Where are you from?

Belgium (Nicolas) France (Margot)

When did you start your interest in exploration?

Before we met, we already both were interested in travelling and discovering new cultures and countries. But soon after, 2 years before departure, the idea of quitting our jobs and travelling really took off until the day we took the road with our little 4x4 named El Toyo Loco.  

What is a brief understanding of your background story up until you started seeking adventure?

Nicolas is a Belgian guy who had the privilege and luck to live abroad during his whole childhood thanks to his parents and only came back to live in Belgium for University. So once he came back, the will to get back out there and discover other unknown places started. 

Margot is a French girl who lived and travelled all her childhood and a part of her young adulthood. At some point then, she wanted to see and discover more and moved to Brussels in Belgium. From then on, the idea of travelling and having new adventures grew.

What special skills do you have to help with your explorations?

We have absolutely no skills whatsoever except for some first aid courses (you never know).

At some point, we wanted to take mechanical classes but in the end we didn't do them and said to ourselves that we'll learn it on the road. 

We are pretty much a day to day planner and so like to procrastinate everything until the very end. After one and a half years on the road, it works for us! Let's see how it goes for the rest of the trip.

Where have you explored so far?

As a couple and since the beginning of our overlanding adventure, here's the list of the countries we've travelled threw in chronological order:

Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Armenia, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordania, Oman, UAE, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa. 

What is a brief understanding of your adventures so far?

We have sought out and expected many things for our overlanding adventure but in the end, what really matters and what we cherish the most is the meetings of locals and other travellers from around the world. Through these encounters, we learn and discover new cultures and the rich history of the countries that are foreign to us.  

What are the top three destinations you hope to explore next, and why?

As mentioned before, since we don't plan much in advance, we don't have the top three destinations that we hope to explore. That can be in our disadvantage for some aspects but we think it's also a good thing since this doesn't build any unrealistic expectations and false ideas created by social media and it's "instagram" vision. Let's see what the future brings us! 

Where would you recommend others visit?

We have our favourites and our less favourites but in order to stay in line with our beliefs, we prefer for the people to discover for themselves these countries and hope they live experiences as amazing as ours! One thing is certain, we don't regret any of the 29 countries so far that we visited and if there's a recommendation to do it is that slow overlanding travel is an excellent way to discover hidden gems in countries.  

How do you primarily travel on your adventures today?

We are travelling with a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ75 from 1998. We actually didn't bring any extra modifications to the vehicle from the previous owners. The car is equipped with a camper cabin where we have all the equipment to live, cook and sleep comfortably.  

What are five pieces of equipment that you always travel with?

The main equipments we can't live without in our adventure are:

1. Our shovel in order to dig and bury our number two's in nature when wild camping or help us dig the sand when stuck with the car. 
2. Our foldable bucket where we use everyday for dish washing and for our showers
3. Our foldable chairs and table to eat and seat.
4. And of course our smartphones because it helps so much in everyday life going from routes to planning and finding places to sleep in the wild.    

What inspires you to explore more?

The fact that no matter how similar the countries and cultures could be, we'll always have new experiences and out of the “ordinary". 

How do you engage with others?

Everything starts with a big smile and then the rest just happens.

Why is it important to embrace global cultures?

If we stay close minded and think our culture is best, then it's certain you'll never be able to embrace properly the others culture. We can always learn so much from others and on everyone's way of life and culture.

What are your goals when you explore?

Our main goal is to stay open minded and learn from others as much as we can even if sometimes, the culture and religion are miles apart from ours. This in the end will make us grow and accept all differences. 

What are some challenges you have experienced?

To be honest, we haven't met any major challenges during our travels. We have to acknowledge the fact that travelling this way as a "rich" white westerner is simple. For instance, we haven't had any major problems crossing the 29 borders since we left.  

What has been your most meaningful moment so far?

There are of course so many moments, but we always keep a great memory every time we've been invited by locals to share a meal or a tea. 

For instance, in Türkiye, after getting stuck in the ditch and being helped out by a local farmer with his tractor, who happens to be deaf, we were invited by his wife, who is also deaf, to their lovely house to share a home cooked meal. This dinner was an incredible experience of how we can share so much without saying any words during the whole night.  

How has exploration changed you?

Even if we didn't want it, travelling is a political act. We realize now how influential are politicians and media from our home country. So many biased or false ideas were in our minds on Islam and African colonization. 

People are scared of what they don't know and fear what they don't understand.

What is the number one lesson that you have learnt through your exploration?

As French and Belgian white persons, WE ARE PRIVILEGED IN THIS WORLD.

How do you explore locally?

We really enjoy cycling around cities and the countryside. We think it's an excellent way to visit a place.

What does the explmore mantra mean to you?

To be open minded and not close yourself from other cultures and religions. There's so much we can learn from others. 

What advice would you give to others who are seeking life changing adventure?

If you have the opportunity, don't wait... Just go!