As of: March 1, 2024, 1:12 p.m
By: Joshua Eibl
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Many young people travel after completing their training.
However, what Valentin Oeckl experiences is more than unusual.
The 22-year-old made his way to Australia without a plane.
Prien am Chiemsee – 16 countries and many new experiences: Valentin Oeckl from Prien am Chiemsee is currently traveling to Australia.
What's special: The 22-year-old doesn't fly, but uses buses, trains or hitchhikes.
Young man from Prien am Chiemsee travels to Australia without a plane
No two days are the same for Oeckl.
On November 3, 2023, he decided to take a journey that changed him forever.
After his training as a surgical assistant, he wanted to go to the other end of the world - Australia.
But he did it differently than thousands before him.
“I wanted a challenge.
Just flying there was too boring for me.
“I wanted to go to Australia, but I also wanted to see more than one country,” said the 22-year-old when asked by our editorial team.
When he presented this plan to his family and friends, “of course there was skepticism.”
Is that even possible?
And not dangerous?
“My mother, for example, found my trip through Azerbaijan difficult,” says Oeckl.
Now she is “almost jealous” of his experiences.
Valentin Oeckl travels to Australia without flying.
© Private
22-year-old travels 16 countries without a plane
What started with a detailed travel plan vanished into thin air in Turkey.
“Until then I could easily book everything online for trains and buses.
But I wanted to get more in touch with the local people.” Oeckl started hitchhiking and experienced 16 different countries, from Armenia, Iran to Afghanistan.
(By the way: Our Bayern newsletter informs you daily about all the important stories from Bavaria.)
The 22-year-old describes the step to Iran as “the mentally most difficult one.
A country that the Foreign Office is warning about and about which a lot of negative things are being reported,” made him doubt his goal.
But the stories of other travelers gave him confidence to venture into the unknown.
A decision he didn’t regret: “The openness of the people there changed me.”
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Oeckl travels 17,000 kilometers around the world
Priener spent a whole month in Iran.
He has now arrived in Vietnam and will soon be heading to Laos.
After around 17,000 kilometers in buses, trains, taxis or hitchhiking, he is certain: “I only want to travel to lesser-known countries.” Far away from the hustle and bustle, you “see the local culture much better and are closer to the locals.”
In order to be able to share his experiences with his family back home, he documents his trip on Instagram.
“My mom follows every Instagram story.” The 22-year-old also discovered photography through his blog.
“I can definitely imagine continuing to do this.” Oeckl wants to be on the road until the end of August, when he will study medicine in Germany and attend his sister’s wedding.
According to her own statement, a woman from Forchheim is now the most hiked woman in the world. (
ever
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