South America 1 - 2006 Travel Times News

Expedition through South America
By JOHN TIONG Travel Times Section of New Straits Times

THOSE taking part in the Wilderness Explorer II – South America 2006 Expedition will be bringing the spirit of “Malaysia cares” to seven countries there.

Organised by Asia Offroad Centre, The 4X4 Adventure Club Kuala Lumpur and Future Oracle, the expedition is from October 11 to December 10 and will cover 22,400km.

The 4X4 Adventure Club Kuala Lumpur has donated water purifiers and medicines for cough, deworming, flu and stomach ailments to the Chaco Guarani School in Paraguay which is on the route of the expedition, said expedition leader Thomas Foo of Asia Offroad Centre. They will also be distributing tourism brochures. The 40 adventurers (36 Malaysians and four foreigners) who are mostly businessmen will travel in 15 4X4s vehicles and five BMW bikes. This is the fifth international expedition of such scale organised by 4X4 Club in Malaysia since 1992.

Previous expeditions have seen groups traversing China and Tibet, the Middle East, Russian Federation, Europe, India and Africa.

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, who launched the expedition recently, said this is a good opportunity for Malaysians to promote Malaysia.

“It will open the door to businesses as well as allow people-to-people contact between the countries,” he said.

The Wilderness Explorer II – South America will start in Buenos Aires in Argentina and move through Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Chile and back to Argentina.

The convoy will pass through vast grasslands, the majestic Perito Moreno glaciers in Santa Cruz, Argentina, the mysterious Inca civilisation Macchu Picchu, and the breathtaking Andes range.

Event director Thomas Foo said the full ground cost of the expedition is RM46,700 which covers lodging, food, evacuations, permits, driving licence, 4x4 Club Membership, city tours and clothes. But participants will have to pay the flight fare to Buenos Aires.

There is an option of four packages where participants can join in on shorter routes instead of the whole expedition.

There is a charge of RM24,820 to ship own vehicles to Buenos Aires from Port Klang and back. For more information, contact Thomas Foo at 03-4252 8002.