This itinerary we present here holds a special place in our hearts.

Almost fifteen years ago Angie and I drove in Spain and Portugal for the first time; a few years later we returned on the occasion of celebrating our wedding anniversary there with friends. 

Both times we came as tourists with no thought of ever developing an On the Road itinerary in these lands.

Over the years, Spain and Portugal have been suggested repeatedly as possible destinations for us. 

Last year we resolved, at last, to design our first Iberian Peninsula itinerary and to focus on Andalusia in Spain, and the Algarve in Portugal – from the Mediterranean Sea right to the Atlantic Ocean.

What we have found during the last nine months has been overwhelming. 

  • rarely have I driven on such beautiful roads with so few cars
  • the variety and freshness of the food we have enjoyed there still lingers enticingly on the palate
  • the culture and history we uncovered moved us, again and again; 
  • the people we met touched us; 
  • and the hotels, some in remote locations, we stayed in were a sheer delight.

We can’t wait to share with you what we’ve come to love ourselves so much. Please open the Journey Dossier to see what we have in store for you – a journey where we hope every day will be filled with excited anticipation and unforgettable memories…

[Click here for full itinerary details.]

(Spain) Málaga – Granada – Loja – Pueblos Blancos (White Town) – Casares – Tarifa – Jerez – Sevilla – Jabugo (Portugal) Barrocal Sub-region – Porches – Lisboa

Flying from A to B is certainly convenient, but what do we lose when we skip over the places in between? To travel overland towards a distant horizon is to experience a part of the world for yourself, up close and personal…

Air travel has revolutionised the way we experience the world. Today we have become accustomed to the drama of exchanging one country and city for another; swapping London’s city streets for Marrakesh’s medina or switching Hong Kong’s hills for the foothills of the Himalayas – all in the course of a few hours.

Travel overland and you exchange this swift convenience for something quite different; the romance of bygone times and the adventure of discovering the places that lie between the airports. The overland traveller witnesses the gradual shifts and sudden changes as one land merges and slips into another, drawn onwards as the road unspools towards a distant horizon.

At On the Roadwe are passionate about exploring the world overland. All our driving holidays are designed to offer the best experience of the lands that lie between arrival and departure points. Yet few encompass such dramatic changes as Lands of Silk and Snow, a 16-day journey that spans tropical South-East Asia and the icy heights of Tibet.

Until relatively recently, this journey would have taken a month or more – plus several months of preparation and logistical legwork. Fortunately, modern-day travellers can enjoy both the thrill of travelling overland and the comforts of reliable cars and an ever-improving road network – and On the Road’s guests have the added bonus of avoiding the paperwork.

On the Road in poor northern Lao…

It is only by travelling this route overland that one learns how the tropics’ lush, gentle continuity disappears quite suddenly on the drive to Kunming; how the long parallel valleys of northwest Yunnan are home to a patchwork of ethnic groups and amazing biodiversity; and how Tibetan culture has overcome staggering geographical challenges to spread from Yunnan to the edge of Central Asia.

And yet, for all that changes along this route, there are also elements that bind it together. From Laos to Lhasa the main religion is Buddhism – albeit of different schools. Everywhere between Dali and Luang Prabang once belonged to a single kingdom. The waters of the Mekong gather the journey together at several points like a purse-string, from Luang Prabang, where the river flows slow and stately, to eastern Tibet where the young river tumbles wildly out of the mountains.

Pity the poor traveller who flies over all this! In our busy times of direct flights and high-speed trains, it truly is a luxury to experience a long-distance overland journey, and to see a portion of the earth’s surface up close and personal, and to meet people along the route, at every turn learning that for all that separates us, there is as much that binds us together.

Join us on Lands of Silk and Snow
  • Experience Asia’s amazing diversity first-hand
  • Stroll Luang Prabang’s charming streets, where gilded wats stand alongside colonial-era villas
  • Discover the countryside of lovely northern Laos
  • Stay in luxury in lush Xishuangbanna
  • Visit Yunnan’s best-loved destinations – Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La
  • Watch daybreak over Yunnan’s tallest mountain, beautiful Kawakarpo
  • Discover mysterious eastern Tibet, the land that inspired stories of the realShangri-La
  • Find yourself in Lhasa’s beautiful old town and catch your breath at the Potala Palace

Full journey details available here


Every language and culture has a handful of meaning-rich words and phrases that resist translation. As we put together our first journey in Japan, one such term that cropped up repeatedly was mono no aware. Journey designer, Angie Koong looks at what it means and how mono no aware will help you to savour the moment…

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Joanna James revisits a roller-coaster day on the roads of Sichuan…

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There are many things that make Yunnan – one of our favourite Asian destinations – unique. We take a look at eighteen of the oddest…

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We talk to On the Road Experiences’ intrepid host, Mareen Windisch, about her favourite places, family holidays and the challenges of staying fit on the road…

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Cafés and coffeehouses are a prominent feature of towns and villages across Austria. Tempting displays of cakes and desserts fill the windows to lure passers-by, but locals have long treated their coffeehouses as social institutions.

Livelier than a library, but less boisterous than a bar, a café is an ideal place to catch up on the latest news and gossip, to meet friends and acquaintances, and to debate and share ideas, all for the price of a cup of coffee and – maybe – a slice of cake

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The Mekong River feeds and waters tens of millions people in six countries. The river is an arterythrough China and South-East Asia, linking the cool, dry austerity of the Tibetan Plateau and its tropical delta.

Jo James take a trip downstream…

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A temple, shrine or monastery sits at the heart of almost every community on the Tibetan Plateau. Jo James steps inside to learn more…

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There’s adventure to be found both on- and off-road across Asia – indeed, some would say that any drive in the region qualifies as an adventure…

On the Road in poor northern Lao... Continue reading