Man drives 5,600 miles, spends over $12K chasing lifelong dream of extreme journey

A lifelong dream led one man to plan an extreme road trip of thousands of miles across several continents — just to see the northern lights.

In an extended journey that would likely defeat most people, Malik Al-Sultan, 28, drove more than 5,600 miles from Saudi Arabia to northern Norway — spending thousands of dollars on the trip — to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis.

He planned the long journey for over a year, news agency SWNS reported.

Rather than flying, he chose to make the trip by road so he could experience other countries along the way.

MAN TRAVELS 14,000 MILES TO SHARE A FINAL BEER WITH DYING LONGTIME FRIEND

The freelance digital creator from Saudi Arabia set off on Dec. 20, 2025, driving his Toyota Land Cruiser pickup truck across Europe and Scandinavia.

The three-week journey took him through 19 countries, with a final destination of Bodø, Norway.

He said the idea for the trip came about roughly a year before his departure.

That's when he began mapping out a route, saving money and preparing his vehicle for long-distance travel.

In the five weeks leading up to his departure, Al-Sultan spent a lot of free time making sure his truck was road-ready and securing the necessary travel documents, he said — including a Schengen visa required for Saudi citizens traveling across much of Europe.

The cost of his trip, which included fuel, food and hotel stays in every city where he spent the night, totaled about $12,300, SWNS reported.

His route took him through countries such as Kuwait, Turkey, Serbia, Italy, Germany and Sweden.

Along the way, he made an unplanned detour to the United Kingdom — where he visited London for the first time and decided to remain for a few days.

"At first, the United Kingdom was not part of the plan," he said. "But when I visited it, I was amazed by the beauty of the roads. When I arrived in London and saw it, I decided to stay for a couple [of] days and enjoy the atmosphere."

After logging approximately 5,600 miles, Al-Sultan arrived in Bodø — and was finally able to witness the aurora borealis lighting up the night sky.

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"It was quite a long journey, traveling through so many different cultures and lands," he said.

"It made the whole journey worth the trouble," Al-Sultan said.

"I was so amazed [at] watching the lights," he said.

Al-Sultan said his journey itself became just as meaningful to him as the ultimate destination.

"I will always remember both together, because one could not exist without the other for me," he said.

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After soaking in the experience, Al-Sultan said he plans to continue driving back to Saudi Arabia — possibly taking a different route home.

"Love his camping set-up," wrote a social media commenter. "Would love to sit by his fire and listen to his stories."

In another extreme journey that made headlines recently, a man's longtime friendship led him to make a one-day, 14,000-mile journey to say goodbye to a dying pal, as. Fox News Digital recently reported. 

Bob Walker traveled from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Arbroath, Scotland, and back again, just to spend a few hours with his friend Peter Gould, 82, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in December. 

The two men had been friends for more than four decades, first meeting while working as aircraft engineers in Papua New Guinea in the 1980s. Despite living in different countries for much of their lives, they stayed in close contact over the years.

"There's not many opportunities where you can actually say goodbye to people, so I really wanted to [make] the journey," Walker said.

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On Jan. 16, the friends sat together in Gould’s hometown — sharing cans of their favorite beer and reminiscing about their years working, traveling and raising families.

"I'm very grateful for what Bob did," he said. "He didn’t have to do it."