Older travelers on the Silk Road Q&A

[Shindig]

Hi I've just found your site, and it is making me think that my fantasy journey from China to the Mediterranean might just become a reality. I would be really interested to hear from other women in their fifties travelling alone. I am really scared at the prospect, but really want to make it happen!
Sarah

[steven]

Hi Sarah, I decided to split off this post into a separate topic. Since the internet is dominated by young people posting on their trips, it gives a skewed idea. So I would love to have more older travelers post here.

On my trips I have met at least a few of your ilk. The oldest one was definitely above pension age. She was doing a kind of archaeological rail journey. Cannot say it is a majority, though. But she was definitely having good fun!

I hope you go for it. As we get older, our comfort zone shrinks. I feel this process starting at 33 already. So it's important in my opinion to push back against these boundaries, to keep them from totally encroaching on you. My granny for instance, almost never leaves the house anymore. She's not sick, just became scared of everything.

So I go out and cycle in the rain, while I could have borrowed a car. This website has been great in pushing me and Saule, we meet a lot of adventurers that make you question what might be possible for us.

So I hope Caravanistan can inspire you as well. I assume you have some money to pay for transport and sleep in guesthouses. In this case, the danger is really nothing more than you would encounter at home.

[lissie45]

@Sarah I'm in my 50s and my partner just retired at 65 - we' re travelling from China to Istanbul for 3 months this year. So not solo - but yes I'd do it solo if my partner didn't want to / couldn't do it. In some ways I think it's easier as you get older - young men aren't nearly as threatening when you're their mother's age

Steven I know people who were middle-aged by they got to your age - and I have a 72 yo friend who's yet to grow up! I agree some people seem to talk them into being afraid of the world - for no good reason ie they haven't actually been hurt or attacked by the world. I totally don't get it! I started travelling in the 80s - and its so much easier to travel this part of the world than it was then!

[Shindig]

Hi.
I had forgotten that I wrote this post a year ago, and was so pleased to read your responses when I stumbled across it just now. I’m happy to say that I am in the final stages of planning my trip, leaving London St Pancras on 4th April. Of course I still have many worries, but have decided to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’.
I’ve found Caravanistan truly inspirational, so thanks for being there! And if there are any other older folk out there with top tips, it would be great to hear from you.

[juler]

I'm a female in my 50s too and just starting to plan my "big" silk roads.. (don't know how many I'll traverse!) journey for 2019 and am also new to Caravanistan.
I've already seen parts of the trade routes eg saw Turpan in a 3 day stopover at Urumchi about 3 years ago. On that occasion I used a local Uighur tour company.. they picked me up from the airport and drove me to the bus station.. I wanted to do it this way.. they bought my ticket and I was off...
After a free evening exploring this small town, I was picked up the next day and with another tourist, did a fabulous 2 day tour of Turpan and surrounding attractions with a wonderful, well educated but self-taught Uighur guide. Can't tell you the name of that company right now, but that's an example of how it's possible to see the sights easily with short local tours combined with one's own wanderings. I must go for now.

[KarinaM]

I just found this post! I'm a 65 year old single woman traveler and I'm about to set off (Feb 15) on a route from Moscow - Irkutsk - Novosibirsk - Almaty (all by train) then Turkestan by train and after that Uzbekistan, Kyrgistan and Iran (later stages unplanned because, who knows!). Taking 2 1/2 months to do this trip! Really looking forward to it!

[gillig]

Thanks for this thread.

I'm a 53 woman and really enjoy solo travelling. My husband has ZERO interest in far flung destinations and hiking, he's a birdwatcher who walks at a glacial pace, so we tend to do our own thing travelwise for the most part.

I am planning on travelling to Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan most likely towards the end of August and am keen to travel the Pamir Hway/Wakhan Corridor and hike in the Fann Mountains before more hiking in Kyrg. I'm happy to join a small group for parts of the trip in order to reduce the cost but am really apprehensive that I won't be a good fit (because of my age tbh- I'm worried that no one will want me to join them!).

In all likelihood I will probably blow the savings on a private car/driver for the Pamir route.

Gill

PS- Karina, I had a great time in Iran in 2014. I wrote it up with pics if you're interested https://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/gillg/Trips/26191

[steven]

Happy to see you here, Gill! Do send in a request to join a group for the Pamir Hway, we have a high success rate matching people up.

[snazzyjaxxy]

Great to see that there are some older women out there! I have now started my trip and am on my way to Armenia tomorrow. Im struggling a bit with the language barrier, but know it’s only going to get worse, so am trying my best to deal with it! Gill I’m hoping to go to the Wakhan Valley in the middle of July ....shame you’re not coming a bit earlier!

[Carallis]

I joined you all yesterday so feel a little shy but did want to say hello. Melani and I (I am 68) have been working in Yangon for 2 years. I am a volunteer with Save the Children advising teachers about children with Disabilities. We leave beautiful Myanmar ( do appreciate how that perhaps resonates from a political perspective but the countryside and people are just wonderful) in July and aim to travel via Myanmar to Kunming (the only flight we hope) and on to Xian and to join the Silk Road. So far we are planning Xian to Dunhaung, Urumqui and on to Kashgar and into Kyrgyzstan via Torugart Pass. From there who knows but looks as if Kochkor is a must as is Jalai-Abad. On to Kyrgyzstan and through to Turkmenistan....Pretty fanstatic.

Challenges, getting visa from Myanmar to anywhere, China, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. We think we have cracked China Visa, we do not need visa for Kyrgyzstan. Stuck with Turkmenistan although may get round this via organizing through a tour. Uzbekistan remains a problem. At the moment exploring with their london embassy completing on line and picking up visa at their one and only embassy in Bishkek.

Any ideas really welcome, tips, good things. I will now spend the next few days getting to know the sight and the rich contributions from people. Chris and Melani