|
Iran now?
Hi there,
the german foreign ministry warns especially motorcyclers to ride overland through eastern Iran to Pakistan: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/d...d=4&land_id=63 They mention an incident on March 16th between Zabul and Zahedan with several deaths. Does anybody have any news on that incident or can give any advice? Regards Lars |
To save a lot of babbnle fish -
17.03.2006 After notices in the province capital Khuzestans (Ahwaz) in the year 2005 and in January and February 2006, it is recommended again to pursue with journeys there the development of the security situation attentively. In principle it is advised against individual or Trekkingreisen into the Kurds regions in the northwest of Iran along the Turkish and Iraqi border. Travelers in border regions of Iran to the Iraq should consider also the current in each case situation in Iraq. A substantial risk with journeys - in particular with individual or Trekkingreisen - in the provinces Kerman and Sistan Balutschestan as well as in the border areas of Iran with Pakistan and Afghanistan exist. On 16 March 2006 it came on the distance Zabul Zahedan to an armed assault with several dead people. It is urgently advised against to travel on the landweg - in particular with the bicycle or motorcycle - to Pakistan or Afghanistan. For Afghanistan and Iraq a travel warning exists. The message Teheran cannot grant support with requesting of visas, which are requested for the journeys specified in the managing paragraph at other representations abroad in Teheran. On earthquakes of different extent must be counted in all parts of the country. |
We were travelling completely alone with one bike on the Kurds areas in Iran, very near to Iraq border (c.a. 50km to border) in august '05.
Absolutely no problems, kurds and iranians both are very friendly. Lot of police and military there, also in Turkey on kurds areas there's amazingly lot military involved, you even see tanks on smaller roads. In Iran we were mostly stopped but got through the military and police posts just with smiles and friendly conversations - managable only the few words of english they know, they just wanted to see our bike and ask where are we from. Only one time we got the bike confiscated on the police station, but after two hours of cunfusion we were released again with all our stuff back, with the only "Sorry, Mister" words from the chief policeman. In Turkey kurds area they saw from distance us with big bmw enduro and knew we are foregners and probably thought "can't fit guns&bombs to support kurds or terror organizations in our very limited space" so automatically let us through, while checking most of the locals, especially the big trucks. No problems with motorcycle. Hope this helps, Margus [This message has been edited by Margus (edited 31 March 2006).] |
we came through from Pakistan to Iran to Turkey between January and March this year 2006 and had no problems other than the weather(and one police incident which we frankly brought on our self).
I reckon you would be very unlucky to have problems, but there is always a chance.... chris http://moto-hike.blogspot.com |
Iran attacks kill 21 or 22 officials. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: 'March 17, 2006 – Iran's national chief of police says gunmen have killed at least 21 people in southeastern Iran. Iranian authorities say the gunmen are linked to ethnic tensions near Iran's southeastern border with neighboring Afghanistan and Pakistan. The killings reportedly occurred about 90 kilometers south of the Iranian city of Zabol late on March 16 in Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan Province. The area borders Afghanistan's southwest province of Nimroz and Pakistan's southwest province of Balochistan. General Ismail Ahmadi-Moghaddam says the gunmen posed as security forces. He says they stopped vehicles traveling along Iran's Zabol-Zahedan highway and then killed the drivers and passengers.' The Guardian, via Marze Por Gohar: 'Iran accused Britain of trying to stir religious and ethnic unrest in its eastern border region yesterday after armed rebels ambushed a party of government officials and killed 21. Police said the victims, who included security officials, were ordered out of their vehicles and shot in cold blood. The fleet of cars was then set ablaze. Seven others, including the governor of the provincial capital, Zahidan, were wounded in Thursday night's incident, which happened after gunmen, disguised in military uniforms, set up a roadblock to intercept the convoy as it travelled along a remote spot in the south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan. The convoy had been returning from a function honouring religious martyrs and war dead. Reports suggested that as many as 12 others had been kidnapped by the gunmen, who were said to have fled across the border into Afghanistan or Pakistan after a brief armed exchange with Iranian security forces.' Iran Focus: 'Iran’s Interior Minister pointed the finger at Britain and the United States on Saturday for an armed attack in the south-eastern province of Sistan-va-Baluchistan in the town of Zabol which left 22 Iranian officials dead in the early hours of Friday morning. Radical Shiite cleric Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi also claimed the people behind the attack were the same as those behind a spate of bombings in Iran’s south-western province of Khuzestan earlier this year and in 2005. “What is clear about the recent events in Zabol and Khuzistan is that those behind the assailants were the same”, Pour-Mohammadi told the state-run news agency ISNA. “According to reports received, certain American and British security officials have had meetings with certain leaders of bandits and have encouraged them to carry out terrorist attacks [in Iran]”, he said. Twenty-two Iranian government and provincial officials were killed and at least seven, including the governor of the nearby city of Zahedan, were critically wounded in the ambush as their convoy was returning from a gathering in Zabol to Zahedan.' Roundup at the Free Iran news forum. (various)
|
Lost American GI's trying to get to Iraq but couldn't spell?
