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Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan 

Watch the movie trailer. At the end of the page, the entire video from the trip.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - practical information.
What, how, where and for how much?

The language in which you communicate

Russian (about 5% of people speak English, mainly young people in cities - e.g. in hotels, restaurants). Though sometimes, you may be surprised. We had such a surprise when we were looking for our first accommodation at Lake Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan. It was long ago dark, around 10 p.m., Tamga town. In the shop at the crossroads, we ask for accommodation. The saleswoman shows us the end of the road, the house on the left.  You're there  which welcomes guests. We go, knock on the window, you open us for about 75 years, the beauty is typically Kyrgyz, which is almost "Chinese". We talk to our broken Russian.  The lady invites us in, shows us that she has accommodation, but that she cannot find the keys to the guest area. During the conversation, he says a word in English. We ask with surprise -  you speak english?

She replies  super fluent English, yes and good, because she worked for many years with Canadians in a nearby gold mine. Surprise, the lady has been running a home stay for several years, later we read about this place on Lonley Planet.  It started  from a random pair of tourists from England, then word spread through word of mouth and  the lady had more and more guests, which turned into an extension of the guest section. Today there are some en suite rooms that can be booked. Unfortunately, the nice lady cannot find the keys, so we spread out on mattresses and in sleeping bags, we spend the night in the open air on the terrace. We like it very much.  The next morning it turns out that the keys were still in the fleece pocket that the hostess had  she was wearing ... we are staying for the second night :)  

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HOW TO GET

 

You can ride on wheels from Poland. The shortest route is through Belarus, Moscow and Kazakhstan. One way trip is approximately 5500 km. This distance can be covered in about 8-10 days, unfortunately the route is very boring.  Driving is virtually non-stop straight and the landscape rarely changes. An alternative route is through the Balkans, Turkey, Georgia, Russia,  Uzbekistan.  Then we drive straight into Tajikistan. Is  further (some 7,100 km from Warsaw to Duszambe, the capital  Tajikistan). However, it is definitely more interesting. You must be at least 14 days old either  more if you want to  go sightseeing on the way. 

Initially, we planned to go both ways on a motorcycle, but after analyzing the time and costs needed for such a trip (20-25 days of additional time, 11,000 - 15,000 km), accommodation, fuel, food, new tires, motorcycle inspection ... it turned out that we do not have that much time, it is much more expensive, it will be tiring and not necessarily super interesting. There was also the option of transporting the motorcycle in one or two directions. The roads were the goal of the expedition from the very beginning  Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. So I preferred to spend more time on these two places than "wasting this time traveling or returning". Ultimately, we had 30 days off.  We decided that we want to devote them fully to getting to know these areas better and at a slower pace than driving along the main route and back. We used the two-way transport of the motorcycle, from  ADVFactory company, i.e. Sambor, famous in the company of travelers. This is a man who has been around for 20 years  He spends his holidays in Kyrgyzstan and in neighboring countries. He knows what he does, and certainly no one in Poland will advise you more than he can when it comes to traveling by motorcycle in those countries.  regions. We loaded the motorcycle a month earlier in Poland on a truck. This is definitely a disadvantage of such a solution, you do not have a motorcycle almost a month before and a month after the trip.  Instead, you get on the plane and in about 8 hours you are in Bishkek at the airport, take a taxi from the airport to the center ($ 9), pick up the motorcycle and you are ready for your adventure. Of course, in practice, you still have to repack - all items, including motorcycle clothes and a helmet, can be shipped.  The two-way service costs 1,200 euros. It may seem like a lot, but to go both ways on wheels you have to spend a lot  more.  

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COSTS

 

Below is the calculation  how much have we spent on  everything (two people on one motorcycle, 28 days)

Transport of the motorcycle in both directions.

1,200 Euro - 5,000 PLN  

 

Plane tickets

(Warsaw - Biszkek - Warsaw) - PLN 2,000 / person - PLN 4,000 in total

* tickets to Bishkek can be purchased from 1,500 to 2,200 PLN

* another option is a flight to Almaty (Kazakhstan), flights cost about PLN 1,200 / person. So much cheaper,  from Almaty to Bishkek is about 250 km, you can travel this distance by bus. These buses run regularly from the airport or downtown. The cost of the trip is approximately $ 10-15. You can save a lot, especially for two people. We found out about this option only on the spot, we looked too little before departure. The downside of this solution is the additional 6-7 hours on the trip to and from Bishkek.  

