hello all. my boyfriend and i are planning a six month overland journey starting in mid november traveling from turkey through iran, pakistan, india, nepal and then around china. i am uncertain about pakistan and india... not just the possibility of nuclear war, but also terrorist cells that may target a couple of americans and knock us off just for the hell of it. also what's the story with iran and turkey? i've been reading all kinds of guide books, but i haven't found any sources that directly address post-september 11 backpacking. please, send me some advice. i'm trying to get a practical, concrete understanding of the dangers... so i can sift through the two extremes of my mother's neurotic doomsdaying and joe-adventurer's cavalier "don't worry, just do it" tunnel vision. how much do you follow the state dept travel warnings? THANK YOU!!!

You'd be crazy to go through Iran, Pakistan and Western India at the moment. Your mother sounds like a pretty intelligent woman - your boyfriend, on the other hand, sounds like he's young, inexperienced and/or incredibly naive. Stick to China - you could easily spend six months exploring this enormously diverse country.

Since November 2001, violence from the Maoist insurgency
in Nepal that began in 1996 has increased dramatically. The insurgents have
escalated their military campaign to include numerous military encounters
throughout Nepal. Maoist cadres have engaged in a variety of guerrilla and
terrorist tactics that have endangered, and in many cases brutalized,
civilians. The insurgents have detonated explosive devices both within and
outside the Kathmandu Valley, causing numerous injuries and some fatalities.
The frequency of these events has been increasing. The random,
indiscriminate, and unpredictable nature of these attacks increases the
likelihood that Americans in Nepal could be caught in the wrong place at the
wrong time.

Namaste!

Welcome to Nepal!

The Maoist problem is under control after the army
involvement.Some problems to some extent exist in some very remote parts-mainly far west Rolpa- but these places are seldom visited by tourists.The main tourist areas,including the Nepal/india border,Kathmandu,Pokhara,Chitwan,Nepal/China border areas,Everest,Annapurna,Pokhara,Nagarkot and Dhulikhel,Kodari,Chitwan,Kosi Tapu,Bardia,Lantang etc.You might want to pass
on this information to those interested.It is anticipated that things will
return back to normal all throughout Nepal shortly.

Should you require any further assistance or clarification,please feel free
to contact us.

Thanks with best regards,

Suresh
sttnepal@hotmail.com

suresh

Choo - everyone I know who's been to Iran speaks highly of the hospitality and friendliness of its people. I think that its outlaw image is largely a product of the alarmist media.

Your statement that one would be crazy to travel there 'at the moment' suggests that this is a time of particular danger for foreign travellers to Iran. I see little real-world evidence to support this view. The current Iranian government is more moderate than any since the revolution, and as for the attitudes of ordinary Iranians, see the Lonely Planet guide for perspective. Although Iranian political rhetoric may portray America as the 'great satan', the Iranian public remain remarkably friendly to Western visitors.

One thing is certain: Western backpackers have been visiting Iran for years without trouble - and still are. There is no consistent history of foreign visitors being attacked or threatened in Iran. I suspect that your real motive here is to promote China as a destination. A lovely country, I agree - but I would point out that its record in regard of anti-Americanism is far worse than Iran's. After the accidental embassy bombing in Serbia, several of my friends who were working in Shanghai were threatened in the street - despite the fact that they were actually British, not American.

Annezang - with regard to post Sept-11 travel: the simple fact is that the risks for Americans abroad have changed little since Sept 11. The world does not hate America any more than it did before 11 September - it's just that Americans are more aware of the hatred that does exist.

As for the State Department wwarnings: they seem fairly noncommital to me. Unless you're a converted Muslim, or you intend to convert Muslims while in Iran, or you used to be an Iranian citizen, or you intend to hang around the Pakistani border, the warnings seem fairly mild to me.

But I should stress that I haven't been to Iran. Things change quickly in international travel, and the best thing you could do is to speak to someone who's been there lately. If only they were forthcoming...

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