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.

Carnet is not necessary, it is preferable - but it is if you go either to iran or Pakistan afterwards. You do not need road permit. In Tadjikistan, if you come from the Pamir to the Afghan boarder, the check points are a real pain: cops keep on asking for bribes. And sometimes, they are very very very insisting.

From the boarder to Kunduz, the road is nice, and pretty safe. I went to Kabul afterwards - for awkward reasons: my wallet was stolen in Kuliab (or kulob), and recovered with many dollars less. Cash withdraw limit was reached, so I could not afford to go Mazar'e'sharif and Herat to continue to Iran and Pakistan, even though I already had my iranian transit visa. But on the way, I heard that the road was in pretty bad condition. In addition to that, at the time of my trip, the north was pretty safe, which is not the case anymore.

The road to Kabul is mountain road, with a high altitude pass, under a dark, smoky, unsafe tunnel - scary, very scary.

From kabul to Peshawar, its head or tail. I've met an ex foreign legion chief of operation, who was there a few months before. And he told me that the risk taking involving survival is about 30 to 40%. Maximum risk taking for militaries: 25% in general.

I did not feel endangered at all. But that's the problem: you can not know when you should feel unsafe. Just few things: no driving at nigt (taliban favorie time for action), no campinf (the country is full of landmines).
I was kind of scared, so I rushed a bit - and did not stop for sight seing, pictures and video, unfortunately. The relation with the population was just amazing - the side car helps a bit.

That was in June 2009, and things change quite rapidly. If you go there and come back without any trouble, it'll be a great experience. If things go wrong, they'll go wrong in a way we are not trained for, nor used to.
Good luck!

Hi Vincent...nice to hear from you. Do you remember me from Islamabad campsite?? British guy with the Toyota Pickup. I've posted a thread in this forum about my 3 Afghanistan trips.

Would agree with what you say...but I think the risks on the Kabul - Torkham road are not quite as high as you state, except perhaps for the military and UN convoys. I stayed 2 nights in Jalalabad, and it felt pretty safe. Security has improved lately in the area (unlike the rest of the country), but it's definitely not completely safe.

I don't think Afghanistan accepts the carnet at all, I didn't even see truck drivers using them. A route pass is definitely asked for (though not definitely needed - it's Afghanistan!) for cars, don't know about bikes.

Where are you now??

Daniel

On the news today: 2 Swedish soldiers and their interpreter killed, and one more Swede wounded, in a gunfire incident near Mazar-e Sharif.

As per an earlier post, shit happens and it happens quickly. I reckon it is the case though that the military get the brunt of it - obvious targets basically. So was the UN a few months back here in Kabul and they took a beating (just 5 dead actually), then they turned and ran (with suitably dramatic announcements from ban Ki moon) - if the mil did that this place would be a whole lot worse. About situations developing quickly; there was an avalanche at the Salang pass a short time ago - about 170 dead (still no confirmation of the final toll i believe until the spring melt when more bodies are likely to be found). Some died in the tunnel of asphyxiation - running engines. There were over 2500 people rescued from the vicinity in the immmediate aftermath - could happen anywhere in the world? - discuss.

vincek100-Kabul-Peshawar-unique experience(nightmare)!I read on your website!

danielsprague-I read your experience in Afg. ,you it was even a pleasant experience!


Does anyone have any knowledge about roads and safety of Mazar e Sharif to Bamiyan province?

Thanks!

If you mean trying to go from Mazar-e Sharif to Bamiyan across the mountains (i.e. not on the main road), I would recommend against it. Apart from truly, utterly apalling roads, the region is very remote and therefore potentially insecure. You might be able to go from Sar-e Pol to Bamiyan, but again you take the risk in an isolated area. I only went as far as Sar-e Pol, where the tarmac ends.

If you mean taking the normal route from Mazar through Samangan, Pol-e Khomri, Salang, Charikar, then it's fairly safe (by Afghan standards), though make sure you use the northern route (Ghorband road) and not the southern route through Wardak over the Hajigak Pass. And be prepared for one of the world's bumpiest roads from Charikar to Bamiyan.

Daniel

Thank you for your detailed reply Daniel:thumbup1:!

Obviously it is better to leave this idea for a better (safer) time.

How did you fell in Shebergan(safeti,hotels)?

Many greeting!

Shiberghan felt fine to me. We stayed in a Chaikhana on the Sar-e Pol road. Were woekn in the night by gun-toting Police who said it was not safe, we shrugged our shoulders and they left...

But it's not a particularly interesting place, try Andkhoi (you can buy bags of moonshine for $2), Sar-e Pol or Aqcha which have more atmosphere.

Daniel