Visit Pakistan The Best Holiday Destination for 2021
Having a rich history from 2500 BC, when a most developed civilization grew in the Indus valley. Pakistan is geographically and ethnically diverse country and blessed with rich historical and natural resources. From the mighty stretches of the Hindukush, Himalayas and Karakorams in the north to the broad fertile delta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan is the soil of abundant nature and adventure. Hiking, trekking, climbing, mountaineering, paragliding, mountain and desert jeep safaris, river rafting, camel and yark safaris, wild boar hunting, trout fishing and bird watching are some activities which attract the nature and adventure lover to Pakistan.
Pakistan is blessed with abundant and diversified flora and fauna. It has great potential for every type of tourism. High Hindukush, Karakoram and the Himalayas range with their alpine meadows and snow lines attract adventure lovers, while coniferous forests down the sub-mountain scrub offer ecotourism. From the scenic landscape, green fields with mustard flowers, to heaven like valleys and cold deserts. The vast Indus grassland merging into the great desert, the coastline of Makran and wetlands of Balochistan, this beautiful country offers an extraordinarily rich variety of vegetation and related wildlife including avifauna. This country is the home of 10 mammalian orders such as primates, Rodentia, snow leopard, markhor, even the blue whale. Keeping in view above all facts, Conde Nast Traveler declared Pakistan top holiday destination for 2020 and 2021.
How to visit Pakistan?
Pakistan is a tourist-friendly country, and you can quickly get 3 months visit visa from the Pakistani embassy in your country. For your surprise, you can also apply for e-visa through Pakistan e-visa portal. If you need visa extension for up to six months, visit any regional passport office. Significant cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad have international airports. Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has direct flights to main destinations in Europe, USA, Middle and the Far East. Many international airlines also connect Pakistan with the rest of the world. You can also travel to Pakistan by road from China, Iran, India and Afghanistan.
Where can you stay in Pakistan?
When you reach to Pakistan, then don’t worry about your stay because we are number 1 in “Hospitality”, But if you consist of spending your money, then Pakistan has a wide range of accommodation. There are modern and well-equipped chain hotels like Sheraton, Avari, Pearl Continental, Marriot, Serena, Holiday Inn etc. Mountaineering areas welcome you with green hotels, Shangrila resorts, pine park hotels and hundreds of PTDC motels.
Which places should you visit in Pakistan?
As I mentioned earlier that Pakistan has great potential for every type of tourism. Whether you are a mountain lover or interested in history, you are a culture lover or looking for religious sites; you are a hunter or food lover, remember, this country offers much in fewer expenses. In this section, I will introduce places with tourist category.
Historical and Cultural Tourism in Pakistan
Pakistan is a treasure house of culture, historical art and architecture. Many powers and religions ruled here, although Pakistan came into being in 1947 its land has been populated for thousands of years. The country has 32 historical sites in which six have been included in UNESCO world heritage sites, and 26 sites are on the tentative list. Moenjodaro archaeological site is 5000 years old and one of the earliest and largest urbanized civilization in South Asia. Taxila archaeological site traces back its history from 1000 BC, located near Islamabad. Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bhai dating to the 1st century BC situated about 80 km from Peshawar. Rohtas Fort is a garrison built by Mughal ruler Sher Shah Suri in 586, located in Jhelum. Pakistani cities have a vast potential for historical tourism. The streets of Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Bahawalpur have lots of ancient stories to tell you. Lahore and Peshawar remained the home of rulers and different cultures while Multan remained the home of saints. These historical cities present a treasure of Muslim art and architecture. Lahore is the cultural hub of Pakistan with many memorials of Mughal architecture like Badshahi Masjid, Hazuri Bagh, Shalimar Gardens, Lahore Fort, Wazir Khan Mosque, and Tomb of Jahangir.