Fuel 

Price for 1 liter - Kyrgyzstan about 2.2 PLN / liter

Tajikistan approx. $ 1 / liter

we did about 5000 km with an average fuel consumption of 5l / 100 km - average fuel price PLN 2.95. 

We burned about 250 liters, which gives an expense of about - PLN 740

 

Accommodation

We slept mainly in home-stays, sometimes in hotels or hostels, and sometimes in a tent, in the wild. 

The average price per night in a home-stay is about 800 SOMs in Kyrgyzstan (PLN 40) per person and about $ 10 in Tajikistan (per person). 

A bed in a hostel dorm is $ 7-8. Such hostels are available only in larger cities. A night in a Yurt is about 1000 SOMs (PLN 50) per person.  Everywhere in  this price always includes breakfast and very often also dinner. 

Hotels are a bit more expensive, but that equates to the price of sleeping in a tent. 

I count  so about $ 10 a night - 

28 nights x $ 10 x 2 people = $ 560 = PLN 2000 

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Boarding

As you read above, you always have breakfast and 50% dinner as well. 

If not - a dish at home or in a restaurant will cost about 200-300 SOM (10-15 PLN), and about 3-5 dollars in Tajikistan. 

So I would count PLN 15 x 2 meals a day x 2 people x 28 days = PLN 1680 (2 people, 28 days)  

 

Alcohol

If of course it counts. This is where it is most profitable to drink vodka - 0.5 costs around PLN 8-10 in the store. In Tajikistan, vodka can sometimes be a problem, both countries are Muslim, but Tajikistan is more so.  

 

Drinks

We drank mainly bottled water - 1.5l of water costs about PLN 1 

You need, say, 3 liters of water for two people a day x 28 days = say, PLN 100

We also had a bidom with a filter with us, we were afraid that there would be places where it would be difficult to buy water. We only used it once. The rest of the time he was  unnecessary luggage.  

 

VISY / tolls

 

Visa  it is obligatory only to Tajikistan. A passport is enough for Kyrgyzstan. Visa to Tajikistan with a permit to enter the GBAO zone (Wakhan Corridor and Pamir Highway - the south of the country) costs 70 dollars. You can arrange it online in 1 day. It is worth considering the dates of entry and exit, because the visa is valid for 30 days. 

This amounts to $ 70 x 2 people = PLN 515

When applying for a VISA, please specify the places where you will be staying. You can give approximate cities, areas where you want to stay and write something like "local hostels, hotel, homestay"

 

To this must be added "less official" charges on the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Where customs officers will explain to you that you need an additional document for entry, a certificate of motorcycle disinfection, etc. A total of 3 papers, one of which is actually official, i.e. the so-called "Entry card for your motorcycle into the country". The rest is a stretch, you can stay with them a little longer and finally, when it starts to say that you will call the embassy because you read that there are no such fees, they will let you go. Anyway, this additional fee was about $ 15 for a motorcycle = PLN 55

 

We paid a total of $ 30 on this border, because I did not want to argue with those gentlemen there. And let them earn, poverty with them. And my time is more valuable. It is worth remembering that you can only pay at the border in cash. The time needed to cross the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (there are controls on both borders) is about 2 hours. Rather, there are no queues.  

The border with Tajikistan.  

 

Other tolls to consider are bribes to the Police. This only applies to Kyrgyzstan, there are practically no policemen on the roads in Tajikistan, they stopped us once. They asked if we had a card (it was a map). They asked us to show us where we were going. And that's it :)

