Housing tranquility and beauty are the main highlights of the Northern areas of Pakistan, especially when witnessing elongated fjords and mountain plateaus. Be it Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir or Naran Kaghan; our Country is blessed with natural beauty.
Nonetheless, is knowing all this enough for packing a suitcase and hitting the road?
Nah! I thought right.
Before you ‘bundle up’ with numerous layers of clothing and look like a sleeping bag with legs for your trip up north with friends or family, here are a few tips you should definitely roll up your sleeve for adding the ideal feather in your traveling cap!
Packing the Basics:
Packing bare essentials is necessary, as is for any recreational trip. Your preferred toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, etc. (you get the drift!). More so, because you might not find the most branded products stacked up in local grocery shops.
You might also want to pack:
- Moisturizers and S PFS – Goodbye skin problems.
- Phone power bank – Your smartphone will be at work!
- First-aid kit – for emergencies.
- Dry shampoo – hate to bathe daily!
- Umbrellas – for beating the spoilers: rain/ snowfall.
- Woolen – pretty obvious, right?
However, when Northern areas in Pakistan are concerned, cramming your suitcase with numerous warm clothing is imperative. Surviving the chills without layering yourself with adequate clothing is not possible!
Being ‘Cash Smart’ is the key!
Who doesn’t have enough money to chop when the need arises on vacation? Nevertheless, having sufficient money is not enough!
Play it smart by not only having a decent amount of cash in hand but also by storing it in different places instead of one – your wallet! Also, know that ATMs are not readily available everywhere. You might want to set your cash-in-hand budget accordingly.
Be Prepared to Communicate and Connect
While at first, you might find the Northerners hostile and unfriendly, mainly because they will stare and check you out from head to toe; believe me, this is not the case.
The Northern residents are very sweet, welcoming, and they will love talking to you – they will even take pictures with you for fun! And in case they really like you, they will even invite you to their house for a nice cup of tea!
So don’t worry. Just start a conversation and thank us later for connecting with the locals and enjoying their mouth-watering local delicacies – for free…!
Charsi Tikka and Namkeen Karahi are the ‘BOMB’!
Visiting the North and not indulging in scrumptious local delicacies is a shame. If you haven’t tried Charsi Tikka yet, you haven’t tasted desiness! The special KPK gourmet includes Charsi Tikka ‘out of this world BBQ dish’.
Oh, and yes! If your taste buds can tolerate the piquancy of spices, you should definitely try local Karahis.
Passu Glacier Breeze restaurant and Café De Hunza are great picks.
Enjoy Chilled Drinks in the natural freezer!
Simply place your drinks (water bottles and carbonated drinks) in the freezing snow beneath yourself for a few minutes to enjoy a refrigerated beverage within a jiffy!
Trust me, doing this will bring out the child from within!
Wild Life Photography: Check!
You will come across animals; especially cattle blocking your cars on the road and this will be a sight for sore eyes!
Alpine Markhors will be seen grazing the grass here and there and hopefully; you won’t come across any snow leopards and Sind Kraits!
Incredible Abshar Restaurants
Experiencing the beautiful Abshar (waterfall) restaurants is so remarkable as to elicit disbelief – truly!
A must DO on top of your travel itinerary should be visiting one of the waterfall restaurants, not only because of the beautiful sight but also because of the mouthwatering treats it will offer.
Garam Parathay, Chai and Pakorey; a meal you will cherish for the rest of your life. And yes, let’s not forget freshly caught and cooked river fish in desi masala!!!
Abshar Café Kiwai is a great place.
Avoid traveling alone!
If you are planning an adventurous trip, one which involves trekking and hiking; our advice to you: do NOT travel alone.
Not only are the Northern Areas in Pakistan vastly spread out, but getting stranded on an unknown location without any phone signals can be very daunting.
Try planning a trip with friends or maybe with travel agencies. (Some Travel agencies have amazing 14 days, budget-friendly guided tours)