Don't worry...you will be in the most friendly lands of your trip..just pay attention for the friendly escorts...they are there all for your safety.
wish you all the best and happy trips..

__________________
Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Welcome to Pakistan. Take it easy and enjoy.


Cheers
Omar

We crossed a few weeks ago. No trouble with the bribes thing, in fact the Pakistan border was very helpful but very crude. Everything is paper and books, no computers except one in the visa office. We were issued a police escort in Taftan who let us go about 30 miles up. We did 70 miles and then it was getting dark. We were stopped at a town checkpoint and the police were called. They invited us to stay at the station, cleared out the main office and let us sleep there. They brought us tea, chatted and were nothing but friendly. After that we had escorts all the way to Quetta. Once in Quetta we seemed to be allowed to walk around freely and had no trouble. We got left alone for a while afterwards and made about 100 miles but when we stopped for pictures someone tried to steal our gear and said they had guns. They didn't, they were just idiots but it did leave us in a bad mood.
We Had no more trouble, the ecorts were all very friendly and we always felt like they were just good guys doing their jobs. We asked a lot of them why we needed escorts and none could explain. They all tell you that it's perfectly safe but you still need to be protected. We were told in Sukkor that we weren't allowed out of the hotel but I heard the police take your passports but nobody did that to us. It is a bit frustrating but simply, the country is dangerous. It has a population of 180 million and there are 20 million AK47 assault rifles. On top of that there are millions of other kinds of weapons. The government considers pistols to be harmless so the police aren't even issued them. we were allowed to hold guns for pictures, my mate knew nothing about them but when I checked he had been given an AK47 with a full magazine and a live round in the chamber. If he pulled the trigger it would have fired. Guns are so normal there they just treat them like they're nothing special. Wait till you cross into India. You're suddenly in far more danger and things will change radically.
Also, don't drink the water, even tea and coffee and be very careful about the food. Expect stomach problems, every single person we met on the road had many issues there.

seconded!

__________________
Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand 2016
Buenos Aires to NYC 2012-2013: www.facebook.com/curryhunt
India and back 2009-2010:

This is so sad to read ... I spent 5 weeks in Pakistan in 2006 and only a few days with escorts. It sounds like they basically run you through the country and out ... Does anyone go to the KKH anymore? I am going to be back there in 2014 or so, coming from the Indian side this time. I sure hope things will have settled down then a bit... The police escorts, where I had them, were OK. The "worst" was from DG Khan to DI Khan. Basically rode in one straight shot but at many point I would have stopped to take pictures.

__________________
http://www.nohorizons.net

We have been given permission by Chinese authorities to ride across the KKH border to Kunjerab in Xinjiang after May 1 2012, but they said they cannot guarantee our safety or indeed recommend riding through the Pakistan side.

We have already ridden 20,000kms across Africa (now idling in Dahab, Sinai) and will be shipping over the bike to Turkey next month (Dec 2011) from Alexandria to Mersin on Chinese SOE ship and then touring South Europe for Jan and Feb and when it gets warmer a bit further north via Austria (our bikes birthplace) and then back through Turkey to Iran and to Pakistan. We are now considering a route through India to Nepal and then cross to Xhangmu in Xinjiang (China). But still open to ideas.

Like everyone else I guess, we are researching safe, but interesting routes and what permits and visas are needed. I have been searching this forum and several others without much luck and concrete information and so any "non gungho" advise is very welcome on a good route through Iran and Pakistan, and also any travelling partners who may be taking the same route around April/May 2012 would be good. If an escort is needed fine.. how is it arranged?

Thank you all,

Fang Yi and Rupert
www.facebook.com/bigbiketrip

Escorts on the Pakistani side are not optional. You'll be intercepted by police, local militia etc. as needed and escorted through their area, sadly at great speed and without stopping at times. It's not clear from your message above if you're actually going into China from Pakistan and to where you will be allowed to ride. I want to do something similar, but then from Laos to Pakistan, via China.

__________________
http://www.nohorizons.net