In Kyrgyzstan, however, if we are moving on one of the two main roads in the country, and in fact it is one road that stretches around the country, you have to watch out for police patrols. They are basically in every town + often in between, in places with a speed limit. Patrols have portable radars that take a photo of you right away. The same talk with a policeman is always the same. He shows you the left tariff, in which your exceeding is a very high fine that must be paid at the post office or bank. Until then, the policeman takes your driving license. However, it does so only to have a good negotiating position. Think about it, you say, and the policeman himself usually writes the amount on a piece of paper. Don't be fooled  as at the beginning you will see the amount of 200 dollars, they are looking for people who may pay them that much. Usually it ends at $ 20 (which is too much in my opinion, you can probably go much lower). A good solution is to make an international driving license. Then you can prove international for inspection  and keep your Polish original in a safe place. Control and negotiation usually takes about 20-30 minutes. This is Asia, take your time. And you should not show that he is in a hurry. It's best to change the subject with a smile, ask about your family or job. Tell something about yourself, show photos from Poland. It breaks the ice, it gets nicer. If you don't exceed the speed limit, don't worry about the police.

 

Anyway  we spent about $ 40 - 150 zlotys on the police

 

ATTRACTIONS  

 

Here, you have to enter 0 PLN. All the attractions you need and will have are for free. It is about an adventure in beautiful natural circumstances. 

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The extra costs we had

 

 

CAMPING

 

We didn't have any camping gear. So you had to buy all the things you needed. It was first and foremost  tent, sleeping bags, mattresses, burner stove, dishes, knife, flashlight, and other "camping" equipment . I spent about PLN 2,500 in decathlon (we bought literally everything there, despite searching in all such stores available in Warsaw). Quite a lot to be honest, especially considering we slept in it 3 times. However, these three nights were truly magical  and if not for our laziness, sometimes the desire to take a shower, sometimes extreme fatigue and sometimes the temperature, we could sleep in the tent much more often. On the other hand, if one wants to, he will  able to travel this route without a tent.  If you plan well, you will find accommodation anywhere "on the route". Here you have to make a decision - a tent, and all camping items cost a lot (if you already have them, don't hesitate) and take up a lot of space (we managed two people, with video equipment - so generally it is possible). On the other side, you have unforgettable nights  in the wild.  

 

I do not include this cost in the general settlement of the trip, because the camping equipment will remain, and many people already have one. 

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SUMMARY OF THE TRIP COSTS (2 people on one motorcycle) / 28 days

 

Motorcycle transport - PLN 5,000

Airline tickets - PLN 4,000 

Fuel - PLN 740

Accommodation - 2000 PLN

Food - PLN 1680

Alcohol - 280 PLN

Drinks / Water - PLN 100

 

Total - about PLN 13 800 / for two people - 28 days.  

 

Of course, these costs can be slightly reduced. You can sleep more in the wild. You can eat food bought in the store, buy cheaper tickets. 

However, such a cost should be estimated at at least PLN 12,000.  

 

SUMMARY OF THE TRIP COSTS (1 person on one motorcycle) / 28 days

 

However, when it comes to a trip for one person, it will be much cheaper. Everywhere we pay for accommodation and meals per person. Also, the plane ticket will be cheaper. The amounts from these items can therefore be easily divided by 2.  

 

Counting on one person:

Motorcycle transport - PLN 5,000

Airplane ticket - PLN 2,000

Fuel - PLN 740

Accommodation - 1000 PLN

Food - PLN 840

Alcohol - PLN 140

Drinks / water - PLN 100

 

Total - PLN 9,820 per person for 28 days.

 

Is it a lot, you can answer for yourself. It seems to me (in my experience) that a 28-day motorcycle trip around Europe will be more expensive  or at a similar price. However, the cost of accommodation, food, fuel and tolls is much higher in Europe.  

 

I think that the amount of memories in relation to the price is better here :). It is a unique and beautiful adventure that will be remembered for a lifetime. Nobody will take these memories from us anymore.  

If you do not have that much vacation, you can visit a large part of Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan in just two weeks. Or go through Kyrgyzstan on the Pamir Highway and come back.  

TIRES

 

This can hardly be considered a total cost of the trip. You might as well include a motorcycle at that cost. But ok. The tires should (have to) be off-road. The K60 is, in my opinion, the minimum. I went for a more off-road option. We bought the Michelin Anakee Wild and  I definitely do not regret it. In many cases, they saved my ass. I am convinced that it would not be possible on the K60. A friend we met, who drove most of the route with us, was on the K60.  IN  in many places it was worse than us (and we were two people). The K60s will be a good choice if you plan to get there on wheels and don't plan on going off the main roads too much. If you have no more than 6-7 thousand km to do, go ahead and take Wildy or other tires of this type. 

