In 2012, Marjan (a skilled Dutch chef) and her partner, Patricia (an astute Belgian financial business analyst), embarked on a transformative journey. They relocated from Europe to the sublime coastal town of Hermanus, South Africa, with a dream to infuse a touch of Belgium into their new surroundings. Their entrepreneurial spirit led to establishing a…
Category Archives: Adventure
Peak Evolution Sets Solar EV Altitude World Record
The Swiss Peak Evolution team recently set a new world record for the highest elevation achieved in a solar-powered electric vehicle by driving up to 21,325 feet (6,500 meters). The current land vehicle altitude record is held by French race driver Romain Dumas (three-time 24-hour Le Mans winner), driving an off-road adapted Porsche 911 powered…
Rooftop Tent Skills — Buy, Bolt-on, and Bug Out
In this age of hyperbuilt and overcomplicated overland vehicle builds, it is all too easy to forget that, above all else, your build should be affordable, practical, and straightforward. The rooftop tent (RTT) is not a new invention; we have all seen the images of overland vehicles built in the early 20th century equipped with…
Spomeniks :: An Overland Quest Through the Balkans
Photography by Enrique Pacheco Western Europe is not exactly a paradise for overlanders due to restrictive laws regarding off-roading and free camping. In turn, countries on the continent’s Eastern side, especially those in the Balkans, abound in what their occidental counterparts lack: looser regulations and fewer off-pavement prohibitions, with vast areas of stunning nature still…
The Global Expedition Vehicles Adventure-XT is a Colossus
So, you just sold your start-up for a squillion bucks and are looking to take a year or two off from the rat race to travel overland with the family to distant shores. You have done your research on Expedition Portal and have concluded that you need a vehicle that offers all the comforts of…
We Almost Won the 2023 Land Rover Media TReK!
I touched down in Austin, Texas, after two taxi rides and two flights from my home base in Mexico, where I had left my family and my Classic Land Rover Defender 130 waiting. For the last week, I had been preparing for the Land Rover TReK Media event, refreshing my handheld compass, winch, and recovery…
Be Old Later’s 1997 Mitsubishi Delica L400 :: Feature Vehicle
Photography by Richard Giordano During the summer of 2017, Candice Ciesla and Jordan Schilling summited Wyoming’s Grand Teton to exchange wedding vows. With a headpiece made of taffeta and feathers, Candice looped a climbing rope through Jordan’s harness, and he tied the knot, literally, to hers. The ceremony was officiated by a guide who took…
Overland Routes :: Chile’s Atacama Desert
Photography by Coen Wubbels Unless you fly in, you will have seen a fair share of the Atacama Desert by the time you reach Iquique, whether your Pan-American overland journey takes you southbound or northbound through Chile. No matter how smooth the asphalt that cuts straight through the driest non-polar desert in the world, 995…
Survivors: Nigeria, Murder, and Mayhem
A shot rang out, followed by a scream, loud and very close—too close. Our new Nigerian friends scattered as one without hesitation, cowering as they ran as if expecting a hail of bullets. They disappeared into the building beside which we were camped, leaving us bewildered, on our feet, and alarmed. There had been a…
Toyota Expands Rebelle Rally Commitment for 2023
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has recently announced its significantly expanded participation in the upcoming 2023 Rebelle Rally, doubling its presence at the event with six teams, up from last year’s three. Susann Kazunas, Vice President at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Texas, said, “Partnering with Rebelle Rally allows us to share amazing stories of resilience,…
The Drums of Tonkin :: Frank and Helen Schreider’s Indonesian Expedition by Amphibious Jeep
Photography by Frank and Helen Schreider Frank and Helen Schreider were preparing to leave for the island of Flores, Indonesia, when the village chief in Komodo brought bad news. “There is no road at Labuhan Badjo,” he said, running a calloused thumb eastward over their map. “It starts here, at Reo.” Their map of Flores…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Botswana
Photography by Expedition Overland Botswana offers the ingredients of a wild adventure. Hundreds of unpaved tracks made of thick sand and bone-wrenching washboard could keep an overland traveler busy for many months, if not years. Add fuel logistics and range considerations, regional raw meat restrictions, and the systematic destruction of your vehicle to the mix,…
Remote Chad by Drone—Video
North Africa and the greater Sahel region have been extremely difficult for overland travelers to access since, well, since forever. This arid swath of the world’s second-largest continent hosts climactic, geographic, and political challenges that have stymied explorers and traders for centuries, whether on foot, via camel train, or by 4×4. Videographers Rene Bauer and…
Andrew Szabo: Rally Organizer and Adventurer at Large
When the purveyors of Andrew Szabo’s life insurance scrolled through his social media, they jacked up his premium by 20 percent. In his photos, the 53-year-old is nearly always on the move, in a kayak, on a bike, or in a vehicle, if not sat next to a fire in flip-flops. He’s the organizer of…
On the Up and Up: Returning to the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route
Editor’s Note: This Washington Backcountry Discovery Route article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2023 Issue. Photography by Kris Newsom Perched on the edge of the Lion Rock escarpment in Washington’s central Cascades, I leaned back in my chair and watched the molten sun drip behind Mount Stuart’s jagged silhouette. Behind me, a clicking…
Overland Journal Announces Their Trans-Africa Journey with the Grenadier
Few places on the planet resonate with the adventurer like the African continent, from the vibrant cultures to the ancient civilizations, megafauna, and some of the most remote and inspiring landscapes on earth. Over the past two decades, we have been fortunate to circumnavigate the planet three times and cross all seven continents. For our…
Spotting the One-Horned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park :: Destinations
There are only two places in the world where the one-horned rhinoceros still lives in the wild: Nepal and India. With 2600 of these incredible beasts in Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India, you can’t visit the park without spotting at least one of them. The 166-square-mile park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one…
Video :: Preserving and Exploring the East Mojave Heritage Trail
Long-time denizens of Expedition Portal certainly will know our old friend and frequent contributor, Chris Cordes. Now with onX Maps, Chris has turned his passion for off-road exploration into a career helping others find their own way to unknown places. One such place is the American Southwest’s Mojave Desert. A sprawling patchwork of diverse landscapes,…
2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss :: Vegas to Reno 500
Photography by Sinuhe Xavier Humans make upward of 35,000 remotely conscious decisions a day. Around 225 of those are related to food, and with only 122 of them being well-informed choices, that leaves an ocean of bad choices swirling around people’s brains. What to eat, what to watch, what to wear, what to buy—we are…
The Unstoppable Charline Ribotta :: Her Love for Africa and Moving Past Fear after Multiple Assaults on the Road
Charline Ribotta departed from her home country of France in a Toyota Hilux, equipped with a Front Runner rooftop tent and modifications of her design. She has been overlanding solo for more than a year now, with hopes of continuing full-time travel indefinitely. Her original itinerary was to traverse the Middle East and cross to…