Hi there

last year I travelled from Ireland down to Turkey and then through Georgia/Armenia to Iran and by ferry to UAE/Sharjah (NOV 2104)

The ferry crossing from Bandar is the separate story and adventure that you better should avoid as passing formalities from Iranian side could easily swallow the whole day.

My special thanks to Saleh (UAE riders) who was taking care of my Harley for several months in his garage and supported me when I was in UAE

Knowing the beauties of custom control in Bandar, I was thinking of avoiding it again on my way to India. So Ive contacted several agencies for shipping the bike from UAE to Karachi. I was told no problems, it just takes several days to pick the bike and 2 weeks max to ship it for Karachi.

Once late in march I contacted them again to check is everything is ok, as it were just several weeks before the planned dates of the trip. They collected the docs, but in two weeks they replied that sorry man we are not able to pass the customs... brrrrr.... Contacted with other shippers - nobody promised to keep the dates

The only alternative is to fly Dubai - take a ferry - ride to Paki border - ride to Quetta,etc.

Thanks to numerous friends I got Iranian visa just in a week.
Contacted Al HILI ferry guys - they said the ferry is ok for Sunday, but I have to be one day before to bring the cash

Saleh met me in the airport, we picked the bike and spent fantasctic evening with Italians travelling cross ME

Challenges go on - the ferry guys said Rough sea, no ferry on Sunday the next one is Tuesday....

Ok ... spent a day on a beach, have some night rides in Dubai and Sharjah. Very hot

Tuesday morning 11 am I was in customs, expecting usually the worth.

In reality it gone ideally, just 20-30 min in the customs office, and I left the bike in the terminal, has been told to be at 5 pm latest

At 5 pm I arrived, parked the bike in the ferry, and was expecting the immigration control.
Met german couple, going to Iran (hi to Uwe & Domenica). Two hours - and we are in a ferry. Germans are the first time to Iran, but already knew about the custom realities.
The ferry was on time, reasonable food, slept somehow.

I was asking my Iranian friends to provide me with facilitator in the port as I was out of schedule ( I should forget about schedule here at all)

They give me the phone of the guy, who met me at immigration entrance...such a speedy guy, no speaking English, but looks like knowing anyone here... I was actually expecting to pay him $50-60, and just enjoy doing nothing, but in reality I was jumping with him from office to office, signing some papers, and collecting hundreds of docs.
finally at 3pm I was released, whoooh.... absolutely tired but happy. The guy said it cost EURO 100.... I gave him $100, just understanding that without him I could spend 5-6 hours more.

Started to Bam. +35
The road first 100km is just desert, after Rudan some nice mountains.
Expect to be stopped by Police just for making picture with you. On a heavy bike you are a rocket star, as it is banned here.
The road itself is very good, as nearly everywhere in Iran

After 7 became dark, and I arrived Bam on 9 pm
Was asking for Mr Aqbar Questhouse, locals are nearly not speaking English, but understanding Im Russian (equals = personal friend of VV Putin) they catch the taxi for me who brings me to necessary destination.

Mr Aqbar asked one of his friends to accompany me for the dinner.
Next day I intended to visit the castle of Bam in the morning and further have a ride to Zahedan, 60 km to Pakistan border.

In the morning simple but nice breakfast and chat with Mr Aqbar, than directed to castle. Its under the reconstruction, but I could imagine the initial size of the ancient city. Must see.
Unfortunately 40C at 9 oclock pushed me back to the hotel, and I decided to start ealier. Again the road to Zahedan is fantastic quality, 120km/h easily

Understanding,that I will arrive to Zahedan just at 2pm, I decided to ride directly to the border, pass both sides formalities and ride as far as can. I was considering Dalbandin, which is just 250 km from the border... Naïve ....

Crossing from Iranian side not a painful, after first office just go straight, in custom house just have passport and carnet - they will do everything quite quickly, say 60 min for everything....

Two more steps and you are in in the other world... I would say it looks like that its one and same apartment, but one room is cleaned daily, but another mb on quarter basis...

dirty dirty and dirty - this is the first and only expression you couldn't avoid off...
After some quick procedures they put triangle stamp in the passport and Some guys in black (however smiling) asked me to follow them.
They brought me to what could be described of small castle , said to park the bike and showed me the room with green carpet and table.... Nothing more... Nobody normally speaking English... I was told to sit and relax (????!!!!), after some 30-60 min one guy somehow explained me that in 8 pm we will go to customs and tomorrow will start to Quetta...

