Pakistan boasts of breathtaking mountains and valleys, picture-perfect architecture, scrumptious food and hospitable people. Highly underrated and often stereotyped as one of the most unsafe countries in the world, any foreigner who travels to the country is left amused and thrilled. Several travel bloggers from around the globe have toured Pakistan, from main cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad to the mountains of Gilgit, Hunza and Swat, and have shared pictures and vlogs detailing their experience. Needless to say, each one of them has gone back with a big smile on their face! Here is a list of globe-trotters who went back to their home countries with a piece of Pakistan in their hearts:
1. Rosie Gabrielle
This adventurous traveller solo-biked her way into the rugged mountains of Pakistan. Her explorations included the Deosai National Park, Rakaposhi, Skardu, Chitral, Shandur Top, Phander Valley and Katpana desert among others. She also visited Lahore and some parts of Sindh. Rosie has uploaded a string of pictures on Instagram from her solo trip. While some show her clad in shalwar kameez and ethnic jewellery, she can be seen dressed in warm winter attire in the others. Posting a clip from her trip on the photo-sharing platform, Rosie wrote, “In past videos I showed you the alluring charm of the south, the humble kind hospitable nature of the people across the country, and gave you a bit of a taste of the colorful culture. But this time- you will witness the grandeur of the land and the vast beauty of the north in this heart pumping, action filled short film. After completing 5000 kms across the south of Pakistan, I headed towards the north. Everyone told me how amazing and epic the north was, but no words, description, or even video could give me a reference to the actual beauty it held.”
She rode 6000 kms solo across the north, from the remote valleys of upper Hunza up to the Pak-China border. Summing up her route, Rosie wrote, “Traversing the infamous worlds second most dangerous road heading to Shimshal, and crossing the second highest plateau in the world, the Deosai plains. Spending nights under a million stars camping in the cold desert of Skardu. Hiking legendary peaks to Rakaposhi base camp and crossing the magnificent Shandur pass at 12,139 ft, circling down through Chitral, Kalash and Lastly Swat valley.” Talking about the video, she added, “Words cannot express the majestic beauty I discovered on this trip. And although this video covers a lot, you simply cannot capture it all, but I hope I did it a little bit of justice.”
Watch the full video here:
2. Travellight
Adventurer and storyteller Jordan Taylor visited Pakistan in 2019. While she was not in the country for too long, she “will never forget this place”. Uploading pictures from her trip on Instagram, she captioned one of them, “Alongside all of the magnificent things I have seen here in Pakistan so far, all the many people that I have met have definitely been the highlight. I will never forget this place, I hope that someday soon I can visit and stay longer.” But most of all, it was the people she fell in love with! Posting a picture of an old woman sewing, Jordan penned, “I arrived in Pakistan nearly a week ago, and ever since it’s been a whirlwind of magnificent settings, the most generous and welcoming people you could ever meet, sweeping landscapes, and weaving alleyways through colorful markets. I have so much more to say about Pakistan so far – about the amazing people, about the delicious food and the never-ending supply of tea, about the feeling of being an explorer in the ruins of deeply ancient kingdoms.” She travelled to Karachi, Lahore and Swat.
Titled Road to Swat, watch the full video of her excursion here:
3. Indigo Traveller
Nick’s trip to Pakistan this year was one of a kind! From camel rides to the busy markets and street food, he explored the many places that truly make Karachi what it is. “It is such an honour to have been able to travel Pakistan just 1-2 weeks before the global lockdown started. If there is no travelling for a while, I’m happy that Pakistan was the country that will be my last trip until further notice,” he wrote on his Instagram, which is filled with stunning shots he captured of the city and its people along the way. In a nutshell, Nick described Pakistan to be a place with “smiling faces and a multitude of colours in every direction.” Upon his visit to Islamabad, he was impressed with the infrastructure, minimal traffic, freshly paved roads and an advanced public transport system. He also went on a 24-hour-long train journey across the country.
Watch his full video on Pakistan here:
4. Josh Cahill
He visited the country in September last year. From his great experience, while flying PIA to the different places he visited in the country, Josh hopes to return to Pakistan once again. “My flight on @pakistanintairlines was definitely a once in a lifetime experience – the flight turned out to be an absolute adventure with a lot of highlights. I don’t want to give away too much but this review is gonna be lit,” the vlogger wrote in a post on Instagram. To his surprise, he was even invited for an interview for a local channel. Detailing his journey, he compiled a video titled ‘An Unexpected Trip Of A Lifetime’.
Watch the full video here:
5. Bhai Gagandeep Singh
He travelled by train to Pakistan alongside his family members in 2018. In a vlog featuring many episodes, Bhai Gagandeep broke down his trip to the country, starting of from the food places they ate at to exploring the city of Jacobabad, which is home to many Hindu and Sikh people.
Watch some of the videos from his trip to Pakistan here:
6. Dana Wang
She came to Pakistan for a few weeks and went back having learnt some cute Urdu words. Posting an image of the famous Badshahi mosque at old Lahore, she wrote, “The architecture is bohat khoobsurat.” Dana also visited Islamabad, Bahawalpur and Chitral. Uploading a picture of a sweet shop in Chitral, she captioned it, “There was a variety of flavoured gulab jamun and other sweets which I don’t know the name of. The dukandar was incredibly welcoming and friendly that they insisted to give me a few of their sweets to try.”
Titled Welcome To Pakistan, Winter in Hunza, watch her full video here:
Foreign Vloggers Who Visited Pakistan And Fell In Love With Its Beauty, Food and People
7. Eva Zu Beck
Last but not the least, Poland-based Eva has become a popular vlogger in Pakistan. She travelled Pakistan far and wide through the course of one year and believes the country can become the number one tourism destination in the world. Eva also laid down the reasons in her YouTube video titled ‘Why Pakistan Can Become The #1 Travel Destination In the World’. In the five-minute-long clip, she shared, “Starting off from the mountains, one of the greatest assets that nature has bestowed on this country.” She then went to talk about the picturesque ski slopes in the country, reinstating Pakistan is home to eight of the world’s 20 tallest mountains. “This should be the epicentre of the world’s trekking, adventure and mountain tourism,” Eva stated in the clip.
During her trip to Pakistan, she covered almost every city in the north, south, east and west. “The diversity from province to province is astonishing,” she mentioned, questioning, “Why can’t these places become the world’s top culinary hubs for foodie tourism.”
Watch the full video here:
