Wow, thanks for the tremendous amount of input and tips!

This overland trip will be my first and biggest, before I have only done max 3-4 week trips around Western-Europe, and mostly on asphalt. So I clearly have a lot to learn. I am not a stickler for the plans I prepare in advance, so if I like it somewhere, or I need more time, I don’t mind at all staying longer and exploring more and maybe not reach my final destination. In my head, I’ve put Australia as a final destination, but with Pakistan as an intermediate destination. If I reach Pakistan, where I really, really, really want to see the mountains in the north, I will be more than happy.

I do have a maximum of 11 months set. I have 1 year unpaid leave from my job, so it’s impossible to travel any longer unless I quit, and although I don’t exclude that option to continue traveling, I don’t want to decide that just yet, I’ll see how I fare on the road.

So, again, thanks! I’m learning a lot already, and clearly my initial planning is overzealous.

I do know that I have to make choices though, and that’s why some countries are merely “pass-through”, like India. I’m not planning to visit much there, but just to cross from Pakistan to Nepal, straight from the Lahore border crossing to Mahendranagar in Nepal. So I assume 10 days should be more than enough, maybe even less.

Good to know Myanmar straight to Laos is not possible! Via Thailand it is then. With my Belgian passport I don’t need any visa so crossing into Thailand a few times should not be a problem.

Regarding Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, it is fairly little time indeed. Originally I wasn’t planning to include Laos and Cambodia, but like you say, these countries are very interesting. But maybe it’s better to try and learn to make choices rather than race through, you are definitely right about that.

I’m guessing also Indonesia and Timor will need to be revised :-D. I will bow my head over the countries again and try to make choices so there’s more countries transiting and I can choose the ones I really want to see to explore more.

I am going to drastically revise Europe already, I think, because some of you made the very valid point that I can always very easily come back by bike anywhere in Europe while it’s a lot harder elsewhere in the world! So I’ll go a lot faster through Europe. Thanks for the suggestion, that’s really smart!

@chasbmw and @hsinclai, indeed I know that my plans will probably get drastically changed depending on the adventures happening. I definitely don’t just want to race through the countries, and the point of my trip is exactly what you mentioned. So we’ll see what happens!

Thanks again for all the tips! :-D