OverlandSphere
Overland Travel, Expedition & Adventure Information for 4x4, motorcycle and truck overlanders
May 7, 2013 in Thailand, On the road We left Bangkok with mixed feelings. On the one hand, we were looking forward to Phuket where we would meet Filippo’s brother and his wife in a few days. They were coming to visit and to spend their holidays with us. But on the other hand, we were also sad to say…
Exactly one year ago, on May 2nd, 2012 it was the day of our departure – we were finally ready to leave. We originally had planned to leave one month earlier, but all the preparations had taken longer than expected, and the last nights before we left we hadn’t slept much. But now we were standing there with our motorcycles,…
We experienced a major culture shock, when we arrived at the airport in Bangkok by the end of November last year. After several months in third-world-countries we had the feeling that somebody had transported us right into the future. We sat in the taxi on the way from the airport to our friend Joerg’s house in the city, and couldn’t…
When we were in Monaco the beast went on some of the Monaco Grand Prix Circuit, including inside the tunnel. There is no new lap record. There are a few angry Ferrari drivers who were stuck behind us and were unable to get out of second gear and impress the ladies on the yachts as they went passed the Marina.…
Having experienced a sinking Sunday blues feeling nearly every Sunday afternoon for the past 8 years, I think I’ve finally found the cure – not knowing what day of the week it is. Jules keeps trying to teach them to me in French, but having only done a year of it when she was 12, I don’t think the dumb…
The water pump is a well-known weak point at the BMW F650GS. Most bikes of this model have it replaced sooner or later. The water-pump of Heike’s F650GS now failed in Thailand – after 70000 km. “Filippo McGyver” demonstrated how it can be repaired and temporarily replaced by a washing-machine. The pump of Heike’s F650GS failed without any warning and…
Since we liked the north of Laos very much, we also wanted to explore the south of the country. In the north we had especially liked the mountain landscape – in the south it was more the huge caves in the limestone hills, and the many islands in the wide Mekong River that we found very memorable. First, we spent…
We took a little bit more than two weeks to travel the north of Laos. It’s a beautiful area that seems like it is made solely for motorcycling. The twisty roads that run through the fantastic mountain landscape are generally in a relatively good condition. Traffic is almost non-existent, and for those that love to go off-road, there are many…
The most memorable experiences of our two-week tour through Cambodia were the beautiful beaches, the visit of the fantastic temples of Angkor Wat, and the encounter with the terrible history of the country under the regime of the Khmer Rouge. Since we had not been to the sea for a long time, we took the chance for a few days…
Hwange N.P. Just before entering the park, we stumbled upon a herd of Sable and a great big herd of Buffalo that ran right across the road in front of our car. We started off on a great note, and were further treated to a male Lion, Ele (far away in the distance) and Kudu. We spent three nights in…
What an experience – only one week in Myanmar, but so intense like a whole month on the road. And it was something we had not expected, because until now it was not possible to enter the country with a big motorcycle. The border crossing alone was quite a story: they were already expecting us, everybody was kind of excited…
In some ways, Nepal is like India – but it is also different. If you travel from India to Nepal, you can immediately feel a sense of relieve. It is less chaotic, the people are not so obtrusive, and the traffic is not as bad. We could really feel the change right at the border. And Nepal is a country…
Most areas in Nepal have no roads, and there are not many places in the mountains that can be reached by motorcycle. One exception is the road to Jomson, and from there further on to Muktinath, next to the Annapurna range. However, even this road exists only since a few years, and the word “road” actually doesn’t describe it very…
Nepal consists of high mountains and white peaks – that’s what we thought. So we were really surprised to find out that it has also areas with tropical jungle forests, with tigers, elephants and crocodiles. There are several national parks in Nepal, where you can experience the jungle and its wildlife. We stayed at the Bardia National Park for a…
During our tour through Rajastan and afterwards in Agra we went for some cultural sightseeing. We visited the impressive fort and palace in Jodhpur, and the colourful Havelis in Mandwa. We went to Pushkar to see the Brahma temple and the pilgrims. And finally, in Agra we visited the famous landmark of India: the Taj Mahal. The colourful Havelis are…
