Singapore couple budgets $150,000 for year-long trip with 3 kids

The couple also attended a first aid course and basic self-defence classes to better prepare for emergencies. Their children took trial self-defence classes as well, to build up their confidence.

Now, roughly seven months into the journey, the family have travelled through 15 countries, including destinations like Morocco, Ethiopia, Jordan and Brazil.

They document their day-to-day life on their Instagram account @sunriseodyssey, where users often leave comments lauding their bold venture and numerous far-flung destinations.

But Ng insists it is not about “keeping count of the countries”. Instead, he says they move at a pace that suits the family and visit places that are not too touristy so they have a more immersive experience. 

To stretch their budget, the family keep spending on accommodation and meals to a minimum so they can splurge on activities like tours and guided hikes. 

Most nights are spent in apartments booked through property-rental platform Airbnb or other online property booking sites, typically costing between $30 and $50 a night. They cook at least two meals a day, and purchase one meal at foodcourts or fast-food restaurants. 

“We value experiences, so that’s what we are willing to spend more on,” says Cheong.

That philosophy has allowed the family to visit places that many tour operators told them were impossible with three young children.

Among the toughest was Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, one of the hottest and harshest places on earth. Temperatures there can exceed 40 deg C and visitors can spend hours trekking across its landscapes of sprawling salt flats, colourful acid springs and volcanic terrain. 

Known to be a geographical wonder, the Danakil Depression is a geological basin where three tectonic plates – the Arabian, Nubian and Somalian plates – are being pulled farther apart. Scientists predict that in millions of years, the area will eventually be submerged in water as the rift diverges far enough for the Red Sea to flood it, creating a new ocean. 

After much searching, the couple eventually found a travel agency willing to take their family on a tour. All three children completed the hour-long trek despite the unforgiving heat. Their youngest, Ryla, has been in a carrier for the majority of treks so far.

In Guatemala, they scaled the dormant stratovolcano Acatenango and, from near its summit, watched the active Fuego stratovolcano across them erupt multiple times. The overnight trip involved around eight hours of hiking. 

Yet the journey has not been entirely smooth-sailing. 

Their most challenging point was when all three children fell seriously ill with diarrhoea in Ghana. Ryla suffered the worst, with severe bouts of the runs every 15 minutes at the height of her illness.

As their itinerary was flexible, the family took a break from travelling for about two weeks. They stayed in a comfortable Airbnb in capital city Accra, cooking simple meals and waiting for the children to recover fully before continuing.

“When the kids fall sick, it is tough. But when we fall sick too, it is worse because only one parent might be left to take care of the whole family,” says Ng. 

There were other close calls too.

In Peru, Ng sprained his ankle just before a hike to the iconic Incan citadel Machu Picchu and another to the roughly 5,000m-high Rainbow Mountain, raising fears they would have to abandon their treks. He was able to continue with the activities, but his injury has not fully healed.

“The scary part is not the sprain. It’s managing everything else, like carrying the bags and taking care of our kids even when I’m down. The show needs to go on,” Ng says. 

The couple also underestimated the cost of travelling across Africa, such as flights within the continent. For instance, they paid about $1,500 a person for a flight from Ghana to Ethiopia as it was not feasible to travel overland with the three kids.

“For our family, that’s about $6,000 for a one- or two-hour flight,” says Cheong. “I guess that’s the price we pay for spontaneity.”

While on the road, the couple continue to run their video production company remotely. Once the children are asleep by around 8pm, they edit videos, communicate with clients and manage their team back in Singapore.

Although navigating time differences and occasional poor internet connectivity can be tiring, Ng says working on the go is necessary to keep their business running and allows them to continue earning.

Between juggling work, planning for the next destination and taking care of their children, long days often stretch even longer. But for the couple, it is a compromise worth making.

“We’ve never once regretted this journey. For us, work takes up five days of our week in Singapore and we see our kids only at night, which is usually a rush to get them to have dinner and go to bed,” says Cheong. 

“So, weekends are our precious time with them and now, every day is like a weekend. We get to experience the world and its different cultures together, see new things and teach them about how things work as we visit new terrain.”

One of the biggest surprises has been watching how adaptable their children have become. The couple recall one bus journey that stretched to 12 hours instead of the expected seven. Rather than complaining, the children found ways to entertain themselves and took the delay in their stride. The children also managed to sleep in rugged, open-air conditions during their tour of the Danakil Depression.

“They seem to be able to handle anything. Every situation we’ve put them in, they’ve thrived,” Cheong says.

With about five months of their journey still ahead, the family plan to spend most of it exploring South America, with Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Chile and Argentina on the itinerary. 

The decision to save South America for last was a practical one. Once Ryden starts primary school, future holidays will likely be limited to the June and December school breaks, making regional trips a more realistic option.

For now, however, they are focused on making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Cheong hopes other families who dream of taking a similar leap will not wait for the perfect moment.

“Just go with an open mind and a sense of adventure. Do it because there may never be a better time, and ‘next time’ might never happen,” she says.