Meet the travel influencers walking 15,000km from the UK to Vietnam

Do you ever get it when you can’t be bothered to walk up the road to grab a sweet treat, and just take your car instead?

Well, imagine instead of walking one kilometre, you’re walking more than 15,000.

That’s exactly what Luke Deakin is doing.

Travel influencer Luke is currently walking from the UK to Vietnam, with his partner and fellow content creator, Sophie Tang, joining him in Turkey.

Luke’s 15,000km trip began on 16th September last year and the pair reunited on 22nd March once he had reached Istanbul.

Both influencers are known for their travel content and have documented each day of their journey on their Instagram accounts (@chubbytrekka and @sophietangtravels), where they boast a combined following of 803,000.

Sophie also shares her travel stories on her YouTube channel, where she describes her content as “the raw, unedited side of travelling”. The travel influencer also hosts a podcast, Destination Happiness, where she discusses her experiences as a solo female traveller as well as interviewing fellow backpackers and expats

So, what is their route?

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A post shared by 𝙇𝙐𝙆𝙀 𝘿𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉 🇬🇧➡️🇻🇳 (@chubbytrekka)

So far, Luke has travelled from Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece before reaching Turkey.

That’s where he met up with Sophie, who was originally only meant to walk the 1,700km across Turkey, before she accepted Luke’s offer to join him for the entire Asian leg of the trip.

From leaving Turkey, the influencer pair’s remaining walking route spans to Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and finally Vietnam.

Where are they now?

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A post shared by Belle Trekka (@hairytrekka)

Luke is now approximately halfway through his trip with the couple having reached Georgia in June.

However, it hasn’t been plain sailing since they arrived in the country. After passing the border, the duo added an unexpected member to their group.

A stray dog, who had been following the pair, was hit head-on by a police car and left with its injuries. This prompted the pair to travel 80km to ensure the injured dog received the care it needed.

Now named Belle, the dog is joining the duo on their walk to Vietnam and even has her own social media account and passport.

When are they expected to arrive at their final location?

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A post shared by Sophie Tang | Honest Raw Travel Content (@sophietangtravels)

Sophie has said she expects the walk across Asia to take around a year, ending in Hanoi, Vietnam. However, whilst this is the decided end point for now, Luke is keeping his options open.

Talking to Bomba Surf, Luke said the expedition might be “just the beginning”.

Why walk 15,000km in the first place?

When asked why she is embarking on this wild journey, Sophie explained the reason was “to show life can be more than the familiar, and real growth begins where comfort ends”. Whereas Luke noted that his motivation was “to be a better person”.

Despite enduring unpredictable weather, risky camping locations, and countless blisters, the pair have enjoyed the landscapes, culture, and food they’ve experienced.

Having met in Vietnam, the adventure certainly seems to be a full circle moment for the couple.

Featured image via Instagram