2017, 6 mesi dall'Olanda all'Indonesia... via Asia Centrale, in VW Golf 2 1.6 diesel
qui piu foto:
https://www.instagram.com/drivingthescenicroute/Nationality: the Netherlands
Their 2WD Overland vehicle: Golf 2
Journey: After a stint in Africa Beert and Nick were ready for another trip. From the Netherlands to Indonesia (March – November 2017) via northern Europe to Russia, down through Central Asia into Iran, to Pakistan, India, up to Nepal, and back through India to Myanmar. After most of South East Asia we made our way down to Singapore. We had hoped to be able to cross to Indonesia but this wasn’t as easy as we thought and called Singapore the end of our overland trip on November 7.
What inspired you to buy this vehicle?
We met in 2013 doing internships in South Africa. Afterwards, we decided to travel in a 4×4. We met somebody who owned Land Rover Defender 110 but it didn’t have an engine. He would give the car to use for free but we would have to buy an engine and make it run. This seemed like a pretty good deal. We got a new engine in the car and addressed things like breaks and tires. However, the engine wasn’t happy and started using a lot of coolants. We spent a lot of time and money trying to get it fixed, but it wasn’t going to work.
The LandRover owner had VW Golf and offered us to use that to travel through Namibia with while they would continue to look at the Land Rover. We had a great time, but back in South Africa we realized that the Defender was a lost cause. By then we just really wanted to get on our way. The Golf had held its own in Namibia so we decided to head out with that. We traveled 22,000 km and the Golf did an amazing job.
A couple years later we were planning our next trip. We figured that if the Golf is good enough for Africa, it should be good enough for the rest of the world too. We found one owner 1991 VW Golf 2 with a 1.6 diesel engine.
Was the VW Golf a good choice?
We were very happy with our car as it is very simple and mechanical. The engine is bulletproof. We had a few minor issues but we were able to fix it quickly. We were amazed at how well it handled rough terrain. The VW got across everything we threw at it (and we didn’t take it easy). It is also very fuel efficient. We could usually drive about 800 kilometers on one tank, and a couple times we even managed to get over 1000.
Would you recommend overlanding in a VW Golf?
A Golf 2 is a friend to all. It is such a great simple little car. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It is very reliable and in case it does break down, it can be fixed by everyone. We had mechanics fix our car who had never seen a Golf 2 before, and probably never even a VW. It’s also just a great car to drive, with a lot of character.
Biggest pros and cons?
•Pro: is the simplicity and reliability of the car.
•Cons: It is not very big and after long hours of driving it is not very comfortable. After several days across rough, washboard roads, your bum wishes for some nice 4×4 suspension. We also had a lot of flat tires (20 in total). But in the end, all this just adds to the adventure!
Annecdote or tip to share?
It’s always fun to meet other overlanders and see their reaction. Most people love it. But, in Tajikistan we met a couple in a huge Unimog. They had just finished the Pamir highway and we were about to start. The woman told us that there was no way we would make it and that it would be the end of our journey. Although we did take a beating, we had a great time proving her wrong.