Pakistan

My Pakistan travel summary:

Visited: October 2023

Duration of visit: 12 days

Capital city: Islamabad

Population: 231 million (2023)

Pakistan travel blog reading time: 3 minutes

• Dinning out in the original capital Karachi.
• Mingling with locals on a night train ride from Karachi to Lahore.
• Incredibly friendly Pakistanis (men).
• The capital Islamabad – planned, organized, clean and exclusive.
• Crazy and dangerous night drive on Karakoram highway.
• Amazing countryside in Northern Gilgit – Baltistan
• Master the truck art in Peshawar, one of the most vibrant cities.

Surrounded by big world powers, China, Iran and India, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan started to break stereotypes from the moment it became a new country in 1947. Probably the biggest breakthrough came when they elected the first female politician, Benazir Bhutto, as prime minister.

From Karachi’s beaches to K2, Pakistan spans over 80 languages as the world’s fifth most populous country. The cricket-obsessed nation is known for its natural beauty and some of the world’s most hospitable people.

My Pakistan travel adventure was part of a journey that also included Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan in autumn of 2023.

In mid-October, temperatures in the south were pleasant. In the north, autumn colors, cool temperatures, and clear sunny skies combined to create an unforgettable experience.

I had low expectations before visiting Pakistan, partly because very little travel information was available.

My Pakistan travel adventure could be divided into two parts:

• Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad are bustling cities filled with millions of people, motorbikes, rikshaws, markets and street vendors.
• The northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan is a completely different world, offering some of the most spectacular landscapes in the region.

I am extremely satisfied to have visited both areas, though more time would have allowed deeper exploration, especially around Skardu.

One of the downsizes of Pakistan is, without a doubt, the cuisine. Since it is based almost exclusively on meat and chapati, my vegetarian diet was more about survival than enjoying the local dishes. Mutton, chicken, beef, and in the north yak dishes are served with chapati, naan, or other flatbreads.

Restaurants rarely offer vegetable dishes, and preparation often lacks proper hygiene. Diarrhea is part of the experience, but fortunately, there is inexpensive and highly efficient medicine to treat it.

A key part of Pakistani culture is the friendliness toward foreigners. Pakistanis treated me very kindly, often paying for food, taxis, or fruit.

Again and again, they greeted me kindly and with genuine interest, asking about my origins. Vendors always charged the correct price and treated me like a local.