What? Are You Serious?
Yes! We drove a tiny car 10,345 miles from London to Mongolia!
WHAT?
An Epic Roadtrip
The Mongol Rally is an epic 10,000 mile pan-continental roadtrip that begins in London and ended in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. In 2014 three American cuckoos- Young, Graham and Kenneth, decided to take part in this adventure of the lifetime. Our team name is Team Hippo.
We drove through 20 Countries, 10,345 Miles, 5 Mountain Ranges, 3 Deserts, 2 Continents in 52 Days in our tiny 1000cc Suzuki Alto named “Tahki Butter”. En route we faced lots of unknown challenges.
In Russia our engine was dangerously overheated due to a broken radiator, both our rear suspension springs were shattered into pieces in Mongolia, not to mention all the bent wheels and numerous tires changing.
WHY?
For Charity
The Mongol Rally is a charity rally that required the participants to raise money for a non-profit/ NGO. In our case, an awesome non-profit based in U.K. called CoolEarth. Cool Earth works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction.
On our Mongol Rally trip we pre-designed 15 different missions we had to complete. Some were funny/ silly and some were very sentimental and meaningful. All of them were inspired by the local cultures, landscapes and traditions.
These fundraising missions gave us a very strong focus, provided us infinite stamina and broadened our horizons tremendously. The best Mongol Rally experiences for us were all the fantastic interactions and cultural exchange with the locals.
WHEN?
Summer, 2014
We started on July 15, 2014 in London and finished the rally on September 3, 2014. Altogether we raised $6,600 for our charity.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the generous donations from all of our donors! Without you guys, we would have never accomplish such a successful FUNraising trip! You guys provided us the resilience we needed while we were facing difficulties. Hope you enjoy the Mongol Rally missions we accomplished on your behalf.
Also, forever gratitude to all the peoples we met on the road who offered help to us while we were in trouble. Too many beautiful peoples to list here. You know who your are ;-)
The journey is more important than the destination! Check out our Blog for our day-to-day stories. Эрүүл мэндийн төлөө! (Erüül mendiin tölöö)- Cheers and Good Health!
Charity
DONATE TO OUR FUNraiser MISSIONS
100% of your donations will go to the charity
We were inspired by TV shows like The Amazing Race and An Idiot Abroad. We decided to perform a series of fun and meaningful missions to raise money. We believe we cannot change the world sitting behind our computers. We would like to get down and dirty and raise money for charities. Having no access to this specific kind of online fundraising platform, we decided to build it. Hence the birth of FUNraiser.us.
If you pledge money to a mission, once it’s finished all your donations will go to our charity Cool Earth.
Click on the image below to see the missions you can support, it will takes you to our “Missions” pledge page on our FUNraiser site.
We are doing this to protect rainforest and help indigenous peoples to save their lands.
All of your donations will go to the following charity
We are raising money for a wonderful cause, a non-profit called Cool Earth.
Cool Earth works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction.
To this day Cool Earth has protected over 500,000 acres of rainforest that lie directly in the path of chainsaws and bulldozers.
We know that saving the rainforest isn’t a new idea. Managing to do it is.
Over the last 40 years, half the world’s rainforests have been destroyed. That’s why cool earth decided to go about things differently.
We don’t create reserves or put up fences. We don’t buy land. Instead, we put indigenous people back in control of the world’s most endangered rainforest.
These people have lived in the forest for countless generations. Their homes are now on the frontline of deforestation. They have the most to lose from deforestation.
By building better incomes, better schools and better clinics, we give our partner villages the resources they need to keep their forest intact.
Cool earth is now working alongside 65 rainforest villages throughout the world.
These partner villages are protecting 500,000 acres of forest that lie directly in the path of chainsaws and bulldozers.
The clever part is that this forest is forming a shield to make the neighbouring forest inaccessible to loggers – saving millions of acres of further forest.
At least 90% of each donation to cool earth goes directly to our projects.
You Really Gonna Drive That Far?
20 Countries, 52 Days, 10,345 miles, 3 FUNraisers, 15 Missions, 1 Tiny Car
the map above is our original drafted routet in Google Map
Below is the actual route we took in Mongol Rally 2014, it’s approximately 1/3 of our planet earth and a big chunk of it are unpaved roads starting from Mongolia.
