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Thank you very much for your answer! Very informative!

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We also want to go to China - self driving. Hope to enter through Kazakhstan and exit through Laos doing the trip as quickly as possible. We have contacted several China guides and waiting for responses. Geez some of the replies to date are quite expensive. Just wondering if you have had experiences of this type of journey or doing the same route in the near future.
Cheers
Kat

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Hi
I hope this info is of some use to you.
It is possible to get a Chinese visa in Bishkek Kyrgystan, though it can be very difficult. We were part of a group, 8 motorbikes and 1 4x4 all to meet up in Naryn in Kyrgyzstan and travel over the Touragut pass. because of the guide thing etc. for China we each had what they called a 'letter of Introduction" and with this 2 of the bikers managed to get their visas in Bishkek. It took them two tries and they had to have original documents not e-mailed copies (of the letter of Introduction). This they had to have couriered from Chengdu to Bishkek. They only got their visa at the last minute, it was touch and go. I don't believe Kazakhstan is an option.
As for the people travelling by their own vehicle. organizing this trip of ours started more than 6 months ago. First we were to travel through Tibet, then that was changed in May and we had to pick another route, it took a lot of doing as there were several areas we were not allowed to visit. Then in early August we were told we couldn't cross China at all, we could and in fact we did enter China via the Touragut pass on August 28th, We had 10 days to travel almost due north from Kashgar past Urumqi to Qinghe and then cross into Mongolia. This was a set time limit it could not be altered Because of some repairs the bikes needed when we reached Kashgar we had some long days of travelling through Aksu, Kuerle to Turpan. These 3 long days, about 1400k's proved a bit too far for one couple and they decided they would have to camp before reaching Turpan. They didn't tell the rest of us, the guide threw a wobbly and all sorts of arguments broke out. All the vehicles must stick together that is the rule, people can move around freely so long as you don't take the vehicles without the guide.
The group crossed into Mongolia as planned on 6th September. I personally had to leave the trip before this and fly home due to a family emergency but my partner is still in Mongolia. It took several days to drive across Mongolia to Ulan Baatar where they had to put in for a new Chinese visa having only got a single entry on originally They did that last Wednesday the 12th Sept. Then on Thursday evening the Chinese cancelled the permit to travel in China altogether. Now whether or not this was done because of the couple camping out or whether it has been done for some other reason we cannot find out. The tour company is not at all forthcoming. We all tend to think it has nothing to do with the couple camping out as they had already left the group as soon as it reached Mongolia, and had notified the company that they would not be re-entering China.
Another point to bear in mind is that most of the highways are toll roads, we averaged nearly $15 US a day in tolls. It does add up. The motorbikes don't pay.
the company is based in Chengdue and has changed its name recently, maybe because others have had problems with them too, They now call themselves China Chengdu Greatway Tour Co. Avoid them.
Happy travels
Lyn

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For an overview of your options, check the following Chinese embassy reports .