Tourist Attractions in Pakistan

I did not go to the bazaar myself. This is the experience from travelers who I met. They took the tour for 2000Rp for 2, the package included the Smuggler Bazaar, truck painting and Afghan refugee camp.

There are 2 parts of the bazaar, one pretty normal and another one supposed to be a bazaar with weapons, drugs, fake dollars etc. They were brought through the normal bazaar and ended up in a room, which was told to be the 2nd part. They were show case the weapon (a few), some hashish and some dollar. They complained that the seller was a bit pushy for the dollar and it was a tense atmosphere. Then suddenly there are finghting just outside the room which they heard gun shots. They were terrified for the fighting, yet found that the showcase of the gun or hashish are not something they expect, they expect to see a bazaar, not a room.

I met 2nd traveler who went to the bazaar with a local guy in Peshawar. He went to the real bazaar, he saw shops with guns and something look like drug but he is not sure. There are police checkpoints and special permit needed for foreigners. So.. obviously the first experience described was a tourist trap! So beware.

By the way, if you stayed at Rose Hotel, people ring you up to offer the trip.

Well, there are some over-rated spots. For visitors from the mountaneous countries, please avoid traveling to hill stations near Rawalpindi-Islamabad, valleys of lower Himalayas like Kaghan and northern Swat only to see nature. You will have spots like these all over your own country. However, if you go there, plan a hiking / trekking trip through hiring local guides that take you through local hill villages and farms to observe cottage industry.

Unique Suggestions: If you have to travel to hills stations, do plan a hike through Ayubia National Park. If you are lucky, you may be able to see a Western Tragopan, Kaleej or Cheer Pheasant and even a Snow Leopard.

You can also trek from Marree to Thandiani (35 Kms) through hilly slopes, forests and grasslands that could be one of the best experiences of life.

Fun Alternatives: We suggest that you plan the trip in such a way that you are able to see some local traditions like the spring festivals of Kite Flying and Horse and Cattle show in Lahore, Shandur Festival in Gilgit featuring local version of polo, etc. You may come across tournament of Kabaddi, such as the one in this picture (for women spectators of adventurous kind).

I can't answer you the first question. However, you can search online via travelocity, cheaptickets.com, expedia.com, etc. Or check out with your local travel agency.

The cost of transporting a deceased person from USA to Pakistan is very expensive. First, you have to check with the airline first. Also, check with the local funeral home. They are the ones who arrange for the paperworks of the deceased. They usually have a coordinator who does the paperwork. If the body of the deceased died in the hospital, the hospital coordinates with the nearest relative of the person. And, that person arranges for the funeral. The funeral coordinator takes care of everything from filing for the death certificate,etc. The coordinator discusses with the relative the taxes that you have to pay for transporting the body of the deceased and for the fees for embalsaming the body-depending on how long the transmittal of the body. They have to consider this because it is a public health issue. They also take care of the shipment and coordinate with the airlines. However, the biggest problem you will encounter is the claiming of the shipment in your country. There is no big hassle in the United States because they ship "dead bodies" all the time. The shipping cost runs from $3,000.00! The biggest hurdle you will face is when you are going to claim it at your airport! You still have to pay for taxes in your country!

I think you have to rephrase your questions. It is very confusing. Who was refused a Canadian visa? But, I thought he is already a Canadian citizen.

The best thing that the brother can do is to hire a lawyer in Houston.

This is the biggest problem that people face after there is a death in the family. I am so sorry about your friend's dilemma. Advise your friend to photocopy all the documents and not run around with the original copies!

Hi imranthetrekker!
Recently we traveled with V E and i replied to the question above.

Fact is that, if one does not heed your recommendation and choose ones own, then it never justifies you to label it "touting".

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-407179-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

A quick search shows how many touting posts have been posted by you only in the last couple of weeks. Don't know how many touting postings you had before! It shows who is a tout for whom and what are the ulterior motives of your self centered posts.

All these posts show to whom you are touting!
http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-413816-1-1-Travel-0-1304531-Skardu-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-405198-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-398468-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-398466-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-395497-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

Unique Suggestions: Beware of Imranthetrekker, All his posts are for touting for 3 companies, self centerdness photos and for his vested interested of commissiong. I inquired at the ministry of tourism and he is not a registered guide there.

Fun Alternatives: Ask at the ministry of tourism Government of Pakistan about any guide.

Pakistanis see westerners and visitors as walking money trees to be plucked dry believe me they all assume that we are loaded and will try any means to get extra cash off you from relatives with sad stories and medical conditions to store keepers doubling the prices you will get ripped off no matter how warey you are

I found Pakistan to be one of the most hassle free destinations in the world. Along with my other experiences in Iran and Georgia etc there are not a lot of tourists roaming around meaning you can bargain in the bazaars without getting ripped off too much. The bazaaris are not used to seeing travellers too much so they are more willing to bargain at reasonable rates. Pakistan is almost the complete opposite of India making this country one of the great places in the world to find a good deal.

Unique Suggestions: If you do go to a bazaar then you can ask some of the workers at your hotel what you should pay. Walk around and make a list of items then in the evening ask them what a reasonable price should be. Chances are they will help you out making your next day of shopping more enjoyable.

Just like anything else, buying carpet in Pakistan can be either rewarding or otherwise choking. If you know the place to shop and have some good experience on different type of carpet quality and making, you probably can get good quality carpet and rock bottom price. Off course, your bargaining skill is a must.
However some carpet shops in Karachi and Islamabad tend to be way overprice when they know that you are a visitor. You can ended up paying premium price for a silk Chinese carpet !

Unique Suggestions: If you plan to buy carpet in Pakistan, it's better to bring friends (either local or expat) who has some experience on carpet or at least know which shop to visit

Fun Alternatives: Read and learn about carpet yourself ! It's fun and rewarding.

Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan, and hub of business activities. With population exceeding 12 millions,and millions of vehicles on the roads it has very little to offer for the tourists. The only attraction is the Arabian sea... but the beaches in the city are among most polluted in the world.

Unique Suggestions: It s better to goto the beaches like paradise point, sand spit and hawks bay..... some 25-35 km from the city. These beachers are rather clean and peaceful. You can hire a hut along the beach at cheap rates. Another interesting site in Makli- the ancient graveyard.