London to Karachi ... By Road!!!

Society Travel & Tourism
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Re: London to Karachi ... By Road!!!

wow that sound very exciting ,something I would love to do but I know with my bachon ki fouj I will never get a chance :( . Good luck ,let us know about it when you are back .

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Defenitely Long..! More than week for sure..

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Oh yeah forgot to mention this…:blush:

The KKH route would take you at most two or three days to pass in good weather. Can’t say how long it will take if there is a lot of snow though. Best time to go is around May/June but Allah knows bests becuase a storm could come anytime.:frowning:

The KKH and Chinese controlled Jingxiang district are quite safe. Not near as dangerous as kybher district Adam Khel in Afghan border area… however there is always been some political tension between Han Chinese and our Ougyur Turkic Muslim brothers of Jingxiang. Try to ovoid making any political or religious tensions (i know you aint there to go jihad against the Han but be carefull anyway becuase some Chinese border guards can be a bit iffy, most of them like Pakistani’s though becuase i didn’t have any trouble.) If you wanna visit any particual areas be sure to check out the city of Kashgar in Jingxiang province becuase it has a famous market area and is home to a famous Sufi Shrine as well. The road is actually better on the Chinese side albeit a bit dusty during summer. Most of the peolpe are really welcoming too. Take the road from Kashgar south to the Khunjerab pass.
There you will enter the most beautifull landscape in Pakistan for on this side we have a national park which is among the best in the world on a plateu which is second highest in the world after Tibet.
The KKH road from kashgar to Khunjerab can be completed in a days drive but if you wanna sightsee then make sure you give yourself two or three days to get everything checked out!:smiley: Among the best sites are the Market in Kashgar, and the nearby Kashgar fortress (it’s a bit ruined today but it’s still worth a visit) You can also visit the mountain of Murtzah Attah which is 4000 meters high or more but is a relatively easy climb, good for ski-ing if you want.

There is also an old library in Kashgar which will have as well as books, all sorts of potions and perfumes.I know the man who runs it so if you ask there you may find cheaper boarding or at least some decent local advice, it’s the best place to get maps too. It’s in the centre of Kashgar beheind the old city Masjid, which has a museum next to it as well though there isn’t many exhibits to see there.

Do be aware however of criminals in this region, kidnapping is common there so don’t relax too much and keep aware. Kashgar is not that far south from the Taklamakhan desert but don’t go that way brother even if someone paid you to go becuase the desert is, waht can i say, beautifull but also very dangerous becuase here you are furthest from any ocean on earth and it’s sand dunes are the tallest in the world so not good for 4x4’s.

Stick to the main roads. If you follow the old soviet block countries to highways through Uzbekistan you can then hit Jingxiang and head through the Khunjerab pass to Pakistan. If you want you can skip Uzbekistan and try slide through China becuase it’s safer than Uzbekistan where American forces have more influence. At least in China you can avoid being treated with the hostility that Uzbeks show to Pakistani’s by coursing through the northern territories into Jingxiang.

From Jingxian to khunjerab you’ve got the easy bit. it’s the rest of the KKH you sould be worried about becuase until you reach Hazara area you will be vulnerable to the dacoits of Pakistan who are worse than the those in China.
Don’t let your guard down till your clear of Hazara becuase as we say in Urdu you cant trust the “Elaka Ghair” Strange territory.

From Rawalpindi to Karachi you i hope will naturally find the going easier but still be alert brother my Uncle was robbed in Karachi and he had fought all over the world as a soldier and never once got hurt until some chor ka bacha robbed him in Karachi, his wallet was gone before he could think!

As for warzones… don’t stray from the main roads brother, in this day and age everywhere is a warzone!

Inshallah one day Insh-Allah i will walk this route. If i leave myself enough time.

Take care have fun. Brother i’m so jealous i cant go with you on this one becuase it does sound like a lot of fun indeed.:wink:

Let me know how things go brother, who’s to say we can’t meet up a later time and go again!

Have a nice trip, May Allah bless you.

P.S: I’m not an expert.:stuck_out_tongue:

Make double sure becuase the distances depend on how good your car is and if they have had any changes since i last went. Some things have been going on over there between the Han and Muslims and while it’s not that bad it could be worse than i think (Allah Forbid!).
Also the roads can change dramatically becuase of the mountianous area. Check exactly how much you have to go and try and carry a little spare feul in case you have to detour for whatever reason.
In this region try not to buy any jewellry, i admit gold, diamonds and rubies are aplenty but you could become targets for thieves or get conned by fakers. I know for a fact that there are loads of peddlars on the route, don’t pay any heed to them just act like a native. Fell free to give money to fakirs and beggars but if any “merchants/peddlars” come to you they are probably not what they claim to be.
Look up some maps too and be sure to keep cool wherever you go brother.:halo:

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"bachon ki fouj" lolzzz..

well u never know.. a chance might spring one day for you to go by road! just like it did in ours.. apart from me, rest of the three guys had never even imagined abt it but now..... thanks for the wish and i'll defo let u guys know when im back INSHALLAH

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for australia???

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u r not an expert but u talk like one!!! lolzzz.. i mean this detailed info only an expert can give.. and it seems u enjoyed ur trip through this route alot.. how did u travel through china into pak though??? ur own car or bus???

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I think so.. Not that I've tried it.. How long does it take to pakistan..?

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flight to Australia takes 22 hrs alone.. u set out london in the night and u arrives australia 2 days after (due massive time difference though :p).. to pak i think it would take us 15 days..

what does the word "HUMOOM" [ہموم] MEAN?
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Jazak-Allah brothers:o

I’m not an expert on travel Ahsanz, and i’ll admit it i took the road via a bus.