Having history back since 539 BCE, Peshawar is the oldest living city of South Asia. The city has witnessed the rise and fall of many kingdoms and remained important trading centre in ancient times. You can feel the history of ancient empires as you walk in the streets. Famous places in the city are Peshawar Museum, Qisa Khwani Bazar, Bala Hisar Fort, Sethi Mohallah, Edwards College, Mohabbat Khan Masjid, Jamrud Fort, Shahi Garden and Sir Cunningham Clock Tower.
The city of saints, Multan is one of the oldest towns in Sout Asia. Its recorded age has still to be determined. Multan city was the hub of a solar-worshipping which based the famous “Multan Sun Temple” later it was conquered by Alexander the Great. In the pre-Islamic era, Multan attracted Sufi Mystic and earned the title of “City of Saints”. Now the city is famous for saints’ shrines such as the shrine of Baha-ud-Din Zakaria, Shah Rukn-e-Alam, Shamsuddin Sabzwari, Shah Gardez and Shah Shams Tabraiz.
The former princely state of Bahawalpur was founded in 1748 by Nawab Bahawal Khan I. The Nawabs of Bahawalpur left a rich architectural heritage, and the city is now famous for its monuments. Notable places in Bahawalpur are Noor Mahal, Gulzar Mahal, Nishat Mahal, Daulat Khana Palace, Darewar Fort, Fareed Gate and Darbar Mahal. These architectures are very attractive for history lovers. These places are the masterpiece of historical Muslim architecture with special affection. Once you visit, you will be lost and feel you are living in a thousand years old era.
Religious Tourism in Pakistan
Only mighty peaks and beautiful landscape don’t appeal tourists; hence some tourists attract by religious memorial sites. Pakistan is the land of shrines of Islamic saints, Hindu mandirs, Sikh Gurdwaras and Buddhist monasteries. They all are open for the worshipers to make their holy journey and visit them. Sikhs from all over the world visit to their sacred places such as Kartarpur shrine, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib. Similarly, Pakistan offers religious tourism to Buddhist as they have many religious sites in Pakistan like Takht Bhai, Manthal Buddha Rock, Gumbatona Stupa, Thul Mir Rukan Stupa etc. Every year Hindu community makes their holy journey to Katas Raj Mandir, Hinglaj Matha Mandir and other religious sites.
Rural Tourism in Pakistan
Pakistan is a renowned tourist place in the world for mighty peaks, cultural, religious and archaeological sites. But for your surprise, if you visit into the rural areas, you might forget mighty peaks, fairy meadows and ancient buildings. It’s 60% of population lives in rural areas and involves in agricultural activities. These rural areas are well-known in the world for their beautiful landscape, green fields with mustard flowers. While eating raw honey (in free), you will discover their diverse culture, traditions and festivals. You will able to eat fresh fruits, vegetables and butter (that will be made of pure milk in front of you). After ploughing in fields (through bulls) imagine taking a bath in tube well. Don’t worry about stay; rural people would love to provide you with accommodation (as they are number-1 in hospitality). Everyone would offer you traditional foods which are no doubt pure and healthy (probably free). So, would you like to go back and get stuck under closed walls before laptop or mobile? Nahhh
Mountain and desert jeep safari.
If you are safari lover and want to enjoy jeep safari in both mountains and desert, don’t go anywhere else.! Here you can enjoy jeep safaris in both coldest and hottest places. Jeep safaris are available in coldest mountains such as Himalayas, Karakorum, Hindukush and hottest deserts like Thar and Cholistan. You can also avail wildlife tourism because Pakistan is the land of 29 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. These parks have different wildlife species, famous are Himalayan brown bear, red fox, golden marmot, sind ibex, wolf, urial and the snow leopard.
Geo tourism in Pakistan.
Have you ever seen people playing horse polo on 12000 feet height? If not, then buy a ticket in July, come to Pakistan and enjoy it live at Shandur Polo Ground, Chitral district. Chitral is the northernmost district of Pakistan where three famous ranges Karakorum, Himalaya and Hindukush meet. Chitral has a great potential of geo-tourism. It is famous for its peace-loving people, vibrant culture, peaks, glaciers, passes, streams, lakes, games and wildlife. You can see here the unique culture, dress, food and festival of the people of Kalash. Shandur Pass, Qurumbar Pass, Darkhot Pass and Thoi Pass are the best places to visit in Chitral. You can go there by aeroplane or by road.
