A holiday that runs rings around the others

Wang Renhe, 61, and his wife have driven their campervan all over China and Europe in the past decade. [Photo provided to China Daily]

House on wheels

Another of those with plenty of road holiday experience under his belt is Wang Renhe, 61, who with his wife has driven extensively throughout China and Europe over the past 10 years. One joy of getting around in a house on wheels is waking up to different scenery every few days, he says.

"With a caravan, the world's best scenery is transformed into your back garden," says Wang, a retired university professor from Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Naturally enough, those who inhabit the world of caravanning get to know one another, and the community feel has become even stronger with the help of the internet and social networking.

Last year Wang and his wife spent four months driving a campervan around Asia and Europe. They set off from China and drove nearly 40,000 kilometers, visiting about 30 countries, he says.

"In the West, caravanning is regarded as a cheap and convenient way of getting around, but many Chinese seem to think that it is a preserve of the rich.

"You see many couples touring in campervans in Europe. Older people obviously have a lot of time and money to spend, and caravanning can be an incredibly enriching experience."

Many Europeans they came across on their travels were amazed to see the Chinese flag on their campervan and even more amazed to find out that they had driven all the way from China.

Most of the people they have met both in China and in other countries could not have been more helpful, Wang says. When they encountered mechanical problems in Latvia, three mechanics spent seven hours doing repairs and refused to take payment for it, he says, so in awe were they of the couple's gung-ho spirit in traveling so far from home. The three eventually pocketed 100 euros ($115) that Wang gave to express his gratitude.

The couple experienced the other side of human nature on the other side of Europe, having their laptop, all their cash and passports stolen in Barcelona. The loss of the laptop was especially bitter because it held documents of Wang's, including technical drawings of their campervan, which he designed himself, and a decade of memories in the form of photos the couple had taken.