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Getting There & Away
Independent travellers will love this: It's really, really difficult to get to Bakpakhistan, as only the Bakpakhistani international carrier, Pakitup, connects Hikinboot with the outside world. Flights are hard to book, as the airline only has one plane, a 1943 Cessna T-50 (seats three passengers and a pilot named Henkl) purchased from the Lithuanian Airforce Museum in 1961. Flights leave irregularly from Urumqi in western China, usually carrying sewing machine batteries and black-market wool, rather than passengers. It's impossible to book a seat - you just have to chance your hand at the Urumqi airport. And with the increasing incidence of 'ring theft' at this airport, 'chancing your hand' is far more literal than one would ordinarily imagine.
Reports also linger about a secret air-route to an airstrip just to the west of Hikinboot, originating from somewhere in western Tajikistan, possibly south of Ayvadz. While these flights are apparently operated by organised crime syndicates attempting to import gingham and pornography, some travellers badger us in the Lonely Planet office with their tedious tales of triumph in bribing their way onto these flights. Keep those cards and letters coming in, guys. We love them.
Getting Around
With no domestic air service, no public transport system and virtually no roads, getting around Bakpakhistan is pretty near impossible (especially when considering the landmines and the man-made lakes of sludge, which should discourage even the heartiest of hikers). If you're the type of person who thinks a woman being forced to carry 30 litres (8 gallons) of water on her head for five hours a day just to give her seven children something to drink is a stunning example of the strength of the human spirit (and - let's face it - who doesn't?), you'd better pack plenty of film for your camera. But unless you're prepared to take on the bandits and rebels, once you're in Hikinboot, you'd be best advised to remain in whatever luxurious, immoral accommodation you've been able to find, and join the queue of stranded travellers attempting to send 'guess where I am' emails from the town's one and only internet facility, the Bakdur Brothel and Cybercafe, directly opposite the Gate of Glorious Impromptu Deeds.
Within the old city walls of Hikinboot, people holding Lonely Planet guidebooks will often be approached by vendors offering to take them to several of the town's key sites for a small fee. Agree to go, and at the conclusion of the tour, dispute the previously agreed-upon fee. The locals, while paying lip-service to the New World, are frustratingly slow at understanding that business is a risk. We believe that travellers can make a positive impact; it is the job of the international community to bring capitalism (the good and the bad) to these quaint, repressed, and possibly communist people as quickly as possible.
Disclaimer: Although we've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with the relevant authorities before you travel. This includes information on visa requirements, health and safety, customs, and transportation.
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