Filming in the Stans?
 

Hi everyone,
5 of us guys from New Zealand are heading from Vladivostok to London next year via Mongolia and the 'stans. We've been thinking about taking a couple of cameras with us to record our trip, at least for memory's sake if nothing more.
I remember reading somewhere that officials in various stans (maybe uzbekistan, turkmenistan and tajikistan?) aren't welcoming of journalists (ie won't let them into the country). If we have a camera with us, are we likely to be branded as journalists? Would anyone have advice on how we can explain that we're just filming the thing for our own memory?
Thanks
Rob

No you wont be branded as journalists.

But one Uzbek border guard thought I was a spy. Dont know whats worse, cause he let me in.

Same as Colebatch, no particular problem in Kirghizstan, nor in Kazakhstan - with a Lowe pro full of kind of professional equipment: big telezoom, big camera, a smaller one, little video camera, lenses and computer.
In south of Tadjikistan, they were a pain in the head at some check points. They just wanted some dollars. No info about ouzbekistan. If the "stans" include Turkmenistan, they were over-paranoïd about this equipment at the border with Kazakhstan.
(how much did you pay to ship your bikes to vladivostok from NZ?? I might go there in a few months...Thanks :thumbup1:)