Found a BRILLIANT link - Traveling the world
 

I have just found THE most fantastic little website of great use to many of us hard-core two wheel travelers -

Backpacking: Budget Independent Travel - Advice, guide & packing help

I can't praise this site enough.:thumbup1::thumbup1:

Thought I'd pass it's details on to all my two wheel HUBB brothers (and sisters). :innocent:

I have booked my flights to Bangkok for my BIG Thailand tour - a full month starting 22 February 2014. I found this website hugely helpful in respect of planning what I need to take and where to go.

I'd be interested in learning what YOU think of it. :smartass:

May the force be with you all.

Thanks Pongo.

A lone voice. :D

I saw this link, took the time to read it's content and thought it was one of THE best travel sites I have ever seen. Some really great advice on it.....

Excellent site:thumbup1:

I suggest this thread gets a sticky. That site is amazing.

It is nice, but just browsing through for a few minutes I notice a fair bit that I would not agree with, and lots of inaccuracies. Whilst the author's intentions are good, I think he / she / they often over-extend themselves and write about areas they have not actually visited, or just regurgitate apocryphal and out of date information. For example, calling the Taftan - Quetta road in Pakistan safe (it was until the last couple of years), and calling Sindh 'off-limits' to travellers, which it has not been since the 1990s.

Another major issue is that, as it openly admits, the site is very much aimed at backpackers, and consistently rates places down based on the inherent restrictions of backpacking. Impressions of each country also seem to be rather skin-deep.

As someone with their own transport, I would be wary of forming any opinion of a country from this site, e.g. giving Russia 5.5/10 is absurd.

The freedom we have by endeavouring to import our own vehicles is a real privilege, and gives us freedom far in excess of that which backpackers have. Add camping anywhere and it often evens out countries with sparse budget accommodation. Don't be blinkered by information aimed at people who have no autonomy.

The country overviews are good for pre-departure information (when it's accurate), but I would skip their destination recommendations. I like to explore every country in great depth, and just looking at a map, Google Earth, and speaking to locals, is in my opinion a far better way to research a destination.

True, had a quick check as well. A lot of information, maybe too much.

"Laos:
Crossing into Cambodia:

The overland border between Laos and Cambodia - long closed is now open. For years this border attracted a lot of attention from elite type backpackers. Original info was to go to Don Det island, (south from Don Khong) then to the Friendship cafe (or something else like that). At the boat landing you can organize a boat to the road then a truck down to the Laos border. At the border you must pay to get stamped out of Laos. Some guest houses in Kratie may try to sell you the ticket for US$50. The border crossing is in the middle of forest and there is pretty much nothing else there than a few customs officials and a bad road in Laos side. You may not find any transportation at the border and what you do find is likely overpriced. At the Cambodian border, pay again. This crossing is now much easier and frequently used - but there is still no visa on arrival."

We got an visa on arrival, no problem at all, a stamp and thats it for 4 weeks... took 5 minutes. "Any transportation..." it´s good we have it always with us. :scooter:

It´s hard to keep all this updated, on the other hand it´s just another source of information...

Brilliant.

Thanks for sharing. :thumbup1: