Getting Around Pakistan

Bonjour from Chitral,

Take a bus or coach from Mansehra to Besham or Chilas, buses are the only mean of transport on KKH, as responded on thorntree.

That is the easiest option for you.

Ciao,

Imran Schah

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For domestic travel, you have an option to travel by 4 airlines: PIA, Air Blue, Aero Asia, and Shaheen. All (except Shaheen) operates regular flights to major cities in Pakistan, and have travel agents/offices all over Karachi where you can book flights. Now PIA and Air Blue also offer e-ticketing via internet.

In PIA you can get a chance ticket for 50% where you can just purchase a ticket and go to the airport to see if you get a seat, senior citizen discount of 25%. In addition there is also a 20% discount on normal fare, but you will not recieve any inflight service ie meals.

Air Blue offers discounts (can go up to 75% on fare, excluding taxes) if you purchase tickets in advance, and if there are seats available on the next flight. check their website for details on this.

Aero Asia and Shaheen are budget airlines (cheaper then PIA and Air Blue), and on most occassions their flights are usually delayed or cancelled.

Salut Mes Amis,

From Rawalpindi Saddar, take a Daewoo bus to Peshawar 3 hrs.
Or go to Karachi Company bus stand and take a coach 3 hrs.

For Daewoo please make a reservation before 2 ,3 hrs and you can make it by phone.

Enjoy the marvels of Pakistan

Between Lahore and Rawalpindi / Islamabad, the roads are very good, and there are even service stations that the buses stop at occasionally. The only real difference between travelling on a bus here and in the west is that the bus driver continuously blasts out Bollywood/Lollywood film soundtracks!

Further north, heading towards Gilgit and beyond, the roads get a bit more hairy, and once past Karimabad, there are quite likely to be detours around landslides. The bridges too are rather flimsy affairs - don't be surprised if people get out and walk across (not that we, as tourists, were allowed to do that, although I think I would have preferred it!). The buses here are much smaller though!

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Bonjour from Chitral Hindu Kush,

We can divide it into 2 parts now, Kashghar/Tashkorgano to Sust and Passu wherefrom take a chopper across the lake.

2nd part, after Karimabad to Gilgit and KKH.

A 30 days VOA is granted at Sust to the over-landers coming from China.

KKH is under maintenance these days so from Gilgit it takes some 20 hrs to Islamabad.

Keep a few tips with you

Dress modestly, wear a local dress, Shalwar/kamees and dupatta or a pair of jeans with a long sleeved Kurta shirt.

Always try to get a credit for your cell phone through a scratch card, don't give your number at anybody.

There is a NATCO bus leaves for Mastuj (Chitral) from Gilgit, early in the morning, some 12, 14 hrs journey across Shandur pass, that is another option.

In Chitral stay at
Hotel Al-farooq

Coaster service from Chitral to Islamabad is also in progress these days.

Bon voyage,

Imran Schah

Photos o my adventures in Pakistan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker/

In the recent past, there has been a lot of infrastructure developments in Pakistan, and one of them is the recently built 635 km, pleasure to drive, Makran Coastal Highway (National Highway N10) which links Karachi - the commercial hub of Pakistan and arguably the world's most populous city - to Gwadar - the recently developed port city.

Situated in the province of Balochistan, the highway runs in East-West direction along the Arabian Sea and shies only few kilometers from the South Eastern border of Iran from its Western end. It is a fully metalled road (with some exceptional patches) with no speed limits, long beaches run along one side of the highway, and the other side is full of diversity; rocks, mountains, sand, etc. The highway cuts across virtually inhabited areas mostly consisting of deserts, rock formations, and the eye-catching coastal line thus making it a perfect choice for nature lovers. Ormara and Pasni are the only major cities on the highway while there are also islands and mud volcanoes, famous among scuba divers and adventurers, near these cities. Interestingly, these active mud volcanoes are claimed to be world’s highest and largest of their kind. One of the most amazing things is the natural rock formation along the road carved by the coastal breeze and can be observed while passing by without much effort. These formations are so spectacular that it is hard to digest that they are not man made. And the other is the long and crystal clear beaach especially near Khand Malir, approx 100 km from the Eastern Toll.

The only flip side is the absence of road side facilities (fuel, food, first-aid), hence adequate planning is a must.

In future, it is hoped that this highway will be extended to enter into Iranian, but not in the near future, hence making overland trips between Pakistan and Iran a lot safer as compared to Tuftan border.

So, if you are tired of the schedule and wish to have a break, then fill-up your motor tank and embark on the long and pleasure drive. And I dream of driving a superbike all the way to Gwadar…

You can go by road to China over the Khunjerab Pass. To cross into China, you will require a Visa. I am not sure if you can take your own car, but there is a bus service between Pakistan starting from Sost into China. Plus the pass is open from early May to November. Rest of the year it is snowbound.