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Hitchhiking from Southampton to South Africa
From Southampton to South Africa—One Ride at a Time
When Timo de Jong set out to hitchhike from England to South Africa, he had no idea what lay ahead—only that he wanted to see the world in its rawest, most unfiltered form. What followed was a 294-day odyssey across continents, through deserts, jungles, and everything in between, relying entirely on the kindness of strangers.
From sleeping on the side of the road in Congo to sipping champagne in luxury safari lodges, from riding on top of a train through the Sahara to jumping off the world's highest bungy bridge, this is a journey of extremes—of hardship and generosity, of chaos and beauty, of moments that test you and ones that make you never want to stop moving.
Told with honesty, humour, and an unshakable spirit of adventure, this is a story about hitchhiking, yes—but more than that, it's about human connection, about pushing past fear, and about discovering that the world is far kinder than we're led to believe.
When Timo de Jong set out to hitchhike from England to South Africa, he had no idea what lay ahead—only that he wanted to see the world in its rawest, most unfiltered form. What followed was a 294-day odyssey across continents, through deserts, jungles, and everything in between, relying entirely on the kindness of strangers.
From sleeping on the side of the road in Congo to sipping champagne in luxury safari lodges, from riding on top of a train through the Sahara to jumping off the world's highest bungy bridge, this is a journey of extremes—of hardship and generosity, of chaos and beauty, of moments that test you and ones that make you never want to stop moving.
Told with honesty, humour, and an unshakable spirit of adventure, this is a story about hitchhiking, yes—but more than that, it's about human connection, about pushing past fear, and about discovering that the world is far kinder than we're led to believe.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2025
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April 17, 2025
I've been following Timo and Courtney for a while, and if you're an adventurer or hitchhiker you'll love this book.
Full of anecdotes and stories from the rawness and beauty of Africa and all the countries that they passed together.
It's not always pretty, but which great story is? Kindness of strangers, meeting friends and making friends. This story reminds me of one of my favourite quotes, "A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet."
Full of anecdotes and stories from the rawness and beauty of Africa and all the countries that they passed together.
It's not always pretty, but which great story is? Kindness of strangers, meeting friends and making friends. This story reminds me of one of my favourite quotes, "A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet."
Displaying 1 of 1 review