Explore the Silk Road & the Himalayas

Kathmandu to Istanbul

Pre-trip Planning Guide

Please take the following into consideration before joining our expedition. If you have any questions please email us at info@odysseyoverland.co.uk and we will be happy to give you any help we can.

Passport, visas & letters of invitation

Passport

This is the most important item you will carry on your expedition.  Please ensure it is valid for at least one year from your departure date, is undamaged and in good condition and that it has at least 14 clear pages.  Without this number of clear pages you will not be able to complete the expedition without having to get another passport en route which is not always easy, wastes valuable time and is expensive.  If you are considering getting a new passport you will need to have your new passport at least 12 weeks before departure as this is when you need to provide us with your passport information and a scanned copy of the photo page in colour.

While on the road we advise you to either keep the passport locked in the truck safe or in the hotel safe and not to keep it on your person.  We recommend however that you carry a copy of your passport (a laminated copy works really well) on your person and leave one copy with a relative or friend.

If you have dual nationality, you will need to complete the trip on one passport, it is very difficult and at times not possible, to change passports during the expedition.  Please check with us as to which passport is better to travel on for this expedition.

Please note that if you have an Israeli entry stamp in your passport it may be more difficult to obtain visas, therefore we recommend you obtain another passport before the expedition.

Visas

A Visa Information Pack containing details of the visa rules and requirements for your expedition will be sent to you separately upon booking, the information below is a general guide only.

Most countries we will visit on our travels will require visas, some are best obtained before we leave and others we will pickup en-route.  While the ultimate responsibility for obtaining visas is yours, we will assist you with obtaining your letters of invitation (where required) and provide you with the information you require to fill in the application forms and let you know when to submit your applications.
The most important things to note about the visas for this expedition are:

  • The majority of visas will be obtained enroute, for these there is nothing you need to do pre-departure

  • We will confirm which visas you need to apply for pre-departure at least 12 weeks prior to departure. We will also provide you with the information you need to fill in the application forms and confirm the earliest date on which you can make the application for the visas to be valid when the expedition is due to enter each of the countries.  While this might seem like leaving it to the last minute, due to the limited validity of many visas, it is not possible to apply for them prior to this time, or in the small number of situations where it is possible, your costs will be significantly higher

  • Where a letter of invitation is required to support any of the visa applications, we will obtain such a letter on your behalf (and at your cost, this is part of our suggested visa budget) and will email to you the letter together with other supporting information for your application as required

  • As you will need to submit your passport together with your applications, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you don’t plan any international travel in the 8 weeks before departure particularly as many visas require you to apply in your home country.  If you are intending to travel during this period it may not be possible for you to obtain the required visas to complete this expedition, or it may significantly increase the costs and difficulties associated with obtaining your pre-departure visas.  If you are flying to the start point of the expedition, please contact us to discuss your plans prior to booking your flights as it may have implications for your pre-departure visa process

When submitting visa applications you may choose to submit the applications directly to the relevant embassy / consulate, or our recommendation is that you use a visa agent to assist you with your applications.  While this does increase the cost it will make the process a bit easier for you.  For UK / Ireland residents we recommend Travcour as a visa agent.  For other nationalities / residents of other countries please contact us to see if we have any recommended agents.

Visa costs vary by nationality and are subject to change, however as a rough guide we suggest you budget approximately £510 for all the letters of invitation and visas (including those obtained prior to departure and those obtained en route, excluding visa agency fees).

Please note that particularly in China and Central Asia, visa rules and regulations are complex, can change without notice, vary significantly from embassy to embassy and, at times, can seem to be nonsensical.  We are in close contact with our agents in these countries and work with them to provide you with the information that you require for your applications which we provide to you in good faith and is believed to be correct.  It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and current information before your trip and to obtain the necessary visas for either entry to the starting point of the expedition or transit (eg if flying via the USA).

Passport Photographs

Many visa applications require a passport photo, and we recommend you get 12 passport photos printed. Some of these will be required for the pre-departure visa applications, and you should bring the other photos along for the applications that we make en route.

Please make sure the photos are of passport quality with a white background, a true likeness and not of you on the way to a fancy dress party.

