Johor woman fulfils promise to her dog by touring the country with him, plans to visit East Malaysia next year

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — Digital nomad Jen Wong has been travelling the world since she was 23.

From backpacking alone to travelling with friends and family, Wong had gone to over 30 countries.

But nothing beats the excitement the 37-year-old has with her current travels around peninsular Malaysia with her pet dog, Bobby.

Wong, who hails from Kluang, Johor, said the idea to travel with Bobby came in 2019.

“At that time, I was backpacking in Japan and was told by my mother that Bobby was very sick.”

A visit to the veterinarian later found that Bobby had been infected with tick fever.

“His condition was quite bad and to encourage him to get well soon, I told him I would bring him along on my next trip if he got well.”

Her plan, however, hit a snag when Malaysia went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wong’s plan was only revived last year following the reopening of the country.

“We started our journey officially on October 1 and except for the occasional trips back to my hometown, we have been on the road for eight months to date,” she told Malay Mail via telephone.

“I spent two-and-a-half months in Kelantan and two months in Terengganu,” she said, adding that she preferred the rustic feel the two states offer.

“Besides, Bobby also loves nature and these states have plenty of such places.”

Bobby, the rescue pooch

Bobby was picked up from the roadside in Serdang, Selangor by Wong when he was two months old.

“At that time, he was infected with a skin disease and I brought him home after having the condition treated,” said Wong of Bobby, who will be 10 next April.

Bobby has been generally healthy during this trip except for one time when he came down with food poisoning while at Sungai Lembing, Pahang and she had to take him to a veterinarian in Kuantan.

Wong feeds him fresh food prepared by her once a day.

“The ingredients are bought from places that I stop at. He will also have bits and pieces of my food whenever I have my meals throughout the day,” she said, adding that she also prepares kibbles in case there is no suitable food for the brown pooch.

Bobby gets one fresh meal daily prepared by Jen Wong. — Picture via Facebook/ 一人一狗浪跡半島

Where they stay during their trips

Wong said she had converted her SUV into her mobile home.

“I am more interested in seeing places hence I do not place much importance on the accommodation. Hence my car is good enough to sleep in,” she said, adding that Bobby also had no problems bunking in with her in the car.

However, Wong said she would stay with friends if they are at places they pass.

Other times, she parks her car in places that she considers safe such as hospitals or multi-purpose halls.

Wong’s car is also equipped with mosquito nets to keep pests away during the night.

“If the weather is too hot, I have two fans and two exhaust fans to help cool the air down.”

Wong and Bobby normally travel no more than 50 kilometres daily.

“When we stop, we would go for our toilet breaks and to get our meals,” she said, adding that she would also take the opportunity to charge her electronic gadgets, fill up her drinking water or attend to her work.

For accommodation, Jen Wong converted her SUV into a mobile home. — Picture via Facebook/ 一人一狗浪跡半島

What’s next for this duo

Wong plans to continue their journey to East Malaysia.

This, however, depends on Bobby’s health.

She said despite having visited many countries over the years, Malaysia still had much to offer.

“The people are kind and the land is beautiful,” she said, adding that she never had any bad experience during her 10-months tour around Malaysia.

To follow Wong and Bobby on their trips, visit their page at https://www.facebook.com/jenontheroad.