Bike in Afghanistan
 

Does anybody know if a carnet is needed to bring a motorbike into afghanistan on a temporary basis? i mean just to travel on for say 1 week

I should imagine having orderly paperwork would be the least of your worries!

Last summer, I met a Spanish traveller in a 4x4 at an Indian border who'd crossed part of Afghanistan from either Uzbekistan or Tajikistan and into Pakistan and that he really enjoyed Kabul. Not sure what the current situation is though.

I'm just considering crossing from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and then into Uzbekistan. would love to visit Mazar e Sharif, that part of Afghanistan should be safe enough, and Mazar e Sharif is holy so should be sound

Just read an interview with a Finnish military commander (our peacekeeping forces are located around Mazar e Sharif and the northeastern provinces adjacent to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, more or less exactly the area you´re planning to go to).

He said that while it used to be quite peaceful for years, in just recent months, this has become by far the most dangerous peacekeeping-mission Finland has ever participated in (and there have been dozens). Patrolling troops have been shot at several times a week, they have also returned fire, and he says it is miraculous there have been so little casualties so far. I do not know, what exactly has caused this change of activity, but it has been a lot in the news here.

And those are the guys with guns and military back-up, they can shoot back, if necessary. Alone on a motorcycle - does not sound very tempting to me.

thanks for that, i will have to reconsider the afghan plans for now, or at least researcj into security more

I was on bike in Afghanistan this year. You don't need carnet. Just kind of permit for the vehicle. You can get it in Afghan embassy/consulate.

It was a good year for Afghan info ... as well as Sambor's trip there was a Frenchman, Vince.

For more info on what its like to travel on a bike across Afghanistan, do a search for and PM VinceK100 on this forum. He rode across Afghanistan ... from Tajikistan to Pakistan this year ... he has a website in French, and some truly amazing fotos.

His website: Terres humaines - Récits, reportages, photographies autour du monde en moto

He was filming it too, so hopefully he will have some good Afghan video as well.

In my opinion it's a bit risky from the Tajik border to Kunduz and on to Pul-e Khomri. From there to Heyratan is pretty safe, though don't stop before Aibek.

No carnet needed, route pass will be asked for but you can talk your way in without one.

Daniel

how would the safety be from teh UZbek border to Mazar e Sharif, and the back to Uzbekistan? I just love the look of the mosque in Mazar

Uzbek border to Mazar and back is perfectly safe. The shrine in Mazar is quite an interesting place, but not as beautiful in my opinion as the one in nearby Balkh.

Enjoy Afghanistan

Daniel

Both places are in my plans, thanks for the advice. I am travelling with a female friend, would there be any problems for her? she is on her own bike. I hope there wont be issues with bringing the bikes in the country, we are riding cg125s, so we wont look as much out of place as if we had a couple of 1200GSs

Moved thread
 

I have moved this thread from Northern Asia to Southern Asia.
I know it could be considered Central Asia too.:confused1: But there are other recent Afghan-related threads in Southern Asia, so I decided to keep them all together in the South.

The Moderator

Women are pretty much confined to the home outside Kabul in Afghanistan. CG125s will blend in, but a woman on a bike will stop traffic. It would be good if it wasn't obvious she was a woman, which would be fine with a helmet and western clothes, but you'd be about the only motorcylcists wearing helmets. That said, Mazar is pretty safe, westerners are regularly seen wandering around without and escort, and, as elsewhere in the country, the locals are unfalteringly friendly to foreigners.

Regards getting the bikes in, I'm not sure if motorcycles require a route pass, in many Asian countries bikes are something less than vehicles, you might be able to get in without any problems. I never had a route pass and always managed to get the car in, just make a good argument as to why you don't need a route pass.

Daniel

Bikes need a road pass. You can get in Afgahan Embassy or in consulate. Cost 100 USD, valid 6 month. Impossible to get for shorter period.
As to the safety situation: it can change any time, as far as I know only Wakhan is completely safe...

Just another tip regarding safety. As per my 'Afghanistan' post in the forum, safety is very different between the cities and main roads, and the villages of the interior. i would imagine the Finns were shot at away from the cities and main roads, though I do remember one incident between Balkh and Aqcha where the Swedes were out of their trucks, guns drawn, at the side of the road. No idea what it was about.

I'm no security expert however, though I was in touch with people who were. Maybe I was just lucky. But, remember that the army, police and foreign forces (seen by some as invaders, though not many in my experience) etc are well-established targets, where as you are not. I doubt whether anyone would hang around at the road taking pot-shots at motorcyclists just because they thought they were foreigners.