Hi – I recently joined the website. I'm planning on a motorbike trip from Sydney to London - sometime before I get too old! There seems to be a major blockage at Myanmar/Burma (just won't let people travel through) and China to the north (can only use expensive guides?). However, I'd like to do as much as I can by land and avoid large sectors by air or sea freight if possible - kind of cheating isn't it? I'd be grateful for people's views on the best/safest route to go - eg the following:

Riding - Thailand - Laos - China - India. Is it possible to go around Burma via China, and then enter that narrow bit of India, then all the way to Pakistan? Or

Riding - Laos - Vietnam - up China east coast to Vladivostok - then west across Russia to Moscow.

Seafreight - Kuala Lumpur to Dhaka (Bangladesh) or Kuala Lumpur to Chennai/Madras.

Airfreight - Bangkok to Kathmandu. This is what 'the Postman' did on a 110cc Honda moped as part of his Sydney to London trip - surely this has to rate as one of the most incredible feats of adventure 'motorcycling' ever? The Route | The Postman - Sydney to London on a moped

p.s. also wondering if there's an alternative to the usual routes of Iran to Turkey, or the 'stans' to Russia. ie can you go: Iran - UAE - Saudi Arabia - Egypt - Libya - Tunisia - Italy? (although I realise Libya is a no-go at the moment!).

thanks
Dave

China & Burma remain the big obstacles on the way between Europe & Southeast Asia. Crossing China could be possible, but it´s seriously expensive (like double-your-trip-budget expensive!)... so very, very few ride/drive all the way. This same thing (to China, or even to Burma) gets asked about every two weeks, so the whole subject has been discussed here very thoroughly before.

So unless you can afford China, then after you´re through with SE Asia, you will probably send the bike to East Asia (Korea or Vladivostok) or to India/Nepal, and after that you should be able to ride it to Europe.

Also note, that Vietnam remains practically closed for foreign vehicles.

From what I´ve read here, Saudi-Arabia seems very tough to get a visa, so not a common option (and those who managed to do this, usually worked somewhere in the Gulf region, so could be better off with their visa applications to start with).

Even though this might sound complicated, it should be a great trip!

really not a good idea in my view to cross-post this same thing to two forums.

Thanks for your reply and information which has helped me narrow down my route options. Will probably frieght the bike from Bangkok to Kathmandu. Interesting about Vietnam being practically closed to foreign vehicles, and now I can understand why so few people have gone via Saudi Arabia. Sorry about cross-posting on 2 forums - will stick to one next time. Great website, with so much info in it.
Dave

I would not suggest you to take the Northern Africa route due to the political turmoil there. You can predict the people's actions at the moment. Even though they are not hostile to the foreigners at this stage you may end up in a chaos.
Also the border police may not be very friendly since every foreigner is now a potential provocateur for them. All Northern Africa is very very troubled. I had to postpone my "Around the Mediterranean" trip. Use either Russia-Europe or the good old Iran-Turkey pass.

Hi

this german guy Motorradreiseseite von Martin - Auf dem Weg - Südost Asien - Reiseseite von Martin - Südost Asien mit dem Motorrad went this way:

India - Nepal - Tibet - China - Laos

They went as a group with a Unimog, VW bus and himself with the BMW

it`s all in german, but just ask him ....

Good Luck
Thomas