Entering China, possible or not?

pexa

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Jan 10, 2007
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Hi, im planning an overland tour from North Europe to the Far East next Sept/Oct. Im not sure if I´d be comfortable going through Iran & Pakistan (though I´d absolutely love to go to India where Ive spent some holidays before!) And then Myanmar would most likely be off-limits anyway, so I´d have to freight the bike to Singapore or something...

Thats why Im thinking about the nothern route around the Himalayas. Getting your own bike into China (as well as interprovincial travel inside China), you hear very different stories. A few people have mentioned a specific border station with Kazakhstan, where they claim they´ve made it across.

Some also mention that it could be possible to cross the border, if you had arranged a guide to meet up with you. This must cost a considerable amount per day, anyone have any experiences using such guide when going into China? I figure you´d need at least 2 weeks to go through that enormous country, possibly more its hard to say because I havent been there before.

IF I made it into China (from Kazakhstan or possibly Mongolia), then my plan would be to continue southeast to Laos. Ive been there before, (on trips from Thailand), but at the moment Im not so sure if crossing from China into Laos would also be a problem or not. I´ve only crossed into Laos from Cambodia and Thailand.

Im thinking about contacting the Chinese embassy here in Finland, asking them about this, and if it might be possible to maybe get some letter from them in chinese, explaining what Im doing at the border. I speak absolutely no chinese, so that is one problem.

I shouldnt be on a hurry on this trip, I can use 4-6 months if needed, though my general plan would be to go to Thailand in about 30-45 days, then stay in the region the rest of the time. Surely that might change if I, for example, got into China, because Im sure it would be such a huge experience.

Any experiences, comments or suggestions would be warmly welcomed.
 

HIKO

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Nov 7, 2005
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HELLO PEKKA

READ "THE MIGHTY ZIPSTAR IS NOW CRUISING CHINA" elsewhere on this site. It is possible anyway....
 

pexa

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Jan 10, 2007
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Hi, Hiko... I was thinking I´d surprise you and not tell before, rather just drop over there one day. But I also knew it´d be a matter of time till you find this out from here, too! Anyway, that is the plan, and there seem to be so many different stories about China. I would have to make a decision in a few months, whether I´d go to Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, or whether I´d go and try my luck at the Chinese border (Russia and Kazakhstan might pose a few problems before that as well, but at least I´d figure they do let bikers into those countries as long as your paperwork is ok). I know it will probably NOT be 100% certain to get into China, so it´ll be a bit of a gamble anyway. Then again, looking at the news, does it seem certain that Iran, for example, will be accessible for tourists in 6 months time, I dont know.

Its great to hear at least someone´s made it... but if I see correctly, that Zipstar had non-Thai plates, possibly chinese? If so, then that might make things a little bit less complicated.

Now that my plans "busted" anyway, thought I might ask from your considerable knowledge-base about your opinion, which route might be better and/or less complicated? There seems to be even a "3rd option", from China thru Karakoram mountains into Pakistan, but that´ll include too many crossings into uncertain places I think. That Iran-Pakistan-India route seems to be the more travelled one, and for me Im sure it´d be just as interesting.
 
Jan 19, 2007
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Originally posted by pexa

Hi, im planning an overland tour from North Europe to the Far East next Sept/Oct. Im not sure if I´d be comfortable going through Iran & Pakistan (though I´d absolutely love to go to India where Ive spent some holidays before!) And then Myanmar would most likely be off-limits anyway, so I´d have to freight the bike to Singapore or something...

Thats why Im thinking about the nothern route around the Himalayas. Getting your own bike into China (as well as interprovincial travel inside China), you hear very different stories. A few people have mentioned a specific border station with Kazakhstan, where they claim they´ve made it across.

Some also mention that it could be possible to cross the border, if you had arranged a guide to meet up with you. This must cost a considerable amount per day, anyone have any experiences using such guide when going into China? I figure you´d need at least 2 weeks to go through that enormous country, possibly more its hard to say because I havent been there before.

IF I made it into China (from Kazakhstan or possibly Mongolia), then my plan would be to continue southeast to Laos. Ive been there before, (on trips from Thailand), but at the moment Im not so sure if crossing from China into Laos would also be a problem or not. I´ve only crossed into Laos from Cambodia and Thailand.

Im thinking about contacting the Chinese embassy here in Finland, asking them about this, and if it might be possible to maybe get some letter from them in chinese, explaining what Im doing at the border. I speak absolutely no chinese, so that is one problem.

I shouldnt be on a hurry on this trip, I can use 4-6 months if needed, though my general plan would be to go to Thailand in about 30-45 days, then stay in the region the rest of the time. Surely that might change if I, for example, got into China, because Im sure it would be such a huge experience.

PEKKA, CONTACT [email [email protected]][email protected][/email] HE HAS DONE THIS TRIP AS I REMEMBER FAIRLY RECENLY ON A KTM 950 , ( I HAVE PICS IF YOU WANT THEM ? )
 

pexa

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Jan 10, 2007
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ok, I will ask him! Its good to hear someones been able to do this, and recently is even better. Thank you for your help, and thanks for the photos, too, theyre excellent!