Travel insurance & medical considerations

Personal Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a vital part of your pre-trip preparation and a pre-requisite for you to join us. We will require a copy of this insurance on or before the day of departure.

We recommend you choose your policy carefully and make sure it is specifically designed for adventure / overland travel. The nature of our expedition is that we will be visiting off-the-beaten-track places, some of which lack western infrastructure, and we will also be going to altitudes as high as 5,300m so please ensure the insurance covers you for this style of activity. If you are adventure-activity minded it is also worth checking that you are covered for any activities you are planning to do. Many policies (especially those available on the internet) are great for a weekend in Spain but are totally unsuitable for an extended overland expedition! Please pay attention to the small print and make sure your insurance company has heard of the countries we will be visiting.

We recommend that your policy has the following minimum levels of cover:

  • Medical expenses (including repatriation) - £1,000,000

  • Personal liability - £2,000,000

  • Cancellation and Curtailment - £3,000

Your insurance policy should be valid for the entire duration of the expedition and cover you for all the countries we visit.

For UK-based expedition members we recommend Campbell Irvine who are very experienced in providing travel insurance for the overland industry.

pre-existing medical conditions

You should declare any pre-existing medical conditions on your booking form. In some cases you will be asked to provide further information about your condition(s), or to complete a medical questionnaire.

prescription medication

If you are on any prescription medicine, please let the crew know and bring the doctor’s original prescription with you on the expedition as this may be required when entering some countries. Prescription medication may not be easy to obtain while on the road so make sure you bring enough.

Vaccinations and malaria prophylactics

Recommended vaccinations and other health protection measures (including malaria prophylactics) vary according to country and recent bulletins issued by health authorities. Please consult your doctor or a specialised immunisation clinic (such as Nomad Travel – www.nomadtravel.co.uk) for vaccination and other medical requirements for your trip. The NHS in the UK has a helpful website, www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk, and you may find it useful to have a look at this site before speaking with your doctor.

Some vaccinations can involve multiple injections with a break between each, so please look into them well before the date of departure (about 6 weeks should be enough time depending on how many vaccinations you are obtaining).

Altitude

This expedition travels to very high altitude, and you can expect to spend approximately two weeks at altitudes above 3,500m.  As altitude increases, the air pressure gets lower (the air gets “thinner”) and this means that for any single breath that you take there will be less oxygen for your body.  As your body gets less oxygen it starts to behave differently to make up for the change in oxygen levels. 

Before travelling to altitude it is important that you discuss the effects of altitude with your doctor or travel clinic.  As the expedition reaches altitudes of approximately 5,200m, it is likely that all expedition members will experience some adverse effects associated with altitude.  People with pre-existing medical conditions including, but not limited to, lung conditions, asthma, allergies, diabetes, heart conditions and high blood pressure and epilepsy should consult their doctor before booking onto the expedition.

We also recommend that you discuss Diamox (Acetazolamide) with your doctor / health clinic.  Diamox is a drug which has been found to be very useful in helping people cope with altitude.  It is taken twice daily and in our experience makes it far more enjoyable to be up at altitude.

fitness and participation

Odyssey Overland expeditions are participatory, so you must ensure that you are fit enough to help every day with the “truck life” (cooking, washing up, general camp set up, pitching your tent, carrying your backpack to your tent or into a hotel). Don’t worry, you don’t have to be fit enough to climb Everest, however a reasonable level of fitness allows you to get the most out of your expedition.

It is worth remembering that overland travelling in remote areas and less-developed countries can be demanding with some long travel days, rough roads and dusty conditions, as well as extremes of climate from hot deserts to cold conditions in the mountains.  We firmly believe this is all part of the adventure, and find that often it is the hardships that make the most memorable stories to tell everyone back home!

Money & budget

kitty

The kitty payment for your expedition is payable on or before the date of departure.  In order to reduce the amount of cash being carried on the truck, we will be asking all expedition members to pay a portion of their kitty in US Dollar cash on the day of departure, and to pay the remaining kitty by bank transfer or pre-loaded currency card.  Further details will be provided 8 weeks prior to departure.

Money

This is a major consideration and it is difficult to recommend what is best. There is no doubt that cash is king for ease of use, but you will have the usual security problem (note that there is an onboard safe in which you can store your cash).

