25 Jun 2017  |   06:19am IST

Goa to KL, what a road trip

Arthur Viegas and his family from Caranzalem travelled from Goa to Kuala Lumpur in his BMW X1 xDrive 20d. Covering more than 7000 kilometers over 30 days on the road, the family bonded and brought home fond memories as they travelled across the continent. Café speaks to Arthur about the journey, which could inspire fellow travellers

Dolcy D’Cruz

In a fast paced world, it gets difficult to have a lengthy and

satisfying chat with your own family members, to revive good old memories, and in the process make new ones. Arthur Viegas and his family came up with a family holiday that would last 30 days, as they made their way from Goa to Kuala Lumpur by road. They travelled in their BMW X1 xDrive 20d from the end of April to the end of May, earlier this year, and came home with loads of memories.

Arthur travelled with his wife Maria Cecilia, son Aaron and daughter Melinda. “Our passion for travel to many countries and keen interest in learning about different cultures, traditions and cuisines could best be done on a road expedition, and that inspired us to start planning our journey. We planned our route first, including the pit-stops, sightseeing spots and the overnight stays. This was the first time the family decided on a road trip; earlier we have travelled to different places in the world by flight,” says Arthur who runs his private business in Caranzalem. His son works in the hospitality industry in Dubai.

The family travelled from Goa to Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, Kohima and Imphal in India; before crossing over into Myanmar in Tamu, Kalay, Mandalay, Bagan, Yangon, Bago; then into Thailand - Hua Hin, Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi; after which they entered Malaysia into Penang and finally Kuala Lumpur. They have been planning for almost two years, keeping in mind all the documents that are required for visas, car papers, special overland permits, and hotels stays required along the route.

“This route was selected because it is the closest route from India, while Europe or other destinations are quite far to travel by car. There were no problems during the entire trip, except for the bad roads in the North East of India. We had to obtain special overland permits for Myanmar and Thailand in time, and ensure the visas were valid till entry date. The hot weather conditions between 38 to 45 degrees all along - being peak summer- were well handled by the X1 AC. The journey went off very well with good roads from Thailand onwards. We had to compulsorily have tour guides in Myanmar and Thailand, but they travelled in separate cars,” says Arthur.

Speaking about their most memorable experience on the journey, Arthur says, “In Myanmar, we enjoyed stopping at the Tropic of Cancer, walking on the world’s longest teak foot bridge, the U Bein Bridge, which is 1.2 miles long and visiting the Golden Rock Pagoda, precariously hanging with little or no contact to the ground. In Bangkok, we posed with a tiger and fed the crocodiles and in Malaysia, it was the visit to the Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur. These are some of the wonders of South East Asia. A moment which was very fascinating for us was driving over into foreign soil through the Friendship Bridge on Indo-Myanmar land border which marked the beginning of our overland journey abroad.”

The family had the most fun inside the car, as this was a unique experience for them as a family. “This was an excellent opportunity for family bonding for a month. For entertainment, we had music and the wonders of the scenery changing every minute we drove. Those who were tired could sleep, but there is always the excitement of seeing a new place. My son and I used to take turns driving, and we drove only during the day. As we were approaching a new place, we would book the hotel for our stay in advance over the phone itself. We have been to Thailand and Malaysia earlier by flight, but this time, we had more time to travel on our own and stay for a few more days,” he adds.

Though they didn’t have posts on social media about their journey, they maintained a personal log of their trip, which included the mileage of their car and day to day activities. After the last stop at Kuala Lumpur, the car was shipped back to Goa. “If you have a passion to drive, follow your dreams. A road expedition will teach you more than any other mode of travel. Our journey was filled with unique experiences and we formed beautiful relationships with fellow travellers and the indigenous people,” concludes Arthur, who will plan the next trip after a few years.