Autohome - The World Off Road, around the world with Akis & Vula

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THE WORLD OFF ROAD

"IT SEEMS A CRAZY PROJECT, BUT IF YOU REALLY DREAM IT, YOU CAN MAKE IT"

Akis Temperidis and Vula Netou are from Thessaloniki, Greece.

Before departing for their trip around the world, he was editor in chief at 4TPOXOI, the best seller car magazine in the country and Press Officer at the Acropolis Rally. Vula was a dancer and choreographer working as a teacher and performing at dance theaters in Athens.

Akis had an illustrious career as a journalist. He was testing the best supercars in the world, taking exclusive interviews from top personalities (Giugiaro, Ecclestone, Ghosn, McRae, Peterhansel among others) in the industry, he attended world rally and F1 events, he followed twice Dakar rally in a car, participated in different Camel Trophy and Marlboro Adventure events (’90, ’91, ’93 & ’95) and he was racing cars and motorcycles for several years.

Akis had a dream to travel around the world for years. He shared it with Vula during a motorcycle trip in Italy in 2001 and since then never stopped dreaming about it. In 2005, they decided to leave their everyday jobs and get dedicated to their project, which they named The World Off Road.

Thanks to the support of 4TPOXOI and other sponsors in Greece they managed to buy, equip their Land Rover Discovery3 for the expedition, fix a Maggiolina Extreme Forest on top and finally hit the road in April 2007.

"It seems a crazy project but if you really dream it, you can make it", they say now, while living and growing up their child in Emilia Romagna, Italy.

Akis Temperidis

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Desert
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
One of the most epic routes was towards Ladakh, up on the Indian Himalaya.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Vula
Vula was the cameraman of the expedition.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Vula
Akis took more than 150.000 images during the trip.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Cotopaxi volcano
Driving on 4.500 mts. Under the imposing Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Pinnacles, Australia
Pinnacles, Australia
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Patagonia was the last frontier for the Greek couple.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Sunset in Patagonia, right before embarking for Africa.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
The Land Rover Discovery3 had many offroad adventures.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Akis happy to cross the "death road" in Bolivia.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Route 66
Crossing America through the glorious Route 66.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
Happy to arrive at Finke National Park, near Alice Springs, Australia.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Australia
happy to arrive at Finke National Park, near Alice Springs, Australia.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
The World Off Road crossed the Sahara desert 3 times from 2007 to 2010
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Lost on the Iranian mountains. Found later by hospitable locals...
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Following the coastal road in Goa, India.

"THE ONLY THINK I FEAR
IS TO LOSE MY MEMORY"

The World Off Road was an ambitious project right from the start.
The objective was to travel around the world in 800 days, writing and filming the adventure to make the money for living. The numbers of the trip were even more impressive in the end.

Vula and Akis covered 168.000 km. In 1177 days and returned to Greece in September 2010. They had  crossed 67 countries in 5 continents.

During their adventure, they drove through deserts like Sahara (three times), Kalahari, Namib, Nubian, the Australian outback and Atacama in Chile. They drove on the most challenging roads in the world, like the Khardung La pass in Ladakh (India, 5.609 mt.), the Karakoram Hwy (Pakistan), rally Dakar “pistes” in Mauritania, the no man’s land in northern Kenya, the Tanami and Simpson desert in Australia, the iconic route 66 and the windy Ruta 40 in Patagonia.

The Greek adventurers lived with ancient tribes like the Hajabe, the Maasai and the Mursi in Africa and the Kalasha in Asia, they filmed the best safari parks like Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kruger, Saadani and Zambezi falls, they visited the mountain gorillas in Congo and the Orangutans in Sumatra.

During their adventure, Akis and Vula wrote about 70 articles in different magazines, took more than 150.000 pictures and collected 200 hours of HD filming material. How does it feel after all this experience?

"The only think I fear is to lose my memory", Akis says...

Akis Temperidis

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Route 66
Offroad wherever... here on a forgotten section of the old Route 66
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
Zapotitlan, maybe the most iconic landscape in Mexico.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Arrived at Cotopaxi volcano base, Ecuador.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents The World Offroad
The rare encounter with orphaned, wild chimpanzees in Cameroun.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Vula with a Karen girl of the Burma tribe on the extreme north-west of Thailand.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents USA
On a remote, cowboy village on Route 66, Arizona, USA.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Almost daily, Vula and Akis were reporting via satellite to the popular Radio Thessaloniki 94.5 station.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Completely on their own, deep into the Stony desert, in the Australian Outback.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
South of Lima, Peru, where the desert meets the Pacific Ocean.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Khardung La pass, Ladakh at 5.609 mts. The highest point where a car can arrive.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Perù
Hosted by a traditional Uros family in Titicaca lake, Peru.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Hosted by a traditional Uros family in Titicaca lake, Peru.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
A Brazilian couple celebrates their national football team’s goal indi Copacabana.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Chimanuka, the silverback Gorilla Akis and Vula encountered in Eastern D.R. Congo.

