Discussion
I spent a month around Lahore, Faisalabad & the countryside in between a few years ago. I’ve been to some pretty grim places but my experience of Pakistan blows the rest of them out of the water. A truly horrible place and I cannot think of one redeeming feature of that trip. It’s filthy and felt pretty dangerous at times.
MarkJS said:
I spent a month around Lahore, Faisalabad & the countryside in between a few years ago. I ve been to some pretty grim places but my experience of Pakistan blows the rest of them out of the water. A truly horrible place and I cannot think of one redeeming feature of that trip. It s filthy and felt pretty dangerous at times.
It s not all like that though - I ve seen a few motorcycle travel videos where they re travelling through the north - it s proper dirt bike riding, but the scenery puts Switzerland to shame, lovely smiling, friendly people, ladies in colourful traditional clothing (no burqas or scarves etc, no screaming islamics). It looked another world compared with the s
t hole you expect, and that they re trying to turn places over here into. Matt.. said:
This would be almost entirely up north in the mountains.
There's quite a few Tour Companies which do group expeditions depending on how far north you go. I'd strongly recommend going with an Agency rather than trying to DIY so that you avoid the aholes wanting bribes (this is endemic). Generally speaking it's very safe and it will gets after the further north you go. Countdown said:
There's quite a few Tour Companies which do group expeditions depending on how far north you go. I'd strongly recommend going with an Agency rather than trying to DIY so that you avoid the aholes wanting bribes (this is endemic). Generally speaking it's very safe and it will gets after the further north you go.
I think it's likely to get booked with a local agency and it would be a group of us.holes wanting bribes (this is endemic). Generally speaking it's very safe and it will gets after the further north you go. Dog Star said:
MarkJS said:
I spent a month around Lahore, Faisalabad & the countryside in between a few years ago. I ve been to some pretty grim places but my experience of Pakistan blows the rest of them out of the water. A truly horrible place and I cannot think of one redeeming feature of that trip. It s filthy and felt pretty dangerous at times.
It s not all like that though - I ve seen a few motorcycle travel videos where they re travelling through the north - it s proper dirt bike riding, but the scenery puts Switzerland to shame, lovely smiling, friendly people, ladies in colourful traditional clothing (no burqas or scarves etc, no screaming islamics). It looked another world compared with the st hole you expect, and that they re trying to turn places over here into. Dog Star said:
the scenery puts Switzerland to shame
Got to be the exaggeration of the week. 
Countdown said:
MarkJS said:
Got to be the exaggeration of the week. I travelled last year. I wrote about it on here - see travelling the NorthWest Frontier. Back then MarkJS tramped all over my topic without adding anything useful. But always needed to get the last word!
Go there with an open mind. The Northwest Frontier is fantastic. Can’t talk about elsewhere. But in the NWFP, the scenery, the pace of life, the traffic, the food, the sheer number of people, the smog, the state of the roads, the noises. The rawness of everything. A mass of humanity trying to eke out an existence.
Get yourself some proper digs - I stayed at the Rezidor in Peshawar. Check the reviews on the net. They are stoopidly cheap. I really liked it. Very comfortable. Close to the airport. They try to deliver western style comforts but sometimes comically eg they have no idea of a meal for 1 or what coffee is as it’s a tea drinking country. I ordered room service - a plate of creamy garlic pasta and got a family portion in a pot, no cutlery. At the restaurant next door (Shiraz) I and a colleague ordered Karahi Chicken and got enough for a group of 7. No such thing as a table for 1. Superb fresh food, very cheap but far too much.
Easiest way to get around if you’re not comfortable navigating taxis and the Govt owned HBR coach is a car & driver. I had no problems with the street food. There are Maccy D’s type fast food joints, Pizza Huts and supermarkets but I preferred the street food where the food and (naan) bread was cooked in front of you and piping hot.
Have a great time. Don’t be frightened of stepping out of your comfort zone. They love foreigners. Go to the bazaars. Your money will go a long way in that country so enjoy yourself
Go there with an open mind. The Northwest Frontier is fantastic. Can’t talk about elsewhere. But in the NWFP, the scenery, the pace of life, the traffic, the food, the sheer number of people, the smog, the state of the roads, the noises. The rawness of everything. A mass of humanity trying to eke out an existence.
Get yourself some proper digs - I stayed at the Rezidor in Peshawar. Check the reviews on the net. They are stoopidly cheap. I really liked it. Very comfortable. Close to the airport. They try to deliver western style comforts but sometimes comically eg they have no idea of a meal for 1 or what coffee is as it’s a tea drinking country. I ordered room service - a plate of creamy garlic pasta and got a family portion in a pot, no cutlery. At the restaurant next door (Shiraz) I and a colleague ordered Karahi Chicken and got enough for a group of 7. No such thing as a table for 1. Superb fresh food, very cheap but far too much.
Easiest way to get around if you’re not comfortable navigating taxis and the Govt owned HBR coach is a car & driver. I had no problems with the street food. There are Maccy D’s type fast food joints, Pizza Huts and supermarkets but I preferred the street food where the food and (naan) bread was cooked in front of you and piping hot.
Have a great time. Don’t be frightened of stepping out of your comfort zone. They love foreigners. Go to the bazaars. Your money will go a long way in that country so enjoy yourself
Faz-n8om6 said:
I travelled last year. I wrote about it on here - see travelling the NorthWest Frontier. Back then MarkJS tramped all over my topic without adding anything useful. But always needed to get the last word!
