Dubai: A 60-year-old Pakistani adventurer is preparing to embark on an epic road trip wth his wife. Dubai businessman Munir Bhatti said he is planning to drive through a staggering 100 countries with his life-partner Shama Kausar in their SUV.
“We will set off early next year and hope to complete the journey in five years, covering 31 countries in Central and Western Europe in the first three months itself. The plan is to take a ferry to Iran. From there, we will travel to Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Hungary, Helsinki, Germany, UK, Ireland etc by road,” he said.
Seasoned campaigner
Bhatti is a seasoned cross-country driver. Recently, he clocked 37,000km in Canada in just three months -- a feat that bagged him a special recognition award by Candadian tourism authorities.
“I was really touched by their gesture. The honour has motivated me to explore the rest of the world. I have a five-year plan and a Dh200,000 budget. After Europe, we will head to the Far East in 2017, Australia – New Zealand in 2018, Africa in 2019 and India in 2020.”
Bhatti said he will undertake the trip in his newly bought Suzuki Jimny. “It is economical, yet sturdy. But I cannot take any chances and will have to equip the vehicle for the long trek. We will also need to carry spare tyres, batteries tents, and a portable toilet. “We will alternate between living in tents and motels. The idea is to add a bit of adventure to the whole trip. We are at that stage in life where we can afford to get experimental. Our children are well settled. We have done our duty as parents and now we need some time for ourselves. And there’s nothing better than a long road trip,” said Bhatti.
