How it all began

Ku Jaafar, then the First Secretary to the Malaysian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos invited us to drive to Vientiane through Thailand. Those days it was unusual to drive to Thailand, let alone to Laos.

The dream fired up into a vision and 3 months later, a group of 24 4x4 trucks modified as if to go to war was on their way into Thailand, heading towards Bangkok to Nongkhai, the eastern border with Laos at the Mekong River.

The Ferry across the mighty Mekong was already a big thrill as we were the first group of Malaysians to cross the Mekong with our own 4x4 heading to Vientiane. At the landing on Laos territory, the river bank had a concrete ram up to the road to Thanaleng. From here it was 18 km to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.

We were welcomed by the Laotian Ministry of Interior Affairs together with our Malaysian Ambassador, of course, Ku Jaafar was beaming from ear to ear having initiated the first ever visit by a group of Malaysians by road all the way from Kuala Lumpur to Vientaine.

The event was aptly named KL - Vientaine 6000 km Friendship Expedition, extending the Malaysian hand of friendship to the people of Laos.

From that drive to Laos, it had become the Mother of Overland Expeditions. That was in 1992, between then and now 2008, the rest is history.