About Kombi Life
What is Kombi Life?
Kombi Life is a series of unique adventure travel series, filmed and produced off-grid and on the move in some of the most remote places on the planet.
Our current series is about Life Done Differently and follows the adventures of Ben, Tamara & Alaska as they travel overland in their vintage 1973 VW Bus called Boomerang.
We live our lives driven by our passions with the belief that life is too grand of a journey to be lived in one place!
Is it scary, YES! Do we run into problems? ALWAYS! But we believe that travel is the University of Life and by humbly accepting that we develop more in the face of challenges than we do when faced with open roads, we strive to never stop growing!
We believe that travel has something for everyone and that it is something that you’ll never regret. Here at Kombi Life, we share our passions with you and inspire YOU to put your happiness first, to have the courage to pursue your own dreams (whatever they are), and to see the world and it’s diversity in a more positive light.
Meet The Kombi Crew
Ben Jamin
– Jersey Island
If there is one thing you can learn about me from this series, it’s that once I’ve set my mind on something – no matter how overly ambitious – I WILL see it through….especially if it’s in the pursuit of an adventure!
So when I tell you that I have spent my entire adult life earning the chance to explore the world, it should come as no surprise to you that I left behind the realm of university degrees and fast-paced IT careers, swapped my suits for board shorts, my aftershave for bug repellent, gave away all of my possessions and booked a one-way ticket off my tiny island and out into the big wide world.
And you know what? It’s amazing the things you can find when you get yourself lost!
I thrived as ‘the no-plan man’, reveling in a freedom that has no equal! By fully surrendering to the randomness of travel I embarked on an incredible journey all over the planet.
I’ve been a full-time traveler since 2008.
I’ve spent winters shredding the mountains of Canada and New Zealand, eaten monkey brain soup for breakfast, tracked orangutans in Indonesia, been confronted by bull sharks, surfed the entire coast of Australia, almost died several times (and never felt more alive), lived with a monk in the mountains of Thailand, been lost in the remote valleys of Vietnam, worked as a tiger trainer, hitch-hiked across the length of Cambodia and lived with remote tribal headhunters in Borneo….oh I almost forgot to mention that I spent 5 years driving an old VW Kombi from Chile to Alaska, sharing it with over 100 people along the way…but you already knew that right?
So who am I? I’m the guy that’ll take experiences over possessions any day of the week.
I believe that people are inherently good, that the world offers us a fantastic opportunity for growth, and that exploring our glorious planet is not a privilege, but a necessity!
I’m conducting this social experiment because I am not convinced that conforming to society’s expectations will give me the most fulfilled life. When my time is up, I want to look back on my life in those last moments and be able to give myself a high five! That’s why I’ve given up all my possessions, my career, and high-paying job and all the security I’ve ever known and I’m heading out into the world on a voyage of discovery!
For me, this is my most anticipated and grandest adventure to date, I’m embracing the world, and all it can chuck at me… my promise to you is that I will bring you along, every inch of the way!
LATEST INSTAGRAM POSTS
Alaska
– Born March 25, 2012, in Lima, Peru. English Cocker Spaniel Latina Street Mix
ATTENTION DOG LOVERS: Alaska’s Story is now on Instagram and Facebook
I’m a street bitch from the ghetto in Lima, Peru. What? It’s true! Well, I might live on the street, but I have been raised by a hundred international nomads, so I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m a born traveler, literally, I know no other life. I have no idea what the word “walk” means, my whole life is the best trek that you’ve ever been on!
I might have to sweat it up on a few long drives now and again, but truth be told it isn’t all that bad. I’ve hiked the Andes, been nipple deep in mud on an Amazonian hunting trail, danced with a snake in Belize, been kidnaped in Guatemala, fought with an iguana in Mexico, volcano boarded in Nicaragua, almost died in the USA, been chased out of the ocean by biting fish bigger than me in Honduras, survived a remote indigenous community where dogs were banned in Panama – imagine that, a whole island where dogs are banned?!
Well, the list goes on, if you want to know more, hear my special story here.
Follow Alaska “The World’s Most Adventurous Dog” On Instagram
Boomerang
– 1973, Volkswagen Kombi Adventurewagen.
Boomerang is currently evolving rapidly in preparation for Overlanding around the world. Follow the van build video series and check back soon for a full rig overview.
Co’Pito
– 1992, Volkswagen Kombi Brazilian – Bay / Split Hybrid.
Engine: Type 1 Mexican Fuel Injection ACD engine hijacked from a 2001 Mexican Beetle (rebuilt by Ben in Sep 2013) 1600cc Air-Cooled with fully electronic ignition, hydraulic lifters, an oil filter, and flippin’ computer no less.
We “Paid Forward” Co’Pito to one of our subscribers at the end of the Hasta Alaska Project. That was a tough thing to do, you can watch us give away our home here.
Do you ever get the feeling that people expect too much from you? Well that’s how I’ve been feeling, ever since Ben turned up, full of beans and all excited about something called a “road trip”
Since then he’s forced me over the Andes 7 times, crammed every inch of my aging body with up to 10 smelly travelers at a time, and let all sorts of cowboy mechanics fondle my private parts!
It’s no surprise that I’ve spat out spark plugs, thrown piston rings, and pretty much every other part at some point or another in this ridiculous road trip. I’ve spent the night stuck in mud in Colombia, choked on the thin air at over 16,000ft in Bolivia, broken down on an erupting volcano in Ecuador, been pilfered in Panama, and had my engine rebuilt under a tree in the rain!
Is it my fault I’ve had my transmission and engine out 10 times so far? Is it my fault that this trip was supposed to take 1 year and actually took 5? I’ll leave that for you to decide!
If you really want to see what life is like with me, then check out the time that the guys spent 5 months stranded in Mexico, bringing me back to life!
Kombi Life Guests
It’s difficult to give a number of exactly how many people have passed through the doors of Co’Pito during the Hasta Alaska marathon journey; be that for a few hours or a few months. One thing is for sure though, this is not just our dream, it’s yours too! The trip wouldn’t be the same without the people who have made it so unique for us, so we can’t wait to meet even more nomadic travelers on the road.
We love meeting other travelers and sharing adventures together. So, if you see us, come and say hi!
Kombi Crew Members can put pins on our ‘Interactive Adventure Map’ so we can come and visit you when we pass through your town.
Kombi Crew – The True Heroes of Kombi Life
This isn’t a shameless plug to ask you to support our project, this is a genuine and heartfelt shout-out to the small bunch of people who pledge tips towards our travel series. They are not only part of the Kombi Crew, but they’re the cornerstone of our entire production. We love our Patrons because not only does that make our content possible but it is also a community where we can share a more intimate behind-the-scenes view of doing what we do. You too can be part of this team, if you want to be….there, that was a shameless plug 😉
YOU the YouTube Traveler
Literally, there would be no Kombi Life without you guys. The people that we have met (and are yet to meet) who share this adventure with us via the internet, make all of this possible! The support and encouragement that we receive from you absolutely flabbergasts* us and this awesome community that you part of is 100% the reason we are able to do this!
*)Extra points for getting flabbergasted in there!
- You are the ‘Internet Mechanic’ who is always there to offer advice and support when we are far from both.
- You are our friends who like and share our videos helping us grow this community and inspire future adventurers.
- You are the vicarious explorers who always share incredible tips and advice on where we should go next!
- You are the absolute legends who donate a few bucks to keep gas in our tank and the adventure alive.
- You are the kind soles who reach out to us to invite us into your lives as we pass through your part of the world.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THESE ADVENTURES WITH US, REALLY!
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