|
"Lost American GI's trying to get to Iraq but couldn't spell?"
Not likely, they are there causing problems according to Seymour Hersh (who broke the Abu Ghraib torture stories) "The Iran Plans Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb? by: Seymour M. Hersh on: 10th Apr, 06 The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack. Current and former American military and intelligence officials said that Air Force planning groups are drawing up lists of targets, and teams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran, under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups. The officials say that President Bush is determined to deny the Iranian regime the opportunity to begin a pilot program, planned for this spring, to enrich uranium...................." A long but very interesting article.... http://www.globalecho.org/view_artic...7b59bd8d8cb1c1 |
Border Crossing Pakistan/Iran
Hi there
We crossed the pakistani/irani border 4 days ago by car. it took us only 1 hour to get released by custom. From the border to Zahedan (88 km) we got a police escort. Even in Zahedan itself, we weren't allowed to leave the hotel without a police man escorting us. He escorted us as well from the hotel to the highway entrance when we left to Kerman. We met 2 Dutch bikers in Quetta (Pakistan), they were on the way to India. They told us as well, that they were stopped at a police roadblock in Zahedan and were given an escort to the border. So, with the escort, you should be pretty save. Anywhere else in Iran it is really no problem. From Kerman to Zahedan you will find some Police checkposts, but often you don't even need to show your passport. In Pakistan we didn't have any problems at all. So we heard from different other overlanders, that they had escorts from Quetta to Lahore. The police was always friendly and at any checkpost, we normaly were invited to tea. The Pakistani people are very friendly as well. Even the guys whit the Kalashnikovs were waving at us. Greetings from Shiraz Andi |
Have you got visas???
Depending on nationality it may well prove very difficult to get them at present. We have some friends trying to get from east to west and visas are not being granted which seems a problem. If you are not English or American this may not be a problem! |
I'm in Brussels at the moment and am going to the Iranian embassy on Friday to see if I can get a visa. It takes 10 days. You then get a number that you can use to obtain the visa, issued I think on the spot, in any Iranian embassy. It costs 50 Euros and one passport photo. I'm using my Canadian passport, but if that fails, I'll try my Euro passport.
|
Visas
Yes, we had all the visas. We applied for them in Switzerland. For India, Pakistan and Iran it took only 3 weeks. The had New Year holidays in Iran 2 weeks ago. So if you apply for a visa at the moment, it may take longer. As we figured out, normally it's the easiest and fastest way to apply for the visas in your home country. Better not try to get the visas for pakistan in iran or for pakistan in iran. We met a German in Quetta, he was waiting since over 3 weeks for the Irani visa. Another guy (as well from Germany) had to wait for the Pakistani visa 4 weeks in Teheran! We heard that there are agencies, which will apply for your visa. Costs about 50 Euros and you can contact them via internet (sorry, I have no links). Some of them will get your visa in 3 days, by others you have to wait as well some weeks!
