08 Feb TIM SCHUIJT | THE GUY WHO HITCHHIKED TO HONG KONG
Tim Schuijt made the headlines in 2023/2024 for completing an incredible journey from the Netherlands all the way to Hong Kong. Why is that so special you may ask? Well, he did it by hitchhiking! We were curious about his best moments, the experiences in the different countries he visited, and what his future plans are.
Hi Tim! So how did you came up with the idea?
Hi Wander-Lust! Well, I came up with this hitchhike adventure when my school exchange study to Hong Kong were rejected at the last moment. I wasn’t sure what I should do and I was so disappointed that my trip to Hong Kong wasn’t going to happen. Instead of the study I was intended to do, I chose the school of life! In the end this was probably the best thing I could have done. Things happen for a reason ;-).
Have you always been this adventurous?
Yes and no. I’ve always been an adventurous person, but I had never done any solo traveling before. My trips didn’t really expand out of Europe. I did some interrailing with my friends a year prior to this big adventure, so I guess the curiosity grew from there. But I love adventure, climbing rocks, going off by myself – even if I was on a trip with my parents. For me, I just started hitchhiking to Germany, Poland and even though Hong Kong was the goal, the biggest adventure was everything in between. I didn’t have a lot of experience, but while my trip evolved, I learned so much.
What’s your most memorable moment?
Too many to mention! But one thing comes to mind now is when I finally reached Hong Kong. I hiked up and reached the Victoria peak, a mountain where you can see the whole city. I could really feel at this moment that another Tim was born. If I would have “just” studied here like my initial plan, it would have been such a different experience. Now I was on top of this mountain, looking over this incredible city with all this new experience and incredible memories in my pocket.
On top of Victoria Peak, finally in Hong Kong!
Any advice for people that want to start their first solo trip?
Just start with what you feel comfortable with! It doesn’t have to be that extreme like my trip for example. Don’t forget that most “travel” IG accounts only show you the best parts of travel, but it’s not only like this. Real travel is raw and can be hard sometimes. Also keep in mind that even the most adventurous people started from somewhere. In travel, there are no rules and no boundaries.
Which country do you recommend the most?
I loved Turkey! It’s a mixture between Europe and Asia, so for me this was a place that has so many different options. In my case, I found Turkish people super friendly and when I was looking for a ride, I literally needed to stick my thumb up and people would stop. Next to that, I was super impressed by Cappadocia and the nature in Turkey is stunning. It’s a great country to start from if you want to start traveling.
Read more about Cappadocia here.
Have you always been passionate about making videos?
I was alone a lot of the time, so this was a perfect way for me to share my (funny) thoughts. It was even a little therapeutical in some ways. In terms of my passion; editing and creating videos give me a lot of energy and excitement. I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t fun for me!
What is the BEST and the WORST meal you’ve had during your trip?
I have to come back to Turkey on this one, because they have an AMAZING breakfast, so this was always my favorite meal. Especially when I stayed at people’s homes, they would always create these amazing dishes with tomatoes.
In terms of the worst food, this was in Sudan where I cycled through the desert. I pretty much ate greasy brown beans with onions for weeks, and this is all they served at the road restaurants… I cannot see any brown beans ever again haha! In Thailand I tried the touristy delicacy fried scorpion, and even though it wasn’t the worst taste I ever had, the thought of it made me vomit!
Find out about the Best Turkish Breakfasts spots in Amsterdam here!
Tell us about your future travel plans!
Yes, I have a few! I even had to scrape a few off my list, to keep it realistic. First of all, I will cycle though South Africa. And I would love to visit Georgia (Europe) with a friend, and I would love to visit the USA from East to West during the elections. Mainly because I would love to see what the chaos is all about, super exited for this!
Wander-Lust in Georgia
You can follow Tim’s adventures via IG @Tim.Schuijt. Read more solo travel stories below!
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