Inevitably, our original drafted route was changed due to mechanical problems, border crossings waiting time, health issues, visas time constraints and conditions of the roads. Our car “Takhi Butter” broke down multiple times- in Russia our engine was dangerously overheated due to a leaking radiator, our suspension springs were shattered into pieces in Mongolia, not to mention all the bent wheels and tires changing.
Thank You for your tremendous support in helping us overcoming these challenges! The ones with an asterisk next to them are the days when we tackle our FUNraiser missions.
London, U.K.
Calais, France
Brussels, Belgium*
Vianden, Luxembourg
Munich, Germany*
Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Klenová, Czech Republic
Sedlec, Czech Republic*
Bojnice, Slovakia
Slovak Paradise NP, Slovakia*
Forró, Hungary
Transylvania, Romania
Ruse, Bulgaria
Varna, Bulgaria
Edirne, Turkey*
Istanbul, Turkey
Pamukkale, Turkey
Cappadocia, Turkey*
Batumi, Georgia
Tbisili, Georgia*
Sheki, Azerbaijan
Baku, Azerbaijan*
Caspian Sea Ferry, Caspian Sea
Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Derweze, Turkmenistan*
Bukhara, Uzbekistan*
Qarshi, Uzbekistan
Dushanbe, Tajikistan*
Fann Mountain, Tajikistan
Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Tien Shan Mountain, Kyrgyzstan*
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Kazakh Steppe, Kazakhstan
Rubtsovsk, Russia
Barnaul, Russia
Altai Mountains, Russia
Tsambagarav Uul, Mongolia
Khovd, Mongolia
Altai, Mongolia
Bayankhongor, Mongolia
UlaanBaataar, Mongolia*
List of Attractions Along The Route
Below is a list of attractions along the way. Some requires a serious detour or multi-day excursions. We really want to visit all of them but we know we will not be able to. It all depends upon the unknown situations.
We will drive through five different mountain ranges: Carpathians Mountains, Balkan Mountains, Caucasus Mountains, Tien Shan Mountains, Altai Mountains and three deserts: Karakum Desert, Kyzyl Kum Desert and Gobi Desert. We are nature lovers therefore our anchor points have lots of scenic wonders.
The “Missions” column describes the missions we are going to tackle to raise money for the charities. Click on the links will takes you to our mission pledge page.
PLACE |
LOCATION |
ADDRESS |
| Muscles from Brussels Statue | Bruxelles, Belgium | Boulevard Sylvain Dupuis 433, 1070 Anderlecht, Bruxelles, Belgium |
| Vianden Castle, Victor Hugo Museum | Vianden, Luxembourg | |
| Munich Beer Hall Augustiner Braustuben | Munich, Germany | Landsberger Strasse 19, 80339 Munich, Bavaria, Germany |
| Hrad a zámek Klenová Castle | Klenova, Czech Republic | Klenová 1 340 21 Janovice nad Úhlavou, Česká Republika |
| Český Krumlov | Český Krumlov, Czech Republic | |
| Sedlec Ossuary | Sedlec, Czech Republic | Zámecká, 284 03 Kutná Hora-Sedlec, Czech Republic |
| Bojnicki Castle | Bojnicki, Slovakia |
Zámok a okolie 1, 972 01 Bojnice Slovakia
|
| Čičmany folk architecture reserve |
Čičmany, Slovakia | |
| Demanovska Ice Cave | Slovakia | 031 01 Demänovská Dolina, Slovakia |
| Spišský hrad Castle | Slovakia | Prešovský kraj, okres Levoča, Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia |
| Dobšinská Ice Cave and Sucha Bella, Slovak Paradise National Park | Slovakia | Národný park Slovenský raj, Košický kraj, okres Rožňava, Stratená |
| The Gombasek Cave, Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst | Slovakia | Gombasecká jaskyňa cave, Košický kraj, okres Rožňava, Slavec, Slovakia |
