Two adventurers told how they set out on an epic road trip through 21 countries, including Iraq, where they defied travel warnings and ended up staying much longer than expected.
They enjoyed a variety of wonders, from the Dead Sea to a strange mirrored building in the desert, but there were low points, too.
Johannes and Anna converted a 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser into a habitable house and set off from their home in the Netherlands on a nine-month journey to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Your Instagram @jatonowhere documents the impressive highlights, but in an “ask me anything” format. Reddit threadJohannes reveals some of the difficulties that happened behind the scenes.
Asked by a Redditor if they had had any “emergency type situations”, Johannes told a story about getting a flat tire while isolated in the desert.
The couple captioned this photo taken in Saudi Arabia: “We are big fans of these rock formations… This is our favorite because of its thin stem.”
Johannes and Anna, seen above in Wadi Rum, converted a 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser into a livable house and left their home in the Netherlands.
While in Jordan, travelers stopped to take a dip in the Dead Sea and experienced its unique floating properties.
He wrote: ‘At one point, after driving 40 kilometers through a desert and not finding a single car on the road, we got a flat tire. When we tried to check it with our compressor, the compressor hose also blew a hole in itself, Murphy’s law at its finest.
“But in the end we were able to just replace our tire and continue the remaining 50 miles (through the) desert, fortunately without any further problems. But we have a satellite communication device for emergencies.
Many commenters were eager to know if the couple felt unsafe anywhere.
While they never felt threatened, Johannes said that if he had to pick a place that seemed dangerous it would be Iraq.
He explained: ‘That was mainly because we had a red travel notice and because we were less experienced. But in the end “the most insecure” was still safe.
‘We went in with an open mind, prepared to speed across the country in three days if we felt uncomfortable, but in the end we stayed three weeks.
“My impression is that most of the fighting in the country is very selective… Ultimately, I think it’s not easy to accidentally end up in someone’s crossfire, but of course the risk of something going wrong is non-zero, and that is also the reason why the Dutch government advises against travel.
‘Also, in the end, this military coming and going is the only risk I see when I travel there. All the people you meet on the street are nothing but friendly and curious. You’re like a VIP.’
In addition to keeping their wits about them, the couple had to juggle their finances.
They spent about $1,600 “all-in” in the cheapest months, but more than $3,200 in the most expensive months, “mainly driven by the cost of hotels or depending on fuel prices.”
Before traveling, the duo worked day and night to save money: Anna worked as a veterinarian and Johanne worked as an engineer.
They also sold most of their belongings and canceled the lease on their home.
To save money on the car conversion, they did it all themselves, although the pop-up roof required an expert’s touch.
Detailing the interior space, Johannes wrote: ‘The Toyota Land Cruiser (for us, offers) the best compromise between capability, reliability and interior space.
Along the way, the couple managed to access the largest mirrored building in the world. The Maraya Concert Hall is located in Saudi Arabia.
After finishing their trip, Johannes and Anna flew back to the Netherlands and shipped their 4X4 to Kenya.
The epic road trip took them through 21 countries.
The main surprise in Oman, the couple said, was “how much water and green there is.” They found that a combination of swimming and hiking was a “perfect activity in the hot summer weather.”
The duo said of this photo: “With a quick hike to the summit of the Red Valley we had a great view of Cappadocia.”
To save money on their car conversion, they did it all themselves. However, the pop-up roof required an expert’s touch.
“Inside we have a complete living space, although very small.”
On Instagram, the couple explains along with photographs of the interior of the van that “this is what our little house looks like inside, where we can eat, sit, rest and sleep.”
They add: “The storage space we have is enough, but taking things in and out feels a lot like playing with Lego.”
johannes He said Saudi Arabia was his favorite country, “because of its sheer scale, diversity and incredible people.”
One of the highlights was a visit to Maraya, the largest mirror-clad building in the world.
Johannes says that “some tricks are usually needed to visit, as the building is in a restricted area.”
However, while they were there, there was a free art exhibition that allowed them to enter without problems.
At the other end of the scale, Johannes said the UAE was potentially his least favorite place: he found “Dubai disappointing after other Gulf cities.”
However, he admitted that “they did not visit any of the mountains and dunes in the country due to lack of time, so we cannot really judge.”
Meanwhile, Bahrain was the country that surprised them the most during their trip.
Of the Persian Gulf island country he said: “It’s just a big city on a small island, but the atmosphere and incredibly friendly people made it a bit of an adventure for us, so we stayed much longer than expected.”
After finishing their trip, Johannes and Anna flew back to the Netherlands and shipped their 4X4 to Kenya, where they plan to travel next and continue their trip to South Africa.
Reflecting on their recent trip, Johannes said the most interesting things they remember were “experiences with local people who invited us and took us on completely unexpected adventures.”
And he concluded: ‘We are not the most extroverted, that’s why when we read travel stories we always think that this would happen less to us. But all the people in the Middle East are incredibly friendly and hospitable.
‘To the point that at one point we ended up in a five-star hotel in one of the Gulf states, with praise from the Ministry of Tourism, which again was the family of some guys we met earlier that day and who showed us around place. city since they had seen our Instagram account in our car and invited us through a DM. And this is just one of many examples.’