Need advice on Caucusus and Central Asia

[adventurelust]

Hi fellow hubbers

I am planning a Singapore to Amsterdam route. This is my first world trip planned for April 2018 departure and I’ve tried my best to cover as much as possible using Hubb, caravanistan and the internet as my main resources. If anyone can do a quick glance through at our route and provide some feedback, I will greatly appreciate it and it will help me fine tune my route. We plan to stick to tarmac mostly and avoid any off-road portions.

**Once my research is complete and my excel is nice and full, I will be happy to upload this up for those who are interested to use the data.

Currently, the main route is as follows

S’pore > M’sia > Thailand > Laos > China > Mongolia > Russia > Kazak > Kyrgy > Uzbek > Kazak > Russia > Georgia > Turkey > Bulgaria > Greece > Balkans > Italy > Switzerland > Belgium > Netherlands

i have placed a google route of the central asia and caucasus portion

I would like some help with the below

1. Traveling from Russia to Georgia, we will take the Kazak/Russia border of Katyayevka and head towards Tibilisi. I understand that Grozny is now safe, but the Daegstan side is still unstable. I am unsure if the situation will improve in April 2018, but I will do a detour to the west, and coming down from the left side towards tbilisi and use the same border. Has anyone pass this route before ? If you see the attached map, i have put the original route and the alternate route.

2. Are there any other areas that I might have overlooked ? I have tried to plan the safest route possible as this is our first overland trip to europe.

Appreciate any advice, Thank you !




Partial Route
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Partial Route
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Kazak > Russia > Georgia Route, Bypassing Chechnya and Dagestan.

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Kazak > Russia > Georgia Alternate Route, skipping Dagestan.

[alex_nikonov]

Main road through Grozny to Tbilisy is safe. Dagestan is not very safe for travelling inside, but its ok just to pass it on your way to Georgia

[DDuck]

Hi adventurelust!

1) I see that you're skipping Turkmenistan and Iran after Uzbekistan. I've passed similar route in the opposite direction and can recommend you to visit them if you can/want. It should be much more interesting than riding days trough empty Kazakh steppes.

2) Hope you are aware of the very costly and problematic crossing of China.

Good luck on your journey!

[sasco]

Originally Posted by DDuck

Hi adventurelust!



1) I see that you're skipping Turkmenistan and Iran after Uzbekistan. I've passed similar route in the opposite direction and can recommend you to visit them if you can/want. It should be much more interesting than riding days trough empty Kazakh steppes.



2) Hope you are aware of the very costly and problematic crossing of China.



Good luck on your journey!

I recoment i did the route last year 2017, did the Georga part the year before 2016. be rady for bad foad from Astrakhan to Atyrauand Bayneu to Nukus Uzbekistan.
Do take Pamir Highway Tadjikistan instead of flat Fergana waley.
bi saso


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[eurasiaoverland]

I second most of what has been said above.

Definitely want to add the Pamir Highway to your route. Fergana Valley has some interesting parts but I would definitely chose the Pamirs out of the two.

Turkmenistan is fascinating, both historically and for the rather tragic closed police state it has become. And Iran of course is the cultural keystone for much of Central and Western Asia and it would be criminal to miss it! If you have a Singaporean passport I believe you don't need a visa, but you will still need a carnet, or arrange a TIP (temporary import permit) at the border.

The parts of Kazakhstan which you pass are totally boring and missable. The only interesting bit in that region is Mangystau where you can play in the desert amidst incredible scenery.

The parts of Russia which you pass are very interesting, but if you're planning to just pass through Dagestan and Chechnya then you'll see next to nothing as the highway is on the plain and quite far from the interesting mountains.

So, I would suggest heading south from Uzbekistan either towards Merv (fascinating history - it may once have been the largest city in the world) or at Konye Urgench (itself a nice town, and you can visit the now rather cliched gas crater). Then into Iran, spending as much time there as you can (preferably not in the height of summer). Then you could enter Armenia, which is also an interesting little place and re-join your route in Georgia.

My website (see link in signature) covers all these places.

EO