So, I just spent 3 weeks in Nepal and am giving serious thought to teaching English in Kathmandu from mid January until early May. Motorcyclist outnumber cars 100 to 1 and motorcycles can be rented for $6-8 per day. I am wondering if there is any interest in joining me for a motorcycle trip from Kathmandu to Tibet or perhaps Bhutan. Am thinking Tibet as my friends in Nepal says it has opened up to foreigners and the road from KTM to Llasha (sp?) is outstanding. So perhaps early May as the monsoons won't have started yet and it will be a bit warmer (Tibet is 11000 ft). Have some Nepali friends who would join and perhaps lead the trip. Rich (915) 588 5054 After Dec 15 as I am exploring Thailand and Cambodia with my daughter until then.
any progress on your plans mate? i'm living in kathmandu now (as of Feb) and am mad keen on some adventures. if you're not over here yet....WHY NOT?!!! This place is fantastic and the only way to make it even better is with a few bike trips! jon
That is something you might want to double-check, especially if you plan to ride all the way, because the should I say common understanding is, that while not 100% impossible, arranging a foreign vehicle to enter China does require months of preparation, and you will be assigned a government-approved guide to travel with you. And for all this you pay like you wouldn´t believe. And Tibet is of course the most sensitive (read: expensive) province of them all. I know some travellers have gone all the way from Nepal to Laos via China. But not without arranging this months in advance, and paying big time.
There are a couple of companies who do these runs who will give you good advice about visa requirements specificaly Sacred summets in Balwautar and Himalayan Enfielders in Lazinpath. They all use 500cc enfields for 2 reasons they are robust and the altitude and take their own parts and mechanics with them. As for the trip due to the political situation with the strikes and possible failure to write the constitution in the next 4 days coupled with trying to split the country into federal units based on ethnic background the place is a mess and will be like this for quite some time. During this type of unrest 1. Is it wise to bring anybody across? 2. They close the border to Tibet So I would advise waiting you do not want people trapped here and not being able to move anywhere why not take them around Nepal there is more to see anyway?
Yep. I did that route in a Chinese bus in '96 and it is indeed beautiful. The "situation" was upseting though.