Expenditure - PLN 1100  

 

Preparation of the motorcycle - here as before the trip - you should take care of the technical condition of the vehicle. Replace what you need and go. I also bought a front lamp cover (it's worth it, the stones are big and are everywhere). Raising the steering wheel  and waterproof bags for the side cases. 

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HOW TO PACK

 

This is a very interesting stage of preparation. What to take and how to fit it. We had an additional difficulty because, first of all, we were traveling with two people. Secondly, we had a tent and all camping equipment. Third, we had a drone, a camera with two lenses, a go-pro camera, and batteries and chargers for all this equipment. 

Our motorcycle was equipped with three aluminum cases, two waterproof bags (40l) mounted on the side cases, one small waterproof backpack for the central trunk, and two small bags for crash bars. I gave up the tankbag on purpose, this original BMW makes it difficult to ride while standing. 

How did we pack?

So we followed the rule of distributing the weight - heavier things lower. Secondly, so that it is practical, so that you do not have to reach the bottom of the trunk, as you need to do on the road. 

In the left side case (smaller) we packed video equipment (only the one we were not using at the moment), chargers, cables, batteries + shoes. The right, larger trunk was intended entirely for camping equipment. We packed clothes in the side waterproof bags (one bag for me, one for a passenger). The backpack on the central trunk was intended for lining, thermo-active underwear, and a change of gloves. The central trunk, on the other hand, was almost empty, we only had a camera and maps there. The rest is shopping along the way - food, water. On purpose, I left a lot of space there, it reduces the weight, the top case is exposed to the greatest vibrations, and it also makes it easier to check the most necessary things every day. Throwing in was also a big plus when it comes to convenience  all clothes in bags. You take off the bag and you have everything you need at hand. 

By the way, when it comes to clothes, we've kept to the minimum here and it worked very well. Washing had to be done every now and then, but thanks to this, all the clothes weighed only about 6.5 kg.  

 

We took:

  • 1 pair of long pants and 1 pair of short pants

  • swimming trunks

  • flip-flops

  • 1 pair of comfortable sports shoes (those that  take up as little space as possible)

  • 5 pairs of socks

  • 5 pairs of panties

  • 5 T-shirts (+ thermoactive underwear)

  • one shirt for short sleeves

  • 2x fleece - one thin (good for a motorcycle jacket) and one thicker, for walking 

  • baseball cap,  warm hat and gloves

  • jacket  real down, so that it takes up as little space as possible when folded

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ROAD CONDITIONS, TEMPERATURES, RAIN

 

You have to be prepared for temperatures from 0 to 40 degrees during the day while driving. At night, the temperature in some places at higher altitude can drop below 0. 

We used a typical tourist set of motorcycle clothes. In our case, it was the REV'IT set. I was in SAND3, passenger in Outback2. Jacket and pants have two liners, one waterproof and one warming. This allows the layers to be adapted to the weather conditions. Traditionally, I never use a warming lining for trousers, the raincoat + thermoactive underwear is sufficient even for around 0 degrees. This saves some space. The clothes worked in temperatures of 5-32 degrees Celsius. Below and above this temperature, it was already cold or too hot. A must for rain  we always have a set of anti-rain coats  pants + jacket. I am of the opinion that even goretex is not so effective, secondly, a motorcycle jacket and pants  even those with gore-tex are soaked with water, then they have to be dried and this is where the problem begins,  if it's raining 3 days in a row. For this waterproof motorcycle boots, preferably with additional protection in the ankle area. I was driving a SIDI Adventure 2 and  I recommend, they did a great job. They are comfortable, warm and secure the foot well. This is especially important when driving, for example over stones, where you sometimes have to prop up yourself  and sometimes some stone can attack the foot from below. Iza traveled in tourist Dainese with Goretex. They were ok too, the passenger is not that vulnerable to foot injuries. To complement your motorcycle clothing - two pairs of gloves, one warm, waterproof,  the second is light, airy. For this, of course, two sets of thermoactive underwear - one warm, the other typically for summer, and  three balaclavas. Two summer and one warm jacket with a large windproof collar. In the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the weather is often in a pattern, the sun shines once, then it rains or rains  with snow or  hail. So it's good to have everything on hand so that you can change quickly. This of course makes the journey more exhausting.  I hate standing up and changing, putting on those raincoats. But that's the fate of a motorcyclist, it's important to have it on top :) I have a special place for it. I made a special higher mount for the central chest. Thanks to this, the passenger is more comfortable, the backrest is higher, and the motorcycle has gained additional luggage space, in which I keep my raincoats.  In Tajikistan, the landscape changes dramatically, the state border is divided by the PAMIR mountains. After their south  the side is rarely seen. As a result, the landscape is devoid of vegetation. It's a mountain desert. However, due to high altitudes and open spaces, it is very windy and the temperature fluctuates around 5-15 degrees. But in the vicinity of Dushambe, where it is much lower, the temperatures reach 40 degrees. The whole trip is therefore a weather challenge. You should be prepared for it. 

