Pakistan... tourism

[Asim]

So I'm in Lahore, Pakistan right now and I'd like a travelers perspective on ideas of where to go in Pakistan (not just Lahore) and what to see. I'll most probably be heading to Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well as Abbotabad and Peshawar. I've got my Leica MP with 50 Asph Lux and a bunch of Provia 100F. I've just attended one wedding. any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'll be in pakistan until April 15.

thanks

 

[Addy101]

I can't tell you were to go, but the UK Government can tell you were not to go. The US Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan.

Maybe the Lonely Planet website can give you some inspiration.

 

[Austerby]

Well, if in Lahore then you must see the border ceremony at Wagga.

Unfortunately I don't know much more than that, apart from Karachi which as a big city has its interest but not touristically.

Thanks to the efforts of the previous British and American governments its not really practicable for white westerners like me to travel around as one would wish.

i'd love to one day though - I've always enjoyed my business trips to Karachi and Lahore and would love to explore further north - a pilgrimage to the Murree brewery is on the bucket list.

 

[kuuan]

So I'm in Lahore, Pakistan right now and I'd like a travelers perspective on ideas of where to go in Pakistan (not just Lahore) and what to see. I'll most probably be heading to Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well as Abbotabad and Peshawar. I've got my Leica MP with 50 Asph Lux and a bunch of Provia 100F. I've just attended one wedding. any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'll be in pakistan until April 15.

thanks

being in Lahore already it is a bit late for planning your Pakistan travels, right? 😉

most beautiful places are probably in the mountainous region north of the line Rawalpindi/Islamabad to Peshawar.

near Islamabad: Murree - colonial hillstation

far up north amazing rugged, steep valleys:
Karakorum highway, Gilgit, Hunza valley and people
further west: Chitral valley, small side valley up where the Kalash people reside, just 3 villages, amazing colorful, unique people, I read by now maybe half converted to Islam, highly interesting, lush green through irrigation

note that I had been traveling there in the middle of the 80s and have not been back since. That time I have had some of the most hospital and helpful experiences of all my extended travels, as a male single traveler I reckon you still will get some taste of that.

mountain route from Chitral to Gilgit was one of the most spectacular mountain trails to travel
Chitral only 4wd small willies, pass over to Gilgit had no road yet, but walking resp. there were donkeys

Peshawar is special, possibly could be a bit dangerous there though, Kyber pass to Afghanistan used to be a highlight too.

 

[tsiklonaut]

One of my favourite countries despite I have love-hate relationship with it.

Khyber pass can be very tricky to go in terms of security. Desert before Iran (Balochistan) is stunning landscape, but you need an armed escort to cross it. The goverment can organize it for you, I used their services once and they escorted me and my wife safely all the way to Iran, only once they had to open warning shots in one of the checkpoints near Quetta, fending off a group of men approaching.

I agree, the mountainous north - Karakoram is the best part of Pakistan IMO too. Mountains separate the greed from the good - there you meet a lot of Ismaili muslims (more liberal and tolerant IMO), ditto to the minority of sufi muslims as well - they are very humane in attitude and make excellent music btw (banned in some islamic branches). In fact you can hear some stunning live sufi music in Lahore if you're lucky, but be aware it's very dangerous since sufi music events are among the main targets for the islamic extremists in Pakistan. I was lucky by escaping a bomb by being a "week late" to the same show I was planning to be back in 2010 - bomb killed dozens. The event didn't happen next week obviously. So do some good planning and listen to the local advice. But if the ends and odds meet in the right way - a masterfully done live sufi music event can be once in a lifetime experience.

​

My favourite areas are the Hunza valley and around Skardu, would gladly go back there any time and waste weeks - excellent hiking, local food and people to meet! From there a rough track up to Hushe village can be worth it too, some stunning hiking there - get a local guide.

Margus

 

[kuuan]

things sure have changed ..
in the beginning of the 80s any westerner was perceived a dear friend by the armed fighters around, the Mujahideen, tribals aided by the west to fight the Russians in Afghanistan. In Peshawar I was picked up in a mosque and taken to a heavily guarded headquarter, offered a free loan of a pro's camera equipment to go into Afghanistan together with a resistance group and an US journalist. After 2 days of pondering I declined, going to war to 'shoot it' had not appealed to me.

In 1981 music was everywhere, deafening popular and devotional music filled every overland bus that came decorated in gay colors, mirrors and all kinds of bling bling. Two years later influence of the Islamic revolution of 1979 across the border had started to change things. Music in public places had been banned, bus drivers took out and hid the cassette player before police check points at entrances and exits of cities to plug them back in once overland 😉

The only danger crossing Balochistan, the only way overland from Europe, seemed to be the bus breaking down in the nowhere..

( taken from sitting atop the roof of a local, as usual overcrowded bus, but on the road from Peshawar to the Khyber pass. The road from the Iranian border to Quetta had not been that neatly prepared, often was hardly defined, on that trip I had not carried any camera )