Border Exit or Entry Permit was required at the Kyrgyzstan Border specifically this border and while some source on the internet says one can DIY by sending an email to the ministry of tourism three days in advance, there was also a problem where there would be no reply hence one would not know if the request was approved and conveyed to the border post
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| Onwards to Kyrgyzstan Border Exit |
GBAO was the second permit which could be obtained in a few ways. I knew a friend that got it many months in advance at the Tajikistan Embassy in Malaysia and it was stamped into his passport. Some others just opted to apply the E-Visa online and check the box at the side to obtain an electronic GBAO. We all went with a tour agency called Destination Pamir which is based in Osh run by Mr. Erali
Destination Pamir sorted out both item for us a few weeks in advance as we contacted them via whatsapp. I send him the passport particulars and motorbike info with the tentative crossing date and collected the documents a few days before the crossing in OSH. Border Exit Permit was charged USD 20 while the GBAO was charged USD 30 making it a total USD 50.
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| Trans-Alay Mountain Range |
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| Towards the Kyzyl-Art Pass |
Early morning and the journey begins from Sary-Tash. Slow due to the bad potholed road but after going through to Tajikistan, it would be considered a good road or at least that what we thought. At the Kyrgyzstan Border, the gate was closed.
A border guard walked up to the gate taking our passport and Border Exit Permit for checking before opening the gate and waving us into the compound for processing.
Passport was stamped out quickly and the Temporary Import Permit for the motorbike was surrendered to customs. The whole process took 10 minutes and then it was time to go through the No-Man-Land of 20km toward Tajikistan.
Passport was stamped out quickly and the Temporary Import Permit for the motorbike was surrendered to customs. The whole process took 10 minutes and then it was time to go through the No-Man-Land of 20km toward Tajikistan.
The journey through No-Man-Land was filled with UN-doubtly the worst road or even no road condition we had ever faced throughout our journey.
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| River Crossing 1 |
Dirt road was considered a fortune, tarmac a myth that never grace this part of the land. We heard so many stories from different people crossing this border on the road condition but now that we were on it, we could see why the stories defer so much from traveler to traveler.
The roads conditions seam to change every day depending on weather and each traveler would have to face their challenges during the crossing depending on their luck.
We went through a dry track but due to last night rain, we had to go through two fast flowing river crossing. I was ecstatic to be honest.
We went through a dry track but due to last night rain, we had to go through two fast flowing river crossing. I was ecstatic to be honest.
High like a kite having fun without much worry for there were friends doing the journey together giving my mental state a booster that whatever happens we will definitely conquer it together.
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| Watching a Russian Biker cross the river with Gutso |
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| Also watching him loose control after hitting a rock in the river and crashed. |
Donkey's Van got stuck even with all the effort digging trying to shallow out the river before crossing. We had to tow him out which was a grimacing event but victorious after. I had to go through a longer river crossing path for the bike was too light for me to attempt the second river crossing on the fast flowing portion.
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| Donkey got stuck and we had to Tow him out |
Crevices roads that could easily swallow a tyre coupled with tricky bends and steep gradients made the 20km journey very slow moving but eventually we arrived at the Kyzyl-Art famous monument. The Marco Polo
From the monument it was only a few hundred meters to the Tajikistan Border post. Here the immigration requested for passport and vehicle papers which after writing everything down into a book manually, proceeded to stamp us in.
From the monument it was only a few hundred meters to the Tajikistan Border post. Here the immigration requested for passport and vehicle papers which after writing everything down into a book manually, proceeded to stamp us in.
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| River Crossing 2 |
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| River Crossing 2 |
30m in front was then customs. Vehicle was USD 20 and bikes was USD 10 for the temporary vehicle import permit. The customs officer initially wanted to issue the permit for 15 days but upon request he gave us 30 days.
The roads improved gradually from dirt track to proper tarmac as we journeyed onwards to Murghab. It was a good 200km journey that took a long time for us to arrived.
The roads improved gradually from dirt track to proper tarmac as we journeyed onwards to Murghab. It was a good 200km journey that took a long time for us to arrived.
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| Kyzyl-Art Pass Monument - The Marco Polo |
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| We all did it .... Conquered the No-Man Land of Kyzyl-Art Pass |
Partially due to exhaustion but the view was just too amazing to run through. Along the way I spotted a few cars ahead pulled over at the side of the road with the passengers all outside looking west with binoculars.
I decided to stop and see what the commotion was about and by luck on the first day itself in Tajikistan, I would see a herd of wild Marco-Polo. My camera was nowhere good enough to take a photo but the borrowed binoculars showed me some sights I will never forget for a long long time.
I decided to stop and see what the commotion was about and by luck on the first day itself in Tajikistan, I would see a herd of wild Marco-Polo. My camera was nowhere good enough to take a photo but the borrowed binoculars showed me some sights I will never forget for a long long time.
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| Pamir Mountains View |
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| Pamir Mountain View |
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| The Road to Bartang Valley ..... someday I will come back |
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| Locals borrowing me Binoculars to spot Marco Polo |
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| Phone Camera unable to capture Marco Polo |
Traveled on: July 2024
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