In 2014, Jenna Bewsher took her last ever flight. Since, she’s visited 48 countries, but exactly how has she made her travel dreams a reality?

WHEN we envisage exploring the breadths and depths of the big wide world, one would automatically assume an airplane would need to be involved. However, for experienced traveller, explorer and all-round adventurer Jenna Bewsher, travel plans have been completed solely via road since 2016.

“I’ve always been a big traveller,” explains Jenna. “However, I’ve never been keen on flying and it started to aggravate a recurring medical problem which brought on severe headaches. The more I looked into flying the more I realised how bad it is for the environment, too, and I wanted to do my bit.

“I’ve always tried to extend my trips so I can explore as much as I can, though for me, I only consider myself to have really been ‘travelling’ since I stopped flying and started driving to my destinations.”

For Jenna, the raw challenge of removing flight as a mode of transport allowed her to really stray from the beaten track. Jenna’s most extensive road trip took place in 2018, when she spent an entire year travelling around Europe in her car.

“It was this trip which inspired the idea of van life,” she explains. “I love being able to take my home anywhere I want. My partner, Ben, and I love the lifestyle; the worst part of an adventure is having to return home.”

Jenna and Ben recently purchased a 2015 Mercedes Sprinter Long Wheel Base which will soon be their full-time home.

“We needed the extra space,” Jenna explains. “We’re currently in the process of converting it and plan to fully kit it out with a bed, a kitchen, a shower and toilet and storage space for our gear and adventure equipment.”

While Jenna and Ben are fully immersed in the van lifestyle, she says that it does present itself with its own set of day-to-day challenges, and she predicts more are sure to crop up in the future:

“Finding parking, especially in a city, is always a problem; we had an absolute nightmare in Athens,” she reflects. “Finding places we feel are secure enough to leave the vehicle can be tricky, too. But the rewards outweigh the cons; you have so much freedom to go anywhere you choose. Nothing is off limits and you can explore and experience places you could have never imagined.

“As much as it’s nice to visit those must-see locations, I prefer to explore the unknown or less popular places; you truly experience the country and meet some amazing people. I do try to plan adventures but I barely ever stick to the plan. Almost all of my most memorable experiences have come from just winging it and taking a chance.”

Jenna’s most loved destinations include Croatia, Norway and Slovenia:

“I like the untouched wilderness of Norway and Slovenia, while the people of Croatia are some of the loveliest I’ve ever met.”

Jenna says that her main takeaway tip for road tripping via road is to just go for it:

“It’s a daunting thing to plan as information about certain places is hard to come by, and transport — such as ferries and car trains — can be almost impossible to find information on or pre-book. When everything has gone completely wrong and we’ve ended up in the wrong place, or missed a ferry, or not found the area we were looking for, it’s always turned out to be an amazing experience that has given me the opportunity to meet some incredible people and make friends for life from all over the world.”

KEEP UP WITH JENNA

On instagram @jennastravelling

On her website wildernesstowaves.wordpress.com

On Youtube Wilderness to waves