In this area, the train is the easiest and most comfortable way of transportation. Lost with Purpose has a great guide to travel in Sindh Province. Remember to read my backpacking guide and travel itinerary to Pakistan to learn more about all these safe regions. First of all, you should know that I went to Pakistan as a solo man, so my knowledge about female travel in Pakistan is limited and based on what other women told me.
What I can tell you is that, if you go to Pakistan with a man, either your partner or a friend, you should be totally fine. However, according to many women, if you travel there as a solo female, safety will depend on a large variety of factors, ranging from your traveling experience to the regions you visit, how you behave, how you dress, etc.
In my opinion, the roads are the only real danger in Pakistan not only because the locals are nuts but also because, in the Northern Areas, some mountain roads are just dangerous by themselves.
Actually, I think that driving in countries like Saudi Arabia or Oman is even more dangerous, as there the roads are good and the locals drive fancy cars, which translates into very high speeding.
Saudi Arabia is, by far, the place where I have been most afraid in a car. Anyways, long story short: the roads in Pakistan are as dangerous as in other developing countries but, if this is a concern for you, perhaps you should hire a local guide to drive you around. Pakistan is an extremely adventurous, trekking destination, so you really should buy proper travel insurance, and I recommend World Nomads because:. In Pakistan, Couchsurfing is a big deal and a great way to meet trustworthy, hospitable locals who will try to help you immensely on your journey.
From Islamabad to Gilgit along the Karakoram Highway , I passed ten different checkpoints in one single day, and at each one I had to give a passport copy and register. The police were continuously interrogating me: Why are you here? Where are you going? They are actually pretty cool and their only objective is to check for your personal security. In some areas of Pakistan like Swat Valley, Kalash region and even for the Fairy Meadows trek , you get a personal armed guard, for free.
Pakistani Intelligence is one of the best secret services in the world. No matter where you go, they will know who you are and where you are.
One day, while trekking around the Astore Valley , one random local guy in salwar kameez approached me and said:. He was a member of the Pakistani Intelligence and, for three days, they had been following me and looking after my safety. Actually, the Pakistani Intelligence is one of the reasons why Pakistan has not become a failed state like Afghanistan.
So, is it safe to travel to Pakistan? The shortest answer I could give you is that it really depends on where you go.
Some areas of Pakistan are extremely dangerous whereas others are absolutely safe for tourists. If you do, Pakistan will reward you with your best experience ever. Here you can read all my articles and guides to Pakistan. Interested in neighboring Central Asia? Check my Central Asia travel guide. Disclosure: As a traveler, I use all the companies I recommend and you should know that, if you buy any service through any of these links, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Use Booking. Check on Hostelworld for for backpacker hostels. Trekking equipment, books, etc, check on Amazon. If you want to know all the companies I use to plan my trips, check my travel resources page.
Pakistan looks amazing. Thanks for sharing your experiences and lots of travel inspiration! It truly is an amazing place. It is truly worth going as the people are amazing. My brother went back recently. I last went in I want to take my wife there. Im not surprised Richard. I went twice in one year, I spent 3 months in Pakistan, I miss it so much even after more than 20 years.
I can feel your love for the people that make pakistan so special. Have you ever been to Pakistan? Your fake Indian media has been feeding you lies.. As a person who has been living in Pakistan for many years I can proudly say that it is one of the most beautiful and amazing places ever that everybody should visit atleast once in their lives.. Angela says its only Indians who know how dangerous Pakistan is. All I can say is that there are areas of India that are very dangerous and some women have been raped by hotel staff even and on the beach at night.
Where there is alcohol and people not respecting dress and behaviour norms, these risks will be there. Sadly there are some nasty trolls here but it makes me happy seeing so many tourists who have been blessed in Pakistan complimenting the kind hospitable people. If as a tourist you have respect and manners that are good and a friendly way generally your experience in Pakistan could well be one of the best experiences of travel anywhere in the world but yes do your research.
Just like in certain places in this world like for example certain council estates at night in the UK, it can be dangerous. Parts of Manchester have gun crime for example and crime. For E. If Paki savages are capable of doing all that in the UK, you can imagine what they would do to white girls in their own backyard..!!!!!!