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HEIGHT! how to prepare

 

A large part of the route in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is located at an altitude of more than 3000 m above sea level. And the Pamir Highway itself is almost  500 km is a road to a height of approx  4000-4500 m asl. The highest pass is AK BAKAL - at an altitude of 4655 m asl, it is therefore the second highest road in the world. This means that we can be a victim of the so-called altitude sickness,  this happens rather rarely.  On the other hand, we will almost always feel ailments related to pressure and lack of an adequate amount of oxygen. It manifests itself with a significant decrease in condition, even a short walk can be much tiring. Man does everything a bit in slow motion, he lacks strength, we constantly try to catch our breath, but the air we take into our lungs does not have as much oxygen as usual. It gives us the impression that we cannot breathe well. I know it sounds a little scary, but it's actually not that bad, you get used to it, you just have to be calm, take your time. Another symptom that is also common is headache. The worst symptom that is already altitude sickness symptom is  dizziness, vomiting and  diarrhea. However, I have not heard that anyone we met after the tour had these symptoms. The key here is, above all, acclimatization, i.e. gradual acclimatization to the height. If we had flown 4,000 m by plane at once, it would have been much worse.  We rode from Kyrgyzstan, there we started from the height of 1600 m (Bishkek is at this height). Later, we gradually rode one higher and one lower (it is important in acclimatization, to take breaks from the height). The first big one  height is the Suek Pass south of Lake Issyk Kul. We drove there from a height of 1600 m to almost 4026 m (we did not finally reach the pass itself due to weather conditions and those on the road, we were about 1 km away), and then we drove back to the lake. Then 3 days later we went to the Song Kul Lake (3016 m), to which the road leads through the passes well over 3000 m. We spent the night there. Later, we moved almost all the time and spent the night at altitudes above 3000 m. After a few days we got used to this altitude. Then we went down again to the city of Osh (963m), where we rested two days in a hotel to regain strength for the Pamir Highway. Coming from the Osh side, we climb to a height of 4,655 m, over a distance of about 300 km. So the height is rising really fast, which can be disastrous. To sort it out somehow, we stop  on the way in Sary-Tash 3170 m, the last town in Kyrgyzstan before the border with Tajikistan. There is also the last gas station in Kyrgyzstan here. It is worth refueling here, because the next station will be in Murgab (the largest city on the Pamir Highway). We come to Sary-Tash early, because from Osh it takes no more than 3 hours with stops for photos. We stay there overnight. IN  the village has about 3-4 homestays, a shop, a restaurant. So it's pretty good. It is also a stop for practically all motorcyclists who are returning or going from Tajikistan, so you always meet someone, you can exchange experiences, tell what on the route, where is it worth stopping. Such knowledge is priceless  because it is the most up-to-date. If you are already in Sary-Tash and you will stay there overnight, which I recommend, you must go to the meadows under the peak of Lenin's Peak. This is one of the highest peaks in the Pamir Mountains that separate Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The bandwidth is largely over 7,000 meters. The Lenin Peak itself is 7134 m high. A beautiful gravel road will take you almost to the top, to green meadows dotted with small lakes. The access itself and the place is wonderfully magical. Let me put it differently, it's worth it if I don't know and regret it if anyone misses it. To get there you have to turn left at the main intersection in Sary-Mogul. Then turn right, across the bridge (you can also try it in the wild, across the river) and then all the time south towards one of the most beautiful views in your life. The great white snow-capped Pamir range. There are two, sometimes three, sometimes four gravel roads leading to the summit. It doesn't matter which one to choose, they all lead to the goal. Such a breath of freedom lasts about 15 km  then we reach the fields  under the peaks. 

