London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 90 – 25 November 2016
Destination Reached – London to Mumbai Completed
The day we had dreamed about for months had finally arrived.
After a wonderful and relaxing stay in Goa, Team Kontiki left Benaulim at around 9:00 am and began the final leg of our epic journey.
Our destination was now just over 600 kilometres away.
Mumbai.
The city that had been our goal ever since we left London ninety days earlier.
As we pulled away from Goa, there was a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and reflection inside the motorhome.
For almost three months, every day had been focused on moving closer to Mumbai. Now, for the first time, the destination felt real.
The route ahead would take approximately twelve hours, including fuel, refreshment, and comfort stops.
Kontiki was running beautifully, the weather was favourable, and all four members of Team Kontiki were in excellent spirits.
As the miles passed beneath our wheels, we reflected on what had been achieved.
Over the previous 89 days, we had travelled approximately 22,000 kilometres (13,670 miles) through 12 countries.
We had crossed continents, deserts, mountains, forests, rivers, and countless borders.
We had driven through France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Myanmar, and India before finally reaching our destination.
When we left London on 28 August 2016, we had set ourselves a target.
We wanted to arrive in Mumbai on Day 90.
Many people thought it was ambitious.
At times, particularly when we faced mechanical problems in Germany, challenging roads in Myanmar, and suspension failures in India, even we wondered whether we would achieve it.
Yet here we were.
Day 90.
Exactly as planned.
The journey was about to be completed.
Throughout our travels, we had received thousands of messages, comments, emails, and words of encouragement from followers, friends, family members, and complete strangers.
Many people had travelled this journey alongside us through social media updates and blog posts.
There were moments when those messages gave us the motivation to keep going.
Today, we would like to sincerely thank every single person who supported us.
Your encouragement, blessings, and kind words became an important part of this adventure.
You helped carry Team Kontiki across every mile of the journey.
At around 2:00 pm, we stopped for fuel and a quick bite to eat.
While taking a break, we received an unexpected message from one of our followers.
The gentleman invited us to attend a reception the following morning at the Orient Club in Mumbai.
Initially, we were hesitant.
After all, we had never met him before.
However, he was persistent and soon phoned us personally.
He introduced himself as Kantibhai Haria, a businessman from Vapi, Gujarat.
During our conversation, his wife explained that Kantibhai had always been a passionate motorist and traveller. Sadly, due to a disability, he had been forced to give up driving.
He told us that he had been following our journey from Day 1 and had become emotionally invested in our adventure.
To celebrate our achievement, he had organised a reception and lunch at the Orient Club, Chowpatty, inviting friends and well-wishers to meet Team Kontiki.
The gesture touched us deeply.
We had not made any firm plans about how we would officially conclude the journey, and this seemed like a wonderful way to celebrate.
We gratefully accepted the invitation.
As evening approached, traffic increased steadily.
The roads became busier, the buildings taller, and the familiar signs of India’s financial capital began to appear.
Every kilometre now felt significant.
Then, after months on the road, countless border crossings, and thousands of miles of driving, the outskirts of Mumbai finally appeared before us.
The feeling was difficult to describe.
Relief.
Pride.
Gratitude.
Excitement.
A sense of achievement.
All mixed together.
At nearly 10:00 pm, we spotted a hotel called Sarovar Grand and decided to stop for the night.
The hotel looked comfortable, and after such a long day, none of us felt the need to drive any further.
As we checked in and unloaded our bags, the reality finally sank in.
We had done it.
London to Mumbai by Road.
Ninety days.
Twelve countries.
Twenty-two thousand kilometres.
One unforgettable adventure.
Standing there, we offered a silent prayer of thanks.
Thank you to God for keeping us safe.
Thank you to our families for supporting us.
Thank you to our friends and followers for encouraging us.
And thank you to our faithful old motorhome, Kontiki, for carrying us all the way from London to Mumbai.
Tomorrow would bring celebrations.
We had been invited to breakfast by our Leicester friend Anita Patel, who now lived in Mumbai, before attending the reception organised by Kantibhai Haria.
But tonight was simply about gratitude.
We had fulfilled a dream.
And we had arrived exactly where we had planned to be.
Destination reached.
London to Mumbai by Road – Completed.
Distance travelled today: Approximately 600 km
Route: Benaulim, Goa to Mumbai, Maharashtra
Weather: Warm, pleasant, and ideal for travelling
Highlights: Reaching Mumbai exactly on Day 90 as planned
Most memorable moment: Seeing the outskirts of Mumbai after travelling 22,000 km across 12 countries
Journey statistics: 22,000 km, 12 countries, 90 days
Accommodation: Sarovar Grand Hotel, Mumbai
Special thanks: Family, friends, followers, and supporters who travelled the journey with us from afar
Tomorrow: Reception and celebration at Orient Club, Mumbai
Mood of the day: Emotional, grateful, relieved, and immensely proud
“Dreams do not become reality through luck alone. They require courage, determination, perseverance, and faith. Ninety days after leaving London, Team Kontiki arrived in Mumbai and proved that even the most ambitious dreams can come true.”
The road from London to Mumbai may have ended, but the memories, friendships, and experiences gained along the way will last forever.
