Heading to Pakistan as a single female...any suggestions, warnings or tips? Any places to avoid or must sees?
I second Dittemus' point, minding your p's and q's is a must. You want to dress modestly and show respect for their culture, that goes without saying.
Reply to this Thanks for all the great posts, I really appreciate the in depth information (Dittemus, thanks for the specific recommendations, great info as I travel without a travel guide) and the varied perspectives. I mentioned that I had some bad experiences in India...I should clarify, I had one bad experience in India the first day and it jaded me for a couple weeks. But now that I have regained my perspective and seen more of the culture of India, I am blown away. I agree with Conmel, that I didnt know travel could be THIS Good. I cant wait to get to Pakistan.
Reply to this When u say we should mind our Ps and Qs CosmicTreeHouse what do u mean?
Did people try to engage u in political conversations?
When are u off to Pakistan Fullmoonjoy? Would u mind keeping us posted on this thread about your experiences there.
Mel
Reply to this Fullmoonjoy, so happy for you :-) I so love India...
Mel, I have not gone to Pakistan as a tourist. I've been doing humanitarian work in Asia for several years now. I have met many politicians there and worked very closely with some of them. I am not afraid of political or any other discussions. I am just trying my best to make a difference. My perspective is probably not a tourist's perspective. I love Pakistan very much, which is why I keep going back and try to help more and more people there.
Reply to this Hy Sarah Salazer .
I'm Pakistani Journalist , n working in Pakistan's populer Tv channel.i inform u that there is no terrorism in civil area's n big cities of pakistan.n all over the world is watching bom blast in pakistan . these blast are targeted on people who support Dictator ship . we the nation going to peak of democracy . other in Pakistan every one is enjoyng life . dont affraid to come in Pakistan ,
i welcome u in my country even in my home , i'm inviting to come n be my guest live with me n my parents . i'll prove that pakistan is best place to live . u can contact me wenever u come in pakistan my cell is
my official address is
(but u r invited in my home)
waiting your replay n arrival Reply to this I am off to Pakistan about the second of April. I will be attending a peace conference there and considering doing a bit of traveling afterwards. i will post anything that is worth noting, high and lows. : )
Reply to this Yep Pakistan is a very friendly country, but than again I think most muslim countries I have traveled are... Everybody is right, Cosmic Treehouse, Conmel, Dittemus... All give different views and have different experiences... As everywhere there are friendly folk and less friendly... Though I met more friendly than unfriendly ones... Again as a male my perspective is different... I don't have to deal with the hassles that a woman might have to deal with at times... Though I did get a gay guy coming on to me once in some dingy hotel... I found it quite amusing...
As for bombs going off, yeah, that is Pakistan too, always has been... Only now you hear more about it... But actualy bombs have been going of with regularity for decades... I was there in 86 and bombs went off, you didn't hear it in the western news but it happened... Especially in the tribal areas... There are a lot of guns and other weapons available in these parts and everybody seems to have an AK-47 or rocketlauncher or what not in the tribal areas... A quarrel easily ends up in gunfights... One night in Quetta I thought a war had started, bombings, gunfire, anti aircraft fire... Next day it turned out two clans had been fighting over a chicken that had flown from over the fence... The clan claimed it, the other said they couldn't do that... words turned to guns, turned to rocket launchers, turned to anti aircraft fire and grenades.... 15 dead, but the chicken survived and was confiscated by the police... Just another day... Last year I was in Pakistan, coming from Afghanistan... One month Afghanistan, two bombs went off, killing nobody... One day Pakistan, 3 bombs went off, killing hundreds...
Does this all mean Pakistan is dangerous? Yes and no, as a tourist, you will most likely read and hear about bombings in the local papers, but that will be about all... You won't notice them and if you don't read newspapers you most likely will never know that anything is going on... The violence unfortunatly (or fortunatly for us) is directed mostly at minority groups, sunni blowing up shia mosques, shia blowing up sunni mosques, one clan blowing up the other etc. etc... Don't do anything you wouldn't do at home and keep out of the tribal areas, than you should be fine...
As for places to stay... Regal Internet Inn in Lahore is the best place to meet other travelers... And the Karakoram Highway is where they all go...
Reply to this Is there anywhere u would find too dangerous to go to Ralf?
Mel
Reply to this Hello Abid 😊
Is it still safe in Pakistan for travellers, with all the political trouble that is happening there at the moment?
Mel
Reply to this Hi,
I am Michal today i was just thinking about Pakistan's beautiful places so I came around this blog.
