Lol! I had the same reaction to this post :)
I am sure if that's what you would have wanted you would have come up with a similarly brilliant idea! You're one of the wisest people I've met on Twitter :)
Gotta figure out how to make a low-cost quad bike now! :P
Great list :)
I think some silent meditation is helpful after being on the road for a while to reconnect with you core and inner guide. I am looking for a silent retreat these days and came across this article. If you have suggestions for retreats you would recommend, either in South Asia or East Europe please add to this discussion :)
I think that's just bullying! what is your opinion?
Good article! I fared 3/20 - not bad, eh?
If you ever decide to write or reference an article on how to find good deals on tickets, feel free to refer to a post I wrote http://www.living-being.com/find-cheap-flight-tickets/
Lisbon and Porto are two of the most interesting and beautiful cities I've ever visited.
I was surprised when I discovered I needed a visa for Brazil a few months back... I think it's the only country in South America where Canadians need a visa.
It's really a magical place! I was there last year.
Blues Fest and Jazz Fest in Ottawa, Canada!
Perfect timing to find this article. Very useful. Thank you!
Great article!
Beautiful shots! Thank you for sharing this.
Beautiful!
ingenious!
Another site that can be added to list are the toture chambers of Edi Amin in Uganda. That place really sent a chill down my spine but it was worth the visit.
I wonder what it will mean to travel in a few years with so many tourists. We really need to begin thinking about sustainable travel and conservation.
Thank you for raising the question Matt.
It used be different. Pakistan used to be on the list of many travelers. With gorgeous beaches stretching for hundreds of kilometers to the highest peaks in the world, up in the Himalayan range, Pakistan has a lot to offer. Speak to travelers who are over 50 years of age now and they will tell you of a time when Pakistan was one of the top destinations on an adventurists list. There a still beaches, for example the French beach, that are named after their favourite visitors.
The issue in Pakistan is different than in India. Things started to change in the late 70's when Americans arrived to access the Afghan border (back when they were allies) to fight the Soviets. This was during the Colt War. Since it arrived, the American war machine has never left and Pakistan has got hit the worst - killing its economy, tourism, and autonomy.
To get back to your question, it is my opinion (an generally that of the educated classes of Pakistan) that it is to the interest of outside powers to keep the outside world, out of Pakistan. This allows them to maintain a negative image of Pakistan through "sensational" news reporting. Yes, Karachi and Quetta have their problems - there are often riots against the US bombing in the northern areas of Pakistan. However, the rest of the country is peaceful, warm, and welcoming.
My wife and I spent the better part of last year in Pakistan. We visited beaches in Karachi, enjoyed our honeymoon in the galiyaats up in the Himalayas, and soaked in the culture and history in Lahore. I even went on some exploration trips in to rural areas. Everywhere, we were welcomed and well taken care of.
As a traveler I feel we have the power to influence the narrative about the world. I choose to focus on stories like Makli that show the heart of a community. If more of us choose to take a risk or inspire each other to go further I feel we can change the narrative to peace.
I hope this answers your question to some extent. Please feel free to ask more.
Thank you for raising the question Matt.
It used be different. Pakistan used to be on the list of many travelers. With gorgeous beaches stretching for hundreds of kilometers to the highest peaks in the world, up in the Himalayan range, Pakistan has a lot to offer. Speak to travelers who are over 50 years of age now and they will tell you of a time when Pakistan was one of the top destinations on an adventurists list. There a still beaches, for example the French beach, that are named after their favourite visitors.
The issue in Pakistan is different than in India. Things started to change in the late 70's when Americans arrived to access the Afghan border (back when they were allies) to fight the Soviets. This was during the Colt War. Since it arrived, the American war machine has never left and Pakistan has got hit the worst - killing its economy, tourism, and autonomy.
To get back to your question, it is my opinion (an generally that of the educated classes of Pakistan) that it is to the interest of outside powers to keep the outside world, out of Pakistan. This allows them to maintain a negative image of Pakistan through "sensational" news reporting. Yes, Karachi and Quetta have their problems - there are often riots against the US bombing in the northern areas of Pakistan. However, the rest of the country is peaceful, warm, and welcoming.
My wife and I spent the better part of last year in Pakistan. We visited beaches in Karachi, enjoyed our honeymoon in the galiyaats up in the Himalayas, and soaked in the culture and history in Lahore. I even went on some exploration trips in to rural areas. Everywhere, we were welcomed and well taken care of.
As a traveler I feel we have the power to influence the narrative about the world. I choose to focus on stories like Makli that show the heart of a community. If more of us choose to take a risk or inspire each other to go further I feel we can change the narrative to peace.
I hope this answers your question to some extent. Please feel free to ask more.
If you've ever read a travel advisory on Pakistan, it is enough to deter many brave travelers. Still there are those who go there. Many foreigners who chose to choose to explore Pakistan come as international development workers. These folks are not bloggers and indie travel journalists. They share their stories through other channels that much of your audience may not know about or it is not as mainstream - for example development portals, voluntourism sites, etc.
