Travel Blog » Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

Northern Areas Travel Blogs

Background: The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan have fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but recent discussions and confidence-building measures may be a start toward lessened tensions.

Pakistan

Map of Pakistan

Pakistan's Flag

Hostels in Pakistan
Latest Northern Areas Blog Entries
Northern Areas Photos

By LukeNUFC
August 27th 2009

Polo at the Shandur Pass Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

One of the many stunning views

Being back at Qayum's was great, it had become a kind of home away from home. The day before the Shandur Festival we headed into Gilgit town to do a little bit of shopping and complete our 'local look'. A brilliant felt waistcoat and traditional Chitrali hat to go with my Shalwar Kameez and I was all set. In fact on the little Suzuki back to Qayum's some local guys tried to start a conversation in Urdu with me before reacting with great surprise when I told them that I was actually English. Job done. Due to the popularity of the [View Full Entry]

By stevekatrijn
August 12th 2009

Karakorum Insha'Allah! Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

Bivak op Snowlake met Baintha Brak / The Ogre (7285m)

(voor Nederlands, scroll naar beneden) For a lot of people, the muslim republic of Pakistan equals suicide attacks on big hotels, Taliban, military coups, nuclear arms race with nature enemy India, corruption and poverty. The few who dare to take off their western glasses, discover a hidden gem (we counted 12 foreign tourists in 4 weeks time!). Pakistanis are among the friendliest and most hospitable people in the world, on which we can only agree. Northern Pakistan is home to 12 of the 30 highest peaks in the world, including five 8000m peaks (including K2 - 8611m) and over fifty [View Full Entry]

Rakaposhi (7788m) en Diran (7257m) steken boven de vruchtbare Hunza-vallei uit

By LukeNUFC
August 3rd 2009

Nanga Parbat Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

Jeep Ride Up

We stayed and chilled at Qayum's for 3 or 4 days. Just relaxing, chatting and sorting out rough travel plans. We jumped on the back of Suzukis (little pick ups with seats in the back) down to Gilgit most days, I bought a shalwar kameez (which apparently lead to me becoming indistinguishable from some of the locals) and we both bought some hiking boots, decent ones, for less than 15 pounds for a couple of treks we had planned out. Gilgit town itself had a really nice feel to it, surrounded on all sides by large rocky mountains, poplar trees dot [View Full Entry]

By twiners
July 31st 2009

Trip to Paradise" Fairy Meadows & Nanga parbat" Unforgettable Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas » Gilgit

We were in the departure lounge waiting for the P.I.A. flight to Gilgit. After a spectacular uneventful flight, we landed in a somewhat dusty, noisy, Gilgit and our senses were immediately bombarded from all angles by sights, sounds and smells, a subtle blend of cooking, herbs, spices, smoke and sewers.Gilgit bazar is a hive of activity everywhere, people milling, armed police, and other minibuses filling and leaving. The town is small and peaceful with the most phenomenal fruits on display. It has an abundance of shops selling fleeces, jackets, woolly socks and hats in order to combat the coo [View Full Entry]

By LukeNUFC
July 28th 2009

A Long Journey North... Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

Monsoon in Mumbai

This has been a long time coming, I know I'm a long way behind but bear with me.... Arriving into Mumbai on the night of the 22nd of June I was struck by the immense humidity for that time at night and also extremely amused by the "swine flu screening area" at CST Airport. Sign a bit of paper saying you don't have any fluey symptoms, pass it to a very serious looking Indian man in a surgical mask and off you go. Met a nice English bloke from Bolton called Pete coming off the flight and as he had nowhere [View Full Entry]

By Smith
May 2nd 2009

Departure-Grand Trunk Road Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

On a cool morning in July, we boarded a coaster bus for Chilas meandering on Grand Trunk Road and Karakoram High way. The GT road is full of decorated trucks, with varied articulate drawings showing their creativity on the move, like an advertising chain. On roads, there are no rules, except that the bigger has right of way. Some of the smaller pick-up trucks held up to 10 passengers in the rear with as many again on a rickety roof rack; I lost count of the passengers in the similarly overloaded trucks and buses. Another thing they all seemed to have [View Full Entry]

By travellers2
November 2nd 2008

The hills are alive! Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas » Gilgit

fairy meadow

Gilgit was so lively compared to Passu, and was our first town since Kashgar, with the streets around the guest house packed with lock-up shops selling pretty much everything a body might need - veg, clothes (some second hand), trekking gear, meat, spices, many mosques; a real bustling atmosphere that is a good rehearsal for India! On our first day, we were taken on a mini tour of Gilgit. First to a 7th cent. Buddha carved into a rock face some 50 ft high in a very implausible location! (Why up there?) The carving is aproximately 15ft high, and fairly uremarkable [View Full Entry]

By travellers2
October 19th 2008

Chelo Pakistan! Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

KKH

The bus to Pakistan was due to leave at 11am; which 11am was a moot point! There is a constant dilemma about times. 'Official' activities, such as bus and train times run on Beijing time, whereas most of the Kashgar population run on local time - 2 hours earlier -so it was difficult to know quite when the bus would take off, and when we should start to queue. In the event, we waited around for a couple of hours. The bus left half empty, which meant we had the unusual experience of having plenty of space. Most of the native [View Full Entry]

By Darlow
September 5th 2008

Leaving Pakistan Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas

These pack quite a punch

So my time in Pakistan is now over. Before I went I was pretty nervous about going to a place that has such a terrible image. And events in the country during my time there have I suspect done nothing to improve this. The UK Foreign Office website, for example, lists the following incidents that have occurred in Pakistan since my arrival: - On 26 August 2008, a bomb exploded at a political rally in Dera Allah Yar, Balochistan injuring 21 people. - On 26 August 2008, a US Diplomat’s car was involved in a shooting incident in University Town, Peshawar. [View Full Entry]

By sapere18
August 4th 2008

Subcontinental Drift: Chapter Twenty-one - Shandur Pass Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas » Gilgit

Stretch of the Gilgit River

Folks...This is a lost chapter. It is my final entry. For those of you who have followed along with me this summer, thank you. Thanks for the comments and feedback. It meant a lot to me. All the text has been cleaned up. I may post an epilogue before this goes out for professional review. I will be writing again in December. I'll keep all subscribers posted. Please check in periodically. Again, it has been quite a ride. Hope you have enjoyed. Rich. The minivan retraces the route back to Gilgit I was on three days ago. Locked in the middle [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » Pakistan » Northern Areas