Calcutta to Hong Kong

andy78 · May 4th, 2008, 02:50

Hell can anyone help - I am looking to go from Calcutta to Hong Kong, I will go through Bangladesh and I was wondering if there is a border crossing then from India into China in Arunachal Pradesh?

Is there anyone out there with any ideas? I have a feeling that it will not be possible

Is it possible to get into Tibet from Arunachal Pradesh?

Thank you anyone for any help or advice

machadinha · May 4th, 2008, 07:53

To my best knowledge, no, you can't go from India into China overland. There are some tentative relaxations going on in the NE, but local traders only so far I believe, if even that hasn't already been un-relaxed again, I'd count on this remaining sketchy for a long time, and not open to foreigners.

To enter Tibet overland you'd need to go via Nepal. Arunachal Pradesh doesn't border on it, West Bengal would be your nearest entry point I think. See
http://www.seat61.com/Nepal.htm
http://www.seat61.com/China.htm#Lhasa%20&%20Tibet
& possibly elsewhere on that site for some details (while it focuses on trains, it will give you the breakdown on other options).

If you want to avoid the possible hassles (the details seem to change all the time) of entering and leaving Tibet, I think the route goes Karakoram Highway (Pakistan) and then over Tibet. This is said to be a loooong and arduous journey by bumpy buses and so on, a friend has done it, her tales weren't uplifting.

Bottom line: Overlanding it won't be easy. I've never tried it myself mind, maybe others will have something more cheery to say. Unless you're intent to do it overland, I'd say a flight (or two) would obviously be the far easier option. If you are willing to and can make it to Lhasa (and as far as I know people do still follow the route via Nepal), I guess with the new apparent train options from there to Guangzhou the rest of the way should actually be fairly easy today. Better check and double-check the details though.

btw Keep in mind that even crossing from Bangladesh into NE India (or vice versa) as a foreigner seems to be a hit-and-miss affair. This should have largely been relaxed, but I'm not convinced it is so on the ground. There appears to be a major crossing towards Shillong, Meghalaya, which might be a good bet.

You'll also need to be aware of safety issues in parts of the North-East due to political/ethnic unrest, I'm not sure if you are. It doesn't have to stop you from traveling there (parts will be off-limits though), but it's something you should know about.

andy78 · May 4th, 2008, 14:43

Thank you for that, after writing the post i have now done some further research and worked out that the best thing to do will be fly from Dhaka to Kuming in China and then continue on from there.

Thank you for your assistance.

machadinha · May 5th, 2008, 22:51

Y'r welcome. Unless you're a hardcore must-overland'er, I reckon that flight will save you a lot of hassles and is the most practical option yes.

May 4th, 2008, 02:50	#1
andy78 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: UK Posts: 2	Calcutta to Hong Kong Hell can anyone help - I am looking to go from Calcutta to Hong Kong, I will go through Bangladesh and I was wondering if there is a border crossing then from India into China in Arunachal Pradesh? Is there anyone out there with any ideas? I have a feeling that it will not be possible Is it possible to get into Tibet from Arunachal Pradesh? Thank you anyone for any help or advice

May 4th, 2008, 07:53	#2
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 9,139	To my best knowledge, no, you can't go from India into China overland. There are some tentative relaxations going on in the NE, but local traders only so far I believe, if even that hasn't already been un-relaxed again, I'd count on this remaining sketchy for a long time, and not open to foreigners. To enter Tibet overland you'd need to go via Nepal. Arunachal Pradesh doesn't border on it, West Bengal would be your nearest entry point I think. See http://www.seat61.com/Nepal.htm http://www.seat61.com/China.htm#Lhasa%20&%20Tibet & possibly elsewhere on that site for some details (while it focuses on trains, it will give you the breakdown on other options). If you want to avoid the possible hassles (the details seem to change all the time) of entering and leaving Tibet, I think the route goes Karakoram Highway (Pakistan) and then over Tibet. This is said to be a loooong and arduous journey by bumpy buses and so on, a friend has done it, her tales weren't uplifting. Bottom line: Overlanding it won't be easy. I've never tried it myself mind, maybe others will have something more cheery to say. Unless you're intent to do it overland, I'd say a flight (or two) would obviously be the far easier option. If you are willing to and can make it to Lhasa (and as far as I know people do still follow the route via Nepal), I guess with the new apparent train options from there to Guangzhou the rest of the way should actually be fairly easy today. Better check and double-check the details though. btw Keep in mind that even crossing from Bangladesh into NE India (or vice versa) as a foreigner seems to be a hit-and-miss affair. This should have largely been relaxed, but I'm not convinced it is so on the ground. There appears to be a major crossing towards Shillong, Meghalaya, which might be a good bet. You'll also need to be aware of safety issues in parts of the North-East due to political/ethnic unrest, I'm not sure if you are. It doesn't have to stop you from traveling there (parts will be off-limits though), but it's something you should know about. __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

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May 4th, 2008, 14:43	#3
andy78 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: UK Posts: 2	Thank you for that, after writing the post i have now done some further research and worked out that the best thing to do will be fly from Dhaka to Kuming in China and then continue on from there. Thank you for your assistance.

May 5th, 2008, 22:51	#4
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 9,139	Y'r welcome. Unless you're a hardcore must-overland'er, I reckon that flight will save you a lot of hassles and is the most practical option yes.

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