Hi Oli,

Good luck with setting off tomorrow, we set off two weeks ago now doing the same channel crossing as you plan to. We are now in Croatia taking our time through Europe due to the Iran elections. We also plan to spend a fair amount of time in Turkey and plan on a very similar route to yours after. Let me know your plans would be great to meet up and do some of the riding together. Do you have a blog we can follow?

Cheers,

Paul


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Hi Paul;

We've been sitting the rain out in Ljubljana last couple of days (it's just rained everyday since we left the UK). Tomorrow heading to the Plitvice national park for a couple of days, then towards split etc...

where are you folks now? Hope it's going well.. We had very very a minor run in with a slovenian bus on a road you wouldn't expect a bus to be, through a tiny village where the bus was as wide as the road.... it was OK in the end.

Hi Oli,

Sorry for no response, we have been reading your blog so felt like we knew where you were.

You guys don't seem to be having too much luck with the weather, but hopefully the rest of the journey will bring you sunshine. We've seen you are now in turkey, what's your plans now?

We're in Iznik at the moment but will be travelling down to Afyon today. Plan is to reach capadoccia on Saturday, spend two days there then head up north/north east and reach the Dogubayazit border between the 22 - 25 June.

You may be following this but here is another thread with other people we're going to try and meet with to cross iran/pakistan http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ad.php?t=70548

We got our visa issued in Istanbul yesterday. We paid for same day as we wanted to get going but it was expensive - 270 Euros each! We'll write abit more about this on the other thread.

Amy

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Hi Amy;

We keep reading your blog aswell and having a bit of your "ahead information" is good. We're going to be in Turkey for a while now. We are planning to get in to Iran around the 1st - 2nd week of august. So you guys will be well ahead ahead of us. Our Turkey plans are to spend the next week at the seaside then get cracking with the Iran visa and do some Turkey travelling. If you guys decide to head to west/southwards in Turkey let us know. I'll follow the other post aswell, curious how many days of Iran visa you guys got. We need to sort our Pak ones in Iran as we couldn't get them in the UK and there is no chance of it in Turkey. If it doesn't happen we're gona head to Dubai and ship to Nepal

All the best anyway and take care
Oli

Oh no that's a shame, we had been looking forward to meeting with you guys. Maybe later on in the journey? You may catch us up.

We're in cappadocia at the moment and will go north east from here to start making our way to the border.

We got 20 days on our Iran visa (we were advised to apply for two weeks and give a brief itinerary, which we did). We've read this can be extended once in Iran if needed.

Keep in touch and have a nice time in the sun!

Amy

Hello all;

Just an update. With all the recent killings, explosions etc etc in Pakistan we have decided to avoid it. I really wanted to see the northern bits but after the recent shooting I doubt they'll let folk foreigners up the KKH for a bit. So our new route after Iran is to cross to Dubai and spend some time in UAE and Oman and do some desert stuff. I think it'll be a nice alternative to Pakistan. Then ship from there to Mumbai or Kathmandu and come back in to India.

Taliban's "foreigner killing branch" also makes nice reading....
BBC News - Nanga Parbat attack: Taliban say new faction killed climbers

I will also investigate whether we can get from the Arabian peninsula to Karachi and ride up the Indus valley to Lahore. These are just thoughts anyway. But currently not going to Balochistan and the Northern areas.

Hi Oli,
I'm currently in turkey heading the same direction as you it seems. let me know if your about and we can maybe meet up somewhere in the next few weeks either here in turkey or in Iran.
Cheers, Ben.

Hi Ben;

It would be nice to meet at some point somewhere. I think we will get back on the bike (fully loaded) and head towards the black sea region (north) from Izmir towards the end of July or 1st week of August. Will head towards Trabzon and attempt getting an Iran visa. If not we'll hang about and apply from a visawebsite thing. Then will be going through Georgia and Armenia (we might not bother though, need to research it a bit more)

When are you in Turkey till? what are your plans?

if you want a nosy here is our blog:
Chasing the Sunshine

Take care and have fun!
Oli

hi Oli,
currently in Sile, north of Istanbul waiting for my carnet to be sent through from the uk, probably be a few days. Aiming to enter Iran in about 2 weeks, roughly. looks like I'll be ahead of you somewhere but maybe you'll catch up a bit later on. keep in touch and maybe we'll meet at some point.
cheers and all the best on your travels. Ben

Hi olionel, paulhamblett, Twilly,

a newbie here in the forum.