I am British from Manchester and Married to Pakistani citizen. I have been traveling to Pakistan since 1997.
My last trip was in July 2009. I can simply say The people from Pakistan give respect and they have very big hart then the other.
In my 12 years experience I did not see any thing bad in Pakistani people I traveled allot in Pakistan. I traveled also alone some time from Lahore to Murree via Islamabad. Also I went Peshawar and Mardan and from there I travel to Batkhela. And I travel with local bus and taxi and I really enjoyed my self. But the main thing is when you travel to any country first find about there culture. Then it will be easy for you to travel. When I travel so I try to be like them and they gave allot of respect. Because I do not talk about what is going inside Pakistan that is there problem because I am a visitor.
I think in New york we are scared when we walk because some body will come and before you blink your eyes you robbed or they can rape you very easy. But not in Pakistan.
I walk around I go to local market and they help and also i see they give discount price then the Pakistani people. When I got married to Pakistani Boy I had allot of trouble from my family side. But when I came to Pakistan and I saw real Pakistani people then I thought I am Prude to say what i did is 100% right.
I will suggest to All which they Like to go Pakistan. Just close your eyes and go you will surprise to see.
Also try to avoid those places which are not suitable right now for traveling.
As you see in media how they show Pakistan but you will never see like this when you go to Pakistan. I know with less I travel allot and I go to those places where I saw the meaning of respect.
God Bless you Pakistan.
Reply to this When I travel so I try to be like them and they gave allot of respect.
Do they give a lot of respect to single female travellers? That is what this thread is about.
When I got married to Pakistani Boy I had allot of trouble from my family side. But when I came to Pakistan and I saw real Pakistani people then I thought I am Prude to say what i did is 100%!r(MISSING)ight.
Do you now live in Pakistan?
Reply to this I can say if they see you are foreigner male or female the local people will help you about any kind issue.
Like mostly we have issue when we go to there to find the transport and hotel and the places.
Yes they give more then the man to women. Inside city i travel with local bus and i saw if woman standing so man give her place on his seat.
But of course every where you will find some bad people.
The local people will guide you better. But i saw now even this is not difficult you can find very easy your destination and all big city have Big bus stand and the City name you want to go is also written in English and local language.I see the buses are more comfortable and none stop and some time i use bus and i see few of foreigner in bus and it is very exited moment.
No I live in Manchester but I go and visit my Husband's family members and I stay some time 4 to 6 month.
I had some problem with my family because they was thinking the same thing as other about Pakistani People. But when my father and mother travel to Pakistan then they changed there mind now they visit almost every year and they go and find every thing what they need (Transport,Hotel,)with out any help from my husband's family.
Yes It is true in few side of Pakistan for A single female or even male is difficult to go Like NWFP or Baluchistan,
Because right now there are a lot of problem. But the resat of the country have no problem any single male or female can travel with out any problem.
Reply to this But, isnt is unusual for Pakistani women to travel alone, so when Pakistani people see western women doing it they may judge them unfairly. Also, people in Pakistan seem to demand that foreigners both women and men adhere to their version of what it means to be respectful, and in Islamic countries this always means that more demands and restrictions are made on lone women travellers. Basically, women are expected to respect what does not respect them.
Some will say these restrictions placed on women are culture rather than abuse, but the basic fact is that these 'customs' restrict women and that is disrespectful of women. I think this makes it difficult for lone female travellers to travel in Pakistan.
You on the otherhand have the support of your husband and his family, when you visit Pakistan, so are not as vulnernable as single women would be to abuse.
Reply to this Hi Mell,
Yes you right when a Pakistani women see a western women traveling all alone in Pakistan She get that feeling why she cannot. But this is truth the Pakistani People want woman to give respect to a man and She must follow Husband, Father, or Brother.In few of your point I am agree with you the Pakistani women don't have that much rights which we have. Like in few side of Pakistan(Village) girl cannot go school without her family member. If we see in this point of view so we think that the woman is not safe in Pakistan.
But in the city is 100% different.Girls go alone to market, School, Collage,Park, but before evening she have to come back home.
" A Man telling by his friend I don't like if my girls stay over the night I told all of them never mind even 04:00Am in the morning you must come at home and sleep"
This is Joke for ours(Western). This is the main cause the Pakistani People don't let there women to travel alone.
Because They think might this is not safe for the girls. Also one thing If they find out A boy having some thing with girl then is over. I see few of case this type. But i did not see any case a foreigner woman had problem in Pakistan during to his trip. Might you will find few which are involved in few case.
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