Help Me Plan My 4 Month Pakistan Trip

[shaykh]

So I have managed to negotiate terms at my workplace where I work 8 months and then take 4 months off...so I thought now is a better time than ever to finally go to Pakistan with my DSLR and see the country I haven't been to since I was 11....I would be visiting November to February...

I want to see as much of the country as possible so any advice on must sees...I plan to write a travelogue of my time there so wanna explore the diversity of the country...

My Urdu is decent but I will be brushing up on it as much as possible before I leave...I can speak but can't read or write for example...

I'm not just interested in the tourist trail but would love to hear about some off the beaten gems...

Just something worth mentioning...are there any no go areas for me?...I don't look visibly Pakistani...and have tattoos all over including those that can't be covered (neck and hands) so is this something I need to be wary of in certain parts?...

Are there any no-go zones?...

Is it worth trying to pick up any other languages or will Urdu suffice?...

Thanks an advance for the advice...

 

[slipcatch]

There aren’t any no go areas but like any major cities there are area where you have to be more vigilant due to theft and robbery.

Know plenty of Pakistani and foreigners walking around with their visible tattoos.

 

[Kroll]

Definitely allocate some time to visit the northern areas especially Naran Kaghan and further towards Skardu if possible. You will experience some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth. However, you would need to do this early in your trip as the northern areas get closed off during the winter.

 

[shaykh]

Definitely allocate some time to visit the northern areas especially Naran Kaghan and further towards Skardu if possible. You will experience some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth. However, you would need to do this early in your trip as the northern areas get closed off during the winter.

Thanks for that...

Yeh I checked out Skardu...definitely wanna see it...Hunza Valley, Karakoram Highway, Karimabad seem recommended...anything else worth seeing in Gilgit?...and how early do I need to be?...would November be ok?...

Balochistan...only Quetta seems to get a mention...is there anywhere else worth seeing?...

Islamabad...

Karachi...

Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley

Peshawar, Chitral (to see the Kalash)...Khyber pass i've read is off limits?...

Lahore...so many options listed for Punjab in general...where else is worth going?...

Karachi...anywhere else worth seeing in Sindh?

Anywhere else anyone can recommend?...any of these places i've listed not a great idea?....

 

[shaykh]

There aren’t any no go areas but like any major cities there are area where you have to be more vigilant due to theft and robbery.

Know plenty of Pakistani and foreigners walking around with their visible tattoos.

Thats interesting...theres a tattoo scene in Pakistan?...

 

[Slog]

Thanks for that...

Yeh I checked out Skardu...definitely wanna see it...Hunza Valley, Karakoram Highway, Karimabad seem recommended...anything else worth seeing in Gilgit?...and how early do I need to be?...would November be ok?...

Balochistan...only Quetta seems to get a mention...is there anywhere else worth seeing?...

Islamabad...

Karachi...

Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley

Peshawar, Chitral (to see the Kalash)...Khyber pass i've read is off limits?...

Lahore...so many options listed for Punjab in general...where else is worth going?...

Karachi...anywhere else worth seeing in Sindh?

Anywhere else anyone can recommend?...any of these places i've listed not a great idea?....

do a day trip to mohen jo daro in sindh

 

[ElRaja]

vlog it bro, i remember chatting to you years back on this site, u seemed like an interesting bloke. would be really cool to see pakistan from a pakistani, but not quite pakistanis perspective, if you get what i mean.

also theres a load of buddhist history in kp and northern punjab, might be worth the research.

 

[Kroll]

Thanks for that...

Yeh I checked out Skardu...definitely wanna see it...Hunza Valley, Karakoram Highway, Karimabad seem recommended...anything else worth seeing in Gilgit?...and how early do I need to be?...would November be ok?...

Balochistan...only Quetta seems to get a mention...is there anywhere else worth seeing?...

Islamabad...

Karachi...

Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley

Peshawar, Chitral (to see the Kalash)...Khyber pass i've read is off limits?...

