Pakistan is the difficult child of South Asia – blessed with abundant natural and historical riches, but plagued by political instability, which has kept the country off the radar for all but the most hardened explorers.
Traveling in Pakistan… When I first told my Mum that I planned to travel to Pakistan as part of my hitchhiking adventure across The Middle East, she was somewhat skeptical. She was probably wondering “for what reason would you travel to Pakistan?”
Pakistan is a country which is often portrayed in the media as a war-torn hellhole and tourism in Pakistan is almost non-existent. Every year, only a very small number of adventure backpackers and die-hard climbers travel to Pakistan, I was determined to be one of them…
1: People are simply amazing
And they want you to enjoy their country.
The Pakistani people are, without a doubt, the most hospitable, kind and welcoming folk that I have ever encountered. From the bustling streets of Lahore to the quaint mountain towns of Hunza, every time a local person spotted me I would, without fail, be rewarded with a huge grin and often an invitation to dinner. I lost count of just how many cups of free chai I drank but it was a lot…
On one occasion, a kindly man named Rehman invited me to visit his family in a small village in the mountains, I stayed for almost a week – hiking on the nearby glaciers and playing cricket with Rehman’s kids. I’ve been lucky enough to make many friends on my travels but the friendships I forged in Pakistan were some of the most genuine I have ever made; the people simply cannot do enough for you.
I couchsurfed my way around the country, being welcomed into the homes of numerous strangers who always insisted on feeding me like a king and showing me around their local town. I cannot wait to return to see my many friends again.
2: Unbelievable Landscapes
The world’s most beautiful country – it might just be Pakistan.
OK, even the most illiterate of map readers should know that Pakistan is famous for its mountains, valleys, rivers, glaciers, and forests… This is a country with more than its fair share of truly wondrous sites and tourism in Pakistan is bound to take off eventually!
Five of the wolds fourteen highest peaks, including the famed and deadly K2, are found in Pakistan. If you are into your climbing, rafting or trekking, Pakistan is the country for you.
I have explored over seventy countries and I can safely say that Pakistan is the most diverse and beautiful country I have ever visited. There are plenty of unclimbed peaks just waiting to be conquered by a worthy adventurer…
3: Pakistan is safe
And you can play with guns!
Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Pakistan, the main one is simply – is it safe to travel Pakistan– the answer is relatively simple. Yes, as long as you steer clear of the Afghanistan border regions.
It’s true that Pakistan does sometimes get hit by terrorist attacks (there was two whilst I was there) but, right now, every country in the world seems to be fair game and you are no safer sitting at home. The media feeds on fear and prejudice, do not let yourself be influenced.
Pakistani people are extremely anti-Taliban (and the Pakistani armed forces are currently kicking Taliban asses in the border regions) and will do everything they can to keep you safe at all costs.
On occasion, you might be assigned a police escort. This does not necessarily mean you are in a dangerous area, it just means the local police branch wants to keep an eye on you.
I had a couple of bodyguards, one of whom was a sixty year old with the strength of a dozen twenty-year-olds. I quickly made friends with them even though they spoke no English – simply smile, be respectful and, just like in any other country, you will be fine.
4: The Historical Silk Road
Follow in the footsteps of the explorers of old.
To travel in Pakistan is to step back into the pages of history. Marco Polo was one of the first European explorers to tackle The Silk Road, an ancient trade route that spanned the Orient, linking the treasuries of the Roman Empire to the Imperial Dynasties of China.
At the trade route’s heart lies the Karakoram, a pivotal crossroad between The Indian Subcontinent, The Middle East, and Central Asia. It is the corridor through which advanced three great faiths – Islam to the east, Buddhism to the north, and curry to the West.
Today, the unendingly impressive Karakoram Highway runs the length of the country and offers stunning views, epic motorbike adventures and the chance to follow in the footsteps of history. My good friend Shah is now running motorcycling tours in Pakistan.
5: Traveling in Pakistan can be cheap
Chai for just three cents…
Pakistan is the second cheapest country I have been to. It’s possible to visit Pakistan on a budget of around $100 a week – this will cover food, accommodation, transport and plenty of awesome activities.
If you have Pakistani friends, they will almost certainly insist on treating you to everything. Pakistanis are unbelievably generous and although I tried on many occasions to pay for dinner, my couchsurfing hosts would never allow it.
Accommodation in Pakistan can be quite expensive but there are multiple places you can camp and it’s easy to find a couchsurfing host. Make sure you pack your tent if you want to save money on accommodation – well worth it when staying at places like The Fairy Meadows.
Trying to organize solo adventure tours in Pakistan can be a bit of a hassle. For example – while it may be relatively easy to visit Everest via a trek in Nepal, K2 requires a whole lot more logistics. Because of the bureaucracy and costs, most visitors will probably end up being a part of an organized tour in Pakistan – for, at the very least, a bit of time.
6: The food is incredible
We cry for some karhai!
Pakistani food is just spectacular – rich, spicy, sweet; all that and then some. There are savory curries, grilled skewered meats, fresh fruits, biryanis, and much, much more in Pakistan.
There were several times while I was traveling in Pakistan that I went out of my way to find the best possible morsels. Lahore had amazing (and spicy!) food, particularly on Food Street, and recommend that everyone visit Haveli Restaurant. But the best Pakistani food that I ever had was at a roadside stop outside of Narran – the karhais were just so damn good!
7: There’s plenty of beaches
The Arabian Sea is right there…
People often imagine Pakistan to be pure desert or super mountainous – they forget that it shares a border with the Arabian Sea too!
There is over 1000 km of coastline in Pakistan and most of it is empty. Imagine desert beaches with hardly any development and only the waves to contend with. There are sea stacks, arches, white cliffs, and fine sand, all of which sounds like the perfect beach to me.
Granted, a lot of Pakistan’s coastline is off-limits because it is a part of Balochistan. Balochistan is a semi-autonomous tribal area and is often quite hectic. We’d recommend visiting the area with a Pakistani tour operator.
The beaches outside of Karachi are very good though – beautiful and popular with the locals. You’ll get to see a more fun side of Pakistani culture and catch some serious rays in the process.
good article