Round the world

[harthel2011]

hello,
I'm from Cologne in Germany and 61 years old. I am retired and use the time to realize my long dreamed trip around the world finally. I am using my Honda Transalp 650 road since 3 years. Between trips, I was fully nine months at home.
In 2011 I drove in 5 months from Kenya via Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia to South Africa, Mozambique and back to Kenya.
2012, I drove in 10 months of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina through Central America to Toronto in Canada.
The current tour through Asia began in May 2014 in Germany. From Turkey it went through the Caucasus, Iran, Silk Road, Kazakhstan to Russia with a short visit to Mongolia.
About the Sakhalin Island in Siberia I reached on 30.09.2014 after about 24000 km Hokkaido in Japan. A week ago I moved to the island of Honshu. I'm in Nikko and want to go to Tokyo tomorrow. In about 3 weeks I would like to take the ferry to South Korea.

How do I get from there to Southeast Asia without China to the west, I do not know yet. I was interested by priority to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

If anyone can give me information for the transport of the motorcycle in one of the countries I would be very grateful.
Hartmut

[AntonioVdE]

Hey Hartmunt!
I took the ferry from Sakhalin a few days after you! Not so many Western bikers around here.. I dropped my bike today at Kobe to be shipped back as my trip ended aftet 4 months.. Now sightseeing in Kyoto before flying back :-(
Hope you will enjoy the rest of yours!

For kurvenfieber: i took the boot from vanino to Kholmsk, spent 5 days on Sakhalin and then from Korsakov to Wakkanai. Most likely like Hartmunt. To Sakhalin was pretty cheap but from korsakov to wakkanai is more expensive. In total around 700usd if i remember correctly. Cant do it now but was planning anyway to update a thread i started a bit more than a month ago with the details. If you're in a hurry and no one else answers before me, pls pm me and ill send you details on where to buy tickets etc..
Enjoy your trip!
Antonio

[Rondelli]

Hartmund
We met in Tierra del Fuego December 2012, great to see you are still on the road, jealous, we had to come back to work November 2013 to work so following you guys keeps us going till our next trip
Safe riding
Gino & Fiona (Scotland)

[Mr. Mota]

Hartmut!

I'm Pedro (TA 600), we've met and drank at a hostel in Yerevan. Glad to see you made it through Mongolia in one piece. Did you keep it off the ground the whole trip? Would have loved to have your panniers on my journey, mine have been to hell and back. I'm somewhere near Nagano, we should meet again sometime. The 18th of october there is a bike meet up at mount Fuji so I'm probably going to stick around in Japan until then.

I would definitely go for countries like Indonesia and Philippines. You'll have to do quite some island hopping though which requires you to put your bike on flimsy boats. I know you want to avoid having to lift your bike but there will be plenty of people around to help you out (I think). And once you are in Thailand you can basically do that whole part of the world. Zuper cool. Give me a shout!


Antonio.

How is life amongst mortals? Having to use your legs again, and public transportation. Crazy. Good to see you made it down. I'm loving Honshu. Take care.

[mika]

Good on you Hartmut!!

Shipping from Japan to Malaysia in 2000 (with the help of Chris) was easy. I met a lot people that shipped into Thailand, so you should be ok this way as well. Indonesia I dont know, but as far as I know you can take a banana boat over from Malaysia. What ever I have heard of the Philippines you should better avoid shipping your bike there. Two of my best friends shipped into Manila and never got the bike out of the port and had to ship them to Singapure in the end.

There is a JTN meeting ... Japanese Touring Network ... in October, go there, meet my friends Chris, Seiji (the mechanic from Utsonomiya) and Hiroyuki.

Enjoy
mika

[harthel2011]

hello Fiona and Gino,
I have kept always looking for you, but unfortunately, not met again. Before this trip I was 9 months at home to wait for the right time and to organize this trip. I hope to be home again in 12 months.
Hartmut

[harthel2011]

Hello Herbert,
I have collected all the information for ferry between Russia and Japan. Can you wait a little or is it urgent?
After South Korea I want to travel by ferry. If there is no ferry from there to the west, then I take a plane. If no aircraft drives the motorcycle, I'm trying to find a ship.
The bike I have 25 km outside of Tokyo center at Anthony, a British bikers parked. Then I went by train to the center for 4 days. I can only recommend.

Hello Antonio,
in Kyoto I'm only at 6:10. to be. Before, I would like to go to Mt Fuji. I wish you a nice trip home.

Hi Pedro,
I remember very well of you. I drove only from Ulan Ude to Ulaan Baatar and back again. The motorcycle meeting at 18:10. is a little late for me. I am then already 1000 km from Mt Fuji away. Maybe I change my route, but is very uncertain.
I travel to every country, which lies to the west of South Korea.
My panniers you can have after my return.

Hi Mika,
thanks for the information. If the Philippines are so dangerous, then I visit this perhaps without motorcycle.

Hartmut

[Rondelli]

Originally Posted by harthel2011

hello Fiona and Gino,
I have kept always looking for you, but unfortunately, not met again. Before this trip I was 9 months at home to wait for the right time and to organize this trip. I hope to be home again in 12 months.
Hartmut

Hi Hartmund
we will be in Thailand for 3 weeks at the start of November, we have rented bikes out there, plan to explore the North, you never know maybe we catch up for a !! It would be good to speak about the Mongolia trip, it's on the list.

Gino & Fiona

[harthel2011]

Hello Gino,
I think the beginning of November to be not yet in Thailand. Where will you start and when to return? Give me your temporal data if I need to change my travel plans. Often in an email.
Hartmut from Tokio

[Kurvenfieber]

Hi Hartmut,
I´m not in a hurry, as I didn´t start yet.
(I thought there was a cheap ferry to Hokkaido, 700 usd sounds quite expensive...) but no worries so far. THX a lot for the information also to Antonio.

[harthel2011]

Hi Mika,
I visit chris, but i could not stay by him. I am in kyoto and leave it tomorow to matsuyama. I hope i arrive it faster then the taifun. I am sorry, that i pass the motocycelmeeting. I plan for this day to go to south korea. To the meeting is more then 1000 km from me.