7 weeks in Pakistan

Shiver me Timbers

Hi all, I posted this on another forum, thought it might be useful for anyone considering hopping across the border this summer and autumn. I was in Pakistan last September/October.

First up, Pakistan visas are valid for entry 6 months after issue, and can be valid for stays of up to 3 months after entry. Generally, you'll need a letter of recommendation from your home embassy if applying outside your home country.

Pakistan I found to be slightly cheaper than India......

Anyway, the highlights........

Peshawar in the North-West Frontier Province, an amazing bustling market town, full of timeless bazaars, and now teeming with new life as a result of thousands of Afghan refugees living on the fringes of the city.

The Khyber Pass, as a day-trip from Peshawar, not to be missed. You need permit (available in Peshawar), taxi ride (600 - 1000 RUPEES return depending on your negotiating skills) and armed escort (available as you enter the Khyber Tribal Agency). You will enter Pakistan tribal zones - government law only applies on the road!!!

Chitral & Kalasha Valleys - visit to the Kalasha tribe not to be missed, I did 3-day trek between the valleys, of which my favourite was Rumbur. In Rumbur stay at Saifullah's Guest House. Chitral is a great little market town, again, full of Afghans, very friendly.

The Karakorum Highway - the main reason tourists come to Pakistan. The road cuts right through the mountains, making them ultra accessible - at certain points, glaciers come right down to the road, and you are 1 or 2 days trek from the base camps of 7500+m peaks.

Gilgit - main town on the KKH, you'll pass through here on your way elsewhere, stay at Madina Guest House to meet other travellers.

Karimabad - Pakistan's only real travellers hangout, in mythical Hunza Valley. It's as beautiful as you've heard, and more.

Trekking - the beauty of northern Pakistan is the range of trekking on offer. You can do easy overnight treks, or challenging 2-week efforts to K2 base camp. Either way, you'll bear witness to some of the planets most amazing scenery. I did the treks to Nanga Parbat base camp (Himalaya) and Rakaposhi base cmap (Karakorum). Other recommended easy treks are to Ultar Glacier (from Karimabad), and the famous 'suspension bridge' walks from Passu (north of Hunza Valley), which I didn't get to do because I got sick.

If you're unsure about trekking independently, I'll recommend an excellent guide here....

Imran Shah
5 years experience of Northern Pakistan, Imran seemingly knows every shepherd and family in the area. He actually has family living in one of the Kalasha Valleys.
Speaks perfect English, French, Urdu, Pathan, Chitrali
Imran can be contacted at the Pakistan Travel Forum which is where you should head if this post convinces you to start planning.

Other popular mountain spots (which I didn't get to) are Passu, on the way to China, and the Baltistan region east of the KKH, hugging the Line of Control. These regions promise more amazing scenery and trekking.

Lahore - I found to be an amazing city, full of Mughal and Raj history, and home to the most amazing mosque I've seen, the Badshahi Mosque. Stay at the Regal Inn, where you'll meet other travellers and play lots of Carom.

Tourist areas were not affected by last years earthquake - I was in Gilgit when the quake struck, and although we all felt it, damage was in the northern areas was minimal. Azad Kashmir was worst hit.

Few tourists travel in the country south of Lahore, unless coming form/going to Iran, in which case you'll stay in Quetta at least one night. Quetta is a real frontier town, not much to see, but for me, was a great introduction to the sub-continent.

Karachi has a bad reputation amongst travellers as a dodgy city, although the troubles of the late 80's are now just a memory.

The rest of Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan is firmly off the beaten track, and often requires armed escort for travel.

Finally to say Pakistan is as safe for tourists (including women) as any other Asian country you're likely to travel in. Any dodgy areas are off-limits to tourists, or require armed escort. It is home to some of the most welcoming, friendly people I've ever been lucky enough to come in contact with. In 7 weeks, I didn't meet a single traveller who had not enjoyed their time in Pakistan.

Conor.

Shiver me Timbers

And here's more from Volga_Volga

generally agree with Conor, and i can add from own travels

I loved Karachi city, but I was lucky to stay with a Pakistani family there and there was no trouble at the time when I was staying

don't forget Skardu/Balitstan, the starting point for the K2 base camp trek and generally a beautiful part of a Larger Kashmir area - Deosai Plateau where the Indus River takes its roots!
Passu village was the friendliest place of all for me, children were running after me to give me fruit (rather then to ask for money)

Favourite journeys - Plane trip Islamabad to Skardu, bus journey Skardu to Gilgit and Gilgit to Chitral...

i am in the process of writing a travelogue (more than a year later after the trips). lastly, i travelled both times as a lone woman and have never had so many strangers looking after me as if I was a member of their family... have not been to a more hospitable country ever since!

skinnylatte

Thank you for the wonderful post. As a young East Asian (i.e. Chinese) woman who loves travelling in South Asia, Pakistan always seemed off-limits, and now I'd like to believe that's fuelled by myths...

