Kuala Lumpur, February 2009 – Veteran 4×4 expedition organizer – 4×4 World Explorer Sdn Bhd (World Explorer) will be leading an adventurous group of 25 Malaysians and 5 foreigners with 13 fully equipped 4×4 vehicles. This 9,000-kilometre expedition will traverse seven countries, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico and USA taking participants through some exhilarating and breathtaking terrain that includes mountain ranges, rainforests, lowlands and super highways.
The World Explorer Series is an adventurous programme attempting to circumnavigate the world between circa 2008 and 2012 in suitably modified 4×4 vehicles. The entire series comprises of 6 different expedition regions: The Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East and South East Asia.
This expedition to Central America & Mexico was jointly launched by H.E. Jorge Alberto Lozoya, (Ambassador of Mexico), Datuk Hj. Mohd Nor Bin Hj. Atan (The Undersecretary of Americas Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the organizing committee from 4×4 World Explorer.
The adventure will start from San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica into the heart of Central America, then onto the huge expanse of Mexico, before crossing over to San Diego, California, and onto its final destination in Los Angeles. Rolling out on 29th April 2009, this expedition will take 47 days and is in fact the first in its 15-year history of organising expeditions.
When asked why a Malaysian expedition team had never ventured into Central America before, Thomas Foo, the Expedition Leader of the World Explorer Series, pointed to an absence of commercial interest and lack of in-depth knowledge about the region.
“Throughout the 47-day expedition, one can experience various cultures of Central America & Mexico up-close by taking the unbeaten path. Participants will get to sail the waters around Baja California Peninsula before traversing the rigorous 1600 kilometres across its desert, which is guaranteed to be an experience of a lifetime. By then our participants would have gained an insightful knowledge of this region.” said Thomas Foo.
Central America & Mexico boast a rich blend of cultures, a mosaic of people, languages and timeless connections between past and present. The expedition aims to expose this world to like-minded adventurers from behind-the-wheel in convoy. All participants not only have the opportunity to experience the diverse terrain and climate but to actually explore at close hand the region’s culture and resonant history.
Linus Liew, the Expedition Scope Director of 4×4 World Explorer, remarked “This expedition not only showcase the rich cultural heritage of Mayan and Aztec empires, but will also give a glimpse of current affairs as well as being able to observe, feel and share the energy and essence of the people in today’s climate.”
“Unlike the typical prosaic itinerary, ours will take participants to United Nation Heritage Sites such as Chichen Itza, a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Mayans. It is located in the northern centre of the Yucatan Peninsula. Other attractions include La Antigua Guatemala, which is famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudejar-influenced Baroque architecture. Also notable here are a number of spectacular ruins of medieval colonial churches. Participants will also experience the Baja California Desert, a steep and rugged desert eco-region in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula,” Thomas added with enthusiasm.
The next among the World Explorer Series – Part III – will start from Los Angeles to discover the southern and mid west states. The expedition will then journey northwards through beautiful British Columbia and into Yukon Territory in Canada. It will eventually reach Alaska before returning southwards along the Pacific Coast to Washington (USA), Oregon and California, thus concluding the expedition in San Francisco that wraps up the “Americas” sector of the World Explorer Series, while the “Asian” sector begins.
This life changing expedition to Central America & Mexico is available at a package price of RM46,000 for a round trip of boundless experience. 4×4 World Explorer will organize the routes, shipment of vehicles, border crossing, on the ground support including mechanical and medical back up, accommodation (sometimes camping in style), most meals and side excursion tours. Shorter sectors are available for participants who could not afford the luxury of time, provided adequate time is given to make necessary arrangements. For adventures who do not have their own 4×4 vehicles, they can still join the expedition on a “hop in” basis; as 4×4 World Explorer has three vehicles for the purpose.
If you are interested in becoming a part of this exhilarating adventure, feel free to get in touch with the organiser at [email protected] or call 03 – 4251 2423. For more information visit www.4x4worldexplorer.com
