Hi everybody

we will also be travelling in that area in Summer 2012.

Leaving Europe in April and going through Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and then further on to SEA, Australia, .... we expect to be at KKH in July.

Since the situation in Pakistan seems to be a bit tricky at the moment, it would be great to stay in touch and learn from each other travelling in that area in Summer 2012.

Cheers,
Heike & Filippo

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We be taking the very same route (Iran - Pakistan - India - SEA) , starting from the Netherlands in March 2012. We will be 2up - although you guys will be leaving not until April, must be taking us over at some point. You might want to consider going into China to Laos from Nepal? We are looking for people that want to join. Timing June / July.

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Hi,
KKH and Pakistan are in a much better shape than the media makes us believe and is welcoming to travellers. I am living here along with another 180 million people
Pakistan Bikers Club teams would be on the KKH this summer and you can join them. All chapters of PBC would be glad to facilitate your trip. When in Lahore give me a call and we might arrange a meeting with the local bikers over a cup of tea.
Last year a group of European members of HU did the same sharing cost while crossing China and might be able to advise you with experience.

Cheers
Omar

Thats great news Omie,
Would love to meet your club next year when we travel on the KKH,

Fern,

You asked for opinions on NAVO and Chinaoverland. In response to my emails both companies replied with reasonably comprehensive details on what to expect for my scary amount of money. In an attempt to reduce the quoted price I asked both companies to cut out the additional sightseeing days/excursions. Both were willing to do this but to be honest it didn't bring the cost down all that much.

I've also been dealing with a third company, Xinjiang Tibet Expeditions. They came back with a comparitively cheap quote which certainly got my attention. After several attempts to get more details it turns out that, unlike the other two companies which are offering a fully guided/escorted trip, Xianjiang provide a guide for just the entry/exit crossings, and the necessary paperwork. Any additional use of a guide can be bought on a daily charge basis.

On the face of it this seems a good deal but I've been under the impression that unescorted travel once in China was forbidden. Xinjiang are saying that's it's optional and once clear of the border formalities you're free to go.

If anyone can clarify the situation I'd be most grateful.

Pete

Looking forward to meeting you in Lahore. Have a nice trip.

Hi Omie, it would be nice to meet you in September in Lahore!
Also, all suggestions regarding must see places are more than welcome

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Hi Hemuli,
Let me know the time at hand, the level of adventure you are seeking and your interest in trekking and we can make a detailed program for you. Personally I am as much of a trekker as a biker and Pakistan is a trekkers paradise.

Would be nice to meet you in Lahore.
Cheers
Omar

My Polish friends Iza&Kamil did this in 2008 on their RTW. It's certainly much cheaper than the "guided" option but I'm not sure this could be done all the way through Tibet to Lhasa.

Their Bog:.....................................

Independent travel using a foreign registered vehicle is prohibited in China. Generally, to bring your own vehicle in, you must hire a guide who will arrange for the appropriate permits, driving licenses and even Chinese registration plates! This was also the way we intended to travel, until the recent unrest in Kashgar brought on temporary closure of borders and the decision by the government to stop all foreigners from riding/driving in China. Our only hope of transiting through to Pakistan, was to ferry the bike over the border on the back of a truck, then ride it (illegally) to Pakistan. Of coarse this still required some ‘arranging’ by our agent…

Approaching Chinese immigration we were happy to see that our ‘declaration’ process was in full swing. All documents were prepared and the only thing left for us to do was present our passports and sign a declaration card, which one of the Chinese border officials had already filled out Customs (which included x-rays and a radiation test!!) was nothing more than a formality and we were soon preparing to load the bike onto the awaiting van. Instead our agent told us to just get on the bike and ride.

We couldn’t believe it! We were actually riding in China!!
The 250km trip from the border to Kashgar was an easy ride on good paved roads.

Omie, It sounds as if anyone approaching Lahore who encounters your kind offers of hospitality will be warmly received!

I have just sent an email off to Xinjiang & Tibet Expeditions asking for two prices, one with guide and one without, for the short route we are planning

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You got that right Fern

Isa and Kamil; What a wonderful couple it is. They spent quite some time in Lahore and Multan also.

I have quotes from Wayne, 1450USD per biker, without guide and 1550USD with guide, so a lot more expensive than the other quotes. Will see If I can negotiate, or maybe something is lost in translation.

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Hiya Fern,

Do you mind me asking where you had the cheaper quotes from? I ask because out of the three companies I've been dealing with, Wayne at XTE gave the cheapest price. However, he has been very light on detail and after half a dozen emails I'm still not really sure what I'll be getting for my money.

NAVO on the other hand come across very professionally, with a full day by day breakdown of everything. Appearances can be deceiving I know. They are more expensive as well.

As much as I'd like to see more of China it's just too expensive to spend more than the minimum time there.

Looking at your two quotes Fern, it strikes me as odd that there's only a $100 difference between no guide and guide, for what is at least a three day trip.

Hello, my bike is already in Kyrgystan and I am looking for companions to go through China in summer 2012. regarding time I am flexible but my route is fix: silkroad and then Mongolia. How about going together and share cost of Chinese guide?

I went with one of these offers in 2007. $1500 to get all the permits and a guide to get us processed into the country and the on to Urumqi.

After that we would be free to go. Well, not quite. On arrival in Urumqi, we were told that would be another £3200 for the remainder of the trip!
We told them, politely, to go forth and multiply.

We stayed in Urumqi to do maint on the bikes and then ran away early the following day and took a completely different route than the one we told them we were taking

The problem was the exit. The guides/agency had all the import docs and we were not able to process ourselves out at Tashkurgan. It was explained that we would be arrested when our visa ran out so we had to contact the agency again, return to Kashgar and hand over $1500 to be processed out

Not happy about it at all but no other options... Do NOT believe the offers of a cheap un-guided tour... wont happen.

The majority of the monies go to the government... its a tourist tax. The guides are paid a pittance.

Cheers,
John

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