2019). Rental Himalayan through the mountains, then brand-new white Royal Enfield Himalayan bought in Delhi — Basanti, after the Sholay character — ridden India via Myanmar and Thailand toward Malaysia. YouTube channel launched for the journey; 50K subs in five months, 300K within a year.

2. Patagonia to Alaska (2019–2022). Basanti couldn’t register in the Netherlands (Indian-manufacture safety rules), so a dealer swap brought Dhanno, a Dutch-plate Himalayan. From October 1, 2019 to August 11, 2022: 65,000 km through 18 countries to the Arctic Ocean at Deadhorse, Alaska — nearly three years, ~150 episodes in the final season alone, three episodes per week, working until 10:30 nightly. THE MOVIE finale (8M views, 87 minutes) closes the era.

3. Europe, Africa, second bikes (2020–2023). Ronin (secondhand Honda CB500X) through Iceland and Scandinavia; Savannah (Honda CRF250L) through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe plus the Kalahari Rally — subframe break handed the bike to Knysna’s motorcycle museum. Then Alaska the Honda CRF300L Rally (43,000 km) restarted from Ecuador to the Arctic dip.

4. Africa west coast and beyond (2023–2026). Alaska shipped by container to Malaga, trucked over, ferried to Morocco (Tangier Med), down the west coast and through East Africa — until the Tanzania crash and broken collarbone ended the run; bike shipped home. Seasons continue with academy teaching (drone-while-riding techniques) and books.

Language is English. No dubbed channels officially listed.

What kind of travel content does she make?

Based on actually published videos:

• Season riding arcs. Three episodes per week during riding seasons; Patagonia–Alaska (~150 episodes), Africa west coast, Himalayan origins.
• Drone-while-riding cinematography. Signature aerials plus 360 cameras; academy teaches the techniques.
• Breakdown honesty. Subframe breaks, crashes, weather chases, white-van followers, bad-weather slogs in China.
• Bike characters. Basanti, Dhanno, Ronin, Savannah, Alaska — named machines with arcs and fates.
• Milestone films. THE MOVIE (8M), season openers (2M), Arctic Ocean dips.
• Books and teaching. Free Ride, Beyond Fear, filming academy.

What she does not do: silent walks, luxury content, or country counting for its own sake. Her value is solo-adventure proof with mechanical honesty.

Bikes and routes covered

Representative selection.

The fleet

• Basanti. Royal Enfield Himalayan, Delhi-bought; India–Malaysia via Myanmar and Thailand.
• Dhanno. Dutch-plate Himalayan; Patagonia start.
• Ronin. Honda CB500X secondhand; Iceland, Scandinavia 2020.
• Savannah. Honda CRF250L; Southern Africa + Kalahari Rally; now Knysna museum.
• Alaska. Honda CRF300L Rally; 43,000 km Ecuador–Arctic plus Africa.

Signature routes

• Patagonia–Alaska. 65,000 km, 18 countries, Oct 2019–Aug 2022.
• Africa west coast. Morocco to East Africa; Tanzania crash endpoint.
• Himalayas. 3,000 km Manali rental origin story.

A thumbnail alone is never proof of a ride here — only described videos and official texts are used.

Videos to discover

A selection, not a Best-of without criteria.

1. ITCHY BOOTS THE MOVIE: the end of an era

• Route: Patagonia to Arctic Ocean
• Published: November 13, 2022 (87 min)
• Subject: 65,000 km finale at Deadhorse, three-year retrospective
• Why watch: 8M views; the definitive film.
• Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnzqRLETeDk

2. New Season: this is where I am going! (Africa)

• Route: Malaga–Morocco–West Africa
• Published: February 2023
• Subject: Alaska bike reunion, ferry to Tangier Med
• Why watch: 2M views; season-launch template.
• Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMvfS5mbsiI

3. Himalayan rental origin rides

• Route: Manali 3,000 km
• Subject: First off-road weeks, rental-to-Basanti decision
• Why watch: The origin story before the channel existed properly.
• Start: https://www.youtube.com/@ItchyBoots and itchyboots.com/about

4. Kalahari Rally with Savannah

• Route: Southern Africa rally
• Subject: Rally stages, subframe break, museum handover
• Why watch: Mechanical honesty at race pace.
• Search on @ItchyBoots

5. China weather-chase episodes

• Subject: Drones, storms, white-van followers
• Why watch: Adversity vlogging at its best.
• Search on @ItchyBoots

If a link is dead, search the exact title on @ItchyBoots.

Tanzania crash: what happened

During the Africa season she crashed in Tanzania and broke her collarbone — ending that run; Alaska shipped back to the Netherlands. Reported factually from her official season recap; recovery content followed. Riders should note West-African road realities differ vastly from European ones.

Bike-choice lessons from six motorcycles

Her fleet history reads as a buyer’s education. Basanti (Delhi-bought Himalayan) proves the adventure-bike paradox: cheap and fixable beats exotic, until registration rules bite — Indian manufacture blocked Dutch plates, forcing the Dhanno dealer swap. Ronin (secondhand CB500X) shows the Northern Europe formula: buy used locally, ride hard, sell on. Savannah (CRF250L) demonstrates rally reality: Southern Africa plus Kalahari Rally ends with a broken subframe and a museum handover, not a repair bill worth paying. Alaska (CRF300L Rally, 43,000 km) is the long-haul answer: new, registered in her name, ridden Ecuador to Arctic plus Africa. Season planning mirrors the mechanical discipline: three episodes weekly during riding windows (the short Alaska weather window forced round-the-clock editing to 10:30 nightly), movie finales to close arcs, academy teaching to monetize the filming craft itself. New riders should copy the sequence: rental first (Manali 3,000 km), owned second, rally never until the basics are boredom.

Travel style

Observable facts vs editorial reading:

• Narration: Warm English solo direct address, 7:20 AM openings. Fact: three-episode weekly cadence in season, work-until-late production.
• Rhythm and editing: 20-minute riding episodes plus milestone features. Interpretation: built for routine following.
• Camera: Drone-while-riding, GoPro, 360; academy-grade techniques.
• Interactions: Mechanics, fellow riders, hosts; self-reliant with help accepted.
• Culture: Roadside-curiosity framing across 80 countries.
• Food: Roadside eating as fuel, not focus.
• Transport: The bike is everything; ferries, trucks and container ships between seasons.
• Accommodation: Tents, hostels, roadside stays.
• Storytelling: One day or one border per episode; season arcs with movie finales.

Difference from Global Silent Walks: she rides and narrates continents; a Silent Walk walks one street silently.

Who is the channel for?

• Motorcycle travelers: Bike choice, breakdowns, rally lessons.
• Solo women riders: Proof and practical precedent at scale.
• Adventure binge-watchers: Season arcs with finales.
• Filming learners: Academy techniques.
• Slow walkers: Adventure scale here, street silence in our Walks.

No score or ranking — just fit.

Destinations inspired on Global Silent Walks

After her routes, walk calm cities with us, no commentary:

• After Tokyo contrasts: Tokyo Silent Walk.
• After Marrakech-region Africa: Marrakech Silent Walk.

She does not recommend, sponsor or use Global Silent Walks unless officially stated. Independent bridges.

Explore the destination differently

She rides continents talking; a Silent Walk walks one street silently. Watch her for adventure courage, then walk silently for presence. Start with World Destinations.

Official socials

Only official accounts. Counts 2026, change daily:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ItchyBoots — ~3.2M
• Website: https://www.itchyboots.com/about
• Academy: itchyboots.com/academy
• Instagram: @itchybootstravel; Facebook: @itchyboots

No other accounts listed here to avoid fakes.

In pictures: Itchy Boots

FAQ

Who is Itchy Boots?

Dutch solo rider Noraly Schoenmaker from Rotterdam; 190,000 km across 80 countries on 6 bikes since 2018.

How many subscribers?

About 3.06–3.37M, 600M+ views per 2026 — biggest moto-travel channel. Check live channel.

Which bikes?

Basanti, Dhanno, Ronin, Savannah (museum), Alaska — see fleet section.

The famous ride?

Patagonia–Alaska 65,000 km, 18 countries, Oct 2019–Aug 2022, closed by THE MOVIE (8M).

Books?

Free Ride (out) and Beyond Fear/Doorgaan, plus filming academy.

Where to start?

THE MOVIE, then Africa season opener, then Himalayan origins.

Sources

• Official: itchyboots.com/about
• Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ItchyBoots
• REV’IT rider page (Rotterdam, June 30 1987, 2.5M/500M era figures)
• nl.wikipedia (3.06M May 2026); FameLifter (3.37M); Tjitze.nl May 2025 (2.8M)
• Simon & Schuster Free Ride page

Data verified September 28, 2026. Last verification: September 28, 2026.