Why risk going there anyway?
- Zarif Aziz
- Oct 11, 2017
- 3 min read
What would be your ideal holiday destination?
Pakistan probably isn't at the top of your list. And I wouldn't blame you for it.
You have probably come across someone talking about the political instability and violence plaguing the country while scrolling through Facebook. Or on the news, you'll see confronting images of poverty, militants and barren landscapes. That does exist. But so does a more beautiful, peaceful side of Pakistan.
North Pakistan for me is the Karakoram, an incredible mountain range cutting through India, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It's the home of the K2, the second highest peak in the world at 8,611 m. It is the only place on earth where you can look out of the window of your car and see mountains rising 7000 m above the ground. This is why it has the name 'The roof of the world'.
Below is a map to give you an idea about where I'm talking about. The region is called Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). And it's capital, Skardu, is the red pin on the map.
We traveled there for a large family holiday - with family members coming from Europe, Australia and Bangladesh. Being complete foreigners to the place, we organised our trip through 'Karavan Leaders'. Our guide, Wasif, was one of the co-founders of the company and was a very fun and polite man. By the end of the trip he became just another person travelling with us! They helped us interact with locals, deal with paperwork at check points and made sure we didn't miss any of the 'must-see' places. Karavan leaders did an amazing job at making us feel secure and relaxed throughout the trip.
Our trip started in Skardu, which was an hour's flight from Islamabad. We flew with PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) and it was a very smooth journey.
The only tough part about going to Pakistan was getting the tourist visa. International politics and bureaucracy can make the process very long with no guarantee of getting a visa. Make sure you leave 'enough' time to get your visa before your flight; the expected waiting times vary from country to country. In the end, all those headaches seem distant when you see scenes like this!
After landing at Skardu we realized how special this place was. We were surrounded by steep mountains all around us, wondering how our plane managed to navigate through the valleys. The mountains had huge chalk writings on them saying 'Welcome to Skardu' - which made tourists like us really feel at home.
A short drive later we reached our hotel called 'Shangrila' - a must-visit when you're in Skardu. They have cozy little cottages where you can wake up to views like the one below.
So armed with a beautiful cottage in the middle of paradise, we were ready for our trip around the land in the clouds. The same day we also took a boat ride on the 'Appar Kachura' lake (photos below). The water is so clean you can drink it!
I never expected to see the incredible landscapes and cultures that I witnessed. Most of the people we came across went there to hike and climb - so we barely saw any tourists in the area. And all this is what I'm trying to change.
The goal is to spread more awareness about this untouched land and change the stereotypes we usually have about this part of the world. Since you've made it this far, check out my other blog posts where I go through all the highlights and stories from my trip (and also the best pictures). Hopefully by the end of it all, Pakistan will be on the list for your next holiday!
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