I came across this post looking for some info for a very similar trip I am expecting to do next year at more or less the same time (starting around March). Good to know you are all right out there. I already added your blogs to my feed to keep track or your experiences throughout your journey.

I am going to Turkey next Friday 12th July with some friends and will spend a few days on Kusadasi and Cesme from 14th to 18th July (Capadoccia from 12th to 14th). If you happen to be around it would be nice to meet for a beer and listen to your plans and experiences in your trip so far.

Let me know and take care!

Hey all

Just an update. Current plan is to leave izmir around 20th aug and head to Cappadocia, then to Trabzon for iran visa. Turkey visa runs out 5th sept so will probs exit around then (getting good value for the 90day allowance) to Georgia, then Armenia. Will be entering iran aound the 15th or thereabouts +/- 2 days.

Then current plan is to stay max iran visa they give us then head to Bandar Abbas to Dubai. See Oman, try a guided desert tour then seek out shipping the bike to either İndia/nepal or Karachi (depends on price and our Pak vida, will try again in İran).

Then if india shipping is too much money, we'll copy paul and amy and ship to Bangkok. Then go to Nepal and hire a bike there and go back into İndia. Should be getting to nepal around the dry season hopefully. İf we get pak visas and shipping to karachi is ok, we'll ride up tne indus valley to Lahore and enter india there. We've decided notto risk our asses since the trouble inthe northern regions.

All the best to everyone, hope to meet someof you somewhere
Oli

P.s. Hi hebbo, hope your turkey holiday went ok. We headed south around when you were here. Enjoy the blog and have a great trip when you set off.

Ps.2 hi ben, hope iran is good and you got the visa all ok. Take care

Oli

Hello;

Another update. We have finally set off from western Turkey and came to Goreme, Cappadocia via Konya. We'll be setting off towards Trabzon on Sunday and will be there until we get the Iran visa. Then we'll head further east and might pop down towards Kars, depending on how many days left on Turkey visa.. the 90 days is nearly up...then in to Georgia, Armenia then Iran.

Have fun!
Oli

hi Oli,
Glad to hear your on the road and are enjoying Turkey to it's fullest. Iran was great fun with some excellent riding and wonderful hospitality. Got pretty hot however, especially towards the south and east, some vast distances too.
Currently relaxing in Lahore and planning to push north a bit at some point. Crossing Baluchistan was without problems, I teamed up with an overland bus from the UK also and we were escorted together all the way through to Punjab province. The escorts are friendly enough and you feel secure with them although they do slow you down considerably with change over and check points. Quetta felt quite tense and an NOC is needed to proceed from there which is a day wasted sitting in offices.
All reports here suggest that the north is reasonably secure and there are many travelling about happily. There is a huge number of local 'adventure' bikers whizzing all over the mountains on their 125's, they recon security forces have a grip on things up there and there is a steady flow of foreigners.
This is just my experience so far, I hope to give a similar positive report in a few weeks when I'm leaving the country. The people here are truly wonderful and the food is to die for (pardon the expression)! Safe travels mate, maybe I'll see you in India, I'll be there until sometime in December or there abouts.
Stay safe and enjoy yourselves!!

went same way a few months ago
 

Hi Guys,

Following your trip with interest. Must admit, little bit jealous but then I'll get back on the road soon enough.

Went similar route myself last year, finishing in January.
Still working on video but there is episodes 1-3 here
Europe, Turkey and Iran so far. Pakistan - Episode 4 will be next week.

Hope you may find something in there of interest.

Hi all;

We're in Tbilisi now. Did a bit of a zigzag of Georgia. Entered from Kars (Turkey), from the Turkgozu border to Georgia. Went to Borjomi (ace), then to Mestia in the Svaneti region, via Zugdidi. Then were strongly discouraged by the locals not to take the old road from Mestia to Kuatisi (anyone done this?) I didn't fancy it 2 up loaded after all the jeep drivers told us not to go. Maybe one year with a few more bikes it could be fun?

Then we stopped in Kutaisi for a night then to Tbilisi via Gori (Stalin museum... bit one sided like...). Tbilisi is ace though will spend another night or two here and then set off towards the wine region for a day or two then leave for Armenia. Wont be pissing about this much there, just pop in to Jerevan for a day or two then in to Iran. Got 30 days for Iran (so will try to fill it best as we can).

I read your blog with interest last year Steven, glad your enjoying ours.

Ash, when are you're in Iran let us know. Our current plan is a bit of a Zigzag of Tabriz, the coast, Theran etc etc all the way to Bam. Then we're gona head towards the port to cross to Dubai.

All the best folks and have fun!
Oli