MEET THE TRAVELLERS:
JENNIFER HONG
What is it like to travel for 4 months across seven countries all by yourself? When life in Singapore began to feel repetitive, Jennifer Hong decided to set off on a journey to break away from routine life. She chose a destination that was 6,276 km away—Kazakhstan—and decided to travel there by land without taking any flights. Along the way she crossed many borders and made friends with many strangers, all while travelling at her own pace. We spoke to her in the midst of her journey to learn more about what’s it like to travel solo and how she feels about the journey so far.
Tell us about the journey you are making!
J: I’m currently on a 4-month solo, overland journey from Singapore to Kazakhstan—a route that most would never imagine taking without taking a flight. So far, I’ve been traveling primarily by car, bus, train, and occasionally hitchhiking, moving every few days across different borders and into new countries.
There’s no strict timeline for this journey. My ideal goal was to complete it within five months or less, but I’m allowing the road to guide me. I want to spend more time in each city, not just passing through, but really observing and learning about an individual’s culture and immersing myself into the experience.
Why did you decide to embark on this journey, and why solo?
J: I decided to go on this journey because I felt it was time to do something meaningful for myself. Life in Singapore had started to feel repetitive, the stability of my job was threatened with so many retrenchment and poor job placements going on. I used to live alone but had to move back to my parent’s home due to inflation and that had taken a toll on my mental health.
I needed a break—not just from work, but from expectations and routines. I wanted to slow down and take this opportunity to break out of my introverted shell and comfort zone. You often hear about the phrase: “Life is short, enjoy it to the fullest.”
Kazakhstan felt like the perfect destination—it’s not too far from home, not overly touristy and it’s honestly an easy target to achieve for “beginner” backpackers. Traveling solo was the only choice since I couldn’t find friends who are as adventurous as I am or who are willing to drop everything to embark on this month-long journey. In fact, I know that I will meet people along the way, which I did.
I also enjoy taking videos and part of the reason I embarked on this trip was to sharpen my vlogging skills with storytelling. I want to show people the culture and things I learnt along the way. I become more independent when I’m by myself. Although I consider myself to be fairly independent in Singapore, travelling alone requires a different degree of independence, and I was able to relax while also taking care of myself. For us female travelers, it is an empowering experience.
What did you do to prepare yourself for the journey?
J: I didn’t prepare much at all for this trip. Everything was done quite intuitively—just Googling and researching as I went along. I broke the journey down into three basic parts:
1. Accommodation
For accommodations, I didn’t book far in advance. I usually looked for a place to stay a few days before arriving in a city. Sometimes I even booked it whilst on the way to the city after confirming my transportation. I used apps like Booking.com, Trip.com, and sometimes Couchsurfing if I received messages from local hosts who were willing to host me in their country.I chose places based on price (less than SGD$30/night), and good reviews.
2. Transportation
I travelled mostly by bus, train, or shared rides, and I figured out routes as I go, or sometimes through word of mouth. I proactively asked the locals, guesthouses and sometimes even people I met on the car/train ride. I also relied on 12Go Asia for Southeast Asia routes, but sometimes it’s just asking locals or checking Google Maps. Trust is an important factor—I never feared being directed to a different location or shady drivers.
3. Duration of stay
In Malaysia and Thailand, my stays were usually 2-3 days because I had been there before. In countries that were still relatively new to me, like Laos, China, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, I would stay longer, usually 3 days or more. If I liked the vibe of the place or knew that there was more to explore, I would also stay longer.
What did you bring with you in your backpack?
J: I brought two large 50-litre bags (a backpack and a wheelie bag) despite my best efforts to keep my backpack as lightweight and useful as possible. I packed clothes for around two weeks and additional layers for colder climates. It’s astonishing how much room toiletries take up and I kind of have a tendency of gathering them from guesthouses and hotels as I travel. I packed tech stuff as well: my laptop, two portable chargers, a universal adapter, a DJI Mini 4 and a Bluetooth speaker, which took up most of the space. Other essentials were a book, notes, passport, etc.
How did you feel setting off on the first day of your journey?
J: I felt a mix of excitement and uncertainty. I was 100% sure to embark on this trip but I feared that I might give up halfway and return home.
The first day felt surreal—my trip to Kuala Lumpur started at 7 in the morning and I had to get up early to get ready. I was experiencing severe stomach pain from eating a banana first thing in the morning which causes terrible IBS.
My mother had woken up at the same time as me—she had a fleeting understanding of my destination but no idea how long my journey would be. After she gave me her best wishes, I headed to the bus stop.
I remember fighting a stomachache for hours while wearing headphones, listening to some oldies to calm myself down. I felt relieved somehow—this was really happening.
As you travelled on, what was the journey like?
J: Since I had already visited Malaysia and Thailand before this trip, it was simple at first. I felt reassured and eased into the routine of long-term travel by the familiar sights, cuisine and culture. It only felt like a barrier to entry as I travelled further, particularly when I was getting ready to leave Thailand and enter Laos. However, once that was over, everything became simpler and I felt as though a burden had been removed.
I travelled alone all the time, so I wasn’t particularly afraid. Over time, I grew more adaptable and confident, even in the face of unforeseen circumstances. I learned to laugh when things didn’t go as planned and to appreciate the small, serene moments, like sipping tea with strangers, or taking in the sights of a different country through the train window.
