Travel Tips From a British Girl Who Came to Pakistan for Backpacking

By Isla Oliver

If you have decided to visit Pakistan, don’t lend your ears to what the media is beating drum for. In fact, the truth is far more different.

Pakistan is a beautiful place with rich culture, worthwhile traditions, and hospitable people. People out there are super friendly and don’t forget they are listed among the happiest nations in the world. They will make you laugh and make sure you feel right at home throughout your stay.

Be that as it may, in order to travel safely and comfortably, consider these tips with a fine tooth comb and get yourself a tremendous tour of this incredible country. Off you go!

Entry Requirements

If you are backpacking to Pakistan, you have to follow standard rules and procedures. What you will be needing are a Visa, a valid passport and a return ticket and that’s that.

Do watch out for any extra requirements for your country from the Pakistani embassy inside your country. Once you have gone through the entry requirements, you are ready to take off.

Packing Your Bag

Packing is the most important thing you need to carefully give a once-over. Pack all the clothes and necessary items you will be needing on the trip. For this case, don’t overpack as you might have heard the Spanish proverb “On long journeys, even a straw weighs heavy”, so consider applying it.

Don’t forget to pack your toothbrush and sunblock cream as there is intense sunshine in the summers. But what if you need to bring gifts for your friends out there? Alright, if you have excess baggage with you that’s more than the limit allowed by your airline, you can get the services from a well-reputed cargo service from the UK to Pakistan. There you go!

Make Several Photocopies of Your Passport

Now, this is the most important thing you need to keep a close eye on. Make multiple photocopies of all your documents like passport, visa, and other traveling documents. You will be asked several times to get your documents checked and submitted at police posts if you are traveling to Northern areas especially. Just make 30 plus photocopies of your visa and passport if you are planning to visit the Northern areas. Yes, you heard it right, I kid you not. 30 copies.

Be Aware Of Frauds and Pick Pockets

Don’t travel with plenty of cash on you. With that, don’t throw much money to beggars as the scammers and pickpockets can easily smell their prey. Just keeping enough cash on you will get the job done.

One more thing, keep the cash in different places on your body so that in case you lose the money from one place, you can find from the other. It is recommended not to accept a free ride from the person you are unaware of.

Use Public Transport

Always use public transport while traveling inside Pakistan as it’s safe and inexpensive. Pakistan offers a broad and diverse transportation system. Getting inside and around Pakistan is super easy. There’re airlines, trains, buses, autos, taxis; I mean everything is just right there, bang on! If you ask me, use public transport instead of hiring a taxi because it’s very expensive and the driver may hide his identity in order to make extra money by taking you to an unknown place.

If you want to save a few more bucks, then choose the train instead of buses. Be that as it may, that does not go for Northern areas. The main source of transportation in hilly areas is a four-wheeler jeep and you have to hire it. Still, traveling around Pakistan is very much trouble free and cheap.

Staying Healthy In Pakistan

Cuisines in Pakistan are considered one of the most liked ones around the world. The food is pretty similar to that of India. That means you will be soaked up in a spice-packed world. Chicken Biryanis, tikkas and jalebis; whoa. All these dishes will mesmerize you completely, for sure. Just try each and every dish of Pakistani cuisine and you would love it. Be that as it may, always eat freshly cooked food. Don’t eat food from the places open to flies and dirt. Added to that, always drink bottled water and avoid drinking tap water even if it looks clean.

Before planning your trip to Pakistan, pay a visit to your doctor and tell them about your visit and period of stay. Plus, ask for vaccination and proper medication, if required. That’s how you will be taking good care of your health in Pakistan.

Dress Modestly

You need to dress modestly while visiting Pakistan. In big cities like Lahore and Islamabad, you can wear whatever you want but we recommend to dress adequately. It’s a good idea to look like locals so consider wearing dresses as locals do especially if you are a female backpacker. People do stare in Pakistan, well, the truth hurts. To win yourself a comfortable and exciting tour of Pakistan, dress moderately. Straight after that, Pakistan is the country with a rich culture and religious beliefs.

 

Covering all your body parts and wearing a scarf over your head while visiting mosques, shrines, and holy places is mandatory, in case you are a female tourist. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Make Photos of All the Places You Visit

Don’t forget to pack your camera while arranging your traveling bag. A camera will help you create a record of all the special and exciting moments you will spend in Pakistan. You will be finding a bunch of beautiful places such as hill stations, waterfalls, snow falls and holy places, so why not capture them in your camera? That’s right in the blockhole.

Straight after that, get your family and friends traditional gifts from Pakistan. There are a lot of items you can take back home from Pakistan. The most famous of these are dry fruits, handicrafts, sweets, pottery crafts, and traditional dresses and caps.

So, the land of colorful and rich culture & picturesque mountains is calling you right away, off you go!