Go there with an open mind. The Northwest Frontier is fantastic. Can t talk about elsewhere. But in the NWFP, the scenery, the pace of life, the traffic, the food, the sheer number of people, the smog, the state of the roads, the noises. The rawness of everything. A mass of humanity trying to eke out an existence.
Get yourself some proper digs - I stayed at the Rezidor in Peshawar. Check the reviews on the net. They are stoopidly cheap. I really liked it. Very comfortable. Close to the airport. They try to deliver western style comforts but sometimes comically eg they have no idea of a meal for 1 or what coffee is as it s a tea drinking country. I ordered room service - a plate of creamy garlic pasta and got a family portion in a pot, no cutlery. At the restaurant next door (Shiraz) I and a colleague ordered Karahi Chicken and got enough for a group of 7. No such thing as a table for 1. Superb fresh food, very cheap but far too much.
Easiest way to get around if you re not comfortable navigating taxis and the Govt owned HBR coach is a car & driver. I had no problems with the street food. There are Maccy D s type fast food joints, Pizza Huts and supermarkets but I preferred the street food where the food and (naan) bread was cooked in front of you and piping hot.
Have a great time. Don t be frightened of stepping out of your comfort zone. They love foreigners. Go to the bazaars. Your money will go a long way in that country so enjoy yourself
I must admit that it is not an area of the world that would be on my bucket list - I'm more of an Africa hand. However, you have obviously enjoyed your trip, and I've read your interesting thread. Have you got any photos as I'd love to see them - especially the regimental badges.Go there with an open mind. The Northwest Frontier is fantastic. Can t talk about elsewhere. But in the NWFP, the scenery, the pace of life, the traffic, the food, the sheer number of people, the smog, the state of the roads, the noises. The rawness of everything. A mass of humanity trying to eke out an existence.
Get yourself some proper digs - I stayed at the Rezidor in Peshawar. Check the reviews on the net. They are stoopidly cheap. I really liked it. Very comfortable. Close to the airport. They try to deliver western style comforts but sometimes comically eg they have no idea of a meal for 1 or what coffee is as it s a tea drinking country. I ordered room service - a plate of creamy garlic pasta and got a family portion in a pot, no cutlery. At the restaurant next door (Shiraz) I and a colleague ordered Karahi Chicken and got enough for a group of 7. No such thing as a table for 1. Superb fresh food, very cheap but far too much.
Easiest way to get around if you re not comfortable navigating taxis and the Govt owned HBR coach is a car & driver. I had no problems with the street food. There are Maccy D s type fast food joints, Pizza Huts and supermarkets but I preferred the street food where the food and (naan) bread was cooked in front of you and piping hot.
Have a great time. Don t be frightened of stepping out of your comfort zone. They love foreigners. Go to the bazaars. Your money will go a long way in that country so enjoy yourself
Photos were on my old phone but when I dropped it and cracked the screen I couldn’t access the menus to get the photos off.
I’ve been lucky to have travelled to some places in Africa. But not enough! I love the continent. Spent short periods in various countries. Different vibe. Slower pace of life. Women are part and parcel of everything not invisible. Apart from Nigeria, the countries I’ve been to in Africa are less populated. But loved everywhere I’ve been - to see different things, different people, cultures, climate, vegetation, peoples ingenuity.
I watched a bloke in a canoe illegally fishing in a dam in Ghana spearing a large fish and single-handedly manoeuvre his canoe and bring in the fish was awesome.
Seen a bloke surrounded by barb wire to stop people coming in and hacking him to death in Kenya. In his hands was a single black bag with all his worldly possessions.
Seen these mahoosive greenhouses in Kenya where they grow flowers for the West. The workers lived in houses one side of the road and worked in the greenhouses the other side. And thought how their world was that small bit - 2 sides of a road.. and how lucky I was to be able to see so many parts of the world.
There’s beauty and things to learn everywhere…..if you want to.
I’ve been lucky to have travelled to some places in Africa. But not enough! I love the continent. Spent short periods in various countries. Different vibe. Slower pace of life. Women are part and parcel of everything not invisible. Apart from Nigeria, the countries I’ve been to in Africa are less populated. But loved everywhere I’ve been - to see different things, different people, cultures, climate, vegetation, peoples ingenuity.
I watched a bloke in a canoe illegally fishing in a dam in Ghana spearing a large fish and single-handedly manoeuvre his canoe and bring in the fish was awesome.
Seen a bloke surrounded by barb wire to stop people coming in and hacking him to death in Kenya. In his hands was a single black bag with all his worldly possessions.
Seen these mahoosive greenhouses in Kenya where they grow flowers for the West. The workers lived in houses one side of the road and worked in the greenhouses the other side. And thought how their world was that small bit - 2 sides of a road.. and how lucky I was to be able to see so many parts of the world.
There’s beauty and things to learn everywhere…..if you want to.
Faz-n8om6 said:
Seen a bloke surrounded by barb wire to stop people coming in and hacking him to death in Kenya. In his hands was a single black bag with all his worldly possessions.
There s beauty and things to learn everywhere ..if you want to.
Sounds barbaric and not especially beautiful.There s beauty and things to learn everywhere ..if you want to.
bennno said:
Faz-n8om6 said:
Seen a bloke surrounded by barb wire to stop people coming in and hacking him to death in Kenya. In his hands was a single black bag with all his worldly possessions.
There s beauty and things to learn everywhere ..if you want to.
Sounds barbaric and not especially beautiful.There s beauty and things to learn everywhere ..if you want to.
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