I don't think, that it will take you longer, if you have an american or an british passport. Greetings Andi |
iran visa warning
hi we are the english people stuck in India trying to get home!
We applied through an agency in febuary but due to the goverment issues with the nuclear program in Iran we have still not been issued one and having spoken to the agency and Tehran i don't think we will get one. SO if you are taking this route apply well in advance. |
Got to Pakistan?
Quote:
It seems you have to apply once and be turned down before they take you seriously. I would suggest going to Pakistan (great country) and applying there for a 5 day transit visa or anything that will get you in the country as you can usually extend easily once inside the country. I applied in Beijing, never heard back after 5 weeks, then again in Dhaka where it only took a week. Maybe something in applying from another muslim country? Or then again you may just be up against a brick wall..... Good luck, but keep trying and be extra nice to the embassey staff - ask to speak to the head honcho etc |
I just applied again for the second time in Brussels. First time was in Vancouver. I'm on a Canadian passport... hope it works this time. Should know around the 24th.
|
Visa denied
Have just had confirmation that our visa has been rejected - no reason given but agency mentioned nationality being a problem. 8 months ago it wasn't.
Still hoping to hear from customs today regarding shipping the bikes back to UK as cheapest. Fingers crossed |
Quote:
|
I'm British in Australia, I'm going to try to get a visa for Iran. I'd planned to use an agency, is this the best idea? Sounds like a lottery to me!
|
An agency is the best idea, only costs you 30 dollars extra, for a lot less heartache. I used key2persia.com and picked up the visa easily in Delhi and paid when i got to Iran. Apparently it's tougher for Brits to get a visa.
Sean |
Ta
I'll do that, and I'll be sure to apply well in advance. Not alot else I can do really.... |
Quote:
Dear Sir, Hope all the things are going fine with you and thank you for contacting our agency. Regarding your visa request since Iran visa is valid only for 3 months and we need about 10 days to get the visa from the foreign ministry so you should send your visa request in June so that we can apply for your visa. You should fill out all of the mentioned forms in our site and also we need your passport copy. Looking forward to hearing of you. Sincerely yours, Zahra Vesal Public Relation Manager Pars Tourist Agency (P.T.A) ZAND St., 71358 Shiraz, Iran www.key2persia.com www.persien-tourismus.de www.perse-voyage.com Tel: +98-711-2223163/2240645 Fax: +98-711-2229693 |
I've been in touch with Stantours who do the same thing. I got this advice a few days ago:
rememebr - processing will take 3..4 weeks, the referenice will be valid for 2 months and teh visa 3 months from the date when it's ISSUED, i.e. the earliest you can apply is about 5 months prior to entry. STANtours Almaty / Ashgabat http://www.stantours.com info@stantours.com <mailto:info@stantours.com> stantours@gmx.net <mailto:stantours@gmx.net> I might spend a while in India so I'm going to wait a few weeks before applying. |
Skidder,
We are british and used key2persia and it took a couple of months, so dont delay, apply today! No idea about stantours............ Saying that, we were informed that 4 days after we entered Iran (early February) a new law granting foreigners extendable transit visas AT THE BORDER had just come into force. Dont know anybody whos done it, but its well worth checking up on for confirmation. You could apply through an agency, then try at the border and fall back on your Foreign Ministry number if it fails. You dont pay until you pick up your visa.... wonky |
I just got a ten day transit visa (wıthout agency) for Iran in Ankara. It took 24 hours and cost 102 euros.
Matt (British) |
Erzerum
You might also be able to apply at the consulate in Erzerum [Erzurum]. This was previously the case. Do a search on this board for 'Erzerum' for more details.
