Route Suggestions From Kyrgstan to China and the Himalayas

[brennan]

Hello Everyone,

I'm getting a bit bogged down in information and I could really use some route planning advice.

My bike is in Osh, Kyrgystan. I rode it there from Florida. Now I'm back to work for a few months and have about 36 weeks to plan and apply for visas using Travisa.com with my second passport.

Ideally I'd like to do as little riding as possible in China due to costs as I head South East towards Southern Asia. I'll be riding towards the beginning of September so I'm unlikely to be able to split the costs with other riders during this same time.

The Himalayas will be a highlight of my trip and I'd like to explore Tibet and Nepal if possible. I'm not averse to going to Eastern Pakistan but that strip of Afganistan might be a bad idea (US Passport holder). I'll most likely leave my bike in India for four month while I go back to work.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

[niello8]

You probably still have time to join a group for a run thru china. Basically the options from Kyrgyzstan are a 4-5 day stretch to Pakistan then down the KKH to Lahore over the border Amritsar, India. (This is the route we took in 2012 with a group sharing costs, we met in Kyrgyzstan in early Sept, crossed china then spent 2 weeks in Pakistan.) Afghanistan can be avoided. Alternatively you could do a longer China ride through Tibet and into Nepal (I think that border is seasonal) but it depends on if the Chinese government will issue the permit for Tibet. In 2012 our group was denied the permit so the riders who wanted to ride Tibet from Nepal to Laos had to fly their bikes from Kathmandu to Bangkok. This is probably cheaper & easier too.

Anyway search the forum and you may indeed be able to join a group for China, its MUCH cheaper. Tour companies typically need 3 months lead time but it is possible to add on more last minute to an existing group. you'll certainly enjoy it more, china can be a headache with all the bureaucracy & waiting...Is fascinating though

That time of year will put you into India & Nepal at a good season. If the weather cooperates and the roads stay open you may be able to ride Ladakh, incredible mountains & the highest road. at the very least the hill stations will be lovely. Nepal has milder weather and can be enjoyed even later. Then you will have lots of time before the monsoon.

Good luck & enjoy the next leg!

[brennan]

Niello8,

Great! Incredible info, perfect. As it is now a tour just came up in 'travelers seeking travelers' for a route into Pakistan from Kyrgystan. I'm going to do some more digging into info on Nepal and Tibet. I would love to somehow get into Tibet, Nepal should be much easier.

Was there a fixer or a contact you could give me that made things possible for your companions to fly into Tibet with their bikes? Any hints on getting a visa for Tibet?

Take care, thanks again!