Pakistan travel
Hi, I just felt the need to post a brief account of what I have done in Pakistan. I am a solo rider with a British passport going from the UK to Nepal.
I spent three weeks driving through Iran and had an excellent time there, everybody very friendly.
I crossed into Pakistan at Taftan, on the 29th July and left at Wagah on the 1st September. In that month I have driven over 4000 MILES. I spent most of my time in the North driving from Lahore up the KKH to Gilgit. This I used as a base to go out to Scardu, Hushie and the Deosai plain. I then continued up the KKH to Karimabad then onto the Khunjerab pass, the border with China. Crossing the lake with my motorbike by boat Fantastic. Then from Gilgit I drove to Chitral going over the Shandur pass. Driving this way to Chitral you DON'T need an NOC permit, going from the other direction you do. Unfortunately I couldn't drive to visit the Kalash as the road had been washed away in two places, so had to walk and catch transport on the other side of the landslide. Then from Chitral down south and back to Lahore.
The point I am trying to make is that the whole time I have been in Pakistan I have received nothing but friendship, generousity and kindness. A lot of Pakistani people are really finding it Tough at the moment. The tourist industry has been hit really hard this year. In the Month that I was there I only met less than 12 Europeans, there are a few Japanese and Korean's. I am not telling everybody to drop everything and go to Pakistan, YES there are SECURITY issues, yes you do get ARMED ESCORTS in some places.May be I was lucky. All that I can say from my personal experience is that I really loved my time there and was sorry to leave.
Inshallah I will return.
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