Thane: British national of Indian origin, Viraj Mungale, has completed a remarkable trip, driving his SUV from London to Thane to meet his mother.

The extraordinary journey spanned 16 countries over 59 days, he said.

According to Mungale, he covered a distance of 18,300 km which took him through the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tibet, Nepal, and finally India. During the journey, he was also accompanied by his Nepalese friend Roshan Shresta up to Kathmandu, Nepal. 

The inspiration for this adventure stemmed from his fascination with the historic Silk Route, coupled with stories of others who had undertaken similar journeys.

"I drove approximately 400-600 km per day, occasionally pushing up to 1,000 km, always prioritising safety by avoiding night driving," Mungale told select reporters over the weekend after he reached Thane on June 17.

For this journey, he took a two-month leave from his job and meticulously arranged permissions and legal clearances from each country. He also faced altitude sickness at 5,200 metres and extreme weather conditions including snow and cold while travelling from one region to another. 

Mungale said he would return to the UK by flight and ship his SUV. PTI