Parents with 2 kids sell HDB flat & car to go on 6-month road trip to Turkey

For some families, a holiday means booking flights, packing suitcases and returning home after a week or two.

For Singaporean couple Mohammad Shahrom Mahat, 44, and Mastura Natasha Malek, 40, it meant selling their home and car, putting their belongings into storage, buying a Toyota Hilux pickup truck, and setting off on a six-month overland journey to Turkey with their two young children.

The couple are travelling with their children Seth Ilhan, six, and Nadine Inara, five.

10 years in the making

In a video posted to their TikTok account on May 9, the family documented the start of their journey, showing scenes of their empty three-room HDB, the Suzuki car they sold, and their farewell to friends and family.

@_fatstarfish We sold our house, Golden Honmoon and pack our worldly possessions into storage to buy a Toyota Hilux to travel overland to Turkiye. We have been planning this for a very long time. And finally it is happening. Come join us on our adventures and see how far we go. #overland #travel #toyotahilux #vanlife ♬ Ain't No Stoppin Us Now - DJ Party

The video also showed that their first stop was Desaru in Malaysia.

Speaking to Mothership, Shahrom, who is self-employed and runs photography company Flashpixs, said the idea of travelling overland was not an impromptu one.

Mastura, who left her full-time job as an educational therapist to take a break, said the family had done campervan trips, road trips and motorcycle trips even before they had children.

“It has always been in our mind to travel overland,” they said.

They added that the plan had been in the works for about a decade:

“Yes, it has always been in our conversations. We decided to do it with or without children. This plan has been in the making for 10 years. So every decision and action throughout has been taken into consideration, including buying and selling of our house. From the start till the end, we had a clear intention.”

The couple are “campervan enthusiasts” and had even spent their honeymoon in a caravan van in Mongolia, according to Berita Harian.

Sold HDB and car

The family’s journey is expected to take around six months, as they are factoring in time for rest and recovery along the way.

They plan to travel from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

“We are taking our time,” the couple told Mothership.

The trip is expected to cost about S$100,000, inclusive of the vehicle, expenses, insurance and an emergency fund.

While some have expressed admiration for the couple's decision, their choice to sell their home has drawn attention online in pragmatic Singapore, with some questioning the risk involved.

In response to this, Shahrom and Mastura said the decision had been carefully considered.

“We did our calculations and factored in all possible risks and possibilities. We are actively looking for another home to buy. So it’s all in the plans,” they told Mothership.

“It may seem like a bold decision but it’s all calculated risk and we are willing to give it a shot.”

When asked if they had experienced doubts along the way, the couple said they had: “Definitely! We are only human. There were moments of doubt along the way, but those experiences helped us grow individually and as a family.”

The family plans to stay with Shahrom’s parents temporarily when they return to Singapore, according to Berita Harian, while continuing to look for another home.

“We are not getting any younger”

The couple explained that their children will be homeschooled during the six-month journey, and that they plan to be share some of the homeschooling resources they will be using on their Instagram account.

As for how their children reacted when they found out they would be away from school, the couple cheekily added: “They are very happy to be away from school.”

For Shahrom and Mastura, the trip is not just about reaching Turkey.

Beyond the destination, the couple said the journey is about giving their children a chance to be exposed to different ways of life and to create lasting memories as a family:

“We hope to show them the beauty of life, culture, food, languages and people. Of course, to create memories and bond as a family. We are not getting any younger and the children won't remain this young to hang out with us.”

As of their latest TikTok update, the family appeared to be camping at Pahat Hill in Perak, Malaysia.