Stephan |
hi,
A french friend wich I met last year in iran and who is an archeoligist at the museum of the louvre in Paris has been rejected for the second time even with an invitation of the national museum of tehran. guess its getting hard to get in.Last year i waited for allmost 3 weeks in quetta for my new visa and i had to do a bloodtest afther that to get in. afther that i extended it 2 times quiet eqsily in esfahan and rasht. all together 2months and 10 days. good luck greetz niels |
Hi,
just to add my experiences from Bangkok: Had no problems to get a 30 day touristvisa in Bangkok as a german citizen. No letter from the embassy needed. They only need your actual passport for inserting the visa. So you can apply, travel around for 2 weeks and return to collect the visa. Regards Lars |
just a quick reply to my experience in bangkok: the service their sucked. i had to fill in my forms 2 times because they lost them somewhere (?) and when i got them they didnt gave my a visa that was still valid when i arrived. The date in english and in farsi (iranian) were not the same on my visa so i could cross again the baluchistandesert.
watch out when they stamp you carnet. a pakistani borderofficer told me that a german couple (she was notabene very sick) had to come back from the turkeyborder because they stamped it wrong on the pakistani-iranian border... greetz niels |
Stantours are the way to go for anything in the stans, David Berghof knows his stuff. I would prefer to go with key2perisa for Iran as they are based in Iran and would know the system better i think.
Sean |
i currently have my application in with Key2Persia for my visa but i intend to leave in about 10 days from the uk with intentions to make istanbul a week or so later. If i have not heard from key2persia by then i may seek to attempt a transit visa in istanbul or ankara. If i haven't been refused or accepted with key2persia does anyone know if i can effectivly have 2 visa applications at once, as id rather not be hanging around if i can avoid it.
cheers |
Hı,
I realise this is not quite the same situation but when I was ın Ankara I met a guy who had applied for a tourıst visa through an agency and been turned down. But went to Ankara and got a transit visa no problem. Matt |
thanks matt, if i hear nothing from key2persia before i arrive, ill apply for a transit visa 1st in istanbul and then in ankara, ill let this forum know what happened
|
Hi there!
Visas might be the least of your worries! I have just come back out of Iran into Turkey, having been advised by the Iranians and the British Embassy in Tehran that Baluchistan (and especially the road to Pakistan) is a no go area. 12 people were shot dead there a week or so ago. A hard descision but my transit visa gave me no time to hang about and suss out the situation etc. I was in the middle of the country at the time, four days from either frontier! So had to make a snap descision. In the end, having no experience of this kind of thing I had to follow the official advıce and turn back. The British Embassy reckoned the area was 'extremely dangerous'. Tourists are especially vulnerable they reckon and as I only saw one other tourist the whole time I was in Iran it looked like the rebels didn't have a great many to choose from! I hope you get a full tourist visa whıch wıll gıve you the option to hang about and suss the situation. Good luck and take care, remember there ain't nothing heroic about getting shot dead on holiday! Matt |
Plan B
Quote:
Kinda interested in the alternative route. |
Matt- Glad to hear you gave those pesky baddies the slip
Hope you manage to get an alternative (and safe!) route to Nepal sorted soon. Cheers Mike Quote:
|
The End - not.
Matt,
Just read your blog. The Foreign Office have been warning about that part of the world for some time and it seems a shame to think that they're right (I'd love to make that trip too) but too much risk is a bad thing. From my nice warm, safe but dull desk I'm hoping that you can find an alternative route-good luck- but if you can't it looks like you might have time and, hopfully, budget to make the most of your return leg. J |
Dear JCBP,
Yeah, its a real bummer. I knew that the area was dodgy but it had been quiet for a while. I don't mınd a bit of risk when it's not too current and it's within reason but 12 people gettıng shot the week before one arrives in a place is just a bit lively for me! However, the violence starting the week before you get somewhere is better than the day you turn up! Unfortunately this was just where things start getting cheap too! So instead of spending the next while riding through cheap countries I'll be riding through Europe! Am now toying with shipping my Bullet to India and doıng a circuit including Nepal and Pakistan. Can't keep a good (ish) man down! I reckon it'll be a year or so and will have to sell the XT to finance it but there's no point in whinging, at least I wasn't one of the twelve! Matt Regardıng alternative routes, I believe the only land route goes up through the stans then down through China and Afghanistan. Unfortunately way out my budget (was already stretching ıt ;) ) |
Rollin'
Matt,
Keep it rollin' rubberside down & keep on blogging - it keeps the rest of us sane. J |
cheers for the update matt, im currently in budapest heading for istanbul next few days. going to suss everything there, if you hear of any developments could you update this forum, ill do likewise. does anyone know of shipping by airfreight from turkey to pakistan?