I am making an effort to change that but it can be challenging at times. Still there are people like Danial Shah and Moin Khan ("A Different Agenda") who are more successful at sharing travel stories about Pakistan.
We should also keep in perspective that the travel industry has only started to boom in the past few years with a new wave of travelers exploring the world. Well established destinations, such as many European cities are the first to benefit but gradually travelers will forge their way to the road less traveled, as they have in the past. Perhaps my Makli article on BBC is just the beginning of Pakistan coming in to the spotlight once again.
Hello Anuradha. Pakistan and India really are the same country with same people, culture, traditions, and history. I wouldn't be surprised if Makli and Bada Bagh were built during the same period. The Samma who established the site at Makli were descendants of the Rajput clan.
You must visit Pakistan when you have the opportunity. I believe the Lahore-Amritsar road link is doing really well these days. Also, there's a rail link from Sindh to Gujrat which I've wanted to travel and hope to one day.
Hello Sonja. There are areas in Pakistan that travelers should avoid. Generally, those areas border with Afghanistan. Otherwise there's plenty to explore.
Pakistan is divided by 5 provinces - Sindh and Baluchistan in the south, KPK, Punjab, and Gilgit Baltistan which borders with China in the north. Each province is unique in culture, landscape, history. Each province even has its own language!
Travelers looking for isolated beaches stretching for miles, head to the south. Karachi, which is the largest city in Pakistan and easily accessible by air, is good starting point for a seaside vacation. You can also use it as a hub to visit some of the oldest Hindu and early Muslim sites in South Asia. A 30 minute flight and you can also visit the ruins of one of the oldest known civilization - Moenjodaro.
Looking for culture? Head straight to Lahore - the artistic and cultural capital of Pakistan. This major city was once a jewel in Moghul crown. Visitors can visit the many heritage buildings in Lahore including the Shalimar gardens that date back nearly 400 years!
Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is just 2 hours north of Lahore and is the gateway to the Himalayas. Islamabad is a modern city, with lots of green space, and is home to a large expat community. You can hire a car or bus to Muree and other beautiful hill stations from Islamabad within a couple of hours.
Gilgit Baltistan is probably one of the most beautiful areas in Pakistan (and the world). It is home to old Himalayan communities and 6 out the 10 tallest peaks in the world!
Whether you're looking to golf or play polo at the highest altitude possible in the world, explore the sea life under the Indian Ocean, paddle with the dolphins of the Indus, or explore the ruins of the some of the oldest civilizations in the world. Pakistan is a destination for you.
I've been based out of Romania the past year. The first half of this year I was centered in Sibiu in the very center of the country and heart of Transylvania. For anyone who's planning to visit Romania make sure Sibiu and surrounding areas are on you list!
I am sharing this piece by Gary Arndt because it brings to light a different side of a travelers life, which is usually hidden behind the lens that takes the photos, the key strokes that write the blog posts, and the honesty that's shadowed by our passion to keep on going.
It's almost hard to believe the number of landscapes packed in to such a tiny area.
My favourite take away from this article is:
"Pakistan was completely different. Everyone thought it was full of terrorists and very unfriendly, anti-American and anti-Canadian, so I thought that I’d have to be careful, but it turned out to be not the case at all.
I arrived there and everyone was super friendly: sometimes taxi drivers wouldn’t accept payment for the ride they’d given to me; the herders on the mountain just wanted to sit and share their bread with me and maybe I’d have a little bit of food – some sardines or something – to share with them. There’s good food and it’s relatively cheap – you could get a good hotel for about six bucks – a really good place for travellers. "
Read more: http://www.roughguides.com/article/mike-spencer-bown/#ixzz3SmTBO800
As someone who's travelled on nearly all the ME3's, US3's, and EU3's, I can comfortably say that it really feels that the Middle Eastern carriers really put some thought into their customer experience in comparison to their western counterparts. Obviously aircrafts and inflight experience matters but you can spot the differences as soon as you walk up to the check-in counter.
Just last month it happen that I was scheduled to fly with an EU carrier with my family. The experience went all wrong right at the check-in counter due to a employee (backed up with more employees lacking training in regulations pertaining to infants). We missed the flight and ended up purchasing last minute tickets with Emirates in order not to spoil a month-long itinerary and onward travel.
There was a huge difference in attitude from the start. Emirates staff took care of all the details and even provided a security escort (in Budapest) to get us to the gate in time. Even though it was last minute, we were given priority seating to ensure a comfortable flight with the baby. Everything was so good, I wondered why I didn't book with the airline to begin with (lesson learned!)
I really don't know (and don't care) about how airlines are subsidized but I really feel that attitude can not be bought. Hospitality is either a part of the airlines culture or it is not. For those airlines value their customers experiences it shows all the way through from the moment you purchase a ticket to the moment you get off at your destination.
If US and EU airlines spend as much care and money into building great Customer Experiences as they do in complaining and lobbying they would be a step closer in defeating the fierce competition that is out there.
Hi Sonja! Thanks for sharing our story of the kind Serbian man. You rock!!!