"MAGGIOLINA ROOF TOP TENT WAS OUR LITTLE HOME. WE STILL MISS IT!"

“Life on the road is hard but wonderful", Vula says.
"These were the best years of our lives. We hope we can live something like this in the near future", says Akis, who still can’t get used to everyday life.

Akis and Vula had a restricted budget. They could survive for years with no more than 60 euros per day, all expenses included.
"Our Land Rover was our third companion around the world and the Maggiolina was our little home.
We still miss it", the two travellers say.

Roof top tent Maggiolina was an essential part of the expedition as the travellers spent more than 700 nights in it. This means two years in all!
Most of these nights are unforgettable. The Maggiolina was used in diverse conditions, between Sahara dunes, in African villages, on the assassin mountains of Iran, downtown Mumbai or in American petrol stations! "We spent so many nights in our beloved Maggiolina but we remember most of them because every one had a different view next morning", Vula says.

Akis remembers some extremely hot nights in Pakistan with 37  degrees C and freezing ones with -10 in Tierra del Fuego. Furious winds blowing at 120 km/h in Patagonia, the Australian sun, and wild Indian monkeys where some of the real life tests for the rugged Italian tent that still works perfectly.

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Botswana
Another otherworldly landscape: Magkadigadi salt pans in the Kalahari desert, Botswana.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Maggiolina Telos
"Telos", means the end in Greek. The last time we slept in our Maggiolina.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
"Telos", means the end in Greek. The last time we slept in our Maggiolina.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Free camping on the forest road across il Laos.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents The World Offroad
Our trip across Vietnam was sometimes underwater...
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Driving around the Meroe pyramids, in Sudan.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Just arrived in Australia after long quarantine car checks, in Fremantle.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Just arrived in Australia after long quarantine car checks, in Fremantle.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Driving at the most remote areas of Mozambique.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Camping next to wild elephants, in Chobe national park, Botswana.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Waterproof
Driving at the most remote areas of Mozambique.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Deep in the jungle of Cameroon, looking for pygmy people.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Attending the traditional Loi Krathong festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Sahara desert
Satellite communication in the middle of the Sahara desert, near Atar, Mauritania.

TIPS

Akis e Vula have a normal life now in Italy but don’t stop thinking about their next big trip, which they plan to start when their daughter gets 3 years old.
We asked them and they give us some tips on how to organize and survive a trip around the world.

  1. Money is important but not No1. What you need first is a real passion for travel. Travelling to work and working for travelling is our ethos.
    This is how we did it and will do it again.
  2. Fear is No1 enemy anywhere. Fear attracts negative energy and this is what brings problems.
  3. There are not bad people or countries, just few people who might harm you.
  4. Smile and sincerity are the only weapons you must carry as a traveller.
  5. Trust people and they will not be a problem.
  6. Follow the rules and respect the traditions of each country - don’t try to impose yours.
  7. Authorities (like police officers) is not a problem. Just behave yourself and confront them with respect, patience and a bit of humor.
  8. Budget travel is not a sacrifice. It makes the trip more exciting.
  9. Driving in some countries is tricky.
    Don’t stick to your country’s rules, understand local ones and always drive defensively.
  10. Maggiolina is not just the perfect home on the road. It attracts sympathy from everybody, especially poor people.
    Open it and let them climb to see it - they will love you for living in a smaller place than theirs...

Akis Temperidis

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Sahara desert
Sahara! The title of the second article in the series, on the greek magazine greca 4TPOXOI.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Australia
Sunset at the Uluru, the sacred rock of the Aborigines, in the Australian Outback.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
Sunset at the Uluru, the sacred rock of the Aborigines, in the Australian Outback.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
An old woman from the Kuna Yala tribe, Panama.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents The World Offroad
Inshallah! For the trip across Pakistan we really needed this philosophy.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Driving in the hot Balochistan desert, Iran.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
From an article on Overlander 4WD, Australia: on the road to Kashmir, India.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
One of our favourite landscapes, not so far from Europe. Wadi Rum, Giordania.
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Vula celebrating the fantastic sunset in the Atacama desert, Cile.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Unforgettable free camping, on the Nile road from Dongola to Wadi Halfa, Sudan.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
A gentle Karen woman - from the so called “long neck” tribe,Thailandia.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Ethiopia
Contrasts of colours and culture: Vula with a Mursi woman in the Omo valley, Ethiopia.
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
Crossing Ladakh, in the Indian Tibet.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Waking up in the Maggiolina, somewhere in the Australian Outback. We still miss our Italian ten!
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Crossing the white Sahara in Egypt to avoid police escorts on the main road to Cairo.
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Two desert camels, the original and the mechanical one.

COVERAGE

“AROUND THE WORLD IN 1.177 DAYS WITH THE ROOF TOP TENT AUTOHOME”


Here below the most captivating stories by Akis Temperidis e Vula Netou published on the prestigious austrialian magazine 4WD ACTION and in mother tongue on the greek 4TPOXOI and AUTOBILD, to which followed numerous press quotes, articles, interviews and TV broadcasts, to testimony the great adventure.