The differences and the changes you experience when driving from Leh to Delhi could not possibly be bigger – the culture, the landscape, the living standard – everything changes on this route. There are deserts, glaciers and subtropical forests, uninhabited areas and the always chaotic Delhi; it was freezing cold and extremely hot, and all this on the way from…
In the far north of India lies Ladakh. It is located in the middle of the Himalaya – between the disputed border with Pakistan and the border with China, respectively Tibet, which is disputed, too. The landscape of Ladakh is stunning with passes up to a breath-taking altitude of more than 5300 m. But also the district-capital Leh is already…
The first 14 days in India passed really fast. We have seen a lot, and we had quite some experiences – some were nice, some not so pleasant. But it definitely wasn’t boring so far. The border crossing from Pakistan to India held no problems for us, and we could finish all the paper work pretty fast. But we also…
It is well known that Pakistan and India are not the best friends. But nowhere else this is more celebrated than during the daily ceremony when the border between the two countries is closed just before sunset. Stands have been erected on both sides of the border, which are filled with spectators, and the Indians and Pakistanis support their respective…
After a few days in the small town of Gilgit, where we relaxed a little bit and did some work on the bikes, we continued our journey in order to see more of Karakorum. First we went to Skardu, on a spectacular road high above the mighty, wild, and brow-coloured Indus River – an impressive sight. But a real adventure…
We have been travelling through the Karakorum mountain range in the north of Pakistan, between Hindukush and Himalaya now for about 1 week. The landscape here is absolutely stunning and beautiful, and we are experiencing a completely different side of Pakistan than in the plains further in the south, where it is only hot and always dusty. Some of the…
The train journey from Quetta to Lahore goes over a distance of approximately 1300 km – right across Pakistan. It took us 36 hours – 36 hours, which were quite an adventure, but, to be honest, which we don’t really want to repeat – especially not with the heat during this time of the year. And we even were lucky,…
Travelling overland from Iran to Pakistan you have to cross Baluchistan. This area in Pakistan stretches along the Afghan border from the Iranian border at Taftan until a few hundred kilometers north of Quetta. Baluchistan is well known for being dangerous and not very peaceful. Almost daily there are attacks somewhere in this area, and we were told that in…
After 4 weeks in Iran it is time to look back, and to reflect on the experiences. We have had so many new adventures, and we have seen so many new things that we could fill books with the stories. What fascinated us most and left us deeply impressed were the people of Iran, their cordiality, their hospitality, and their…
Many things are different here – very different. Even after three weeks in this country, we have not comprehended many things. But we want to tell you about some particularities, that have surprised us, or that are very characteristic. 1. Hospitality Nowhere else have we experienced such a big hospitality like here in Iran. We are regularly invited for tea…
We are in Iran now since 15 days, and we are already so full of new experiences and stories, it is hard to summarize everything. Iran is definitely completely different from the picture the media draw of it in western countries. All people we have met so far were friendly, welcoming, and honestly interested in us. Also police and officials…
In total, we were three weeks in Turkey – definitely not enough time for such a big and diverse country with lots of places and things to discover (at the bottom of this page you find some more pictures). Mountains, high plains, rocky and sandy coastlines, almost untouched corners, and highly populated landscapes, antique ruins, chaotic cities, historic sites, high-tech…
We have been in Iran now for about one week, and since so many at home were worried because of our travel to Iran we wanted to give you a short update. Our experiences so far were mainly positive, and the country really is fantastic. The people are friendly, open, helpful and the hospitality is enormous. We will write more…
We know motorcycle festivals at home – you meet like-minded people, you talk, you have a beer or two, you tell stories of your travels or you talk about the motorcycle techniques and equipment – some rock music and BBQ: these are normally the credentials of a motorcycle meeting or festival in central Europe. Now we have also experienced a…
We have been travelling along the mediterranean coast in Turkey for about one week – from Izmir to Antalya. Between the beach, stunning coastal landscape and ancient ruins we took some pictures, which we would like to share with you (click on image for larger view). Camping at the coast Filippo planning the route for the day Preparing…