Hi all,

My friend and i are planning a trip through Asia, we have tickets to India for November 28th! I have a few, perhaps Naive sounding, questions that may well have been answered previously on the HUBB but please bare with us and any help/advise would be greatly recieved especially from those who have trecked this region previously.

The countries we plan to visit are India,Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China (avoiding Burma), then south through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia ....perhaps onwards as we have no specific plan, just get on the bikes and ride. The most important question is regarding border crossings, we have a Visa for India and Nepal and plan on getting Visas for the other coutries en route, will we find any major dramas/do we need to plan well in advance for certain countries, i.e. Vietnam.

We plan to buy a Royal Enfield, preferably a 500cc, but a 350 would suffice, in New Delhi, does anyone know of anywhere to look and a rough price so we dont get ripped off, or if anyone has one to sell that has reached the end of their own journey? we're looking around $1000 each. And one final question....is anyone going to be in the area and fancies meeting up for several sunny beverages? Be great to hear fom you guys, and hope to see some of you soon, Cheers!

P.S. feel free to throw in any 2cents worth that two naive wannabes may have forgotten, we have Jabs, Insurance, Intervational driving license and im pouring over the HUBB for anything else we may need with just over a month left!

Sorry to piss on your fire but your plan sounds a little hopeful. You'll be needing a carnet to take your bike to some of those coutries and getting into Bhutan will be very difficult - like impossible. China is possible if you are rich and you plan well ahead, like three months ahead, you'll need someone to arrange that paperwork for you. Dont think Vietnam is at all possible with bike, but your visa wont be a problem. Other places should be o.k

Karol Bagh is the place to buy and enfield in Delhi and you'll get a 500cc for $1000 in good condition.

Good luck with your plans though I feel they may have to change quite a lot as you find a few things out. Have a look in the planning section on this website and that should help you out a bit.

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Thanks for the advise, our idea was to save money on border crossing by selling the bike we buy in India, crossing into China, buying a second bike (perhapssomewhat illegaly) which will then ultimatly be sold again in China before crossing down to Laos.

Hi Charlie & Smiler.
I'm Mazlan from Malaysia. I've riden to Thailand and Laos last year. Could not get into Myanmar with the bike. It's strictly no. To go into China with your bike u need a special permit and if i'm not mistaken u need to get a local tour agent to bring u in China. Vietnam is also not easy to enter with your bike. Even us from ASEAN countries face difficuties. I was told only bikes less than 125cc are allowed. Laos, Thailand and Malaysia are easy to enter.

I have just come back from 5 months riding a Honda bantam 200 cc around Laos, Thailand,Malaysia and Indonesia. these countries are easy good roads cheap accommodation and you don't need much gear.
Burma is a problem all by itself and.
I know India is great to travel around in on a bike but you are really going to struggle taking a bike or traveling on a bike via china. U might be best just to do china another way especially if you have any form of time constraints. The air fare form India to kuala lumpour by air asia is dirt cheap so would not be hard to jsut fly there and pick up your bikke and ride in the opposite direction.
gjw

I've been trying to do a Bombay to Bangkok ride for 6 years now and no luck. It's Burma thats the big problem. The risk is way too high .. they could easily lock you up in a burmese jail for a while. It's just not worth it.
I would do the India and then ship/sell your bike.. buy a air ticket to malaysia or whichever E.Asian country you like and then pickup/buy a bike there.
I am currently in NYC but will be back in Bombay on the 24th of the month for 3 weeks before i leave for africa on the 17th of Dec. If you guys make it down to Bombay between those dates let me know and we can definitely meet up for enfield tales and frothy ales.

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