|
9 Jan 2011
|
Registered Users
HUBB regular
|
|
Join Date: May 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 89
|
|
Burma
Just interested, like. Does anyone know of anybody who has successfully entered and traversed the country on a motorcyle before?
|
9 Jan 2011
|
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Surrey
Posts: 5
|
|
Bhurma---
As far as I know it cant be done. I rode to Aus and had to fly over it. You can enter from the Thai side for about 30k then have to turn about and exit same way. A lot of bandits. Good luck.
|
10 Jan 2011
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 1,731
|
|
Google "the missing link of overland travel" and your 1st result should be to a 6-year old thread in gt-rider.com forums (and even those riders weren´t allowed to cross the entire country with their bikes)...
And The ASEAN rally at around the same time did go overland from India to Singapore... but I dont know, if they actually drove all the way through Burma. And this kind of event is special, the governments may be involved, so it doesn´t relate to a normal traveller anyway.
You´ll need to have unlimited time (and patience!) and you should also be very familiar with the local ways & speak the languages to realistically even think about it. A lot of people start their route planning by drawing lines into a map, and dreaming the rest. Sadly ain´t gonna work with Burma.
|
10 Jan 2011
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Aussie expat in Switzerland half way RTW
Posts: 611
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pecha72
Google "the missing link of overland travel" and your 1st result should be to a 6-year old thread in gt-rider.com forums (and even those riders weren´t allowed to cross the entire country with their bikes)...
And The ASEAN rally at around the same time did go overland from India to Singapore... but I dont know, if they actually drove all the way through Burma. And this kind of event is special, the governments may be involved, so it doesn´t relate to a normal traveller anyway.
You´ll need to have unlimited time (and patience!) and you should also be very familiar with the local ways & speak the languages to realistically even think about it. A lot of people start their route planning by drawing lines into a map, and dreaming the rest. Sadly ain´t gonna work with Burma.
|
+1
What Pecha said.
You might be able to cross the border at Mae Sai in the very north of Thailand with your vehicle but the day I was there only pedestrian traffic for duty free shopping was permitted and people like us doing the visa run. And this was only permitted in the border zone, max 20kms. After that there are military checkpoints and you will be turned back.
|
16 Jan 2011
|
|
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 203
|
|
Simon & Suzi rode through in 2004 - google Simon Harby
|
16 Jan 2011
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: aberdeenshire scotland
Posts: 154
|
|
Just the read theabove mentioned story about crossing burma looks like they still ended up flying and having to ship their vehicle overland by truck through some areas, otehr folks I think have shipped by truck/flown their bike and then backpacked across burma as much as they can.
|
17 Jan 2011
|
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London
Posts: 621
|
|
FWIW here's my experience as far as 4 wheels is concerned. I drove through India and reached Calcutta in Jan 08.
overlandcruiser.net - India
I would have liked to drive from India into Burma, but didn't even bother trying as I had been told it was impossible. So I stuck the car in a shipping container in Calcutta and jetted off to Burma with a backpack for a couple of weeks before rejoining the car in KL.
Imagine my surprise when I met Thierry and Coralie in Inle, with their French-registered Landrover. They had driven in from Thailand, through the Mae Sai border.
Overland from Mandalay -->Imphal ... - Thorn Tree Travel Forum - Lonely Planet
I tried to find out how they had managed to negotiate the bureaucracy to get into Burma, but they wouldn't tell me - didn't want to open up the floodgates (as if!) I think, or rather I know, that Thierry was very good at talking to people and getting what he wanted without directly asking for it.
But you will be interested to know that even Thierry, having enlisted the help of the French Ambassador to Burma to speak directly to his Indian counterpart, was not able to get a permit from Rangoon to travel through the North Eastern Region of India. This was categorically NOT the Burmese junta refusing him, but the Indians. I am told that this was nothing to do with visa issues, nor where the permit was applied for, but due to a then-imminent crackdown against separatist rebels in the NER, which the Indian government did not want foreigners to witness. So Thierry and Corali had to return to Thailand through Mae Sai.
By all means go to Burma, but I wouldn't get too worried about not taking your own vehicle. If nothing else, you will have a lot of difficulty getting decent fuel for it - Thierry and Corali had to threaten a diplomatic incident every time they wanted diesel from the government filling stations. I remember one time when they ended up buying 5 gallons of government diesel, at the black market price, only to see the government filling station people promptly using their money to buy 5 gallons of black-market diesel from outside the station and pour it back into the government diesel tank! We heard many stories of people's engines being ruined with black-market fuel; government fuel is rationed in Burma, and can only be bought with ration books issued to vehicles registered in the same division as the one they are buying fuel in. Getting a foreign-registered vehicle into Burma is obviously such an unusual phenomenon that nobody has thought how to address getting fuel for such vehicles!
I was also told in Calcutta that the border between the NER of India and Burma IS open, but only for Burmese/Indian citizens ie no 3rd country nationals.
|
19 Jan 2011
|
|
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 203
|
|
Jochen and Cordula drove their Landy camper towing a trailer with 2 R100GS's through Burma from India to Thailand in 2004. [url=http://ziguin.de]
They drove all the way (& parked up then used the bikes) - had valid paperwork after much persistance chasing Visas & Inner Line permits in Delhi. When officials tried to turn them back they patiently pointed out they needed a very large turning circle with the trailer - not available on the shitty little roads - & then retreated to the camper until the officials gave up & let them continue.
They told us but we had already comitted to flying my bike from Nepal to Bangkok - I told Simon & Suzi & they followed the process then rode through...but were forced to fly the last 200 kms while thier bikes disappeared for 2 weeks. Simon said they had many midnight police raids hassling them & he would not have done it again.
Oh, to be on the road again...sigh.
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
Similar Threads
|
Thread |
Thread Starter |
Forum |
Replies |
Last Post |
Burma on a bicycle
|
mark manley |
Overland Bicycle Travel |
2 |
2 Apr 2010 11:25 |
Burma
|
Jelle |
West and South Asia |
20 |
5 Mar 2009 14:59 |
Overland through Burma possible
|
parkie |
West and South Asia |
6 |
29 Jul 2004 17:01 |
Burma
|
Owain G |
Route Planning |
4 |
10 Apr 2004 05:30 |
Burma/Myanmar
|
Spud |
Route Planning |
5 |
18 Jul 2002 05:14 |
|
Next HU Events
ALL Dates subject to change.
2025 Confirmed Events:
- Virginia: April 24-27 2025
- Queensland is back! May 2-4 2025
- Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 2025
- CanWest: July 10-13 2025
- Switzerland: Date TBC
- Ecuador: Date TBC
- Romania: Date TBC
- Austria: Sept. 11-15
- California: September 18-21
- France: September 19-21 2025
- Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2 2025
Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!
Questions about an event? Ask here
See all event details
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Lots more comments here!
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook
"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.
Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!
New to Horizons Unlimited?
New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!
Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.
Read more about Grant & Susan's story
Membership - help keep us going!
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
|
|
|