2Up motorcycle touring Afghanistan??

[Gotan]

Hello there!

My grirlfriend and I are doing a 1 (or 2) years RTW trip on a KLR650, now we are in Istambul trying to figure out how to get the visas to do the Pamir Highway.

We meet here some Afghan guys who tell us from Kabul to the north it is safe, so we are planing to go there, but...

I was looking information here about Afghanistan and only found old reports...
Has anyone done it like in the last year?
Does any of you guys know if its a problem to be 2up with my GF?

My Afghan friend suggested me to get married with my GF, but that´s out of the question hahaha

Buenas rutas and thanks a lot

[TransalpJohnny]

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/afghanistan
Hi...have a look...cheers

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by Gotan

We meet here some Afghan guys who tell us from Kabul to the north it is safe, so we are planing to go there, but...

That made me smile.
Being out of country, they would know.

In reality, the "safety" aspect is a variable which fluctuates on a daily basis, as a minimum.
Best go there and find out on the ground but that depends on how much you like your girlfriend?

[Gotan]

Hi guys!!

thanks a lot for the hint... after reading that page I feel kind of stupid ...
I´m thinking that maybe afghan media do not show many of this things... so their people have a feeling of safety
Or british media makes it look worst than it is??
Maybe I will never know

Now I´m reconsidering what to do... If I were alone things would be easier.

Buenas rutas and thanks!

[pecha72]

I would definitely not go to Afghanistan with my GF... in fact I´d probably not go there for any riding trip right now. (Never been there, so could be wrong, but to me, it just really sounds like a bad idea, esp. that two-up part!)

I did once ride with my GF to India, via Iran and Pakistan, and especially Western Pakistan was – and still is, probably now even more than back then – a troubled region, but people seem to ride and drive through there all the time, and very few have had any security related problems. So that route, or via the Stans to China, and then Northern Pakistan (via the Karakoram Highway), those are the two “main” routes between Europe and India. In your case, the Pamirs would be closer to that latter option. But because of winter, you probably can´t do it until late Spring.

[Gotan]

Hi Pecha72:

Thanks for the advise... today I went to Afghanistan consulate, they say north is safe... but safety standards vary from country to country. I will take the final decision when we are close.

And we may go around may, they can't give visa with so many time in advance. But they say visa will be easy to get in Uzbekistan.

We are thinking in doing the Pamir like by the end of may, hope the weather will be good... we can't do it later because we want to get to Vladivostok by August.

Cheers

[pecha72]

My country has had for nearly a decade a peacekeeping force stationed at Mazar-i Sharif, that´s in the north, and what I´ve seen reported from there, really does not suggest, that it is all just calm and safe over there every day. Safer perhaps than in the south, though.

Don´t really know, but maybe the Wakhan corridor, and the country´s extreme northeast could be a different story. Call me a whimp, but I still would not take my GF there.

[crisidsto]

The only really safe part of Afghanistan in the last years looked to be the Wakhan Corridor.
Last summer even that part was not safe.
Some friends did it, but they did not enjoyed it, compared to their previous trips in the area.

[eurasiaoverland]

Originally Posted by Gotan

Hello there!

My grirlfriend and I are doing a 1 (or 2) years RTW trip on a KLR650, now we are in Istambul trying to figure out how to get the visas to do the Pamir Highway.

We meet here some Afghan guys who tell us from Kabul to the north it is safe, so we are planing to go there, but...

I was looking information here about Afghanistan and only found old reports...
Has anyone done it like in the last year?
Does any of you guys know if its a problem to be 2up with my GF?

My Afghan friend suggested me to get married with my GF, but that´s out of the question hahaha

Buenas rutas and thanks a lot

I drove across Afghanistan in 2009, from Pakistan, over the Khyber Pass, Jalalabad, Kabul, Bamiyan, Mazar, Andkhoi to Turkmenistan, then back in to Herat and on to Iran.

I have contacts in Afghanistan and a friend of mine runs a travel company which makes several organised trips there each year. I mention this to differentiate myself from someone who will tell you not to go to Afghanistan based on their television-watching experience.

To be honest, it sounds like you have done very little research. What would be your route? The border with Pakistan is closed to outsiders as far as I know... where do you plan to go?

Ride two-up with your girlfriend / wife / brother... whatever, it doesn't matter. You are very obviously a foreigner in an area where you have no idea about the safety situation (it is very difficult to know who thinks what and where).

I think it is better to avoid Afghanistan, but I can give you some contacts if you seriously want to do it. However it would be in and out from the border with Uzbekistan at Termiz, as there are no other borders which these days can be considered safe.

2014 was not the best year for Afghanistan travel... 2015 will most likely be worse.

[Bartosz]

eurasiaoverland
What do you think about visit in Afghan Wakhan Corridor??
Few years ago I was in Tajik Wakhan and I want to return this summer.
Thanks for info.

[eurasiaoverland]

Hi Bartosz

Sorry, I somehow missed this post

I have not been to the Afghan side of the Wakhan Corridor, but I think it is peaceful, so long as you don't try to go any further towards Kabul etc than Ishkashim.

Be prepared for an expensive trip however... visa, route pass, border bribes, permits, 'parking' fees in the villages.

The Tajikistan side seems far better for driving, I would leave the car there and go on foot, after all the only thing to do in the Wakhan Corridor is trekking right? I don't think you can get past Sarhad with a vehicle.

EO

[crisidsto]

Be careful Bartosz: Afghan Wakhan Corridor used to be safe, but last summer some bad events happened even in Ishkashim (Afghan side)

[Gotan]

Hi everyone!

Just came back to say thanks and to tell the end of this idea:

The thing is I met several afgan people in Istanbul and they told me the country is quite safe from Kabul to the north... so I thought "it must be a very interesting country, we may go". But like a week later talkig about were we should go I asked about the routes... "they are not safe even for us" Was the answer I got, Apparently the cities/towns may be "safe", just a bomb now and then, but they didn't suggest me to adventure in their routes... so we are not going to Afghanistan
I post this in case it may be useful for someone in the near future.

And to answer ypur comments, as I came from the other part of the world (Chile) We have no idea about Afganistán, only what we get through CNN and BBC, which I don't believed 100%, as a ma of fact in February we are going to Iran ("on foot") just to see all that the media do not tell us (the bike is now parked in Istanbul)

Cheers from Transilvania.

[Bartosz]

Thank you for your answers.
I will be in Wakhan Corridor area in summer so the best will be to look for the situation from Tajikistan.
We can always buy afghan visa in Khorog and start next day.

[Toby2]

It's possible, these guys did it last year but they are based in country so had a level of insight. Think they also exited the country in 2 days and whilst any big bike stands out, it was on Afghan plates.

The Trip | Shorsec Racing | Inspiration through Injury

I went there last year to Kabul and Bamiyan which was great but travelling in local vehicles etc and with contacts taking care of where to stay. Would stand out a bit more if you are just riding through and finding places along the way. Was a beautiful country and really want to go back but possibly less risky ways of doing it than riding round

Good luck on trip