Andrew Chan, 58, is an Australian tourist travelling on two wheels. The retired businessman has spent the past 30 years roaming the world on his motorcycle and began his most recent tour from Sweden, and then crossed into Georgia, Russia, China, Armenia and Iran, before entering Pakistan last week to travel through the northern areas.

Dawn spoke to Mr Chan about coming to Pakistan and his passion for exploring places that are off the beaten path.

Q: How did you plan your tour to Pakistan?

A: We didn’t. Our embassy in Islamabad warned us to stay away because it was too dangerous. But we are travellers, and risks come with all our adventures.

I’ve toured around 40 countries up until now, of which I enjoyed Mongolia the most. In particular, I enjoyed the experience of being away from civilisation: no internet or hot showers, immersed in total wilderness and the thrill of off-road touring.

The plan was to enter Pakistan through Iran, reach Lahore, and cross the border into India. But our friend — who is also a motorcycle tourist based in Multan — insisted we visit the north. Safety was our first concern. But he convinced us that it was as safe as home.

Q: How different is Pakistan compared to how it has been described in the travel advisory by the Australian High Commission?

A: It is portrayed as a dangerous place when you enter through Taftan, Balochistan. We were escorted by police all the way to Multan. We realised along the way that security was not needed. Pakistan is different from what we see in the news, and we had researched Pakistan as well. The people are very hospitable. The best part about journeying through Pakistan so far has been stopping over at road side truck driver hotels for meals. The mutton and chicken karahis are absolutely delicious.

Q: What do you look forward to during your adventure into the northern areas?

A: We know that the northern areas are absolutely stunning and offer plenty of off-road adventures and a lot of peace away from city life. We intend to ride as far as we can in the week we have in Pakistan. I’ve put about 14,000 kilometres on my 800cc BMW motorcycle, and this has only brought me halfway to Australia, so there’s a lot of riding still left to be done.

Published in Dawn October 1st, 2015

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