Pakistan/Iran crossing options.
 

I understand that most people cross using the Mir Javeh border crossing from Iran into Baluchistan after staing at Zaheden.

With the current Afghani situation and a Pakistani freind telling be i am completely cookoocooeee going through this border, has anyone tried to cross at Kuhak or Pishin.

The Pishin route looks much safer enabling me to connect with Karachi only 400km away (Around 2 days if i want).

Has anyone used this border or am i limited to Mir Javeh near the Afghan border. He says there is alot of army build up there, hopefully the election will go smoothly aswell.

I'm quite interested in this as well, I was going to use Mir Javeh as well in a few months going from Quetta to Iran, I wonder how bad it is? :eek3:

When will you be there, maybe we can cross togethor.

I don't mean to spoil your plans, would love to hear good news.

But AFAIK no choice for foreigners: MirJaveh/Taftan it is. I was also told that this would be the safest option since the main road from Taftan is more or less the only stretch of land in Baluchistan under government control. And there is apparantly a lot of smuggling going on in the border region, which is why you get an escort on the Iranian side, too.

I was told a tale of a German motorbiker being shot at in summer 2006 off the main road on the Iranian side (did not meet him personally though).

Also, I was told not to travel in Sindh in Sikkim, too dangerous (criminals, for a change).

All this info is as of autumn 2006.

Lars

I'd also like to add a comment regarding the warnings of our governments regarding Baluchistan:

I'd like to emphasis that I really appreciate the warnings of the governments. They give me a general feeling for the country and a basis for collecting my own information and making my own judgement as I was taught in school (though I get the impression this changed during the recent years. Now they want you to obey government "advice" - otherwise you'll face consequences)

I do not quite understand why they issues warnings as strong as those published. I spent about 2,5 month in eastern Pakistan enjoying the country and being scared of Baluchistan.

I seriously thought about shipping to Muscat. But I also spent a lot of time doing research, collecting information from various authorities and every single east bound traveller I met during those two month. And I could figure out only two incidents: one was about that German motorbiker I mentioned in the previous post (but he travelled on minor roads). The other were those Swiss pushbikers being kidnapped in 2003(?). That case is told in the Lonely Planet "Iran" and it happened between Bam and Kerman (therefore at the westernmost edge of Baluchistan). And I met literally dozens travellers coming from Europe of different nationalities (and therefore from partly very different background, having access to a variety of different sources). I did not hear about a single incident between Taftan and Lahore (concerning western overlanders, I mean).

There is war near Baluchistan, there is no war WITHIN that region - at least along the main road. Nor do the risks of that war zone extend to the main road from Taftan to Lahore via Quetta, as far as I understood and experienced. And I did not even hear of any incident concerning western travellers for years.

I do not want to diminish the risks of travelling Baluchistan yes, there is a war going on very close to that region. If there would be trouble for a traveller, I'd expect it to be violent. That alone would be a good reason not to travel it at all. And we do not have a sixth sense for danger. We may feel quite comfortable and get in serious trouble the very next moment. Sadly, I had to experience this myself. This is the reason I would refrain from recommending travelling through that area. I eventually took the risk, travelled quickly along the main road without incident and still do not know if it was a sensible decision.

The point is: I still cannot see a single reason that would justify such a strong warning against travelling in Baluchistan. The warnings against travelling Baluchistan despite not being able to deliver facts on which those warnings could be based still make me angry. I feel fooled. There have been other regions during my trip where violence against tourists happened and the warnings weren't even near to being that strong.

I (still) want to understand. What is it that I am misjudging? Would be glad to get more information on that matter.

Lars

pakistan/Iran
 

Hey there,

let me know how things turned out for you guys?!
Wanna cross India/Pakistan/Iran myself, maybe at the end of April 2008.

If anyone is around that time lets try to push our luck together.

Cheers, Phil
Phil Dera Photography

cossed at Taftan last November
 

Hi guys I crossed from Pakistan to Iran at Taftan Last November a week into the "state of emergency". I had no problem in Pakistan except I was constantly watched the whole time I was there. There's a delightful Hotel at Taftan by the way.
In Iran we were escorted from the border for 2 days under various military escorts and only finally set free before Kerman. I think the escort was needed as i saw some strange going on's in east Iran.
You can read my blog for more info if you like
halfwayround - Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â* All Who Wander Are Not Lost Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*

BTW try and sort Fuel cards at the border , I didn't and had a hard few days trying to get fuel
Ride on
Kev

Hi,
crossed from pak into iran 25th feb. no probs at tafdan border.
no escort hwy 40 quetta - taftan. No need to worry about this stretch too much
Pak is most dangerous in nwfp and tribal regions. I decided to take hwy 50 from dera ishmael kahn to quetta on my way down from rawalpindi. pak frontier military picked me up on nwfp/balouchistan border evening of feb17th. held me for 5 days in their Zhob fort over elections and because of operations in the area. had to get my embassy envolved bofore they finally arranged an escort from zhob to quetta. I would suggest you avoid these parts. you wont get through without the military getting involved.

on the iran side you will be escorted all the way between Zahidan and Bam, then left alone. A japanese guy was kidnapped in bam a few months ago and is still being held somewhere on the iran/pak border, hence the police are a little concerned about foreigners

Ash

hey guys,
much like Katmand I will be following this with interest. Two of us intend to travel through Iran / Pakistan and on to India late September / October, asuming we get a visa. Our route is not yet sorted (it may never be!) so any and all fedback is welcome.

Scav :confused1:

Hey Scav,

I will be headed in the same direction at around the same time. Like you, I don't have a firm route to travel other than the fact that I will end up in India. Keep in touch and we may see each other on the road.

Kenny

Im intending to do the run to Quetta in about a week's time! Keep your eye's peeled for my experiences.

You have to go from Taftan to Quetta, as its the only international border station, and the roads further south were destroyed by floods about a year ago. And even if you managed to get there, they say that area is even more unsafe than the route from Zahedan to Quetta (where the main road is controlled by the police) so better just stay on that road.