Planning to travel to Pakistan? If yes, then you won’t be disappointed. Pakistan is one of the best tourist locations in the world, courtesy of various visiting spots loaded with the beauty of nature. Over the years, so many foreigners who visited Pakistan for tourism left very positive feedback about the country’s beautiful sites.
This Pakistan travel guide article will make you aware of some of the major useful tips for traveling to Pakistan in 2022.
Things to Consider when traveling to Pakistan in 2022
Plan ahead
It’s common knowledge that before traveling anywhere, you should think about what may or may not happen during your travel. This is even more important in Pakistan’s case because a bit of laziness in bookings and reservations can cause unexpected delays. While traveling to Pakistan, you should have a proper plan about what would be your transport and accommodation in advance.
You can always book a local tour guide if you can’t plan the trip alone.
Learn some Urdu words
While so many people in Pakistan understand and talk English, if you learn a few words of Urdu, then local Pakistanis would be impressed and thus would treat you even better. Just learn a few common words such as “Salaam,” “Khuda Hafiz,” “Shukria,” etc.
Research culture
Pakistan’s culture is largely influenced by Islam, which is why you won’t find too much liberalism in the country. Things like public displays of affection and people wearing revealing clothes are something you would hardly see in Pakistan.
You must do thorough research on Pakistan’s culture and respect it by not doing things against it when in Pakistan.
Get to know the locals
Pakistanis are kind folks who enjoy having visitors around for meals and would take great pleasure in showing you around the city. They will take great care to make sure you are comfortable and may even insist on footing the bill for your meals or shopping excursions. If the level of adoration and consideration being shown to you as a visitor makes you uncomfortable, politely decline their invitations and offerings. They have a tradition of honoring visitors, and most of the time, they intend no offense.
Don’t be confused about hospitality
Hospitality is one of the common cultures across Pakistan. Pakistanis find great pleasure in showing hospitality to foreigners. The hospitality level of Pakistanis is so good that some shop owners offer products/services to foreigners free of cost.
This is a culture of Pakistan, so don’t take it as a suspicious act. If you don’t want that much kindness, just tell them politely that you want to be treated as local citizens of Pakistan.
Take photocopies of your documents to save time
In Pakistan, being a foreigner, you will be asked to submit copies of your documents at various check posts. Although there are many photocopy shops in Pakistan, it’s better to have copies of your documents in advance to save the time of locating photocopy shops and getting your documents copied in Pakistan.
Do weather research and pack bags accordingly
Different places in Pakistan have different weather. Before leaving, do thorough research about the weather of the place you’ll travel to in Pakistan, and then pack your garment bag accordingly.
Watch out for food
Generally, the food in Pakistan is very tasty but also spicy. There are many foreign cuisines in Pakistan. If you have a problem with spicy food, ask locals about foreign cuisines or research their locations on google.
Use internet packages of sims to connect with family back at home
The sim networks in Pakistan offer fast-speed internet. Get yourself a sim from one of the sim franchises and ask them to teach you how to activate internet packages. Once you have activated the internet package, download apps like WhatsApp, Skype, etc., and get in contact with your folks at home while traveling.
Is Pakistan safe for foreigners?
There was a time when many terrorist activities used to take place in Pakistan, but such isn’t for past years as Pakistan is a very safe country now. The safety level of Pakistan can be known by the fact that international cricket has resumed in Pakistan in past years. Foreigners usually want to travel to northern areas of Pakistan, which are very safe.
Pakistan’s ideal season for travel
Pakistan offers a wide variety of landscapes, from flat, sea-level deserts to 8,000-meter peaks, so every season will bring its unique challenges.
Winters are the finest season to travel to the country’s south, particularly Sindh province. Even though those areas lack the mountains for which Pakistan is known, they are the most religiously diverse in the country.
However, the majority of the mountains in northern Pakistan are completely impassable during the winter. The Karakoram Highway is still a viable route to reach the Northern Areas, but you won’t be able to visit any side valleys.
The greatest time of year to travel to the Northern Areas, especially if you enjoy mountain hiking.
Facts and cultural practices to know while visiting Pakistan
The official language is Urdu, which is similar to Hindi. However, each region has its own (or numerous) local dialects, which are very distinct. English is a common language among intelligent people, such as in India.
Pakistan is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse nations – from the South Asian-looking people of Punjab and Sindh to the people of the Pashtun regions, closer to Iran or Afghanistan; the paganism of the Kalash; the Shia from Gilgit and Nagar; the Ismailis of lower Hunza; and the Wakhis (and also Ismailis) of upper Hunza. Traveling around Pakistan is like traveling through several distinct small nations. It’s intriguing.
Remember that you are the guest: It is commonly believed that the most hospitable people may be found in Iran, Sudan, and Iraqi Kurdistan. Evidently, they haven’t been to Pakistan. While it’s true that these nations are quite welcoming, Pakistanis take it a step further. You are a visitor to this country. Thus the people here want you to have the finest experience possible while you are in their nation or area.
Food, beverages, and liquor
Food is too greasy because Pakistanis adore oil. Every meal, even the steamed rice that they invariably fry after, has copious amounts of it. Whenever you are in a restaurant, request half-fried food.
If you want to eat locally, be prepared to push your taste receptors to the maximum because Pakistani food is typically spicy. If you’re looking for milder choices, large cities offer a variety of foreign food. Never open a bottle of water that has been tightly sealed before drinking it.
It’s nearly dry – The province of Sindh and Islamabad both have liquor outlets. Alcohol is only sold on the illegal market throughout the remainder of the nation, although the majority of residents who drink can readily acquire it for you.
Be vigilant for your own safety
Although Pakistan is now much safer for tourists, it is still essential to make advance plans for the optimum times to visit particular locations or to avoid others. Pay attention to the police and villagers’ cautions. Avoid pickpockets by carrying your cash in two to three different pockets. A remote location where you could catch the notice of mobile snatchers is not a good place to be using your phone.