We suggest you consider bringing a Visa debit card, a Visa or MasterCard credit card and about a third of your intended spending money as cash.  In addition, you should bring US$ cash to pay for the visas obtained enroute. 

Cash – The US Dollar is the easiest currency to exchange in the countries visited on this expedition.  You will be able to exchange US Dollars for local currency in each country, and buying local currencies before the expedition is not necessary.  Some Euros would also use useful for Turkey, however they can be readily obtained from ATMs / cashpoints in Turkey so you do not need to bring them with you (and US Dollars are also widely accepted in Turkey).  When bringing cash please ensure all your US$ notes are undamaged and unmarked and were issued in or after 2006 as notes issued prior to this may not be accepted due to problems with forgeries.  You will often get a better exchange rate for larger denomination notes, so bring along mostly US$50 and US$100 and €20 & €50 notes, although it is useful to have some smaller notes as well.

Debit and credit cards will work in most major centres, but often one type will work and another will not, and you should not rely on them as your only source of spending money.  We would suggest that if you are considering bringing funds in this form you bring both a Visa and a MasterCard as these are the two which are most commonly accepted.  Remember to inform your bank of your intended travel plans, as they tend to stop cards when used in unusual countries.  We suggest you bring two cards so that you can have one in use and can leave the other in the safe. 

Another option is a prepaid currency card which work like debit cards and are worth investigating.

Traveller’s cheques, while the safest option, are often difficult if not impossible (and expensive in terms of commissions and other charges) to cash and we do not recommend them.

Budget

This is entirely up to you as everyone spends their money differently and has different priorities!  However, as a very rough guide we recommend you budget approximately £12 / US$20 per day and this should be enough to cover general daily costs such as drinks, meals whilst out and when staying in hotels, small souvenirs and tips.  You could possibly get by on less if you are prepared to eat modestly and not spend money on expensive goodies, but it is up to you.  Some countries are more expensive than others, and some days you may spend a bit more and other days a lot less, but it all evens out over the duration of the trip.

This suggested budget per day does not include visas and letters of invitation, optional excursions, adventure activities, flights or travel insurance.  Everybody has different interests and budgets, some may want to enter every historical site along the way, buy expensive souvenirs or go hot air ballooning.  Our recommendation is to budget £12 / US$20 per day and then come up with maximum amount you are prepared to spend on optional activities and stick to the budget.

For further information about the optional activities available on this route, please see the Optional Activities list.

tipping

Tipping is customary in most of the countries you will visit.  Local guides will expect a tip if they have done a good job, as will waiters in restaurants.  Lastly the crew will be working flat out to make sure you have a good time.  Tipping the crew is of course discretionary, but to give you a guideline, past expedition members have suggested a budget of $1 per day per crew member.

What to bring?

Luggage

You can bring with you:

  • 1 backpack / duffle bag (maximum capacity 70L and maximum weight 20kg) – preferably one with a zip all the way round, not a stuff-type top entry backpack

  • 1 day pack (maximum 20L capacity) – one that doesn’t look too flash!

  • Sleeping bag & roll mat – these do not need to fit into your backpack, but please don’t put them in another bag as this makes packing the luggage locker more difficult

This might not seem like a lot of space, but it will be sufficient for you to carry everything you need, and most people find they bring too much stuff with them anyway and just end up sending some of it home!  Please also bear in mind that your luggage will be subject to airline restrictions when you fly to join the expedition, so check your airline’s baggage allowance policy closely to avoid any hassles at the airport.

Wheelie bags, while great when you are shuffling through airports, are not suitable for our type of expedition.  Some backpacks have both shoulder straps and wheels – it is worth considering that the wheel mechanism will add significantly to the weight of the empty bag and most of the time the wheels will be of no added benefit.

It seems obvious, but it is important to remember that you must be able to carry your own bag as there will be times when you will need to carry it through borders or into hotels and there won’t be porters there to help you!  Also remember that your backpack will be loaded and offloaded by fellow expedition members so we ask that it weighs no more than 20kg.

The crew on your expedition will be asked to enforce the restrictions on number, size and weight of luggage to make it fair for all expedition members.

