KUALA LUMPUR: Travelling around the world is only something people talk about or dream of. But a Malaysian family is set to make it a reality within 2 1/2 years in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Maritime consultant and seasoned sailor Capt Ghani Ishak, his wife Alison Murugesu-Ghani and their 3-year-old son, Adrian Ishak Ghani, will start the five-leg journey on May 1.

They will begin from London and travel across Europe, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Asia. They expect to finish the journey in October 2010.

Their expedition has the support of Tourism Malaysia, which will provide them with brochures, banners and posters of Malaysia for distribution.

The family, which called itself Malaysians in Motion, had bought and fitted a Nissan Patrol 4x4 with the necessary equipment as they intended to cook on their own and sleep outdoors.
"We have named our vehicle 'Tuah', after the legendary Malay warrior, and of course, it also means luck.

"It is now being fitted with equipment in Britain," said Ghani, 61.

He had served 26 years with the Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC), and was considered as one of its founding members.

In 1999, he left the MISC to study law in Britain and subsequently relocated with Alison, 37, to London.

Ghani said his family and friends did not realise how serious they were about their plans until they bought the vehicle and quit their jobs.

"Alison and I have been planning this for some time.

"We are both bikers, have travelled a fair bit and thought of going around the world.

"But then, Adrian came along. We did not want to leave him out, so we modified our plans. Instead of bikes, we looked for a more suitable vehicle."

Alison said Adrian had travelled before and the boy was used to it.

"This will also be a good learning experience for him as it is something he will not get in school."

She said preparations for the trip started in November last year.

"We have no experience and were totally reliant on others for advice.

"We did a lot of research using the Internet on our routes, equipment and choice of expedition vehicle. We spoke to as many overlanders and off-roaders as we could."

Alison said the family had set up a travelogue on their website at www.malaysiansinmotion.com to give updates on their travels.

"A lot of the focus will be on Adrian. We will capture how he sees things and what he does."

They were concerned about safety, especially in certain countries, but believed that if they minded their own business and stayed in populated areas, there would be no problems.

"We will not only promote Malaysia on our travels but hope to raise money for a charity that we have identified - Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association - as well as provide the necessities to underprivileged people along the way.

The Rainforest Challenge has stepped in as a sponsor, but the expedition is largely self-funded.

Ghani hoped to prove that a Malaysian family could succeed on such an overland expedition.