Planning a Trip around the World
 

Hello All,
We are planning a trip around the world on two bikes leaving the UK in August 2001 for one year. We’re just starting the detailed planning - carnets, visas etc. but we have so many questions and unknowns it’s difficult to know where to start!!
I’m taking my direct access course at the end of this month so I need to learn how to ride a motorcycle as well!!
Our vague route so far is as follows:
Through Europe - Turkey - Iran - Pakistan - India - Nepal - we plan to spend Christmas and New Year 2001 in India - probably Goa
Any ideas on shipping from India / Nepal to SE Asia?
I haven’t completely given up on China - is it still a nightmare as an independent traveler?
Would like to visit Thailand - Java - Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam
Any ideas on shipping from SE Asia to South Africa in Feb / March?
We plan to ride up the east side of Africa - Mozambique - Tanzania - Kenya - Ethiopia - Sudan - Egypt - then into the Middle East - Jordan - Syria and Israel.
Is Sudan still a problem?
I know you’ll say to avoid Egypt Grant - but can we bear to miss the Pyramids?
If we’ve still got time we’d like to hop across the pond to spend a couple of months in Bolivia and Peru next summer 2002.
Any thoughts on where to ship from in the Middle East / North Africa and to in South America?
Lots of questions but would appreciate any thoughts you may have on any of the above - would be happy to share info with any others planning similar trips - and also to meet up on the journey.
Look forward to hearing from you - email us at harveyandlisa@hotmail.com
Thanks in advance for your help and advice!!
Lisa

Such a lot of questions!

I'll answer some, leaving the shipping ones to the appropriate forum, with the basic answer that you can ship from anyhwere to anywhere by air these days, it's just a matter of how much. We are working on some semblance of a list, which will go in the trip planning section as we get it in.

Re China - no nightmare, very simple. Either spend a lot of money, min US$100 day plus plus to pay for a guide all the way, and of course you have to also pay for the vehicle for him to drive and all his expenses - or go in a tour group, of which there were three last year, or forget it. That's it for now.

Sudan is on and off, mostly on these days, you'll just have to deal with it when you get there - lately it's not been a big problem. At worst you fly from Adddis Ababa to Cairo or wherever.

With your route you haven't got a lot of choice, and as long as you don't fly OUT of Egypt, while a huge pain in the neck, it's an experience every traveller should go through, if only for the stories you'll have to tell later... ;-)

There's a lot more to South America than just Bolivia and Peru...summer 2002.

Hope that helps a little. Mostly just go, don't worry about things like shipping, you can find that out as you go, and by the time you get there, we should have good info on shipping just about anywhere!

------------------
Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

China is still a nightmare for independent-individual traveller , check our webpage for updates: http://www.homestead.com/shanghaibikers

Hi!

On freighting to South Africa from SE Asia look no further than Malaysian Airlines. They have a twice weekly flight out of Malaysia to South Africa stopping at Johannesburg and Cape Town. Their agent for cargo in South Africa is Aireps. A very helpful chappie in their Cape Town office is Delon Leo who can be contacted on dleo@aireps.com If he can´t help I´m sure he can put you on to someone who can.

I'm busy heading round the world and have so far travelled from Kenya to South Africa and Argentina to Mexico. If you have any questions on these parts of the world drop me a line.

Good luck with the Direct Access course!

Stephan