Traveling with Bilateral Cochlear Implants

Since 2009, Knud Erik and his wife, Lisbeth, have been riding long trips together. From 2022–2023 they crossed all of America, and on April 15, 2025, they embarked on a trip from Denmark to New Zealand.

Knud Erik has two AB cochlear implants (CI), giving him the full, two-ear hearing advantage. For him, the implants are not a limitation, but an opportunity.

“I consider my CI as a pair of glasses,” he says. “It’s an aid you should be happy with. It helps improving the quality of life, so it’s just a matter of enjoying it.”

With courage, positivity, and a love of improvisation, Knud Erik and Lisbeth set off on their world adventure.

Even before departure, Knud Erik had to fix electrical faults on the motorcycle. And when the motorcycle suddenly stopped in Poland, it turned out that the platinum had come loose.

Luckily, he had spare parts with him – just the same as he has for his CI. Extra spare parts for both motorcycle and CI give them the confidence to embark on long journeys.

“It gives me a great sense of security,” he says. “You don’t have to worry if something happens to the CI.”

As they were on the side of the road repairing the bike, David, a local motorcycle enthusiast, appeared and offered help and a cup of tea. Then the trip could continue towards the Tatra Mountains on the border between Poland and Slovakia.

Through the Tatra Mountains, the Tokaj wine region and the Carpathians, the couple experienced snow-capped mountain peaks, small villages with tiled roofs and salt lakes with flamingos. In Cappadocia, they got to experience a spectacular hot air balloon ride, with more than 150 balloons in the air at the same time.

For Lisbeth, this was a special highlight, and being able to share such moments with her husband means a lot.

After Iran, the trip moved on to Turkmenistan, a country with strict rules and extensive border controls. After waiting, payments and a rapid Covid test, Knud Erik and Lisbeth were given a guided tour of the extremely clean and regulated "White City," where only light-colored cars are allowed. This was followed by a grueling 8-hour drive to the spectacular gas crater known as the Door to Hell.

The contrast was great, they say, when they crossed the border into Uzbekistan. Here they were greeted with smiles and effective border control. In the historic city of Samarkand, they enjoyed quiet days in a city they describe as "taken out of [the fairy tale] One Thousand and One Nights."

"In the places where we ate and where there were many people, I was very pleased that I could determine where I heard the sound from," says Knud Erik.

This has made it easier to get in touch with strangers. At a local workshop, they were greeted with Uzbek hospitality and Ramadan celebrations. The motorcycle enthusiast Ruslan invited them to a club meeting with dinner and a nice get-together. There they met a well-known Uzbekistan rapper named Ismail, who acted as an interpreter.

His cochlear implant has been crucial for communication along the way, says his wife. 

"Now Knud Erik can hear. It may well be that it needs to be repeated, but we can talk now,” she says.

The couple’s journey took them over the world’s highest drivable pass (Umling La, 5,798 m), through the Nubra Valley sand dunes, and to crystal lakes high in the Himalayas.

"I've always been very interested in nature and the world around me. After I got CI, a soundscape has opened up that I have never heard before. It is insects, cicadas and birds that have been fantastic to experience," says Knud Erik.

Since the end of August, they have been stuck in Kathmandu, waiting to cross the border into China. The plan was to drive in on September 6, but landslides, destroyed roads and political unrest in Nepal have made it impossible.

They have considered various options to move forward, including having the motorcycles towed across the landslide area, or riding with an Austrian couple. But logistics and costs have made this difficult. Now they are considering flying both themselves and their motorcycles to Malaysia.

Although the future is uncertain, they are doing well and hope to be able to continue their journey soon.