Did you meet many female travellers in Pakistan, though?

Shiver me Timbers

Yep, met a couple of British solo females, and loads of Japanese and Korean solo females. None of them had a bad word to say about the Pakistanis, as long as you dress appropriately (shalwar kameez is perfect, headscarf not required but useful) you should have no more problems than you would in any other Asian country.

jaz

A Friend of mine is originally from peshawar, pre 1947 partition. She is interested in going and seeing where her family come from and l would be interested in maybe checking it out aswell if she goes but is it more tricky for British Indians to get visas?

Shiver me Timbers

I don't see why. I think on an Indian passport it may be tricky, but with a British one, there shouldn't be a problem.

But then, I really don't know.

Have any Indian members ever attempted to get a visa for Pak? It would be great to hear about your experience here.

Shiver me Timbers

In addition to the above destinations, the Hill Station of Muree is very popular with Pakistani holiday makers (but not so much with foreigners) as is beautiful Swat valley.

Further north, off the KKH, there are loads of remote, relatively unexplored valleys - Charpusan Valley (I mispelt that) is one I can think of that brings you to the Afghan border at the famous Walkhan Corrider. Also Shimshal Valley, and the extremely remote Hushe Valley, close to the Line Of Control and the Chinese border, where you can trek to catch a glimpse of K2.

The most popular trek in Pakistan is "a week's walking up the huge Baltoro Glacier - which is indescribably spectacular. At the top of this glacier, is Concordia - a huge bowl of ice and rock, where 3 glaciers meet, and where 7 of the worlds highest 20 mountains look down on you, including Masherbrum, Gasherbrum I,II and IV, Broad Peak, and of course, K2."

The trek cannot be done independantly due to the proximity to the borders, but you'd need to be really experienced to do it like that anyway. Definately something I'd love to do some day.....

shere

I am a PIO born in the UK and hold a British passport. I got a tourist visa valid for a few weeks in 2004. I crossed over at Wagah and was bored after about week. I was itching to get back to India but held on and stayed for two weeks.

I am a Sikh and some chap on a motorbike tried to run me over near the Badshahi Masjid near Lahore fort. I travelled upto Peshawar and it was an experience

Conor did you notice the AK47s hanging in shop windows in Peshawar.

I would love to visit Chitral and Kalasha. Maybe one day I will muster up the energy to go back to Pak.

Shiver me Timbers

Eh, yeah, it's no secret that there are lots of guns floating around that area of Pakistan.....

Marvel

Thanks for the detailed information about travelling in Pakistan! It's really good to know that the tourist industry is opening up there. I really want to see the Khyber Pass and Lahore and I didn't think it would be possible.

Would there be a problem for a person of Indian origin visiting Pakistan? I can understand they would be very welcoming to Western folks and others, but what about Indians?

greenchutney

when (& if ) you come back..please do post your experiences here..i would be interested to know.

Marvel

For sure greenchutney I will do that.

shere

Unless you are visible as an Indian (eg Sikh who does not speak Pushto) then there is a problem with some narrow minded idiots. Most Pakistanis I met were very friendly and eager to learn more about places now in India that their forefathers migrated from during 1947.

I did encounter a few idiots but I get called Paki etc in the UK at least once a week when I am out running.

Marvel

Hi Shere, thanks for this information. So I take it you are Indian too and you actually visited Pakistan and came back in one piece? If so, great news! PS, narrow minded idiots are everywhere unfortunately.

shere

Yes near enough Indian apart from being born in the UK and holding a British passport.

The people who migrated at the time of partition are very friendly and invite you to dinner etc.

If you take the land crossing via Wagah then watch those Pakistani coolies. They try and fleece you. The Pakistani immigration people reckoned I was on some sort of blacklist and kindly invited me into their little office to show me that I was on their computer database. Of cause they could fix things for a small fee. It was only when I pointed out that only the first three letters of my name matched that of the name on their computer, that they cottoned on to the fact that I would not be paying them any money (I was not too bothered as a friend with links to a few senior Pakistani government officials was also crossing the border and was only a few minuted behind) .