We get asked frequently where we want to go and what the destination of our trip is. There is no real answer to that, as we only have certain ideas of places we want to explore. We have a definite direction though and that is eastwards. We want to travel to the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, taste the wine in Georgia, visit the mosques in Iran and cycle along the Silk Road towards Laos. And so we created the ideal route considering the climate and our interests and according to which we would have reached Southeast Asia in winter 21/22.
And of course we knew that this would never work out amidst the COVID pandemic, but we started our trip against all odds and remained open for all turns and twists of this journey. Of course we left the planned route again and again, as the best stories usually happen on detours. We never thought that we would spend 8 months in Turkey, 4 months in Georgia, 4 months in Iran a.s.o. The pandemic has slowed down our journey and we see this situation as a chance to discover our world in a different way than planned.
„One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.“ (Henry Miller)
PLANNED ROUTE:
Click on the map to enlarge
COUNTRY OVERVIEW:
| Nr. | Country | Entry | Exit | Days | Distance | Elevation gain (m) |
| 1 | Switzerland | 29.07.20 | 05.08.20 | 8 | 336 | 4’790 |
| 2 | Italy | 05.08.20 | 16.08.20 | 11 | 571 | 3’660 |
| 3 | Slovenia | 16.08.20 | 16.08.20 | 8 h | 33 | 340 |
| 4 | Croatia | 16.08.20 | 11.09.20 | 26 | 692 | 8’550 |
| 5 | Montenegro | 11.09.20 | 14.09.20 | 3 | 150 | 2’050 |
| 6 | Albania | 14.09.20 | 29.09.20 | 15 | 465 | 4’950 |
| 7 | North Macedonia | 29.09.20 | 04.10.20 | 5 | 327 | 3’190 |
| 8 | Bulgaria | 04.10.20 | 06.10.20 | 2 | 41 | 220 |
| 9 | Greece | 06.10.20 | 04.11.20 | 29 | 661 | 4’860 |
| 10 | Turkey Part 1 | 04.11.20 | 11.12.20 | 37 | 1’170 | 11’410 |
| Winterbreak Patara | 11.12.20 | 05.04.21 | 115 | 590 | 2’700 | |
| Turkey Part 2 | 05.04.21 | 27.06.21 | 83 | 2’214 | 22’490 | |
| 11 | Georgia | 27.06.21 | 10.11.21 | 136 | 1’299 | 19’070 |
| 12 | UAE | 10.11.21 | 19.11.21 | 9 | 226 | 280 |
| 13 | Oman | 19.11.21 | 18.12.21 | 29 | 1’093 | 5’430 |
| UAE | 09.02.22 | 15.02.22 | 7 | 29 | 50 | |
| 14 | Iran | 15.02.22 | 03.06.22 | 108 | 2’766 | 18’645 |
| 15 | Armenia | 03.06.22 | 13.06.22 | 10 | 263 | 3’630 |
| Georgia | 13.06.22 | 19.07.22 | 36 | 82 | 570 | |
| 16 | Kazakhstan | 20.07.22 | 29.07.22 | 10 | 352 | 3’560 |
| 17 | Kyrgyzstan | 29.07.22 | 10.09.22 | 43 | 1’025 | 12’535 |
| 18 | Tajikistan | 10.09.22 | 15.10.22 | 35 | 547 | 5’670 |
| 19 | Uzbekistan | 15.10.22 | 04.11.22 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | India | 04.11.22 | 31.01.23 | 89 | 344 | 2’150 |
| 21 | Sri Lanka | 31.01.23 | 12.03.23 | 40 | 736 | 4’690 |
| India | 12.03.23 | 12.04.23 | 31 | 0 | 0 | |
| India | 31.08.23 | 02.10.23 | 33 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | Nepal | 02.10.23 | 16.11.23 | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| India | 16.11.23 | 12.02.24 | 88 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | Thailand | 13.02.24 | 03.03.24 | 20 | 538 | 1’920 |
| 24 | Laos | 03.03.24 | 16.03.24 | 13 | 473 | 2’680 |
| 25 | Cambodia | 16.03.24 | 27.03.24 | 11 | 40 | 50 |
| Thailand* | 27.03.24 | 04.09.24 | 161 | (1’070) | (3’920) | |
| Total | 1’307 | 17’063 | 150’140 | |||
| * Lisa: 2 stays in India, | Dario: solo tour + | 1 stay in Bali | Dario 18’133 | Dario 154’060 |