Lahore...so many options listed for Punjab in general...where else is worth going?...

Karachi...anywhere else worth seeing in Sindh?

Anywhere else anyone can recommend?...any of these places i've listed not a great idea?....

November should be okay (Jan and Feb tend to be the worst months), make sure availability of hot water for any accommodation that you might be staying at.

 

[gazza619]

4 months off? Lucky you man!

 

[slipcatch]

Thats interesting...theres a tattoo scene in Pakistan?...

Off course.

If you look you’ll find it.

You’ll find anything you want in Pakistan.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Must visit some Pak village too.

 

[hussain.r97]

Lahore...so many options listed for Punjab in general...where else is worth going?...

Karachi...anywhere else worth seeing in Sindh?

Makli Necropolis and Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta
Ranikot Fort
Mohenjo-daro

 

[shaykh]

4 months off? Lucky you man!

Well it's unpaid ...It's just an arrangement that suits us all...we have lots of staff and not enough hours to go around especially for those lower in the hierarchy than I am...so in a way i'm doing them a favour...one of my colleagues took off 3 months to do an acting gig and just returned to her usual schedule...November and December in particular there is less work...

 

[shaykh]

Must visit some Pak village too.

That I plan to do...my favourite part of living in Georgia was going to the villages actually...a lot of scenic places and extra special hospitality...

 

[shaykh]

Makli Necropolis and Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta
Ranikot Fort
Mohenjo-daro

Ooh a lot of nice history there...

 

[shaykh]

vlog it bro, i remember chatting to you years back on this site, u seemed like an interesting bloke. would be really cool to see pakistan from a pakistani, but not quite pakistanis perspective, if you get what i mean.

also theres a load of buddhist history in kp and northern punjab, might be worth the research.

Hey bro...yeh vlogging is something i've thought about...the other is kinda street photography with some background on my subjects...

Yeh I get what you mean...it's why this is interesting for me too...it's my country but not...and being able to speak Urdu i'm hoping will give me an experience that the conventional backpacker doesnt...

Thanks for the Buddhist suggestions...added to the list...

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Hey bro...yeh vlogging is something i've thought about...the other is kinda street photography with some background on my subjects...

Yeh I get what you mean...it's why this is interesting for me too...it's my country but not...and being able to speak Urdu i'm hoping will give me an experience that the conventional backpacker doesnt...

Thanks for the Buddhist suggestions...added to the list...

Just take 5 photos per place you visit.

You can post them here at PP; I'm looking forward to them

I don't think most Pakistanis (especially the young ones) care about whether you are a Pakistani or not. So enjoy the trip without trippin'

 

[Junaid_ahmed]

Thanks for that...

Yeh I checked out Skardu...definitely wanna see it...Hunza Valley, Karakoram Highway, Karimabad seem recommended...anything else worth seeing in Gilgit?...and how early do I need to be?...would November be ok?...

Balochistan...only Quetta seems to get a mention...is there anywhere else worth seeing?...

Islamabad...

Karachi...

Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley

Peshawar, Chitral (to see the Kalash)...Khyber pass i've read is off limits?...

Lahore...so many options listed for Punjab in general...where else is worth going?...

Karachi...anywhere else worth seeing in Sindh?

Anywhere else anyone can recommend?...any of these places i've listed not a great idea?....

Beaches of Baluchistan

https://www.shughal.com/14-exotic-beaches-of-balochistan-for-the-perfect-summer-vacation/

 

[ElRaja]

Hey bro...yeh vlogging is something i've thought about...the other is kinda street photography with some background on my subjects...

Yeh I get what you mean...it's why this is interesting for me too...it's my country but not...and being able to speak Urdu i'm hoping will give me an experience that the conventional backpacker doesnt...

Thanks for the Buddhist suggestions...added to the list...

do both init, altho i think it would be cool to have a "foreign" voice who understands the country more than your average tourist to help contextualise the stuff.

if you do, id subscribe on youtube.