SEA Reopening - AUS to INDIA overland
Hi All,
Back in the planning stages of the very delayed Aus to Lon trip and thought it might be good to put some findings on here to spark a conversation on what is possible for travel in the region.
We were just on the phone with Timor-Leste consulate this afternoon who have confirmed that tourists are now welcome back into Timor. I think this is updated since the end of the year, as there was something posted on the Darwin Consulate's website around then.
We also got in touch with ANL who manage the shipping from Darwin to Dili - they put us in touch with the freight forwarder who is sending over some details. It sounds like you have to get onto container which they will fill and then ship to Dili. Since the last 2 years there have been delays of a month waiting for space on a vessel, but the route is still going regularly.
Onward, Malaysia and Thailand have both announced easier border entry from February. Thailand has included a requirement to stay in a specific hotels on days 1 and 5 of your trip for testing (but there seems to be many options for different borders). Indonesia is currently the sticking point with them opening the country slowly in stages. Currently only Bali for fly in, but I think they will not be far behind their neighbours.
There are then, of course, problems in Myanmar and China. I don't see either opening in any reasonable timeframe. Perhaps China will ease up after the Olympics, but everything points to a later year opening which won't work for those mountainous crossings. Myanmar may not open for years.
This leaves the option to crate and fly/sail the bikes to India. Happy to do so, perhaps flying out of Bangkok is a possibility but I haven't looked this far into it. I believe sailing might be more difficult, particularly from Thailand - perhaps better down in Malaysia? And where do people start in India then? Chennai? Calcutta? We had always thought we would come in from the top of the country, so this opens up a whole new route through the country.
We hope to leave late May for this trip, so the borders are only going to get better and better over the next couple of months (touch wood). I am wondering if there are other travellers like us, sat in Australia, waiting to start the journey up to the Northern Territories later this year?
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Planning for RTW Aug20. Currently in Australia, trying to keep the bike pointing up.
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