Overall, it is a very very unsafe country … and I am urging on this fact.. I am quite surprised. Please take that back I am Indian, though I definitely will not watch you insult Pakistanis like this Every country has its own past and I am sure that people from yours would have done deeds much worse and repulsive than those few Pakistanis How would you like if I start to generalise in your country like that?
Pakistan is civilised and that is a fact. You need to get off your high horse and realise how you have shamelessly criticised an entire community for the crimes of just a select few And you act as if all Christians are innocent.
You know what happened in the mosque in New Zealand, how one Christian killed so many Muslims in broad daylight? Nobody is completely innocent and admitting that is the only way to progress The British caused suffering to India and Pakistan too under their colonial rule for more than years Does that mean that all British are monstrous savages?
We will welcome you please search videos in YouTube travellers and realize Pakistan hospitality thank you. Exactly right picture you created in the minds of people. The safity concers are now very rare but still in some areas near Afghan border. Pakistan is safe nothing wrong with my country and i felt lucky that is was born there with Almighty grace i am 25 years business graduate.
I went twice in , spent 3 months there 2 months in aug sept and a month in feb. I visited peshawar, rawalpindi, islamabad and spent a few weeks in lower and middle swat. I also spent a good month in chitral and it was amazing, wonderful people, but try to blend in and be relaxed. The people treat you as their honoured guests and are truely great, so friendly and I have so many nice memories.
Bahrain in mid swat was the only place I felt was different but mingora and lower swat we stayed with a wonderful gentleman who really was the nicest guy who went out of his way to make us so welcome in a lovely big place by a metal bridge near madhan I think. God bless him and the lovely kind people who I grew close to, some of the nicest people I have ever met. Ive been very upset especially with evil piticians, who are a law unto themselves and I dont vote because they are all bad whether conservative, labour, liberal.
I do however protest against war and write to parliament and said that they should be executed for war crimes. Many of us in the UK and other countries hate war and these evil corrupt criminals who cheat lie, kill and so much evil. I really appreciated not being judged like them because of my passport and I am class conscious and pakistani people are really top class some of the best people you will meet anywhere. Thank you pakistan from my heart, I feel so blessed thanks to you.
Thank you to the lovely afridii elder who was so kind showing us around peshawar. We called him Papa. Such a good man. Big thank you to him and the kind hospitality shpwn to us by the great tribal area people.
It was a joy to share these great times with you and I have never stopped thinking about this it was so special. A BIG Thank you. Pakistan is a safe place. Actually the enemies of pakistan are creating such an enviroment to destroy the image of pakistan as an islamist terrorist state. They use the people to do terrorist attack. It is no so that terrorist attacks dont only happen in pakistan or islamic states it also happen in other countries but why the world blame only islam for it what about the terorist attacks on mosques by christians or hindus why they dont called terrorist why hindu extremist parties are not blamed for destroying mosques and killing and raping women why america not blamed for attack on iraq syria afghanistan why other countries doing such involved in bombing innocent people projecting them terrorist.
Remember this life is not eternal we have to face God Almighty who is only one yours and mine he does not permits you to take any life for our worldly benifits He is watching over every one we all are son and daughters of Adam and Eve we are created not to kill each other please think no religion taught terrorism and no religion followers can be terrorist but the people who use religion for promoting terrorism it could be any one a christian or a hindu or jew or muslim but once he do terror activity he is out of that religion killing our brother and sister as we are children of Adam and Eve for worldly benifits can not justify any one.
And no religion can be labelled as terrorism promoting because every religion and prophet sent to us by God does not preach terrorism!! I am a American and I went to Pakistan 3times alone as a female solo trip..
They treated me like a queen.. I loved the northern part of Pakistan and all the cities…. I had a lot of fun.. Other people and countries have just been blaming an saying things that Pakistan is not safe it is a terrorist country.. But its not.. Its a beautiful Country.. I am an American woman who has been living in Pakistan by myself for over five and a half years. I travel everywhere without any security. I have lived in Hyderabad but am currently resuding in Karachi. I am from Pakistan and I am 32 years old if Pakistan was not safe then I am supposed to be killed till now.