cheers. |
A few days ago a whole lot of people were stabbed - in Berlin. So, will you not visit Berlin from now on? I think one needs to look at the situation and not take a few incidents too seriously. There have been tensions between the local Beluchis and the Pak govt. for some time. But will that affect tourists? Thousands have been killed in Nepal, but bikers still go there and enjoy themselves. Anyway, everybody must make their own decisions.
I'm going later this year. |
Dear Beddhist,
Wıth respect, people getting stabbed in Berlin is an entirely different situation. I'm well aware of the risks of worrying too much about 'percieved danger'. Twelve people were shot dead the WEEK before I arrived in the area, it wasn't simply the general level of tension of which I was well aware existed in the area. They were not shot dead in some general area but on the very road you HAVE to travel on to get to the frontier. The Iranians used the term 'a considerable escalation ın violence' and the British Embassy in Tehran told me that tourists were specifically likely to be targeted. In the end, rightly or wrongly, I decided that being reletively ignorant of the specifıc situation (not being a Baluchistan political expert!) I would have to take the advice of experts who knew the area, the situation and the likelyhood of being shot; the best I could think of was the UK Embassy, and they said it would be (and I quote) 'extremely dangerous'. Note they did not say 'be careful' or 'its a wee bit risky.' Their advice was pretty unequivocal. In my opinion if you can't take the advice of experts then you are worse than an idiot. However, I WOULD give it another go, at a different time. Hopefully the situation will have have calmed down and you won't find yourself in the same quandary when you get there. Risk is cool until someone dies, then suddenly it isn't. I have been there more than once. Matt |
It strikes me that the problems along the Iran/Pakistan border are at least in part down to rebel/bandit activity in a particular area and thus very different to a non-specific threat or the occasional random acts of volence that can occur pretty much anywhere. The Foreign Office is warning against travel to that specific part of Iran and whilst to some extent they are likely to err on the side of caution the diplomats on the ground are not in the business of spoiling people's travel plans lightly. I imagine that most folks reading HUBB (dangerous generalisation??) have a pretty healthy ability to weigh risk in the context of travelling and I'm sure that Matt has made his decision in the light of the best advice he could find and weighing his dreams against his obligation to look after himself.
J |
ignore the nonsense Matt, you're the one there and your decision is what counts. you'd think here of all places people would respect others' decisions and choose to say nothing instead of saying nothing positive.
have you thought about flying Ankora-Delhi? Colesy is flying that way and I think he said it was about £700. Doug |
I have the same problem.... need to get to Pakistan. Hope I can do it. Maybe Ankara to Delhi is not bad. I'm considering shipping from Jordan to Karachi. I'll eye-ball things for a while. In Turkey now, then Syria, Jordan, Lebanon.... then I'll see. Need to decide around Jul 15 what I am going to do.
|
People in Iran are very friendly. You are German and they will respect you.
I don't think you will face any problem. May be I say this because I am Turkish but know that if you are an American, I would say: "Don't Go". |
Yep, the Iranians are without doubt the freindliest people I have have ever had the pleasure of meeting. It made the whole situation in the south seem all the more bizzarre.
I lost count of how many times Iranians stopped me in the street and welcomed me to Iran and being British was never a problem. I would love to go back some time and have a better look round. Matt |
Hi Dougie.
