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West and South Asia From Turkey to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Ladakh and Bangladesh
Photo by Ellen Delis, Lagunas Ojos del Campo, Antofalla, Catamarca

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Ellen Delis,
Lagunas Ojos del Campo,
Antofalla, Catamarca



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  #1  
Old 18 Aug 2009
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affordable tour organiser for China

Does anyone know a tour organiser who can arrange paperwork and travel permits for China Tibet at a reasonable rate. We are a group of six trying to organise a ride but being quoted US$6600 P/P just for paperwork guide and vehicle?
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  #2  
Old 19 Aug 2009
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Maybe try CITS

Hi Stephen,

I'd looked at a China leg for a RTW next year.

It got a tad too expensive to do on my own bike ( bit big it seems ! ) , but for 6 the price might be much better than what you'd mentioned.

The Compnay was China International Travel service, agent contact was Shu Yu( [shuyu [*AATT*] cits {*DoTT*} com {*DoTT*} cn ).

Do you have dates and itinerary etc. sorted ??

Cheers !
Frank.

Last edited by Chris in Tokyo; 19 Aug 2009 at 12:29. Reason: PLEASE! No unedited email addresses in posts!
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  #3  
Old 19 Aug 2009
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Thanks for that. will try him, but you can't hold your breath with CITS. We plan to start in April-May 2010 and have an itinerary for China but will default to Vladivostok if we don't get a reasonable price.
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  #4  
Old 19 Aug 2009
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China next year

Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon R View Post
Thanks for that. will try him, but you can't hold your breath with CITS. We plan to start in April-May 2010 and have an itinerary for China but will default to Vladivostok if we don't get a reasonable price.
Hi Simon,

Please keep in touch as your dates match my RTW plan and if China works then I'd like to throw my hat in with your group. I had Vietnam included in that run, but now plan to do both countries another time and instead freight from Bankok to Dhaka.

I've traveled to China a few times, had a good itinerary and have reasonable language skills, the thing about CITS and CTS is they are both 'part of the system", so when they put their name on a booking, it should be good.

Over the years I've seen some others that were anything but !.

Cheers and hope it works-out !

Frank
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  #5  
Old 12 Sep 2009
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6 of us, in cars, have just crossed China using:

China Adventure Tour, trekking, overland, festivals, special travel – NAVO

Tracy our guide was excellent! Between mine & my mates car being dumped in Kazakhstan and her having to organise a long distance taxi driver, writing a contract which could be tested, delays, sickness and me leaving in Kunming and her organising flights.....

The price was good and they can be flexible with the import duties for small groups.

I would highly recommend them!
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  #6  
Old 22 Sep 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bergrider View Post
Hi Simon,

Please keep in touch as your dates match my RTW plan and if China works then I'd like to throw my hat in with your group. I had Vietnam included in that run, but now plan to do both countries another time and instead freight from Bankok to Dhaka.

I've traveled to China a few times, had a good itinerary and have reasonable language skills, the thing about CITS and CTS is they are both 'part of the system", so when they put their name on a booking, it should be good.

Over the years I've seen some others that were anything but !.

Cheers and hope it works-out !

Frank
Hi Frank

Tried the CITS people in Beijing after they were recommended by the Chinese Aust. Ambassador. Good for about 5 Emails but when it got down to the nitty gritty of organising things he just stopped responding to my Emails. I guess the Government employees do not really have to work if they do not want to as they get paid regardless. We have decided not to bother with China which is a pity but easier. We are going to ship to Japan instead and make our way across via Russia and Mongolia. We did alot of working out itineraries etc. with "Echo" from Plateau Tours who was good but just could not get the price for paper work within reasonable range. At one stage we looked at crossing into China from Laos, instead of Shanghai Thus cutting our planned time in China in half but this was still going to be over US$4000 p.p.

Simon
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  #7  
Old 22 Sep 2009
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Me too!!!

Hello everyone from Spain!

I'm planning on travelling though China next year as well for my RW project. My ideal itinerary would be entering the country (sept 5th - 10th) through Mongolia (Shainshan) and doing Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Bhutan and Katmandhu, and then heading South o India.
Please let me know your thoughts and itinerary, I think it could be really interesting to organize a trip together, departuring, for example, from Ulanbataar.
Please write to yo (at) saliadarunavuelta (dot) com for details.
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  #8  
Old 25 Sep 2009
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Transit china

Hi I would like to transit China ...my ideal route and dates would be Khazakstan in Laos out or Mongolia in Loas out. Dates would be July 2010. I tried 2 years ago to get together a group to share costs but it never happened. Anyone initially intereted?.