I am safe and I travel safely till now I have never met any terrorist. Fortunately, I have also had the opporunity to live and work in a couple of dozen of them including for example, Syria and Yemen.
Especially interesting to me was the informaton on Pakistan as I have a firm invitation to work in Balochistan for a couple of years based in Quetta……. Please stop writing such articles …. There are more British Indians than British Pakistanis and yet Pakistanis do far more raping and trafficking in Britain, only God knows what happens in Pakistan.
How come Indian people know that their neighbouring country is dangerous? Have you ever been there?
Have you ever encountered any incident yourself? How many of Indians went to Pakistan and died? Hundreds of people from India visit Kartarpur Gurdwara in Pakistan daily, ask them how they are being treated in Pakistan, then you will know that how safe a country can be.
I been Pakistan im married to Pakistan man. But now i have to go Nowhere. Him and his familey keep saying its safe for me and thay think it is. I dont know what do you people think about Pakistan?? Its totly safe for you,we know value of the guests,and now you are our sister, I hope you not forget make a documentary about Pakistan, and please show everyone real face of the Pakistan. My husband is from Kalanjar district. As i said thay keep saying no one will touch me.
Ill be safe. Hi Barbara, I am from Pakistan and also a Pashto speaking person. I am living in Europe but visit Pakistan regularly. It will not be fun coz no Partying and drinking? Do you think people need to party or drink to have fun? You need to grow up, please. Just got back from Swat Valley and Northern Areas of Pakistan — still missing these truly fantastic valleys and regions. Recent security issues have left a mark of concern for those who may wish to go back to these natural and historical locations.
I personally found people of Swat valley extremely hospitable and eager to show you around the kind of places not many have yet experienced. Hi John, thanks for your feedback man!
I am glad you enjoyed Swat Valley! Yes, I also found Swat Valley to be very peaceful and pleasant to travel around. I think it is a slightly volatile region and that is why I decided to classify it as sensitive.
Actually, when I went there in April , they would not allow me to get in unless I had the phone number of a friend. Now, the situation has changed. The army has restored peace in every part of Swat valley and they have handed over the administrative control to police. If the district administration provides you escort, it is just for your safety and for clearing the road during traffic jams. Just come and enjoy the breathtaking views of Swat valley.
Many Thanks to my Army for improving the overall security situation and love you for promoting this beautiful country to the world.
I am from Pakistani Kashmir. To be honest Pakistani kashmir is safer than even Islamabad. Secondly Gilgit undoubtedly is beautiful but nothing can match beauty of Kashmir. Just search google. Mughal Emperor Jahangir called it paradise on earth in verses of persian poetry. Gilgit infact is historically a part of Kashmir. Hi Adees, thanks for sharing your opinion but can I ask if did you even read the post?
Manny Khan. But you are a muslim sir. Muslims will always be welcome in Pakistan as Pakistan separated to be an Islamic land. Khalid Malik Cambridge. I know relatives of a christian friend in Pakistan have witnessed incredible injustices committed against them.
Welcomed by all the Pakistanis, and treated with respect. And, even at border control, after I had been to India, they were welcoming.
I was wondering how you managed to get around with your Visa application here. For European visas, the website states you need a Letter of Invitation. Hi Pierre. Each embassy has its own rules regarding the LOI. As per the itinerary, in the unlikely case, your embassy requires it, just say an approximation.
Well said Joan, Tourists from all over the world are very much welcome here but one must be having related personal identification documents as the security check ups have been beefed up in many regions considerably to make tourism enjoyable and secure. Did you come to Pakistan and Some Pakistani attack you with guns,grenades blah blah blah!!.
I am an Indian and would love to visit. Sadly I am a Hindu as well. Hindus are the most persecuted groups in Pakistan thats what we hear so we dont know if we go will be in danger? Pakistan deems hindus as pagans. Almost all Pakistani I have met have told me to never visit Pakistan. I just wanna know if I am a sole hindu woman traveller will I return back to my land?