Everything falls into place and becomes easier when I adopt a positive mindset and have no expectations.
What types of transport did you take to get to those places? Any memorable moments?
J: I travelled through the borders of Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, all without taking a single flight. I’d mostly moved from place to place using buses, trains, and shared cars, and occasionally I hitchhiked when local transport wasn’t available.
I first travelled by bus to Malaysia from Singapore. The border checkpoint was super easy and stress-free, and the same went for crossing into Thailand—smooth and uncomplicated. It takes a bit of asking around and following the signs to navigate the borders.
Each border and country had its own difficulty. For example, entering Laos felt different. It was a bit more challenging, and I was slightly fearful, because before arriving, I received a flood of DMs and messages on Instagram warning me about scam syndicates operating in the north of Thailand. That made me extra cautious, so I took the time to research a proper and safer way to enter Laos.
Exiting Xinjiang, China and entering Kyrgyzstan was one of the most intense moments of the journey. My body was literally shaking as I stood at the Irkeshtam border.
It was the first time I faced heavy questioning from Chinese immigration. I stood in an interrogation room where they asked everyone, me being last, in detail about my purpose of travel, my job, what I had been doing in Xinjiang, and even went through my photo albums on my phone. It was nerve-wracking, not because I had anything to hide, but because of how thorough and intimidating the process felt.
That experience reminded me how unpredictable overland travel can be—how you’re constantly at the mercy of circumstances, people, and the politics of the places you pass through. They really tested my patience but once I stepped into Kyrgyzstan, I felt a sense of relief.
After clearing immigration, I managed to hitch a ride with strangers I met at the Chinese immigration border—they kindly offered to drive me all the way to Osh.
What were some new and unusual experiences you had during your journey?
J: One experience that left a deep impression on me was in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, where a local invited me to witness a traditional game called Kok Boru. It’s an intense and wildly masculine sport where 200 to 300 men on horseback charge across an open field, battling it out over the carcass of a goat. I was the only female audience.
Another was the culture shock I had when I first arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, I was struck by the sight of so many different ethnicities in one picture frame. In Singapore, we are a multiracial country, but seeing such a diverse mix of people walking together on the streets in a single scene was an eye-opening experience for me. It was a beautiful experience visiting Kyrgyzstan.
Does it get lonely when you travel alone? Did you make any friends along the way?
J: Solitude can feel a bit overwhelming at times, especially when I’m in an unfamiliar place struggling with language barriers and the lack of WIFI. But overall, I enjoy solitude, and even though solo travelling can feel lonely at times, it’s just part of the experience. Once I get out there, I make an effort to know people, and I won’t get lonely anymore 🙂
I had a memorable encounter with a Uyghur boy on a train from Urumqi, Xinjiang, to Turpan. I had bought a ticket with no seat number, and he was seated on the first row, with an empty seat beside him. I asked if I could sit and somehow we ended up exchanging contacts. We talked on the train and he even bought me a drink. A week later, I visited his hometown in Kashgar, where he took me on a exhilarating 90 km ride on his motorbike along the Pamir Highway. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As a solo traveller, what are some things you have learned along the way? Anything you love or hate about travelling alone?
J: If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s adaptability. Before solo backpacking, I almost planned my leave and trips in great detail, but now I have no plans at all. Most of the time I listen to my body and intuition—if I am tired I just lay in the hostel; if I have a bit more energy, I will head out to explore.
Another lesson I learnt is being patient. Sometimes while travelling, you are bound to meet people from all walks of life and interactions may not be smooth sailing. In fact, miscommunications are common—just like navigating a new city and dealing with things on my own.
What I love about solo travel is the freedom. I get to make all the decisions for myself and enjoy the peace that comes with traveling at my own pace and being completely responsible for my own experience. As for what I dislike, it’s the stress and anxiety from figuring out things along the way. But all in all, there isn’t anything I absolutely hate about solo travelling. I love my own company!
Do you feel like something is slowly changing within you after travelling for so many days?
J: Absolutely. Travelling for so many days has had a profound impact on me. At the start of my journey I was more focused on visiting as many tourist attractions as possible. But as time passed, that focus shifted more towards resting and visiting one or two places and taking quality videos of them.
Every new place teaches me something new about the world and my place in it. As I slowly figure out more about my likes and dislikes, I am able to navigate it accordingly. There’s a sense of unity that I feel when I receive so many DMs about how my journey has helped people to embark on their own solo trip.
What do you hope to get out of the entire journey once you reach the end?
J: By the time I reach the end of this journey, I hope to have a deeper understanding of the world and the people I connect with along the way. I embarked on this experience to train my resilience and ability to treat every situation with more kindness and thoughtfulness, as well as to learn more about myself. I have made so many meaningful connections, and I am content to share this experience with the world.
JENNIFER HONG is a passionate solo traveler from Singapore. At 27 years old, she took a bold step by quitting her civil service job to embark on a transformative solo journey from Singapore to Kazakhstan for the first time, spending a significant amount of time away from home. Driven by the desire to help others, especially women, to have the courage to travel solo, Jennifer focuses on authentic experiences, cultural discovery, and personal growth. She shares her journey through engaging content on her social media. Follow her journey at @munmunich on instagram.