5,500 km by land journey — Balik Kampung — From China to Malaysia

Instead of taking a six-hour flight, the couple embarked on an epic five-day train journey across four countries to return home from Beijing, China, for Aidilfitri. Bernama Picture Balik kampung, the long way: A Malaysian couple’s 5,500km train adventure from Beijing to Ipoh Malaysian official news agency Bernama published an interesting article on 29 March 2025 — It may sound like a crazy idea but in pursuit of a unique and more meaningful journey home to celebrate Hari Raya with their families, a Malaysian couple based in Beijing, China, opted for a 5,500-kilometre overland trip to Malaysia. Although they could have taken a six-hour direct flight from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur, Encik Isa Zubir, 36, and his wife, Puan Ain Rozli, 34, chose to take a five-day train journey instead. From the Chinese capital, the couple boarded a high-speed train to Kunming, Yunnan, before continuing to Vientiane, Laos, then to Bangkok, Thailand, and finally to their destination in Ipoh, Perak. “You c...