However if an old style pick up and bus convoy can make it through the Khunjerab to Pakistan then there is no reason why a 4x4 cannot do so either:D

I have never owned my own automobile, so i always walk or take a bus. It’s not that i cannot drive, i own a 1970’s Honda CBR 750 motorbike (it’s my horse on the road) but i cannot take that on this sort of expedition. Just make sure that you know the vehicle your taking… or a mechanicaly minded person should acompany you on the journey… in case god forbid you brake down somewhere.

Also take it easy whoever’s driving. Please don’t rush around cos youll find it’ll spoil your journey. And take extra care if you go into Pakistan from Kashgar in China, becuase there are a lot of defiles along the route as well as gorges which have old bridges (some of them wooden!) You’ll be amazed because not even Indiana Jones had to cross that many weak bridges on his adventure.

Also remember these places like the KKH are the highest paved roads in the world so beware of altitude sickness, you may not know you have it.
Back in the Army an old Captain used to chew tabbaco and it did help him with the altitude problems but some of the lads took opium so it’s not an option.

Check with your doctor before you go, and do a **LOT **of cardio trianing, running or rowing is best to strenthen your lungs and increase capacity. Swimming is also good as it helps strengthen your lungs twice as fast as conventional running on the treadmill.

Even if like me your quite an agile and athletic fellow, you should keep training becuase it’ll help build confidence in you.

If you want to go to Kashgar market try to pick up a Turkish dictionary or phrase book while you were in turkey. Becuase although kashgar is in China they speak turkic?:hoonh:
If you want to impress the locals speak thier tongue, they will respect you more. It also helps when you have to haggle in the market becuase i got an ivory inlaid violin at kashgar for about ten pounds sterling. It’s a work of art that belongs in a museum!
I had it valued independantly in the UK and it’s worth at least £6-700 thats like a 70% profit! If you have a wife or need clothes in silk kashgar is the best place to buy pure silk on a roll. You get extremely fine material of the highest quality for much less then you’ll pay at the high street.

If i were you Brother i’d take the KKH route or if this is not suitable then the other viable route would be through Iran’s eastern desert known as Media in the Ancient west and now refered to as Tabirzistan. (After the sufi saint Shamas Tabriz) The western desert skirts Afghanistan and it enters Balochistan province in Pakistan.

This route is probably less safe than the KKH becuase the area is sparsely populated and only has a few water holes. Alexander the great took this route back from India and probably lost 20,000 men (half his army) whilst crossing the western Iranian desert back to the city of Babylon.
Also this area is filled with brigands.

Sadly if you plan to enter pakistan from the west these are the only two options you have :(. Unless you want to risk a trip through Afghanistan, as a British citizen you may get some help… wether it is enough is a different matter becuase the war is going badly for the western backed government . (hooray)

So judge wisely brother may Allah guide you and keep you safe.

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oh yeah.. the massive time difference..:hehe: yeah that would be 2 days then..! Hmm.. I thought London Pakistan would take a week.. Am not the expert, but that’s what I thought.. I remember my friend alwayz went by road from Holland to nothern Irak.. It took her about 4 days.. But I guess that’s completely another route..

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Goodluck . you can have all fun and take risks when you are alone but with family and kids one have to be careful about dreaming too much .haha .If i was alone I would have love to go for a trip like this .sound like a fun trip. hope you enjoy :) dont forget to come back to guspshup and share your exspernice with us.

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hmm true to some extent.. resposibilities sometimes doesnt let us take chances in our life..

i'd love to share it with everybody once i make my trip..

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oh yes.. if we could go through iraq it’d definitely cut our time short.. also we cant go through slovenia and bosnia & herz otherwise going through those places would save us 2-3 days extra.. but never mind.. hungary and bulgaria sounds good too:D

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I found this awesome website detailing how to reach Pakistan from London by train!! It saves a lot of money and hassle and looks quite feasible. Also, you don't have to worry about finding hotels, stopping for gas, etc. Check it out!

www[dot]seat61[dot]com/India-overland.htm

(sorry, it won't let me post links)

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Re: London to Karachi ... By Road!!!

wow this is an amazing ideaaa! i wish i could do something like that, but i dont have the guts lol. you HAVE to keep a video diary. record all the way throughhhh=]

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Salaam,

I am new to this website. This topic has caught my attention as I am also planning to buy a 4x4 in London and drive it to Karachi in June InshAllah. I would love to exchange notes regarding this. My main concern is security and I would like to know how you are going to plan a safe route to Karachi. Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Danial.

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Re: London to Karachi ... By Road!!!

my brother in law traveled by road uk to tobah teck sing in 1970 but he is british citizen so no problem for visa that time

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My dad travelled from Pakistan to Austria by road in 1972 and even as a Pakistani citizen he didn't have any troubles back then. Us waqt Pakistani passport ki bhi izzat ki jaati thi.

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Re: London to Karachi ... By Road!!!

I really want to do London to Pakistan by road. I need to know schedule, costs and routing in order to prepare myself for visa's. I have Pakistani passport.

My father did couple of trips from Middle East to Pakistan via Iran and Afghanistan back 70's. No problems in those days. He says Afghan roads were carpeted and newly built by Soviets. Herat to Kabul was a straight road for hundreds of KM and ANARS available along road side stalls were so cheap, big and tasty.

History Mystery- Part 3
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Re: London to Karachi ... By Road!!!

my uncle drove from london to karachi in 1979
he said turkey was very friendly but in iran they looted his car overnight