Travelling off the beaten path
There are two kinds of travellers in this world – those that wish to experience what others have experienced, and those who create brand new experiences for themselves. While it’s perfectly fine to play it safe and travel by the books, some enjoy taking risky ventures for the sheer thrill they bring.
You only live once – so why not take the leap of faith to enjoy all that the world has to offer? If you’re hesitant about packing your bags and leaving for the unknown, here are some Singaporeans who’ll inspire you to go all-out crazy in your next overseas adventure:
1. Family that travelled the US on a camper van for 6 months
Source: @6kidsandapopupcamper
There are many reasons why the Ong family is beyond ordinary – for starters, they have 6 children and all of them are home-schooled. In 2015, the family of 8 bought a 9-seater station wagon and a pop-up camper to go on an epic road trip in the United States for 6 months.
Source: @6kidsandapopupcamper
Together, the family checked 43 states in the US and covered a distance equivalent of a round trip from Singapore to London (23,000km) without staying in a single hotel or motel. At the moment, they’re planning another wild road trip to take on in 2017.
2. Couple who earned an around the world trip with airplane miles
Masterminds behind a website that compares credit cards, Pedro Pla and Grace Cheng know best when it comes to smart spending. In 2016, the couple meticulously planned their credit card spending to chalk up a million air miles – and that snagged them four business class flights around the world.
Source: @roundtheworldfamily
They watched wild lions graze on open fields in South Africa, rode a reindeer sleigh in Finland, and soaked up the sun in the Caribbean waters. The couple, with their two children, will be ending their traverse in July after hitting up 5 continents in the span of 6 months.
3. Man who drove from Singapore to London
For Larry Leong, commemorating SG50 wasn’t watching fireworks or the parade; instead he executed a 20,000km odyssey on the road through Russia and the Arctic Circle to reach London.
The auto-adventurer brought his wife and 5-year-old daughter along, sometimes facing unexpected breakdowns or even driving 24 hours non-stop to reach their checkpoints along the way.
4. Actor who went on a 6-months long sea voyage with his family
Actor Darren Lim is just as adventurous as the characters he plays on screen. After getting used to living on a yacht for 4 years with his wife and 4 kids, he set his family out for a year-long expedition on sea.
Though they eventually cut their trip short to 6 months, they still had a pretty wild voyage from Singapore to Phuket, then to Koh Samui.
5. Man who’s going on a 800km Mongolia trek
Scott Tay is a backpacking enthusiast, who’s been on solo trips to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. This time, he’s planned an expedition which starts in Mongolia and ends in the Gobi Desert – an 800km journey on foot that’ll last almost 30 days.
The 25 year-old’s quest will also raise funds for the Singapore Cancer Society in hopes to encourage cancer patients to live life tenaciously with optimism.
Dare to do something different
In the end, the beauty of travelling lies not in the destination, but the journey; It might be daunting to do something as extreme as these people, but if anything, they’re great inspirations for us to be a little more daring the next time we travel. So take advantage of the next break you have, and get out there and explore – even if it’s just over a weekend!
Drop us your email so you won't miss the latest news.