Jimmy
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  #9  
Old 25 Sep 2009
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Hi there

Hi from Spain

I am extremely interested in joining a group to share guide expenses.
Please see bellow my suggested itineraries for the summe of 2010. I prefer itinerary one. I can take care of the organization. Please feel free to comment or suggest a new itinerary.

summer 2010 - Google Maps

link
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  #10  
Old 25 Sep 2009
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Re Getting a small group together...

Hmm Well this is where the decisions start. Since we will be paying by the day for a guide we have to decide what budget is affordable. I have no idea how much per day ... The minimum time to transit is 2 weeks I would have thought....If going for minimum time in China I would try to avoid big cities. There is a tour company see link Driving in China, from Erenhot to Laos, North to South China Offeringa similar route to your route 2. They schedule 21 days I have not mailed them re price..I will do now, and ask the minimum numbers and max and if they will run to the groups timetable. Anyone else interested?.

Jimmy
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  #11  
Old 28 Sep 2009
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jimmy46, please let me know as soon as you have a budget.

Just a thought: We could simply try to cross the border in a truck or something, and if that doesn't work, ship the bikes in Mongolia to India(?) and cross China by bus and train. If guide prizes get too serious, that'll be my best shot.
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  #12  
Old 28 Sep 2009
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Here is the reply to my enquiry

Dear jimmy,
Thanks for choosing NAVO as your China in-country consultant! NAVO is a Chinese qualified travel agency since 1993.

I’m Karen work for NAVO in the English center. And One of my main jobs is arranging the foreigners driving their own motorcycle in China. Please see our 2009 motorcycle tour pictures.
Photos BMW motorbike self-driving from London to Beijing 2009
Photos BMW motorcycle driving from Switzerland to China 2009

About how to arrange the self-driving tour in China:

The self-driving tour in China have many process need us to deal with, please see the FAQ of the self-driving tour in the attachment. Although it seems very long, but it do real helpful for you to know more about how to do the self-driving tour in China.

About the itinerary of the motorcycle tour in China:

We both know that motorcycle tour is different from other kind of self-driving tour. Because in China, the motorcycle is not allowed to drive on highway and it makes the riders feel uncomfortable when driving across the big cities of China. Because they might stopped several times when diving on the National Road. And this is the main reason that why the motorcycle can’t driving very fast in China through some big cities..

About the NAVO’s suggestion:

Honestly, if you travel by your own motorcycle in China, NAVO can also help to arrange it, but it would cost a very high price (it’s required to equipped the foreign self-driving team with a in-country guide, and for this group, it’s also need a guide vehicle). So the best way for you to travel in China is to join a larger group. So far, I have no recommend group for you to join in because there is no larger motorycycle group plan to do the itinerary from Erenhot-Mohan. I will keep an eye on this and update the news if there are suitable teams which you can join.

About the NAVO’s quote:
As self-driving tour is very special, and we need to know the exact number of the vehicle and guests as well as the itinerary that we can give out a quote.

Please feel free to contact me if have any question!

Best regards!

Karen

I will ask for a costing based on two weeks transit mangolia to Laos 4 travellers and ask cost implications of ma smaller and bigger party. Will post reply here. I have an open view on budget...can afford most scenarios.


Re the lorry and smuggling, it has been done and am sure will in the future see www.slowbikes.com Jakes trip...The fall back for me would be turn round and tour balken states or other and home



Other possibilities are ride my bike to border and swap with north bound rider on chinese regitered bike..long shot but maybe ...


Any thoughts?

Jimmy
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  #13  
Old 28 Sep 2009
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mhmhm

As it happens in most comunist regimes, China is abusing of tourism by forbidding free transit. I feel abused. Let's wait for your contact's reply. If the budget sounds reasonable, I'll go for it. If not, perhaps I'll simply postpone the decission until I reach Mongolia, and I'll keep calling and emailing and faxing the Chinese embassy in Madrid. If by then frontiers are open, I'll cross China. If they're closed, I'll send my bike to India and I'll travel by myself all the way down in public transportation. But paying nomater what for being escorted, doesn't seem to be fair play for me.

Let me know your thoughts about it.
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  #14  
Old 28 Sep 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by saliadarunavuelta View Post
....I'll send my bike to India and I'll travel by myself all the way down in public transportation. But paying nomater what for being escorted, doesn't seem to be fair play for me.

Let me know your thoughts about it.
It's not so much the paying for an escort, its the money they charge. The actual guide gets a pittance. So either the agency is an arm of the government or its just a revenue (TAX), collector.
How the hell do you justify $100 per day in a land where most don't earn that in a month?

The rules on being escorted are just for tax. Go by bicycle or public transport or walk and you need no escort.

John.
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  #15  
Old 28 Sep 2009
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...

My point.
Precisely.
Exactly.
There you have it.
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