A Singaporean couple is gearing up for an extraordinary road trip this August, aiming to cover a staggering 25,000km from London back to Singapore. Th
A Singaporean couple is gearing up for an extraordinary road trip this August, aiming to cover a staggering 25,000km from London back to Singapore. Their adventure will take them through 23 countries and over 160 towns, villages, and cities along the way.
The route includes: UK > France > Belgium > Germany > Austria > Slovakia > Hungary > Croatia > Bosnia > Montenegro > Albania > Greece > Turkiye > Iran > Turkmenistan > Uzbekistan > Kyrgyzstan > Kazakhstan > China > Laos > Thailand > Malaysia > Singapore.
The trip is scheduled to last 100 days, from August 5 to November 10, and the couple’s car, a 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser 4.6L V8, will be shipped to London to kick off their journey. They will also have a Nissan GTR and a Mercedes S-Class in their convoy.
The couple, Jeremy See and Sharleen Lim, shared their ambitious plans in a couple of Facebook posts. Lim expressed hope that they would return just in time for Christmas. They plan to actively document their travels, sharing updates on social media.
Inspiration for the Adventure
See, 47, revealed to Mothership that their desire for this road trip was sparked by travel documentaries. They admired others who have explored the world in various vehicles, and after experiencing multiple road trips in Southeast Asia, they decided it was time to venture beyond the region.
With borders reopening post-Covid, See emphasized that it was the perfect moment to seize the opportunity they had been planning and saving for over the past three years.
Travelling in a Convoy
The couple will not be traveling alone; they will be joined by 11 other couples, dubbed “like-minded adventurers.” The trip has been organized by the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS), which has also provided them with a Carnet de Passage, allowing them to cross international borders with their vehicle while avoiding customs fees.
Organizing the trip through AAS helped them save about S$50,000 in logistics.
Preparation for the Journey
In See’s recent Facebook update, he mentioned that preparations are underway and that their car will soon be shipped to London. The couple chose to start their journey in London for novelty, rather than retracing familiar routes through Malaysia and Thailand.
When considering what to pack for their 100-day road trip, they’ve decided on essentials such as:
Spare car parts
30 bottles of octane boosters
Two weeks’ worth of spare clothes
Extra pairs of shoes
Medication for chronic illnesses
Easy-to-heat food and beverages
This carefully curated list reflects their expectations of potential pitfalls during the trip, including low-quality fuel and the lack of proper laundromats along their route.
Budgeting for the Adventure
See and Lim have set aside S$110,000 for their adventure, planning to enjoy the best accommodations and fine dining along the way. Their budget includes S$43,000 per person for food, lodging, tolls, local guide fees, attraction fees, and other costs. The remaining funds will cover shipping, customs, permits, fuel, and other miscellaneous expenses.
Sadly, their five children, aged two to 23, cannot join due to the cost and scheduling conflicts. See, a retired piano teacher, noted that his flexible schedule would allow him to embark on this adventure, while Lim, a banker, has applied for a sabbatical.
Exploring Off the Beaten Path
The couple is particularly excited about visiting lesser-known countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, such as Hungary, Bosnia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. See expressed his hope to challenge misconceptions about these regions and document their experiences on social media.
He highlighted Iran as a fascinating destination that is hard to access, especially with a Singapore-registered vehicle, while Turkmenistan is known for being one of the least-visited countries globally.
The Spirit of Adventure
As the couple prepares for their ambitious journey, See shared, “It feels surreal.” They hope to discover places that few Singaporeans have explored, returning with stories to share with their grandchildren. Through their social media updates, they aspire to inspire positivity and a sense of adventure among fellow travel enthusiasts.
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