Sleeping equipment

We supply heavy duty canvas expedition tents that are spacious and quick to erect.  The tents have inbuilt mosquito screening.

As you will be camping about 45% of the time it is well worth investing a bit of time and money in finding a good sleeping bag and roll mat.  A good night's sleep allows you to appreciate the coming day's activity so it is well worth spending a little more to ensure your comfort. 

Your sleeping bag will need to be a 4 season bag (comfort rating of at least -5 degrees Celsius) as we will encounter some cold conditions.  The option of combining a sleeping bag and a silk inner sheet / liner is well worth considering as it keeps you warmer and the liner is great for those hot nights when your sleeping bag may be too hot.  There is always the option of buying a blanket or two as we go along but it is best to come prepared.  Sleeping bags should come in an easy-to-stuff bag, some tend to pack down really nice and small but require Houdini to get them in the bag every morning. Consider buying a slightly bigger stuff-sack to make packing away easier.

Roll mats – We suggest you look at the Thermarest (or similar) self-inflating mattresses – there are several thicknesses, we recommend the 5cm thick ones.  Make sure it comes with a good strap or bag to keep it rolled up and a patching kit, as they are known to get the odd puncture.  

A good pillow is also essential; the blow-up ones may seem to be the answer but a proper pillow (but not a full size one as they take up too much room) is far better. 

If you particularly feel the cold, think about bringing along a small hot water bottle.

Clothes and footwear

When deciding what to bring along, the most important things to consider are comfort, ease of washing (dry quickly) and packability. The weather varies as we travel, so it is best to bring layers.

It is also worth remembering that we will be travelling through a number of countries where out of respect and to be admitted entry to temples or other cultural sites it is required to cover up your shoulders and knees (or more).

We suggest your old well-worn favourites, which you don’t mind getting a bit dirty, and possibly swapping or giving away as we go along. As we go, you will be able to buy most things anyway. Possibly not quite the style that you would buy back home, but it does help you to blend in.

Suggested items:

  • 4-5 t-shirts

  • 2 pairs of trousers, hard wearing and comfortable

  • 2-3 pairs of shorts

  • 2 warm tops or fleeces

  • Underwear as much as you think you need

  • 3 pairs of socks

  • Waterproof jacket, it is worth spending a bit of money and getting a good one

  • Cold weather hat and gloves

  • Sunhat / sunglasses

  • Bathers / Bikini

  • There are nights that if you wish you can dress-up and go out on the razz so if this is your thing, bring something along

  • Trekking boots or good walking shoes – this is up to you and will depend on how much walking you plan to do

  • Sandals for daily use, a good quality pair is worth investing in, though make sure they are well worn in and comfy

  • Flip-flops / Jandels / Thongs

  • Laundry bag

  • Sarong/wraps are great for all sorts of things including covering up when going into mosques and holy sites

  • 1 proper towel, travel towels work but not as well

Laundry can be done easily and cheaply as we go, bring a small washing line along if you plan to do some of your own. Washing powder is cheap and readily available.

Toiletries

You will be able to get most toiletries along the way so you only need to bring to get you started unless noted below.

Suggested items:

  • Shampoo and conditioner

  • Soap or shower gel (we find this works best)

  • Toothbrush and Toothpaste

  • Deodorant

  • Contact lenses and all required fluids (can be difficult to obtain, so bring enough to last you)

  • Sunscreen

  • Insect repellent

  • Contraceptive pills/condoms

  • Tampons (bring as many as you will need as this is one thing that is difficult to find in a lot of the countries we will visit)

  • Razors and shaving cream

  • Wet wipes

  • Moisturisers

  • Hairbrush / comb

Personal First Aid kit

We ask everybody to bring their own personal first aid kit. The truck will have a comprehensive first aid medical kit on board but for day-to-day stuff we ask that you use your own.

First Aid Kit should contain:

  • Band-aids / sticking plasters

  • Antiseptic cream

  • Aspirin / paracetamol / ibuprofen

  • Rehydration salts (diarolyte)

  • Antihistamines

  • Any other medical supplies you use on a regular basis

Please speak to your doctor about getting a course of Ciprofloxacin which is a prescription antibiotic used to treat stomach bugs that won't go away.