| Gellert Thermal Baths | Budapest, Hungary | H-1118 Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4. |
| Belgrade | Belgrade, Serbia | |
| Izvorul Bigăr Waterfall/ Cheile Nerei-Beușnița National Park | Caraș-Severin County, Romania | Izvorul Bigar Nature Reserve Județul Caraș-Severin Romania |
| Transfăgărășan DN7C Highway |
Romania | Between Pitești, Argeș and Arpasu de Jos, Romania |
| Bran Castle | Bran, Brașov, Romania | Bran Castle, DN73, Bran, Brașov, Romania |
| Vama Veche Beach Party | Vama Veche, Romania | |
| Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria | Shumen, Bulgaria | |
| Buzludzha Bulgaria Communist Headquarter | Bulgaria |
Vrah Hadji Dimitar, връх Хаджи Димитър
6100, Bulgaria
|
| Wrestling School | Edirne, Turkey | |
|
Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) |
Istanbul, Turkey | Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi, 34116 İstanbul, Turkey |
| Pamukkale | Pamukkale, Turkey | |
| Cappadocia | Cappadocia, Nevşehir, Turkey | |
| Derinkuyu Underground City | Derinkuyu, Turkey |
|
| Sümela Monastery | Trabzon Province, Turkey |
61750 Trabzon Province Turkey |
| Best Mineral Water | Borjomi, Georgia | |
| Uplistsikhe Cave Town | Gori, Georgia | Kvakhvreli village, Gori, Georgia |
| Joseph Stalin Museum and Birthplace | Gori, Georgia | 32 Stalin Avenue, Gori, Georgia |
| Restaurant Salobie (famous for Lobio red beans) | Mtskheta, Georgia | |
| Tbilisi | Tbilisi, Georgia | |
| Sheki | Sheki, Azerbajan | Şəki |
| Baku | Baku, Azerbajan | |
| Gobustan National Park | Azerbajan | Qobustan Milli Parkı |
| Door to Hell | Derweze, Dashoguz Province, Turkmenistan | Derweze, Dashoguz Province, Turkmenistan |
| Rusting Fishing Ships of Aral Sea | Mo‘ynoq, Uzbekistan | |
|
Po-i-Kalyan, The Ark…etc. |
Bukhara, Uzbekistan | |
| Registan |
Samarkand, Uzbekistan |
|
| Iskanderkul Glacier Lake |
Tajikistan |
|
| Pamir Highway M41 |
Khorog, Tajikistan |
|
| Issyk Kul |
Cholpon Ata, Issyk Kul Province, Kyrgyzstan |
|
| Charyn Canyon National Park- Valley of Castles |
Kazakhstan |
|
| Lake Kaindy |
Kazakhstan |
|
| Big Almaty Lake |
Kazakhstan |
|
| Altyn-Emel State National Park |
Kazakhstan |
|
| Siberian Ice Maiden Mummy at Anokhin Museum |
Gorno-Altaysk, Russia |
Национальный музей республики имени А.В. Анохина, Choros-Gurkina ul., d. 46, Gorno-Altaysk 659700, Russia |
| Golden Mountains of Altai |
Republic of Altai, Russia |
|
| Uvs Lake |
Mongolia |
|
| Lake Khovsgol National Park |
Mongolia |
|
| Gobi Desert | Mongolia | |
| Amarbayasgalant Monastery | Erdenet, Mongolia | |
| Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape | Kharkhorin, Mongolia | |
| UlaanBaataar | Mongolia | |
| Gorkhi Terelj National Park | Mongolia |
OK, How can I help?
Wanna Help Us?
There are two ways you can get involved
BE A SPONSOR
Donations from businesses and organizations can help offsetting the cost of this charity rally. Your logo will be proudly displayed on our car and permanently shown and linked on this website. Click here for more info.
DONATE TO OUR MISSIONS
We have a series of fun “Missions”. If you pledge money to a mission, once it’s finished all your donations will go to our charities. Click on the FUNraiser logo below to see the missions you can support, it will takes you to our “Donate” page where you can pledge donations to our missions.
Meet Team Hippo
Who are these three crazies?
KENNETH TIN-KIN HUNG
YOUNG JUNG
GRAHAM MYHRE
Contact
We'd really love to hear from you so why not drop us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
All Rights Reserved TEAM HIPPO