May 8, 2025, 00:41 (Türkiye, Istanbul)
Right now, I’m in Istanbul and planning travels with my friends over Google Meet. Everyone is arranging their own plans. Just now, we checked an Indigo flight on Flight Radar. Thankfully, it wasn’t flying too close to Pakistan. I had just bought my ticket to Thailand when the Pakistan–India conflict began. Let’s see—may Allah grant us a safe journey, inshaAllah.
I just finished the Airbnb part too—I booked a place for 8 nights in Bangkok. Even before going, I learned something new about Bangkok. The name “Bangkok” is actually the internationally used name. The city’s full official name is:
“Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.”
By the way, after buying my ticket, I also shared a post called Let the World Tour Begin. You can read that as well.
The story
Why I left
This tour was an item on my 2013 “27 Before 27” list. The point wasn’t the destination — it was being on the road. On 9 May I flew to Bangkok via New Delhi; I was back by 1 August.
Read the full postThree short answers
27 Before 27
It sat on the framed list I made in 2013. Age moved on; unfinished goals still bothered me.
See the list → SparkÖzcan & friends
Engineers who quit and left in 2010–11 — their books and old YouTube clips lit the fuse.
Watch →Why Thailand?
Cheapest Asia connection I found was Bangkok. I also wanted to be in a Muslim country for Eid al-Adha — Indonesia was the plan.
Country line
The spine from the recap — full journeys below. Transit stops (India, Mongolia) and Türkiye overnight stays are not counted as visited countries.
What stuck
Bangkok mornings
A balcony between forest and city, birds at prayer time — even a ~900 TRY room can answer “why am I here?”
Batu Caves
Colourful stairs, a huge cave, a giant Buddha. I spent Eid in Malaysia too.
Ijen — blue fire
Midnight in the crater, sulphur fog, one step of visibility — and helping someone who had fallen. Heavy. Human.
Backstage
8–9 hours of remote work a day, plus 60eksi, IG, and trip planning. Sometimes 3–4 hours of sleep. In KL, only 5–6 of 14 days were outside. No money, no road — that was the deal.
Thailand videos
The first four episodes I published after leaving — parked here as in the post.
Follow along
What’s left of the road still lives on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Route log
Asialog — Itinerary
28 journeys from 9 May to 3 August 2025. Six countries I stayed in; about 28,400 km including transits (great-circle city-to-city). Planes, trains, buses, minibuses and private transfers.
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IstanbulTürkiyeNew DelhiIndia
via IndiGo
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New DelhiIndiaBangkokThailand
via IndiGo
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BangkokThailandPhuketThailand
via Thai Airways
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PhuketThailandKuala LumpurMalaysia
via Malaysia Airlines
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Kuala LumpurMalaysiaSingaporeSingapore
via Sri Maju Group (12go)
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SingaporeSingaporeJakartaIndonesia
via Scoot (AirAsiaMove)
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JakartaIndonesiaBandungIndonesia
via KAI (Traveloka)
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BandungIndonesiaYogyakartaIndonesia
via Damri (redBus)
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YogyakartaIndonesiaMalangIndonesia
via Cititrans (redBus)
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MalangIndonesiaBromoIndonesia
via Klook
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BromoIndonesiaIjenIndonesia
via Klook
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IjenIndonesiaBaliIndonesia
via Klook
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BaliIndonesiaNusa PenidaIndonesia
via 12go
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Nusa PenidaIndonesiaBaliIndonesia
via 12go
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BaliIndonesiaJakartaIndonesia
via Super Air Jet (Kiwi)
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JakartaIndonesiaSingaporeSingapore
via Scoot (Kiwi)
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SingaporeSingaporeTokyoJapan
via Scoot (Kiwi)
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TokyoJapanFujiJapan
via Fujikyuko Bus
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FujiJapanTokyoJapan
via Fujikyuko Bus
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TokyoJapanKyotoJapan
via Shinkansen
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KyotoJapanNaraJapan
via Japan Metro
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NaraJapanKyotoJapan
via Japan Metro
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KyotoJapanOsakaJapan
via Japan Metro
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OsakaJapanSeoulSouth Korea
via Jeju Air
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SeoulSouth KoreaBusanSouth Korea
via Korail (RailNinja)
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BusanSouth KoreaSeoulSouth Korea
via Korail (RailNinja)
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SeoulSouth KoreaUlaanbaatarMongolia
via MIAT Mongolian Airlines
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UlaanbaatarMongoliaIstanbulTürkiye
via MIAT Mongolian Airlines