Itinerary update: driving back from Asia to Europe

We have arrived in Singapore — it feels unreal! While we’ll share several more blog posts about our experiences later, for us, this moment has already become reality. So, what’s next? After much thought and consideration, we have finally made a decision regarding the future of this expedition. We won’t head to Australia, we won’t venture further into Indonesia, and we won’t even stay longer in Southeast Asia. What’s our next move? Keep reading to find out!

Table of Contents

Our itinerary back home

After exploring 23 countries, covering 35,000 kilometers, and traveling for just under a year, we finally reach our destination: the southernmost point of continental Asia in Singapore. This is where the road ends, and we can’t go any further with our car. Standing there together, we gaze out over the vast South China Sea, struggling to grasp the reality of our achievement. What once felt so distant, so unattainable—dismissed as impossible by many (even Google!) — is now reality.

Here we are. We did it. We made it.

This moment fills us with an overwhelming sense of pride – pride in our journey, our perseverance, and everything we overcame. 2024 has undoubtedly become the best year of our lives, and for that, we feel deeply grateful. And yet, even as we soak in this incredible accomplishment, one thing is clear: we’re not ready for this journey to end. We want to keep going.

Throughout this trip, we’ve stretched our comfort zone beyond anything we thought possible. We no longer get easily impressed by new experiences, and it takes quite a lot to make us truly nervous. However, as we left China behind and entered Southeast Asia, we found ourselves in a completely different world. This region, famously known as the Banana Pancake Trail, is a far cry from rugged wilderness. It’s filled with tourist-friendly facilities, endless convenience, and a 7-Eleven always just around the corner. And while that ease has its perks, it’s exactly why the last few months have felt a little too comfortable for us.

Now, as we stand at the finish line of our journey, deep down we know what we truly want. We want to move forward. We crave adventure. So, we’ve made a bold decision: we’re jumping back into the unknown. We’re driving all the way back to the Netherlands — but this time, through the desert.

Cheese sandwich in front of 7-eleven shop Bangkok

We’ve made the decision to leave this part of the world behind. Our beloved Toyota 4Runner will soon be loaded onto a container ship bound for the United Arab Emirates. From there, our journey continues as we drive through the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East — a region many overlanders describe as offering untouched wilderness and boundless adventure.

This is a part of the world we’ve yet to explore, and we’re eager to experience its pristine emptiness. We look forward to wild camping again, embracing the freedom we’ve occasionally missed during our time in Southeast Asia. Yes, the geopolitical situation in some areas adds a layer of complexity, but we’ve decided to push forward. This expedition deserves a second act, and we want to end it in true style — with an adventure through the desert.

Overlanding the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East

The second leg of our expedition begins in Dubai, home to a major seaport and the ideal location to ship our car to. From there, we plan to journey back to Europe, traveling through the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Türkiye.

While the exact itinerary isn’t set in stone, we’ve already mapped out a rough sketch of the path we want to take.

In a previous blog article, we detailed everything that needed to be arranged for our journey to Singapore. For the second part of our expedition, we also conducted the necessary research to ensure the route is feasible and to avoid being denied entry to any country.

If you’re planning a similar overland adventure, here’s a detailed list of what’s required to drive through each country:

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Carnet de Passage (CdP): Required when arriving through seaport, though not mandatory if entering via land borders with your own car
Local car insurance
Visa: Available on arrival, valid for 90 days. Free of charge

Tip: Due to limited validity, we renewed our CdP through ADAC in Germany while the car was being shipped. The new CdP arrived within two weeks.

Oman

CdP required
Local car insurance required
Visa-free for 14 days; otherwise, a visa-on-arrival can be purchased at the border for $50

Saudi Arabia

Local car insurance
Visa: Available as eVisa (online) or as visa-on-arrival for $125

Qatar

CdP required
An international driver’s license (IRB version 1968) is needed if staying more than seven days

Bahrain

Visa-on-arrival for $15
IRB version 1968 required

Kuwait

CdP required
Visa-on-arrival for $10
IRB version 1968 required

Iraq

CdP required
Visa-on-arrival for $80 (requires a permit available at Kuwait City Airport)
IRB version 1968 required

Iran

CdP required
Visa: Must be arranged in advance with an invitation letter; costs approximately $50.
IRB version 1968 required

Türkiye

European car insurance (green card)
HGS toll card required

Surprise visit to The Netherlands

From Singapore, we make our way back to Kuala Lumpur to prepare our Toyota 4Runner for its journey by sea container to Dubai. The shipping takes about two weeks, so we decide to make the most of this time with a surprise visit to our family and friends in The Netherlands. They have absolutely no idea we’re coming. It’s been almost a year since we’ve seen them. Their reactions? Absolutely priceless! Check out the video of our surprise visit below.

Overloaded with love and renewed energy, we board the plane to Dubai. Ready to kick off the second part of our expedition.