Other essential stuff

Here again it is up to you to decide what best suits you but don’t blow the bank trying to get all the latest gadgets. If you bring the basics you can buy what you need as you go. If you bring the basics you can buy what you need as you go, that way you don't end up carrying around items that you rarely if ever use.

Camping & general travel equipment:

  • Torch – head torches are generally the best and it is worth spending the money on a quality one. A torch is essential for when we are camping and an additional mini torch that you can keep in your pocket is also a good idea

  • Pocket Knife – very useful be it a Swiss Army Knife or our preferred choice, a Leatherman

  • Travel adaptor – try to get one that is a multi-adaptor

  • Pacsafe – we recommend you bring along a Pacsafe TravelSafe which is useful for securing your money and passport when we are in hotels

  • Binoculars – always great to have along, the truck will have a couple of pairs, but to have your own small pair is an advantage

  • Water bottle – we find it easier (and less likely to cause illness) to reuse a water / soft drink bottle. The truck has a large water tank which we use for drinking and cooking – we treat the water to ensure it is safe for consumption

  • Large sock - it may sound strange, but putting a damp sock over your waterbottle will help to keep it the water cool thanks to evaporative cooling, making it much easier to keep hydrated in the hotter countries along the route

  • Zip lock bags – great for keeping electrics and other stuff dry and dust free

Technology & staying in touch

 

In today's day and age it is inevitable that technology will travel along with us.  Before deciding what you are going to bring along it is worth remembering that altitude, dust and vibrations are not great for electrical equipment, all of which feature on this expedition, and size and weight are also worth considering as there will be times when you will be carrying all your belongings, for example through borders. 

In terms of charging your equipment, the truck has two 240v UK-style plugs and several 12v charging sockets which are available when the motor is running, and in addition, when you are in hotels you will have access to charging points.  Please do not bring your own 12v/240v inverter as having these plugged in in addition to the existing electricals on the truck overloads the truck’s electrical systems.

  • Camera – A good small digital with a couple of memory cards is a good starting point. You can backup your photos to the truck laptop and hard drive as we go. We also suggest a spare battery for your camera so you can change on the run if need be

  • iPods or mp3 players – ideal ways to bring your music to listen to on headphones, or share with your fellow expedition members through the truck’s sound system. We suggest a 12 volt car charger so you can keep it charged whilst on the road as the truck has several 12 volt charging points.

  • Mobile phone - you will have mobile phone coverage almost everywhere along the route.  Local SIM cards are cheap and usually easy to get and allow you to phone or text home without breaking the bank.  You need to make sure that your phone is unlocked in order to be able to use local SIM cards.

  • Netbook – if you are considering bringing a computer with you, look at bringing a small, cheap notebook which will give you access to the internet and storage for your photos, but not take up your whole daypack or be a huge cost to replace if it was damaged along the way.  Also worth remembering that the truck carries a laptop which is available for expedition members to use for photos / internet and a large capacity memory stick or small portable hard drive allows for another back-up to keep your photos safe.

Books & maps

  • Books – the truck library will have a selection of books in but we ask everybody to bring a couple of additional books to add to our collection. A selection of guidebooks for the countries we will visit will be available on board. If you do want to bring your own, maybe consider bringing Rough Guides or Footprint guides as most of the guidebooks on the truck are Lonely Planets.

  • Some great books to consider either to read before we leave or for as we travel (we have copies of most of these on the truck as well as many other travel and non-travel books):

  • Silk Dreams, Troubled Road by Jonny Bealby;

  • The Great Game, On Secret Service in High Asia by Peter Hopkirk;

  • Trespassers on the Roof of the World by Peter Hopkirk;

  • Extremes Along the Silk Road by Nick Middleton;

  • A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam by Norman Lewis;

  • 1421 The Year that China Discovered the World by Gavin Menzies;

  • Kim by Rudyard Kipling;

  • Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang.

  • Maps will be available for you to see where we are headed but it is a good idea to bring your own if you plan to keep a record of our route

Useful Links

Blog Sites

  • www.blogger.com Great for showing the folks back home what you are doing! Also for the top blog run by an expedition member we have a prize.

General travel information

 

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