A couple who staked everything they had on a life of foreign travel with their three young children say their gamble has paid off.
In May 2023, the Hutchinsons sold their three-bedroom home in Corby, Northamptonshire together with all their furniture, spending their final night on the floor before heading for Heathrow.
They were motivated by a determination to escape the workaday realities of modern Britain, not least the cost of living crisis.
Despite jettisoning luxuries like a second car and Sky TV, Chris, a personal trainer, and his wife Tamira, a swimming instructor, were struggling to provide their three daughters – Olivia, 10, eight-year-old Scarlett and Bella, four – with the life they had envisaged.
‘We only ate together as a family once a month because we didn’t get time,’ said Tamira. ‘We were just working to make ends meet.’
The couple were also disillusioned by the negative influence of woke ideology, the bleak British weather, and what they perceived as a negative national mindset.
But the family has since consigned those issues firmly to the past, travelling widely throughout south-east Asia and beyond while documenting their experiences on social media.
A YouTube channel, The Hutchinsons, has acquired 101,000 subscribers, while the couple also have 255,000 followers on TikTok and almost 41,000 on Instagram.
Struggling to find a way to make ends meet and spend time with their three young daughters, Chris and Tamira Hutchinson sold their home in the UK in May 2023 to travel as a family
The Hutchinson family have since gone on to visit a host of countries and acquire a significant social media following
The family visited nine countries last year. ‘Looking back through our camera roll gives us complete joy,’ they wrote on Facebook. ‘We are so grateful for every moment we have had’
They have even acquired a measure of celebrity along the way, with a series of videos documenting their experiences in China dramatically increasing their initially modest social media reach.
Offering rave reviews of the country, the couple address the challenges of obtaining a visa and using the internet, while offering advice on how to deal with the language barrier and which payment apps to use.
A TikTok video shot in Shenzhen last April that shows Chris receiving a Starbucks order delivered by drone racked up more than eight million views.
The family’s travels began in Kuala Lumpur, since when they have taken in Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Qatar.
They are currently back in Malaysia, where they are leasing an apartment in Penang in order to focus on the children’s education and the development of their business interests.
‘As parents, we all want to give our children the best start in life when it comes to their education,’ said Chris in a video posted three weeks ago. ‘However, traditional schooling doesn’t always fit every family’s lifestyle, or every child’s needs.’
With that in mind, Olivia, Scarlett and Bella are undertaking online lessons provided by King’s InterHigh, a London-based learning platform that allows children to work at their own pace. Tamira has also supported the children with their school work.
While their burgeoning social media empire will undoubtedly have helped to finance their new lifestyle, the Hutchinsons have also launched their own brand. It currently sells clothing, but the family hope it will become a focal point for inspiring others tempted to follow in their footsteps.
Chris has indicated that the family is unlikely to return to the UK once they finish travelling
Together with their children Olivia, Scarlett and Bella, Chris and Tamira have visited Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Qatar.
Speaking from a temple in Bangkok, Thailand, Chris revealed that Britain’s woke culture was among the reasons he was not keen on a return home
‘Ventur isn’t just a clothing brand, it’s a whole host of different things,’ said Chris, who taught himself videography in preparation for their travels.
‘It’s to inspire, support and motivate.
‘We’ve got a lot of ideas and big things happening behind the scenes.’
That includes forthcoming projects with a pair of ‘global brands’ that will take them to four different countries.
‘We want to be a support system for others, whether it’s that they want to travel full-time or take their kids on a different type of travel rather just a holiday, or whether they want to start content creation and learning how to make YouTube videos or TikToks.
‘We really want to support these people and build our community around us. We’ve really started doing that in Penang.’
There have been a few difficult moments, say the couple, including a sickness bug contracted by all five in the Philippines, but they have no regrets, and have trips planned to destinations including Dubai, Australia and India this year.
‘It was a dream and we made it happen,’ said Chris. ‘As a family we have loved every moment and we have risen to the challenges.