As, before division of India, we have been living in Sindh with different ethnic and religious people all in peace. No any native Sindhi people hate any person due to religion. Still we love all humanity. The problem was started when many Muslim people migrated from India to Pakistan from to and also later on majority of them came to Sindh specially Karachi and Hyderabad might be to date, they people promoted such things that Pakistan is created for Muslims only, and they had started killing Hindus in Sindh that time, we the native Sindhi people, tried a lot to protect them, but we could not save many Hindus from those cruel Muslims who were trying to push Hindus from Sindh, as they wanted to occupy the houses, businesses, farms, etc left by Hindus, and they succeeded in that up to some extent.
But, due to the ideology of Sindh for tolerance and peace, now they Migrated Muslims might still contempt Hindus in their mind, but they do not do any physical harm to Hindus in any way.
They wonder just how close are the links between Pakistan's security establishment and some elements of the Taliban. And they ask how could the death of Bin Laden, the man who inspired so many suicide attacks with such dreadful results in Pakistan, provoke not celebrations - but angry, anti-American protests in Karachi.
The optimists argue that while some people may have gone onto the streets to protest against the American action, very few voiced sympathy for Bin Laden. And, as ever, the vast majority of Pakistanis were not protesting at all but were at home trying to cope with challenges faced by poor people everywhere: feeding their children and hopefully educating them, too. The debate about these issues is especially intense in Washington. It's a huge sum which some believe has prevented the country from slipping into bankruptcy.
But the argument already being made in the US Congress is this: why should America, itself facing a massive debt mountain, be giving money to Pakistan's military leaders if they fail to offer full support to US goals in South Asia?
The problem is that Pakistan is preparing for American defeat in Afghanistan. In fact, it has been doing so for nearly a decade.
Within weeks of America's invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan concluded the Americans could not win there. With the US now preparing to pull out, leaving behind a strong Taliban movement, Pakistan's generals feel their assessment has been fully vindicated.
And the death of Bin Laden has made the issues even more acute because the establishment of an Afghan government with Taliban participation is now even more likely. In recent years the Afghan Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, had been distancing himself from Bin Laden so as to make the Americans feel more comfortable about withdrawing.
Now Bin Laden is dead, Mullah Omar will find it easier to persuade his own supporters that al-Qaeda can be left to one side so that he can move towards his single objective: the establishment of an Afghan government that would reflect his conservative view of Islam in a country free of foreign troops. On the face of it, the critics of the US aid programme to Pakistan have an easy argument to make: Washington, they say, should not give money to Pakistan when it is preparing for the increasingly likely prospect of a government in Kabul that will have Taliban ministers.
And yet every time the US has discussed cutting Pakistan's funding it has ended up paying even more. The US has consistently calculated it has little choice but to pay up. Expert on Pakistan. Angry that your parents sent you to the wrong madrassa when you were young?
This unique stock of global expertise on Pakistan naturally generates a scary picture. Between our fear of terrorism, nervousness about a Muslim country with a nuclear weapon, and global discomfort with an intelligence service that seems to do whatever it wants rather than what we want it to do , Pakistan makes the world, and Americans in particular, extremely uncomfortable.
How bad is it? This is the story of modern day Pakistan. Contrary to what many Pakistani conspiracy theorists believe, the suspicion and contempt with which the country is seen is not deliberate or carefully calculated. Or so goes the paternalist doctrine. The floods in Pakistan are the third major humanitarian crisis to afflict the country in recent years. The earthquake and the massive internal displacement of Pakistanis from Swat and the FATA region in were well-managed disasters, according to many international aid workers.
While international support was valuable in mitigating the effects of those disasters, most experts agree that it was Pakistanis, both in government and civil society, that did the heavy lifting. The floods, however, are a game-changer. The country will not and cannot ever be the same. The loss of life, disease, poverty, and human misery themselves are going to take years to overcome.
The actual task of building back this critical infrastructure is a challenge of unprecedented proportions. Last week, I visited a relatively well-to-do village called Pashtun Ghari in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pashtun Ghari is right off the historic Grand Trunk Road, and less than two miles from the river. Flood victims there did not feel abandoned by authorities; indeed they were quite satisfied with how they had been taken care of. Still, there was inconsolable despair among residents.
Those cattle are both assets and income generators for Pakistani villagers along the Indus River. There is no recovering from losing that quantum of livestock.
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