Is his journey going to work out?
By maximax8
@maximax8 (31053)
United Kingdom
September 18, 2012 2:27pm CST
Niall is an Irish man and he only travels overland and oversea. He has been staying in Nepal for months. Now he is in India wishing to take the train down to the south of India. He thought there was a ferry from there to Sri Lanka. He has spent one thousand pounds on a ship ride from Sri Lanka that leaves on 9 October. He is shocked to find that the ferry stopped running in December 2011. He thinks it is illegal for ships to take a passenger from India to Sri Lanka. He seems really stuck to me.
The ship will leave Sri Lanka on 9 October therefore he hasn't got much time to get over there on someones yacht. He thinks he will go back to Delhi and reapply for a visa to Pakistan. He has applied before but he has been rejected. If he can do that he can enter China from the north of Pakistan. He would be upset to lose the one thousand pounds but he can't reach Sri Lanka in time.
His Indian visa runs out in December. He would be unable to go back to Nepal until January due to visa restrictions. He says he might offer a bribe at the border! He would have to try to reach China via Tibet but it is expensive and challenging to go via there.
What do you think?
One person said jump on a plane to Thailand?
Would it be right for him to fly due the challenges?
Is it mean borders are harder to go through in Asia than in Europe?
2 responses
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
19 Sep 12
I didn't know that the ferry between India and Sri Lanka didn't exist anymore. That makes the situation very difficult for him. He could try to reapply for a visa to Pakistan, but if his application is rejected again it looks like he is stuck in India. In the past it was possible to sail from Bangladesh to Malaysia and at that time he would have been able to to travel from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from Malaysia to Thailand, but today there are no ferry connections between Bangladesh and Malaysia, so a flight to Thailand seems to be the only option in his situation.
I think that is much harder to cross the borders in Asia. Some countries in Asia are harder to visit than others and your nationality also has something to do with it (Some people are able to visit certain countries in Asia without a visa if they only stay for a short time, other people always need a visa)
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
19 Sep 12
I know as a Brit I could visit the Philippines for up to 21 days without needing a visa. All they would like to see is a return or onward ticket. Everyone that visits Myanmar needs a visa though. It is often reciprocal meaning that if people from Bangladesh need a visa to visit my home country I will need a visa if I wish to go there. I know a Brit needs a visa to visit India.
I can't wait to hear what Niall is going to do. I feel so sorry for him. If he does go to Pakistan I hope he will be safe there. Yes, it is a shame he can't take a ferry from Bangladesh to Malaysia. Nowadays people are expected to fly on a plane. That is why a plan of not going on planes is more exciting.
Thanks for your wonderful response. 
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
18 Sep 12
Yes it is way harder to go through borders in Asia as in Europe. Might be a flight is an easier way... so is an organized one where they arrange your visa as well. But I think this will cost way more. I don't know why he is travelling the way he is. I think there is a good reason for it, might be it is time for him to challenge! I would go for it.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
19 Sep 12
I think Niall was inspired by some other travelers which traveled around the world using land and sea transport. They did not go by air as it was part of the rules of their journeys. I saw a list of those people and information about their adventurous journeys. Each of those traveled Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia. Another easy route would be Moscow to Beijing via the Silk Route. Both these routes would need visas. In the past there was a route Turkey to Nepal via Iran, Pakistan and India. Now is is challenging to get visas and the route might be dangerous. Yes, I think he should take one flight due to the impossible situation he is in.
Good luck to him and thanks for your excellent response to my discussion.