Food Tourism in Pakistan.
Pakistani culinary can be classified as a combination of different regional cooking traditions such as Indian Subcontinent, Central Asia and Mughal legacy. Cuisine from the Sindh and Punjab are characterized as spicy which consist of flavours of the East. In contrast, cuisine from the western, northern provinces of Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan are distinguished as mild, which consist of remedies of Central Asia and Western Asia. Since Pakistan is a diverse country by culturally and geographically, its cuisines are different from region to region.
Balochistan is famous for its “Dampukht” (meet slow-cooked in fats) and “Balochi Sajji” (skewed lamb or chicken filled with rice). In comparison, people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have a fondness for rice and kababs. Favorite foods of KPK province are Kabuli Pilao, Chapli Kabab, Mutton Karahi and Charsi Tikka (lamb tikka). Bong Paye (made from legs and joints of goat, cow, buffalo or sheep), Nihari (made from buffalo shanks and bone marrow), Murgh Chaney(Chicken and Chickpeas cooked in butter) are considered famous cuisines in Punjab. Sindhi cuisine is a variety of chicken dishes and believed to be spicy. Sindhi Biryani (made from rice, chicken and regional spices). Moreover, Mark Wiens will tell you how Pakistani foods are yummy and delicious.
Camping Tourism in Pakistan.
You can schedule a tour and enjoy camping in different areas of Pakistan as it offers plenty of places for camping. Pakistan’s northern regions are the best option for camping because they are rich in providing scenic views. There are wonderful places like Khaplu Valley, Leepa Valley, Fairy Meadows, Ayunn Valley Chitral, Deosai Plains, Naltar Valley, Nanga Parbat Base Camp, Dudipatsar Lake, Lalzar Naran, Siri Paye, Gabeen Jaba Swat, Shogran and many more. Wait! Wait! It is also a piece of great news for you that, the government of Pakistan has also established small cottages in some areas which are facilitated with solar energy, beds and washrooms.
Adventure Tourism in Pakistan.
What type of adventurer are you? Pakistan offers an excellent opportunity for all kinds of adventure lovers. From swimming and rafting in the river to sailing, cycling with friends. From hiking to trekking, paragliding to island diving, rafting to fishing. Exploring the jungle to hugging the galaxy, camping to lavish accommodation, archaeological site to colourful culture, you name it, you can find in adventure tour in Pakistan. From Karimabad to Naltar, Chitral to Kalash, Malam Jabba to Kalam, Deosai to Khaplu, Nagar to Neelum and Passu to Fairy Meadows, every part of this land offers an exciting experience.
Pakistan is the paradise for mountain hikers due to its massive range of Hindukush, Himalayas and Karakorum. You also can hike in the Kalam Valley, which is beautiful like heaven. Do you like fishing on the height of 13,689 feet? Deosai plains are the best option for you, where you have an opportunity to do fishing in calm nature in your way. You can enjoy skiing with immensely panoramic views of Malam Jabba. There are many places in Pakistan for river rafting; however, Swat and Chitral rivers are the most favourite for rafting. If you are an excellent Polo player, then play it on 12500 feet high ground Shandur Pass. You can find Paragliding in different regions such as Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Khanpur, Islamabad.
Concluding Remarks.
Pakistan is a fantastic country, a combination of hot deserts, fertile plains and mighty peaks. The country provides an excellent opportunity to all type of tourists from cultural lover to adventurers, from history to nature lovers. Peace-loving and hospitable people make it more attractive. According to Conde Nast Traveler, Pakistan is the top holiday destination for 2021. You can experience plenty of activities on one ticket in one country. So what are you thinking?? Open type Pakistan e-visa and submit your application.