The next stop after Sary-Tash is Murgab, at an altitude of 3618 m. To get there, we have to cross the AK-BAKAL pass (4655 m), which is some 50 km before this town. The whole way from Sary-Tash to the pass is still going higher, this is where we will feel most without strength. It is also the most magical here, otherwise we feel like we are on a different planet. The landscape is a bit lunar, devoid of vegetation, in many different shades of yellow, sand, orange and white. All hilly, behind the mounds there are snow-capped peaks. The sky is bluer here (we are closer to space) and the clouds are lower than usual. Here we will also pass one of the most beautiful lakes in the world - this is Kara-kul Lake. The lake was formed over a million years ago as a result of a meteorite impact. There is said to be no life in the lake and the water has a beautiful blue color. Here, too, it is worth staying in a tent overnight. It will be a very cold night for sure, we are at an altitude of 3960 m. But due to the fact that in the area of several hundred kilometers (on some sides) there is no civilization, and the altitude is high, we will have a view of the starry sky that can be seen from the ground. For this the most beautiful sunrise, which beautifully illuminates the peaks of the Pamir Mountains.

It is worth stocking up on funds for altitude sickness. The most popular remedy is  Duramide, the drug is available on prescription. It reduces the symptoms of altitude sickness. The drug should be taken at least 2 days before reaching a significant height, then another day at height, then it can be discontinued. It helps.  It is taken en masse by mountaineers, e.g. in the Himalayas, so the drug is proven. Of course, you should ask your doctor and read the leaflet, because the drug has a lot of side effects. 

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WHAT CURRENCY TO TAKE

Dollars. It is important to take new banknotes (those with big heads), in high denominations (at least $ 50). Other smaller, old or damaged banknotes will not be accepted at exchange offices.  

 

WHICH MOTORCYCLE TO GO / IS MY MOTORCYCLE SUITABLE?

 

Most of the roads we will travel on are unpaved roads,  often of very poor quality. There are also sections with mud, sand, stones, rides through streams, small pebbles, and transverse unevenness. The light touring enduro will definitely be the best choice if we ride a motorcycle ourselves. If we are going with two people, it may be uncomfortable on a light enduro, secondly, there will be little space, thirdly, such a motorcycle is too heavily loaded with luggage, and the other person may stop driving well. Therefore, for two people, I recommend something bigger. We were driving the R1200GS Adventure version. The bike did a great job, but there were episodes where it was really hard and hot. Then I was wondering what I was doing here on this heavy, laden motorcycle ... Many people travel these roads on ultra light, 125 - 250, 350. Heavily worn, borrowed at local rentals or bought on the spot for the trip.  Generally, it will be difficult to make such a trip on a road bike. Even if you manage to ride it, the motorcycle won't fall apart by some miracle, the route will definitely not be a pleasure. 

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CAN YOU GO THERE 2UP AT ALL? IS IT GOOD IDEA?  

 

I thought about it very much before leaving. It seemed to me that such trips are only possible by going solo. I started reading  opinions, some people previously traveled this route in two people ...  We assumed that we would be driving most of the route on the main roads.  The decision was made that we were going the two of us.  On the spot it turned out that  the roads were much harder than I thought. Some episodes  they were mainly suitable for light hard enduro, not a loaded GS with passenger.  Were  episodes on which  Iza got off the motorcycle,  I was driving alone (some sand, rivers, more mud). However, later some roads consisted only of such sections, so it was impossible for the passenger to get off all the time. We also started to ride the hardest parts of the road in two, probably it's a matter of practice. In total, we did only one soil for the two of us, and I did two for myself. Iza experienced it very well, despite the fact that she was shaking almost all the time. She liked it very much. So the answer is - it is possible, but it is not easy. It's worth getting good tires. It is also worth it if someone has not had one before  such an experience  improve your off-road driving skills. Apart from flying on field, forest roads for a young age on the Ogar and later Honda MTX80 and WSK, I did not have such experience.  Especially on a heavy motorcycle. About a month before my departure, I went on a 2-day field driving course with the ProEnduro.pl school. I highly recommend such a course. It gave me a lot, first of all I stopped panicking when I saw stones, sand, mud and ruts on the road. I learned how to overcome such obstacles. Later, in fact, I remembered the principle of "always with gas" in the first place. When riding such a loaded motorcycle in two people, it is difficult to apply the rule that we ride standing and balance the body properly. The principle is always with gas, it always works. It is important not to close the gas on a loose surface, then we load the front of the motorcycle, the front wheel skids and we lie down.  There were moments when what I saw in front of the motorcycle seemed impossible to drive over, but you have no choice, because you can't stand either, then you have to give even more gas and it usually works :).  Interestingly, with such a full load and with the passenger, the rear of the motorcycle is heavily weighted, which makes it easier to ride on a loose surface. 

