Turkmenistan and the other 'stans'
 

Hi,
Has anybody out there taken a m/cycle across Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and/or Kazakhstan ? My friend and I are interested in spending some time in these countries on our bikes and would appreciate any first hand experiences or good web-pages on travel within these countries, (especially overland by bike)
Many thanks



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Sure, Mika Kuhn has done Kazakhstan recently.

Reported in several issues of our e-zine, June and August 2000 I think.

You can also go to the site search page at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/search.htm and search the whole website (except the BB, you search that from the Search link on this page.)

Not a lot other than that that I know of. I'd suggest go to Lonely Planets website and also general search engines and see what you can find.

Good luck, and let us know how you go! Should be a great trip!

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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

yeah - we just spent the last month or so riding through iran, turkmenistan, uzbekistan, kyrgyzstan and kazakstan. basically - interesting and colorful part of the world with cheap decent petrol - between 3 and 35 cents per liter - lots of history etc. only downside is visas are a hassle to get and expensive, with the region costing us a total of around USD700 just in visas. crossing the borders with bikes is no problem, and often passports are not even stamped. carnet was useful but it might be possible without - don't know. exception to this is iran-turkmen crossing at mashad where we had to pay around USD60 each for various charges for the bike, all government gazetted and receipted so arguing was no use. also - don't try cross siberia in november! we got to northern kazastan last week before eventually putting the bikes on a train to moscow since the roads there were pure ice with temp down to -15C already. email globeride@yahoo.com or read our updates on www.globeride.com. ciao

There are accounts and practicalities of bike travels in the 'stans you mention in the new AMH out in a few weeks.

Chris S

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Author of the Adventure
Motorcycling Handbook. New edition November 2000 ($19.95/GBP12.99)
http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com

hi Kirsten,

yes, Grant is right, I traveled Kazakhstan, Sibiria and Mongolia last summer. But now I am in warm Thailand going to Laos next.

If you go: Go in the summer. Learn as much Russian as pos. Learn to drink wodka with to amazing frindly Russians, but don't drink with total strangers. Keep your paperwork as right as pos. Never pay to a policeman. And the most important: NEVER fly your bike into Almaty, or you have enough money to give away hundred dollar bills like cigaretts.

I loved travelling Sibiria and the Far East of Russia, but Mongolia was a bit of a disapointment.

More on my website www.bike-forum.de/weltreise
and before you leave home I will have the report about Kazakhstan also in English

Have fun MIKA