Road trip from Singapore to London

After featuring in a BBC documentary tv show commissioned by David Attenborough, this Land Rover is on a return journey from Singapore to London some 60 years later.

Originally from London, Marcus Allender (a member of our Myanmar and London chapters) has lived in Asia for most of the last 10 years – first in China and then setting up an online travel business in Myanmar. He has now set himself his biggest challenge: managing an overland expedition from Singapore to London in a 1955 Land Rover.

Watch the trailer below, and read on for our interview with Marcus.

How did the idea for the Last Overland come about?

In 1955, some young graduates from Cambridge and Oxford became the first people to drive overland from London to Singapore. The expedition spawned a bestselling book, ‘First Overland’, and a BBC documentary tv show, commissioned by David Attenborough.

The one surviving car from that expedition, dubbed ‘Oxford’, has recently been recovered and lovingly restored by Yorkshireman Adam Bennett; he has issued me, my friend Alex Bescoby – a documentary filmmaker – and Tim Slessor, one of the participants of the original expedition (now 87 years old), the challenge of returning the car from Singapore to London.

It was an offer we couldn’t refuse.

What is your route?

We are not doing it the easy way! Starting from the Singapore F1 grid, where our expedition group of three Land Rovers led by ‘Oxford’ will be joined by a procession of Land Rovers old and new, we will head up through Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar through remote north eastern Indian to the Himalayas and Nepal. From there it is across into China and the high Tibetan plateau.

Heading west, next up is central Asia and the small matter of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. We’ll be crossing the Caspian to Azerbaijan, and then through Georgia and Turkey and the final stretch home through the Balkans to western Europe and on to the UK.

🗺 You can see our route map on our website. 

Who are the team?

We are a multinational bunch of nine, headed by Tim Slessor. I’m taking charge of the planning and logistics side and Alex Bescoby is leading the documentary side, ably assisted by Leo Belanger (French) and David Israeli (American). We have a digital manager, Therese-Marie Becker (Belgian), running social media and more, and our most essential team member (and owner of nine Land Rovers), the magnificently named Dr Silverius Purba (Indonesian), the medic.

Mr Larry Leong is our Singaporean team member, bringing vast experience, having driven between Singapore and London twice previously, and last but not least is Tim Slessors’s grandson, Nat George, carrying the torch for the next generation.

What do you expect to be the biggest challenges?

Getting everyone to agree on what to have for dinner might be number one!

In all seriousness, the remoteness of parts of route – particularly in China and the eastern stans – means that at times we will be a long way from anywhere. Planning ahead, having the right equipment, adequate supplies and experienced and reliable local guiding are all essential.

Then there is ‘Oxford’ herself. Said by her owner to be a trusty steed, she is nevertheless an old girl now, and will need some TLC on occasion. We’re packing plenty of spare parts and we might need the occasional repair job.

High altitude will also raise questions for all team members – be they people or vehicles.

Where can people find out more about your trip?

Go to lastoverland.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and more… and if you’d like to join us in your own Land Rover, or simply say hello somewhere along the way, do get in touch!

— Thanks Marcus for sharing your story, and good luck on the journey!

Follow Marcus and the team’s journey on Instagram, Facebook, and lastoverland.com