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ARE THERE TOILETS EVERYWHERE?

 

Unfortunately not. In many places and in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the toilet is just a covered hole in the ground where it stinks and you can't sit down. The locals got used to it, they poop on squatting (co  promotes the work of the intestines during bowel movements, the fact works). Fortunately, we only slept in such places twice (not counting wild nights). We tried to keep the minimum comfort and we were looking for accommodation with a normal toilet.  

 

WHAT CAN YOU EAT?  

You can't count on a culinary feast, but there is no tragedy. Food is cheap, simple and only eaten what is available in the area. The most popular meat is mutton. In some places  you can get beef, but that's rare. Sometimes you can get chicken, sometimes you can get Yak, you can eat good fish by the lakes (the best we've had). Plus the eggs. We got fried eggs for breakfast every day for 28 days. Every day… Sometimes with some extras. Horse meat is a popular meat in Kyrgyzstan. The locals also drink horse milk in the form of "Ajran" yoghurt and "Kumys" horse milk vodka. We haven't tried. Popular dishes include samsa (fried  big  Dumpling  with mutton and onion), lagman  (Goulash  with vegetables and mutton, Chinese cuisine accretion), plov (mutton with rice), pielmieni (small dumplings with mutton in broth), manta rays (also dumplings with mutton). Everywhere you get gooey (local bread). A popular dish is also potatoes with mutton or just a shashlik. The vegetables are mainly tomatoes and cucumbers. Of course, drinking lurks. You can buy vodka everywhere in the restaurant, bar, home-stay. The exception is the Wakhan Corridor.

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FUEL

 

No problem in Kyrgyzstan. There are gas stations in every town and larger village. You can buy fuel of 92 or 80 octane. Locals only buy this 80 octane because of the price. This 92 octane is quite good, I did not feel any difference in calorific value, and the bike had no problems with e.g. knocking combustion (the compression ratio in the GS is 12: 1). The stations at which they are refueled  mostly old used dispensers, they are sometimes  whole old gas stations brought from Europe, probably bought somewhere recycled. In this way, you can sometimes refuel at Orlen, BP or Shell. With this  that these are not stations of these brands, but private stations, the owner of which did not replace the logos ... :)

It is worse in Tajikistan. Especially on the Pamir Highway and in the Wakhan Corridor there are few gas stations. If they are, it is always a shack in which the owner has a large fuel tank. He refueled straight from it into a bucket, or into canisters or bottles. We always refuel this fuel through some initial filter (stocking type), such filters are often provided by the station owners themselves. We have a choice of 92 or 80 octanes. But it's hard to check… Despite such conditions, we had no problems with the engines in our bikes. 

Fuel prices are around PLN 2.2 in Kyrgyzstan and USD 1 in Tajikistan per liter of fuel. The longest section without a station was about 250 km.  

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MAPS / NAVIGATIONS / DAILY SECTION PLANNING

 

It is worth getting the application  maps.me. In our experience, these are the most accurate maps that you can have off-line for those regions. We were driving without GPS, we had a phone from maps.me and it worked fine. Plus, of course  paper maps. It's hard to find accurate maps of these regions. Old Soviet military maps can help, they can be viewed and downloaded from the Internet. 

