Rob Lilwall spent three years cycling from Siberia to London, then six months walking home to Hong Kong from Mongolia. On top of this he cycled across the USA with his wife Christine. The explorer tells us more about some of his greatest adventures
The Expedition Where I Learnt The Most…

On my first expedition I learnt that if I threw myself in the deep end, I would learn how to swim (in my case, this meant cycling through a Siberian winter and learning to survive in the extreme cold). I found that fears get easier to face, the more you face them. And I learnt that there are a lot of kind people in the world. Most people want to help you, or if they can’t, to introduce you to someone who can. And finally I learnt that tough times don’t last.

Meet Hong Kong's Record-Breaking Explorer

The Expedition That Was The Most Challenging

It was probably either going through the jungles of Papua New Guinea with a bicycle, or dragging a home-made beach cart 1,000 km across China’s Desert of Death (The Taklamakan). Both very hard, but in different ways.

Meet Hong Kong's Record-Breaking Explorer

The Expedition That Is The Most Memorable

In the Takalamakan Desert in China, I almost gave up several times. I almost gave up when the dunes were too big to drag my cart across; when the police caught me; and when I got a lot of punctures from reeds. What helped was having a clear goal; calling my wife and my friends who gave encouragement and helped me regain perspective; and rewriting the negative story in my head with a more positive story about about how much I was learning, and how I still had options ahead.

Meet Hong Kong's Record-Breaking Explorer

The Expedition That Was The Most Scenic

Many to choose from. One morning in Siberia when it was minus 40 I woke up to see frozen waterfalls hanging off the side of the valley – extraordinary.

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Suggested Itineraries
Mongolia_Gobi Desert_Camel

From S$15,080 pp

Classic Mongolia

Mongolia

  • Scrambling up the towering Khongoryn Els sand dunes for a glorious sunset and then sliding back down
  • Riding camels with an authentic nomadic camel breeder in the Gobi Desert
  • Staying at the luxurious Three Camel Lodge
  • Horse riding through the forest to the seldom-visited Tovkhon Monastery
  • Spending the night in your own bespoke ensuite luxury ger that has been set up in the wilderness just for you

When to go:

J F M A M J J A S O N D
ideal length 10 nights
Bhutan_Paro_Tiger Nest1

From S$8,740 pp

Trekking in Bhutan

Paro, Thimphu & Punakha

  • Hiking Bhutan’s iconic Druk Path, enjoying the magnificent scenery and fresh mountain air
  • Visiting the sub-tropical valley of Punakha and experiencing a totally different climate and landscape
  • Enjoying a mix of both nature and culture with sightseeing after the trek

When to go:

J F M A M J J A S O N D
ideal length 8 nights
Husky dogs are pulling sledge with family at winter forest in Lapland Finland

From S$8,900 pp

Finnish Lapland For Families

Finnish Lapland

  • Whiz through Lapland on a snowmobile to visit a reindeer farm
  • See Finland’s winter scenery from the back of a sleigh and meet excited husky dogs
  • Try ice-karting and make friends with some Finnish polar bears
  • Stay in a cosy glass igloo offering potential views of the Northern Lights
  • Get the chance to meet Father Christmas and his cheeky elves!

When to go:

J F M A M J J A S O N D
ideal length 6 nights
Destinations Featured in the Article
china-hong-kong-business-district

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is the ultimate Asian city break, offering designer shopping and lively street markets, delicious gourmet delights and hip bars.

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