wiiiim

I'm very confused about the whole Visa thing, some countries allow you to buy one on entry, others seem to require you get one from your country of residence (embassy)?
I hate paperwork, South America was SO easy this way

Yan 

It is not currently possible to cycle from India to Thailand via Myanmar. Nor is it possible to enter Tibet from Nepal as an independent tourist. Cycling in Tibet requires accompanyment by tour guide and vehicle, which cost 4500USD for thirty days, as of last summer. Tibet may be closed to foreigners without notice, as was the case when I tried to arrange my trip last summer. I was cycling west in China, and ended up diverting to SE Asia and finished my tour in Singapore.

Mardmakarm

People in Thailand quite friendly with foreigners, and wasn't hard to find food & accommodation too.

As you can see in Mr.Philip journey : https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?..._id=6565&v=20u
His pictures from Thai MTB forum : https://www.thaimtb.com/forum/viewtop...f=193&t=285695

And for Thailand ,provinces and Indochina.You can buy bilingual language's maps from PN MAP(maps company in Thailand.)

thesearethesuns

I was just reading your blog. How were you able to enter Tibet on bicycle by yourself?

Mardmakarm

That wasn't my blog, it's Mr. Philip Malone's blog which now in China.

You can read his blog to see how he ride from Thailand to Tibet, or e-mail to ask him about it.

mike

I recommend taking a train across Tibet before you hop on a bicycle and decide to ride across it. I just don't know how you could do it and survive unless you were a native from Tibet with incredible survival skills and a herd of Yak with you. It is not difficult to imagine a native Tibetan coming across an abandoned bicycle with panniers next to a skeleton dressed in Western clothing clutching an empty canteen.

The postcards are pretty, but the land is unforgiving and formidable. You can travel for 100 miles without crossing water or people. No trees, almost no grass. When the wind blows, it can peel the skin off of a gorilla. Most of the roads are unimproved and poorly mapped; paths really that lead from nowhere and end nowhere.

The challenge would be close to Admiral Byrd going to the North Pole. Modern transportation can plant you right in the middle of nowhere, but you better have your planning, skill set, and tools absolutely flawless.

Mardmakarm

There's two cyclist from Thailand and Hong Kong travel from Thailand > Laos > China > Tibet, took months to get there and open a coffee shop and hotel for cyclist years ago.They also write a book in 2 version(I got Thai's language version, don't know another use English or China language.)

https://www.thaimtb.com/forum/viewtop...?f=56&t=250633

You may try to contact them and ask for detail how he get there.

Camel

Umm, not really. Maybe if one were to opt for crossing Xingjiang/Tibet say via the ChangTang-ala Corax et al. That would be a dream trip for sure!

Most tourists (cycling tourists included) cross Tibet via "highways". I write "highways" because, yeah they're not like what most westerners are used to. There can be many miles (thousands) of graded surface as opposed to pavement. There are services and water available, one just needs to be aware of how frequently ahead of time to plan accordingly.

mike

Yes, I did take the train from Xinjiang to Lhasa. That is one of the reasons I give the advice I am giving. I also bicycled around Lhasa - it almost killed me because of the elevation which reminds me that besides the lack of water and the cruel elements, the elevations are crushing. Even riding in the train, people got sick just from sitting (or laying).

I also took the main highway which was OK, but no shoulder. The only saving grace is the lack of traffic. Your advice that there is service and water along the way is absolutely wrong. I mapped it out like a bicyclist as I travelled and in my opinion, it would be difficult to the point of dangerous.

Tibet does have some new highways, but for the most part, it is still wild frontier. Evan Lhasa, the capital of Tibet doesn't really seem like a capital city. It has all the hallmarks of a frontier cowboy town. The wild has not been rinsed out of it.

wiiiim

I will try to get as much information and options as I can, I'm sure the plan will change along the way as you get a better feel for what its like (altitude, terrain, weather, ..)
there would be a loooooong way to go before the Himalayas anyhow ;-)

azesty

Riding from Shanghai to Llhasa is very popular with Chinese cyclists. I have come across a number of them doing 100 km a day.

z

jibi

Have you worked out your route yet?
Are you crossing Russia? I believe that s not an easy visa to get either

good luck
tailwinds
george

wiiiim

still just gathering information, i have a friend who biked from Brussels to Thailand so i'll go meet him
two other cyclists i met in South America have also crossed from Beijing to France, through Mongolia and Russia; a route more higher up North than what i'm planning but it looks awesome too
thanks for asking!

azesty

One of the oft travelled ways to Europe is China - Kyrgystan - Khazakstan - Turkmenistan - Iran - Turkey.

Those who have travelled this way have generally had a great time, and reports of Iran are uniformally good.

z

gilbert_dizon

Try cycling on the well-paved coastal roads of the Philippines Islands, White sand beaches, giant caves, underground river, tropical forests. Warm, hospitable and friendly English-speaking locals. No need to camp or cook, roadside inns, as well as food and fruits of the season are very cheap. I've got more than 14,000km since 2009, so far so good.

wiiiim

that sounds awesome man, if i ever make it that far up ill meet you there!
enjoy your trip