An Indian-origin man from the United Kingdom drove his SUV for 59 days through 16 countries to visit his mother in Maharashtra, western India. As per the Times of India, the epic car ride spanned from April 20 to June 17, 2024.
During the course of the ride, Virajit Mungale, an IT professional, covered 18,300 kilometres, travelling from London to Thane, where his mother resides in the Raunak Park area of the city.
Though Mungale often visits his mom, his recent trip was different, as he travelled through the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, China, Tibet, and Nepal, to reach India.
Mungale, however, was not alone. He was accompanied by Roshan Shresta, a Nepalese citizen, who travelled with him till Kathmandu. From Kathmandu, he was joined by his wife and a relative for the remainder of the trip.
The UK Indian said that he had planned the trip after reading about the Silk Route. His interest was elevated after he read an account of a couple doing the same. However, when emails to the couple about advice went unanswered, Mungale decided to chalk out the travel details himself.
He also thanked his wife for her support. “When I shared this plan with my wife, she thought I was joking, but later, she supported it, and that’s how I planned the entire trip,” TOI quoted him as saying.
The trip was planned before the pandemic, but took place this year.
As per the TOI report, Mungale averaged 400-600 kilometres a day, and sometimes covered up to 1,000 kilometres, depending on the conditions.
To make it safer, he avoided driving at night. “We had done pre-maintenance on the SUV, but faced a minor technical problem when we reached Poland, but we overcame it, and it was a smooth drive from there,” he said.
The trip did come at a cost, as the IT professional had to apply for a two-moth leave without pay. During the planning, he also secured all necessary permissions needed to enter the various countries.
“Being a British national, I did not have any issues entering European countries or any other country. All my documents were ready, and the legal processes were taken care of,” Mungale said.
“We did not face any major weather [adversities] in any climatic conditions, though it was summer in most places… We had also reached the higher altitudes of 5,200 metres and faced minor altitude sickness, snow and extreme cold. Altogether [an] amazing experience, but [we were] well prepared for that as well.”
“Food was not a problem either, as apart from beef and insects, I eat everything. We would take a break after 3-4pm and start searching for hotels or places to stay overnight,” he revealed.
The SUV consumed nearly 3,000 litres of fuel to cover the entire 18,300-kilometre journey.