The Idea Behind Trans Asia Expedition

In 1965-6 Harold Stephens, along with Al Podell, picture editor of Argosy magazine, formed the Trans World Record Expedition and set the world's record for the longest non-repetitive miles motor trip around the world. They drove 42,500 miles with two vehicles, a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Willys Jeep through 37 countries reaching the highest and lowest roads on earth. They had 28 sponsors, and from the expedition came literally thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, appearance on radio and TV shows across the US, including national TV shows like Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" and "To tell the Truth", and a best-selling book, Who Needs a Road that sold near a hundred thousand copies, and is still selling today, being in its 8th edition.

Aside from breaking the world's motor record, and displaying sponsors products worldwide, Stephens was hoping to prove that the world is a safe place for international travel. As it turned out, the Trans World Record Expedition was the last motor trip able to circumnavigate the world overland. As we can see, places like North Africa, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan are impossible this day, nor is Nepal and Central America altogether safe for motoring. Indeed, the Trans World Expedition was not only the longest but also the last motor expedition around the world. For our route, please click OUR ROUTE.

There were shortcomings, however, when Stephens planned his Trans World Record Expedition. He wanted to follow, in part, Marco Polo's Trail and the Silk Road through Central Asia and China, but that of course was impossible. China and Central Asia were closed to the world. But no more, and after 40 years Stephens with his new adventurous crew has organized the Trans Asia Expedition. This is not intended to be a duplication of the former expedition but an extension to it. In planning, the aim of the expedition is not merely to get from once place to another. The intention is to make Southeast Asia and China better known to the world, to prove that there is still adventure to be had and that it is there for everyone one of us to experience and enjoy. Our journey will take readers with us from the ruins of Angkor Wat and follow the entire length of the Great Wall of China to Mongolia, and on to Tibet and Nepal. We plan to enter Bhutan, cross over the highest mountain pass in the world to India, follow the Ganges to Calcutta and ship the vehicles from Chittagong in Bangladesh to Penang in Malaysia and make the final drive back to Bangkok.

For more about our intended route, view OUR ROUTE, and for an insight as to what we expect to find, view BACKGROUND.




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