Generally, there are very few roads, so on the one hand it is difficult to get lost, but on the other hand, when there are already intersections, they are never marked. Neither is there any road markings. So you have to be careful. We got lost only once, in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, between Tash Rabat and Beatov. It cost us an extra 120 km to get lost, in the mountains, on very poor roads that sometimes turned into paths. We ended up reaching the river, which was about 1.5 meters deep and the current was fast. It was impossible to pass, we had to turn back. It turned out that the main road leads through the riverbed, we went straight ahead, just like the road. There was no sign there, the Garmin GPS that a friend had and our maps.me and google.maps had long since lost their way. You have to be careful, ask the locals (if you meet someone, it's hard ...). On the other hand, we all remember this day as a great adventure, the places where we were visited are only visited by a few, and the views were simply hard to believe. I could get lost like this every day :). However, we were lucky that, for example, it was not raining and that we had enough fuel (for a contact), it was close and we would stay there for a long time ... And there is no coverage on the phone ... 

What is very important  You should not be influenced by the travel times given in Google Maps or maps.me. It has nothing to do with reality. In practice, we traveled about 200 km a day on unpaved roads. It is worth taking this into account, because we may not have a day to reach our destination, and it is better not to drive in the dark. 

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CHILDREN, DOGS AND PETS ON THE ROAD

It is certain that wherever we see a house, a house, a yurt, there will also be a dog and a few kids. Most of the children are very enthusiastic about the sight of a motorcyclist, they wave, they are happy. It's nice. However, a lot of kids also want to give you a high five with you. They run on the road, often directly under the wheels of the motorcycle. You have to be careful about it, slow it down. Every dog we met chased our motorcycle. It can be scary at first, these dogs are rather big, when they chase you they do it aggressively. However, none of us managed to bite us. Later, I adopted a strategy of slowing down in front of the pooch and then speeding up, which made it possible to escape. It is important not to panic, as this could end in soil. Other animals on the road are a common phenomenon, herds of horses, sheep, yaks can be found on any, even the most important road. Always be careful. 

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WHY GO

 

Probably the easiest way to watch the movie from our trip. The video will tell you more than I can write here. I will just add that it is one of the best terrains in the world for motorcycle adventures. People are very friendly. There are plenty of areas not contaminated with civilization at all. Pure nature, including herds of wild running horses. Roads of motorcyclists' dreams. We met a lot of travelers on the way, not tourists, there are hardly any of them,   and  just travelers. Many of them have been traveling for six months. It has often been a trip around the world. Many people travel there on bicycles. I hope that this world will look like it is there for a long time, that Western civilization and corporations will never get there, it would be a pity.  

 

AT THE END

 

I make my dreams come true through motorcycle trips. I've been doing this for some time. I used to think it was difficult. I remember my first trip to the Balkans with the slight stress of the unknown. It was the same with this trip, I felt this subtle anxiety and excitement again. When I started planning this trip, I had the impression that it was a very big and difficult undertaking. I thought in terms that such a trip was hardcore, that it would be very hard. In fact, there were moments. But the truth is, the world is standing in front of you and inviting you. And there is nothing difficult about it, I would even say that it is nothing to brag about. There are loads of people we have met  doing the same. It turns out that this world, such an adventure, is at your fingertips. You just have to dare, it's nothing terrible.  On the route we met a young girl from France, who had obtained a motorcycle license a month earlier, had no previous experience in motorcycle tours. She was traveling alone on a rented 125cc and he was doing great. We also met a German who did not even have a motorcycle license, but recently rode some borrowed motorcycle and he liked it. He flew alone to Kyrgyzstan, bought a small 250cc enduro and decided to cross Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. We met people who rode their bikes from Spain to Mexico without having any previous experience.  

Love For Ride was created because I want to inspire other bikers, especially those who want to become bikers. Inspire you to make your dreams come true, because that's what you live for. Start planning, plant this seed in your head, the rest will follow. You will definitely not regret it. Time and money - you will find it, your life is short. 2,3,4 weeks is a small fraction of your precious time, it is worth spending it on the really important things. 

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MOTORCYCLE TOURS CALENDAR

VACATION ON WHICH TEST THE BEST MOTORCYCLES

MAPS

Below I am throwing in an illustrative route we have traveled.

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