Bandylegs -
You now have five threads asking essentially the same questions, some that were created after your post above. I'll assume that you're coming back to this one. I think you have a heap of research and thinking to do before you decide your itinerary, and perhaps too much to contemplate before putting in any visa application this coming Monday.
There are a range of safety, cultural and logistical challenges for any foreigner travelling in Afghanistan, and these escalate dramatically for a solo woman traveler. There are a number of logistical issues for anyone travelling in the remote areas of Tajikistan north of the Afghan border, and you'll need an additional permit to do so. This is not available at all Tajik missions. There are cultural issues and some safety concerns for a woman traveling solo in Pakistan.
How about a nice trip to Iran instead?
Plenty of information exists on this site that addresses most of your questions.
Perhaps begin by browsing this Central Asia forum. Read the Central Asia FAQ thread (on the last page of that there is new advice on obtaining CA visas along the way) and the Afghanistan FAQ & Security Thread. You'll find both of these at the top of the forum.
Look also at the thread A sole woman to Travel to Afghanistan (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1863153). From that thread, I suggest you contact the poster Beck to ask her for her experiences as a solo woman traveling on a UK passport in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
You should also read the Indian Subcontinent forum for information on current issues with obtaining a visa for Pakistan in different cities. Both India and Pakistan have changed the rules in recent months but there are wide differences in how consular officials in different countries interpret those changes. Generally, it's becoming harder to get flexible visas if you're away from your home country. You may need a letter from your embassy/high commission to support your application. In that forum, I suggest you send private messages to posters that have relevant information to avoid pesky messages from some of the people that hang around there.
If you decide to head to CA from India via Pakistan, you can pick up all CA visas fairly readily in Islamabad. See my post number 4 in http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?messageID=16702913 for more details.
In one of your other threads, you suggest picking up visas in Urumqi. You can only obtain Kazakh and Kyrgyz visas in that city but some posters say these can take a while, and you may not find anyone who speaks English at one or the other of those consulates. You must also understand that international communications are severely limited, if not blocked, in the whole of Xinjiang province. Because the Kazakh consul must refer applications to Astana for approval, this affects the visa process. You probably will not succeed in obtaining any current travel information online during your time in Xinjiang.
Perhaps fly to Urumqi and then travel from China to Pakistan? You can pick up a 30-day visa on arrival at the Pakistan border. However, also note that the Karakoram Highway in northern Pakistan was cut by a landslide earlier this year, resulting in a lake that requires crossing in one of the (potentially shonky) boats provided by numerous entrepreneurs in that region. This will add considerable time (or drama) to your travel along that route.
Finally, forget about crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan by land. It's both illegal and highly dangerous. There are several flights a week between Islamabad and Kabul. It seems KAM Air is the cheaper option, but Pakistan International flies more frequently at four times a week. In Oct 2009, the return airfare with PIA was about $400. But even if you fly in, there are significant challenges in exiting the airport, getting transport into the city, finding accommodation and how you'll spend your time while there.
There are flights between Dushanbe and Kabul if you're coming that way.
You'll need to obtain visas for all the countries you listed before departure, except for:
- the VOA for Pakistan available at the land border with China
- a VOA at Tashkent if you pre-arrange a letter of invitation from a company such as Stantours or Avantour (there are others)
- a VOA if you fly into Bishkek (no other documents required for most travelers)
- a VOA if you fly into Dushanbe (no other documents required for most travelers)
Find an embassy in New Delhi at http://india.gov.in/overseas/foreign_emb_india.php or use these links:
http://www.tajikembassy.in/
http://www.kazembassy.in/
In SE Asia, Kuala Lumpur has embassies for KG, UZ and KZ; and both Bangkok and Singapore have embassies for UZ and KZ. I think the only Afghan embassy in the region is in Singapore. Here are some links:
http://www.uzbinbkk.com/
http://www.kazembassythailand.org/
http://www.kyrgyzembassy.org.my/
http://www.kazembassy.org.my/
http://www.uzbekistan.org.sg/
http://www.kazakhstan.org.sg/
http://www.afghanembassykl.org/
Edited by: emmeff (added VOA for Dushanbe and info on documents)
