A man is setting off on a 7,000-mile journey hitchhiking from Southampton to South Africa.
Timo De Jong has travelled to almost all four corners of the earth in the last six years, from Colombia to Egypt to Australia.
Ever since January 2018, the 25-year-old has travelled to various spots across the world getting a taste of the many cultures across different continents.
However, after developing an internet in hitchhiking, the Dutch-born voyager stumbled into Southampton while in the UK and began to plan out the 7,000-mile plus journey from the city to South Africa.
He said: “I was looking on the map and saw Southampton and thought it would be a fun idea – also because they both start with South.
“I started doing research and saw that people could drive through Europe and because I had never been to Africa before I decided to give it a try. If people could drive it, then I can hike it.”
His travelling passion started in 2018 on a trip around southeast Asia in January, after he saved up in his job back home delivering car parts to mechanics.
“I really enjoyed that and the people were so nice and accommodating that I just fell in love with it,” he said.
Following that he flew to Australia and worked there for two years at a courgette farm before travelling back home in August 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.
It wasn’t long before he went off again, and in September 2021, he travelled to Egypt, Mexico and the United States before going back to live in Australia again for a year in 2022.
Between then and now he has gone back to southeast Asia and Central America before arriving in England in January this year.
“I had never visited England and I had met so many English people in my travels, so I knew I had to come to visit," he said.
"I wanted to try random English foods such as sausage rolls or Percy pigs.”
After visiting friends in Blackpool he spent two nights in Southampton and from there he started plotting his journey and took off on February 11. He expects to arrive in South Africa at some point next year.
He said: “I only spent two days in Southampton but I had a great time there. I have to come back.”
His journey involves taking free lifts from people he meets at petrol stations and staying with friends, or sometimes strangers, for the night while exploring the places he stays in.
He has shared his journey on social media and has attracted the attention of thousands.
He said: “I had one lady who said to me ‘If I give you a free ride, do you promise not to murder me?’
“But people have been nice, some people in rural villages have welcomed me into their homes and it’s been amazing to spend that time with them.
“Had I taken a flight straight to South Africa, it would be cheaper but I wouldn’t have met so many great people on the way.”
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