British-Indian man drives 18,300 km across 16 countries to see his mother
A British man of Indian origin has completed an epic 18,300-kilometre road trip to visit his mother in Maharashtra. Virajit Mungale drove through 16 countries over 59 days, facing altitude sickness, freezing temperatures, and a minor vehicle issue along the way. His journey began in the UK and ended in India, covering some of the world’s most challenging terrain.
Mungale set off on April 20, 2024, accompanied by Roshan Shresta until Kathmandu. After that, his wife and a relative named Dinesh joined him for the rest of the trip. He drove an average of 400 to 600 kilometres daily, sometimes pushing up to 1,000 kilometres in a single stretch. To stay safe, he avoided night driving entirely.
The route took him through the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. From there, he crossed into China, Tibet, and Nepal before reaching India. Along the way, he climbed to 5,200 metres, battling snow, extreme cold, and mild altitude sickness. Before leaving, Mungale took two months of unpaid leave and secured all necessary permits for each country. He planned the trip after reading about the historic Silk Route, even though a couple he contacted for advice never responded. The only major hiccup came in Poland, where a minor technical problem delayed him briefly. The rest of the journey went smoothly, with his SUV consuming nearly 3,000 litres of fuel by the end. His adventure concluded on June 17, 2024, after covering 16 countries in less than two months.
The trip required careful planning, from unpaid leave to securing international permits. Mungale’s SUV handled extreme conditions, from high-altitude passes to long desert stretches. After 59 days on the road, he finally reached his destination—his mother’s home in Maharashtra.
