Central Asia

I can't help you from first hand experience but from my researches in to the same area last year, i would go to kyrgistan, not kazakhstan. It seemed a lot more interesting.

Hi Livi,
You have many great riding possibilities ahead! If you haven't already, I recommend that you contact Peter Snow Cao of Bike China Adventures through his website www.bikechina.com</a>. He lives in Chengdu and is very friendly and knowledgable about bicycle touring in China.

I cycled from Chengdu to Kyrgyzstan as part of a longer trip last year, so you might find my story helpful, www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/asiaoneyear</a>.<BR><BR>Chengdu is just a day or two from awesome mountains to the west and north, from where you'll reach the Tibetan Plateau. You could continue north through the Tibetan areas of Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces, then cross mountain ranges to the Silk Routes in western Gansu. I followed the Silk Routes all the way west to Urumqi, Kashgar, and into Kyrgyzstan via Irkeshtam. The trip from Chengdu to Irkeshtam took me three months; if you have less time and need to take a train, then I suggest doing so on the Silk Route sections, perhaps with stopovers at places such as Dunhuang, Turpan, and Urumqi.

You can get Kyrgyz and Kazakh visas in Urumqi, but nowhere else in western China as far as I know. When you apply for either of these visas, you'll need to specify an entry date; you can enter later (losing those days), but not earlier. Cyclists that I've met and corresponded with have been very enthusiastic about Kyrgyzstan, but considerably less so about Kazakhstan. So I recommend that you head for Kyrgyzstan because of it's spectacular mountain scenery and remnants of nomadic culture; costs are low too. Be careful with your bicycle in Central Asia; I met two people who had their bicycles stolen when camping (but they got them back!) and one fellow on Thorn Tree told of his bicycle being stolen in Bishkek. In Kyrgyzstan, you'll find useful homestays and information from the Community Based Tourism organization; the website has a page on cycling, click here that you could try (It's not working at the moment.).

Be sure to visit Urumqi's excellent national museum about Silk Routes archaeology and cultures. From China to Kyrgyzstan you'll probably find the Irkeshtam crossing the best because no permits are needed, unlike the restricted Torugart Pass. You'll have stunning views of the Pamirs near Irkeshtam and on to Sary Tash, weather permitting. Be prepared for cold weather and storms on this stretch; I encountered frost and a bit of sleet in late August. By the way, Irkeshtam is NOT a pass despite what Lonely Planet authors and others say!
Happy journeys,
Bill

I would concur with the above post, that for Kyrgyzstan entry by bike, Irkeshtam Pass is better. Torugart Pass requires use of vehicle transportation for the 100km from China Customs-Immigration to the actual pass at Torugart.

Thanks all,
We're headed to Kyrgyzstan, as that seems to be the consensus for good biking.
Livi
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