Update

Just a quick update to let you know what’s been going on over the last couple of days. I have made a few updates to the website, you can check them out by clicking the following links...updated route map, pictures from our recent trip to Nepal, updated links and the newly added ‘Charity’ section which is still under construction.

We are keen to give back to the communities we visit. To do this we have decided to try and work on at least one charity project in every country we visit. Both Emma and I are passionate about our life time loves (mine is art and Emma’s is the environment), and so we are planning to try and incorporate this into our trip by working with charities that will allow us to use our specialist knowledge.

Emma has been researching charities and we are currently in the process of putting together a press release and project proposal leaflet so that we can start approaching them. Once we have some confirmations I shall update the ‘Charity’ section.

I have spent the last couple of days doing some hardcore research on what kind of vehicle is going to be the best for us to use. After hours of internetting I narrowed it down to just three brand new vehicles that I think would be up to the job, and two second hand vehicles. The three new vehicles are the Landrover Defender 110 Utility Wagon, Toyota Landcruiser 11 and the Nissan Patrol Wagon DX. After much research it seems that the vehicle of choice for the circumnavigation elite is an older model Toyota,
the 1996 Landcruiser FJ80 model being the most popular or the Toyota Hi-Lux Surf. The benefits to using an older car are apparently clear. It is easier to get parts for the FJ80 in developing countries, the vehicles have much less electronics to go wrong, diesel models are very reliable and fairly easy for any mechanic to fix with the most basic tools, and finally, they are built like a tank. Watch this video of the Top Gear team putting a Hi-Lux through its paces...part 1, part 2 and part 3

We now have to make a decision and choose one to go with, this choice is going to be a major one and we need to get it right. If anyone has any advice please feel free to email us at [email protected]

Check back for more updates over the coming days.

Andy