SAARC - South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is organizing a Car rally 2007. SAARC is made up of eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Site promoting this wonderful Rally is located here http://www.saarcarally.org/index.htm

Site says : Across 7 Countries, 30 Vehicles, 120 Persons, 8 Nationalities and 8000 Kms

The Rally route is over here http://www.saarcarally.org/therally/route.htm

Just by riding through the 8 nations by their own nationalities does not show the world that they are together. Since the birth of SAARC, a little has been archived in terms of regional cooperation.

SAARC has always been a time of conferences, expenses, and just fancy shows and nothing more. Many of the country folks agree on this, just ask them. SAARC should play it’s role of promoting tourism in the region as well.

This rally is not a tourism related activity, which is very very sad.
Who are those 120 people and how are they picked ?

Imagine going through eight of the great Asian Wonders in a months time - who would not join ? Rally beings 15th March and Ends in 13th April 2007.

Rally like this one should have been open to all nationalities. It should have been a tourism activity which would promote tourism for the entire region.

SAARC Car Rally is actually a Car Tour.

We hope, you will prove us wrong. Here is how to do this. Get to Bangladesh before 15th March 2007 that is when the rally starts. Will they allow you to participate in the Rally ? Contact folks at Bangladeshtourism.gov.bd (the site that did not load for us, if you are a bit closer to the country, it might open-up)

Also contact :
SAARC Secretariat Nepal

PO Box 4222, Tridevi Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tel: +977 1 4221785, 4226350, 423134, 4221411. Fax: +977 1 4227033, 4223991

We believe, SAARC can do more. It can perform as well as the European Union, see a good resource here to learn about this Union http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union