The Risks and Challenges Of Travelling Central Asia By Motorbike

Have you always wanted a grand adventure? How about taking a motorbike trip through Central Asia?

This is a beautiful area but there are some challenges and risks you should know about.

Finding Fuel

For all motorbike travellers, this will be an extreme challenge. Since you are travelling with a motor vehicle and alone or with people just as inexperienced in travelling this area, you will have many difficulties finding the right fuel for your motorbike.

These countries of Central Asia still use propane gas and there are no regular stops to get petrol that your motorbike will regularly need. For this, you will either have to have brought enough fuel with you, have trusted people in this area who can get you the fuel you need or consult the black market. The latter is most likely, so be careful. While no one is out to get you, you might stumble upon a tricky dealer who can see an opportunity in you. For most of the time, these dealers are good people just looking to feed their families so you can get regular petrol from them at European prices. You will just need to spend some time looking for them. This is best done in bigger cities.

Riding a motorbike in Bali, Indonesia

Cultural differences

As you pass the Western Europe and move further East, you will experience a lot of cultural differences. You will see the modern, advanced and privileged sights fade slowly as you move towards the Eastern Europe. These countries are still under strong Soviet influence and most of the signs you’ll see will be in Cyrillic. You’ll see Soviet monuments and many small villages that will look as if they time-travelled from a different era.

As you move towards Moscow, the sights will further change. It will be colder and less populated. Moscow will give you a beautiful historic experience as well. However, the biggest change will happen as you go South and into Central Asia. The terrain will range from desserts to steppe to steep mountains. You will see savaged countries and people living in tents or having a nomadic lifestyle. These countries will amaze you but they will also be a lot different than what you are used to and they will leave an impression on you.

Things to watch out for

“The roads in these countries are not quite what you are used to. They often have a lot of debris and trash, parts of things on them and this is one of the main things you need to be careful about. Drive carefully in order to remain safe in these areas. Not all areas are like this but most are and you should watch out for it,” says Walt Duncan, a travel writer at Nursing Essay Help.

Also, come prepared for different terrains. You will travel the steppe, the mountains - which can get quite cold - the dessert and so on. Bring enough things with you so you don’t have to spend extra money on clothes and equipment.

Complications at customs

Keep in mind that you are visiting countries that are not quite as developed as the Western or even Eastern Europe. These countries are still under strong Soviet influence and there will be many corrupted people on the customs and they will possibly create some issues for you. Some are not and many people have a seamless experience but there is a possibility of some complications which you should be aware of and prepared for. It’s best to get everything ready for your trip and keep it as clean as possible.

Busy city roads

While some areas have little to no traffic, others are quite busy, especially in cities. Expect small and big animals crossing the road, carriages, people and so on as there is really no order in some places.

Another thing you should know is that some roads are not paved and you will have to be careful there. Most of them are but there are areas you should keep in mind and drive carefully in order to avoid damage to your motorbike or injuries.

Driving at night

“Driving at night isn’t recommended since most vehicles don’t have the lights and you might have an accident that way. Find a nice place to rest during the night and continue in the morning. Driving in the night is not recommended anywhere, really. If you can avoid it, please do,” says Gordon Jenkins, a travel writer.

Finding places to rest

This really isn’t much of a challenge. All families are welcoming and hospitable - they will gladly offer you a place to stay. You can find places both in the city and in the less inhabitated areas so this is something you don’t have to worry about. There are also decent hotels and hostels if you are looking for that kind of accomodation.

Central Asia is an amazing place to visit. You will get to meet great people and see inspirational sights. Have a great adventure!

Madeline Miller is a travel writer. Her main goals are to introduce distant and off the beaten path destinations to people willing to try a different way of travelling - by having great adventures and not just staying in cozy resorts.

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