"...it is a pleasure and a honour for us using your Roof top Tent; thank you for the importance you have given – and continue giving – to our adventure. 
We hope it is not the last…..Don’t forget that you have a world famous product…. the creativity, ideas and positive energy which it gives out belong to us! With our best greetings!!"

Akis Temperidis - Vula Netou

13 March 2013

Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine

4WD ACTION

The magazine 4WD ACTION is the most popular Australian magazine, the leading magazine of its kind.
It concentrates on 4-wheel driving, camping and off-road lifestyle.
The magazine is published thirteen times
a year by the independent publishing house Express Media Group (EMG) that has its head office in Sydney

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
May 2020

KARIBUNI SAFARI

Akis and Vula set off on their first world tour with a Land Rover Discovery 3 crossing 66 countries on 5 continents, over 167,500 km. Now they are back on the road, but with an Iveco Torpedo and an “enlarged" family.

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Land Rover experience
CAR India - September 2008

WHO ARE WE?

We have driven 77,000km through 37 countries so far and after 400 days on the road we are in India. We are a couple from Greece, a car journalist and a dance teacher.

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
Intro - November 2009

EPIC OFF-ROAD JOURNEY

After 700 days on and off road, a Land Rover Discovery 3 pulled into Sydney. It had been driven 112,000km through 46 countries but still had a long way to go.

Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Africa - December 2010

WE ARE ALL AFRICANS!

An overland trip in Africa is the ultimate adventure and proved to be an addictive continent for our adventurous couple.

Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Malaysia - February 2010

APOCALYPSE NOW!

This is a 13,000 km. adventure from the developed Malaysian peninsula to the former war zone of South East Asia, which is now a heavenly destination for hard core travelers.

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Tibet - February 2010

TIBET - FEBRUARY 2010

We have driven 77,000km through 37 countries so far and after 400 days on the road we are in India. We are a couple from Greece, a car journalist and a dance teacher.

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Australia - April 2010

G'DAY MATES!

Greek overlanders cross the Outback all the way from Perth to Sydney adding 16,000km on their Discovery. Read an Australian epic from a foreigner’s point of view...

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Middle East - January 2010

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE...

The Middle East is a mind-blowing adventure through history, exquisite tastes and surreal landscapes but mostly an encounter with real life characters.

Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Central America - July 2010

HABLA ESPAÑOL?

Central America is a 10,000km drive through eight countries with turbulent pasts but plenty of colonial towns, colourful fiestas, Caribbean beaches, Mayan ruins and smoking volcanoes.

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Colombia - August 2010

CAMINOS DE LA MUERTE

Our Greek explorers climbed on 6000 m, drove through the most dangerous road in the world, camped in endless salt lakes, entered the driest desert on earth and they.

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Patagonia
Patagonia - September 2010

DON'T CRY FOR ME PATAGONIA

You need to survive the winds of Patagonia to make it to Tierra del Fuego, considered as the end of the world. We did it with pleasure as this was our ultimate destination before our trip back home...

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
USA - May 2010

MOTHER ROAD

We discover the nostalgic side of America crossing its most 'ancient' road all the way from Los Angeles to Chicago. Let's get our kicks on Route 66...

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine

4TPOXOI

4TPOXOI is the leading automotive magazine in
Greece, for which Akis Temperidis, the great
reporter of reference, was editor in chief. 4TPOXOI
has sponsored the "The World Off Road" project,
an extraordinary journey that has captured the interest
of the international automotive press.

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine

AUTOBILD

AUTOBILD is a leading German
automotive magazine, known worldwide.
Published by Axel Springer AG for the first time in 1986,
today with its publications authorised throughout the world,
it sells more than seven million copies every month,
and is published in 36 countries.

Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
Europe - Marocco - June 2007
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Sahara - July 2007
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Africa - August 2007
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Chimpanzees - September 2007
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Congo South Africa - October 2007
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
South Africa - November 2007
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Mozambique - December 2007
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Safari - Relly - January 2008
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Burundi - February 2008
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Patagonia
Midle East - March 2008
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad
Iran - July 2008
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Pakistan - August 2008
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
India - October 2008
Autohome Dachzelt - The World Offroad Roof Top Tents
Malaysia - Thailandia - November 2008
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Cambodia - Vietnam - December 2008
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Lao - Thai - January 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Sulawesi - March 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
West Australia - April 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Australia Outback - May 2009
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Sydney
Sydney - June 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
California - July 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Route 66 - August 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Route 66 - August 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Chicago - Houston - October 2009
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Mexico - January 2010
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Centroamerica - March 2010
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Colombia - Ecquador - April 2010
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Peru - Bolivia - May 2010
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Mexico - January 2010
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Centroamerica - March 2010
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazineAutohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents magazine
Colombia - Ecquador - April 2010