Quote:
Originally Posted by carl_b
Fellow travellers,
if the covid- and geopoliticial situation allow it, I will be starting my Berlin/SEA/South America trip in June 2022.
For Central Asia my initial plan was to do the Stans and travel the Pamir Highway, crossing the Irkeshtam Pass and enter Pakistan via Xianjiang. However I am already now doubting that China will open it borders for overlanders by the next fall and therefore I am considering the possibility to enter Pakistan straight from Iran via Balochistan.
I know this is a quite risky passage where an armed escort is mandatory. Nevertheless, has anybody in this forum travelled this region previously? I would be very interested in hearing about your first hand experiences.
Thanks in advance!
Carl
|
I've driven it a number of times (never with escort), and been to other parts of Balochistan. There have been a few incidents over the years but as always these lead to the perceived risk being far higher than it probably is. There is an active insurgency in the region (the Balochistan Liberation Army vs. Pakistani authorities) but as an unannounced tourist passing through you are not going to become a target except by very bad luck. It's the most common route to India and foreign travellers commonly use the route (before covid closed the borders of course).
On another note, I seriously doubt you will get to SE Asia next year via Pakistan / India. Burma is very unstable and even if covid disappeared tomorrow, I suspect it will be some time before the India / Burma border is open for tourists. Just my opinion, anything could happen of course.
EO
__________________
EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.
|