BBC One’s Bafta-winning “Race Across the World” has become one of the channel’s hottest properties, spawning an inevitable celebrity spin-off and even a live experience in London.
The show follows two-person teams racing to get to a finish line that is often in a far-flung part of the world. This year, the five teams are covering 8,700 miles, from the Great Wall of China to the very south of India in a bid to win £20,000.
The challenge comes from the wildly low budget they are given for the two-month adventure – the cash equivalent of the air fare from start to finish. But plane journeys, as well as credit cards and mobile phones, are banned.
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Some fans are so enamoured with the premise that rather than battle through the ultra-competitive audition process, they are embarking on their own big adventures with limited budgets and resources. Some of the “DIY trips” taken by “adventurous families” include interrailing around Europe, a “hop-on, hop-off” bus trip through Peru and a four-month “epic journey” across South America, said The i Paper.
For those following in the contestants’ footsteps, one of last year’s winners, Alfie Watts, “shared some tips” as well as “things you should never do when exploring”, said Richmond & Twickenham Times. “My top tip is to research everything,” said Watts, who travelled from Japan to Indonesia on the show. He recommends budgeting for £40 a day as a minimum and considering the less-trodden path. “I was absolutely shocked by the affordability of Uzbekistan when I went there in March. I also found Brazil and, of course, South East Asia extremely cheap.”
Travel agencies have even devised their own tours inspired by the show. Audley Travel offers various itineraries in China, Nepal and India so you “could experience each destination your own way”. One is a 15-day “Classic China tour”, seeing “iconic sights”, trekking through rice terraces and exploring Shanghai’s French Concession by bicycle. Price? From £5,115. But at least you don’t have try to sleep on an overnight bus.
For those who don’t have the time, events specialist CityDays has created Race Across the World: The Experience London, an immersive experience that mimics the show but lasts just two to three hours.