Was that 700 quid for the bike or him, presumably not both! Matt |
Just saw this...
Got a quote from Lufthansa Turkey today - about 800 quid at the moment for Ankara to Delhi....
Dear Mr. Coles, We thank you very much to contact with Lufthansa Cargo. Pls find below the approximate quoatation for your Motorcycle shipment to Delhi. Rate 4.13 eur p/kg Fuel surcharge 0.60 eur p/kg ( Subject to change depend on oil index) Security surcharge 0.15 p/kg ( Untill further notice) Airwaybill fee 35 eur Terminal fee 35 eur Dgr fee 50 eur Insurance premium 47.25 usd ( will convert to eur on awb issuing date) In case of shipment packed in wooden crate which is allowed us to ship the others on top of it, we will calculate its own dimensions to get the chargeable waight. In case of to carry on open pallet the chargeable weight appears as 2500 kgs. We kindly want to inform you that it is possible to carry the R150GS from Ankara to Istanbul by our regular Road Feeder Services and from Istanbul to Delhi by our Cargo flights via Frankfurt. As you may be informed about the big fire disaster in ATATURK Airport`s ( Istanbul) Cargo Area, it is not allowed to ship any DGR shipments out of Istanbul untill further notice. So we hope to be lifted this embargo on the date of to carry on your shipment. Please do not hesitate to cantact with us to get our IATA Agents list - which are authorised by Turkish Civil Aviation Department to accept shipments - to issuing airway bill and other necessary documents. |
cool.
if you're headed back that way anyway it's well worth just pitching up at the airport (cargo) and asking about for shippers and prices. The shipping process itself is very straight-forward. It's getting a price you can bear that's the hard part, always look blown-away at any figure you're quoted. I suspect shipping forwards will be easier, cheaper and more fun than riding backwards. if you see what I mean. good luck. |
we had no problems when we rode through Iran for the second time in May 2005. The people were as nice as in our visit in 2001.
However, after riding through central America we went to cross back into USA at the Mexico to Douglas, Arizona border crossing and we were held over and questioned for 3 hours because we had an iran visa in our passports. Seems America is a bit paranoid. We were terrorist suspects not just because we had been to iran, but that was the main reason, but also because...and I quote them....visited too many countries on your motorbikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They told us they have a problem with iran.....I told them that that is their problem, we have no problems with Iran. |
just received this info from key2persia
Dear Paul Mancktelow, Hope you are doing well. This is to inform you of the final result of your visa. We have tried our best and we were to reach a positive result for your visa, but unfortunately the Foreign Ministry told us that you are rejected. I know that it is not a good news for you but believe us we did our best. It is not our fault. Please accept our apology for not being able to obtain your visa. Sincerely yours, Zahra Vesal Public Relation Manager Pars Tourist Agency (P.T.A) ZAND St., 71358 Shiraz, Iran www.key2persia.com www.persien-tourismus.de www.perse-voyage.com Tel: +98-711-2223163/2240645 Fax: +98-711-2229693 no other reason has been given, on my application i had to include my cv and declined to put down my time in the armed forces (of course) and i assume they cannot find this out, i assume it is more political and i have only a british passport so i wont be going to iran sadly, going to have to ship to india from here in istanbul and back track to pakistan, i cant wait as i sadly am time constrained to return to the uk for october. |
just spoke wıth the frıeghtıng agents ın ıstanbul to shıp my dakar to ındıa, lufthansa are stıll not sendıng dangerous goods from ıstanbul due to the recent fıre. Turkısh aırlınes are though but they have a mınımum weıght for dangerous goods of 1100kg whıch works out about 4000 euros. Ive been around a few companıes to check ıts correct and sadly ıt ıs. Its crashed my plans but ıll have to work somethıng out ı guess.
|
Not enough stamps mate!
Quote:
From this info .. I think I’ll get the smaller passport rather than the one with more pages. Fortunalty I should be able to get dual nationality .. meaning two passports. |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:48. |