Naturally in 8pm I jumped the 50cc bike with the guy and we drove to somewhere close which was the custom office. I was just siting in big hall, and they done all formalities with carnet by themselves... I hope they send Bandar guys to learn smth from here. 10 min for all...
after that I asked the guy to visit the market to buy some fruits. Brrrrrr... it was so dirty, but Ive bought some melons, tomatoes and some water.
Spend an evening by eating fruits, smoking the cigar and drinking Porto, which I brought from Moscow (never do it - if Iranians find the alco - u could be arrested%)

Spent a night in this room just on the floor on the towel that I bought in UAE (wise for me). slept somehow dreaming of next day quick ride to Quetta. Naïve.2

8am I was wakened and Levies (that was finally their local office - Levies are Pakistan armed service) asked me ready to go - yes ready, but need to be fueled.... Oh yeah ...You have to see the process of buying fuel in Taftan open market for Harley .... It's worth making this trip. I cant describe it, but just imagine locals filling the tank from whatever cans, jars and bottles and your surrounded by crowd of male locals wondering whats up...

Ok now the road....yeahhh.... its not actually the road, I would say its somehow paved direction for the 1st 100km. I expected I loose my wheels ...
three days after I still feel the tremor in my hands... Some where the road is crossed by sand... you riding 1/2 gear most of the time. And the fantastic weather... +45. Desert... sometimes you see camels.
Changing escort (Toyota with 3-4 armed with AK47 guys) every 50-100 km
By 2:30 somehow we arrived to Dalbandin. As it was Friday I was said - we are staying here - Quetta tomorrow....shit.. I was such confused and angry, was trying to avoid them to continue the ride - no WAY.

Advice for further travelers: spend a night in good hotel in Iran Zahedan, start early 6am to the border, pass the border and spend a night in Dalbandin Hotel. They are overall nice guys - the rest of the day I spend drinking tea and chating with anyone new coming, asking the list of typical question - name/country/age/marital status/ price of moto....Sooner or later I will make a t-shirt with all this replies.
Someguys speak good - so I opened a lot of Balouchistan...
Ive paid around $7 per knight, $10 for food for me and 2 armed guys who have been ordered to ALWAYS keep me in touch, even when I was buying watermelon on the opposite side of the road...

Next day (Saturday) 8am started with escort to Quetta - they said it could take 7-8hours for 350km, so I expected to get in Bloom Star hotel at 3pm the latest and MB even to get to the local official office t get the permission to get out Balouchistan

After 3 hours drive we've done 150 km (not so bad), sometimes you could even use direct gear.. After Nushki, the escorts became just a small bike with two blacksuited Levies with AK47, driving just 40km/h

When we passed the sign 80 km to Quetta we just stopped at on post without explaining any reasons... You could imagine my condition at 2pm...
I was sitting again with dozen of beard black soldiers, no speaking English, not able to explain whats going on... somehow I understood from them that the road is blocked (either from bandits or from some strike of transport company -no ideas...)
so I spent 5 hours in a post, and no wonder if you once meet the balouchi soldiers which knows how to smoke Cuba sigars... Overall they are great guys, suggested me chai and even presented some hash..h

In the day end they told me I have to stay a night in a post, which wasn't absolutely in my plans. I pushed them to contact me with their officer by phone and 10 minutes talked to him...He promised to reply in some hours...
shit...getting dark.

Surprusingly, when hope was already missing me, the soldier came and said we are strating in 5 minutes. We've done this 80 km in 2 hours, changing escorts each 10 minutes, seriously
Finally Im in The Bloom star, which is pretty OK, served by very pleasant brothers.
The ONLYs are
- you are not able to leave the place - everything you need they arranged by yourself- whatever you want and more
- you have to get NOC permission, which is issued by special department which is open Mon-Fri
- there are always electricity shortcuts

Overall you are in well managed prison

So far so good.
cheers,
and get luck

Nice story Good to hear people still using this route.

I've made this crossing four times and I certainly know what you mean about Taftan, it's like the world's largest scrap yard. Not a particularly good introduction to Pakistan. I did it a few years ago before the escorts got really bad - I had them once from Nushki to Quetta, but other times was alone.

I hope you won't get a negative first impression from this, and will spend some time exploring Pakistan. I prefer the road down to Karachi rather than to Sibi and Jacobabad, plus Karachi is a great place to start a full crossing of Pakistan. But the road to Jacobabad is also nice.

Let me know if you have any questions about places to go in Pakistan

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.