We took a road trip to Iraq via 21 countries and ended up staying longer than expected…

Two adventurers told of their epic road trip through 21 countries, including Iraq, where they ignored travel advisories and ended up staying much longer than expected.

They admired a range of wonders, from the Dead Sea to a strange mirrored building in the desert. However, there were also low points.

Johannes and Anna converted a 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser into a habitable home and left their home in the Netherlands for a nine-month journey, eventually ending up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Their Instagram @jatonergens documents the stunning highlights, but in an ‘ask me anything’ format Reddit threadJohannes tells about the difficulties that were going on behind the scenes.

When asked if there was an “emergency situation” by a Redditor, Johannes shared a story about getting a flat tire while isolated in the desert.

The couple captioned this photo taken in Saudi Arabia: ‘We are a big fan of these rock formations… This one is our favorite because of its thin trunk’

Johannes and Anna, seen above in the Wadi Rum, converted a 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser into a livable home and set off from their home in the Netherlands

During their stay in Jordan, the travelers stopped for a swim in the Dead Sea and experienced its unique floating properties

He wrote: ‘At one point, after driving 25 miles deep into the desert and not seeing a single car along the way, we got a flat tire. When we tried to check it with our compressor, the compressor hose itself blew a hole, Murphy’s law at its finest.

‘But in the end we were able to just change our tire and continue the remaining 50 miles [through the] desert, fortunately without further problems. We do have a satellite communication device for emergencies.’

Many commentators were curious to know if the couple felt unsafe anywhere.

Although they never felt threatened, Johannes said if he had to pick one place that felt dangerous, it would be Iraq.

He explained: ‘That was mainly because we have a red travel advisory, and because we had less experience. But in the end, “most unsafe” was still safe.

‘We came in with an open mind, ready to race across the country in three days if we didn’t feel comfortable, but we ended up staying for three weeks.

‘My impression is that most of the fighting in the country is very focused… Ultimately, I don’t think it’s easy to accidentally get caught in someone’s crossfire, but of course the chance of something going wrong is not zero. That is why the Dutch government advises against travelling.

“Besides, this military back and forth is ultimately the only risk I see when I travel there. All the people you meet on the street are nothing but friendly and curious. You are like a VIP.”

Besides keeping a cool head, the couple also had to keep their finances in order.

In the cheapest months they spent “all told” about $1,600, but in the more expensive months they spent more than $3,200, “mainly due to higher hotel costs and fuel prices.”

Before they set off on their journey, the duo worked day and night to save money. Anna was a veterinarian and Johanne worked as an engineer.

They also sold most of their belongings and terminated the lease on their home.

To save money on the car conversion, they did everything themselves, although the pop-up roof required an expert approach.

Johannes wrote about the space inside: ‘The Toyota Landcruiser, [for us, offers the] the best compromise between capacity, reliability and interior space.

Along the way, the couple managed to gain access to the world’s largest mirror building. The Maraya Concert Hall is located in Saudi Arabia

After completing their trip, Johannes and Anna flew back to the Netherlands and had their 4X4 shipped to Kenya

The epic road trip took them through 21 countries

The biggest surprise in Oman, the couple said, was “how much water and greenery there is.” They found a combination of swimming and walking a ‘perfect activity in the warm summer weather’.

The duo said of this photo: ‘A quick hike to the top of the Red Valley gave us a great view of Cappadocia’

To save money on their car conversion, they did everything themselves. However, the pop-up roof required an expert approach

‘Inside we have a full-fledged, albeit very small, living space.’

On Instagram, alongside photos of the van’s interior, the couple explains that “this is what our little house looks like from the inside, where we can eat, sit, lounge and sleep.”

They add: ‘The storage space we have is just enough, but getting things in and out still feels a bit like playing with Lego.’

John said Saudi Arabia was their favorite country, “because of its sheer size, diversity and great people.”

One of the highlights there was the visit to Maraya, the largest mirror-clad building in the world.

Johannes says: ‘Normally you need some tricks to visit the building, because it is in a forbidden area.’

However, while they were there, there was a free art exhibition, so they were able to get in without any problems.

At the other end of the spectrum, Johannes said the UAE was possibly their least favorite place: they found “Dubai disappointing compared to other Gulf cities.”

However, he admitted that ‘due to time constraints they have not visited any mountain or dune in the country, so we cannot really make a judgement about it.’

Meanwhile, Bahrain was the country that surprised them the most during their trip.

Of the island nation in the Persian Gulf, he said: ‘It’s just a big city on a small island, but the atmosphere and the amazingly friendly people made it a little adventure for us, so we stayed much longer than expected.’

After completing their trip, Johannes and Anna flew back to the Netherlands and had their 4X4 shipped to Kenya, where they plan to move on to the next destination and continue their journey to South Africa.

Reflecting on their recent trip, Johannes said the coolest things they remember most were “experiences with local people who invited us and took us on completely unexpected adventures.”

He concluded: ‘We’re not the most outgoing people ourselves, so when we read travel stories we always thought that this would happen to us less. But people in the Middle East are all amazingly friendly and welcoming.

‘So much so that at one point we ended up in a five-star hotel in one of the Gulf States, courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism, who were in turn family members of some of the guys we had met earlier in the day, who showed us around the city because they had seen our Instagram name on our car, and invited us via DM. And that’s just one of many examples.’