We all know that Pakistan is full of archeological and scenic treasures. From the heavenly beauty of the north to the exotic history in Sindh, Pakistan has it all. With K2, Shangrila, Ansoo Lake, and other natural beauties in the north, and Mohonjedaro and Thatta in the south, there is something for everyone. However, there is one place that is not very well known to foreigners and Pakistanis alike, a
Pakistan is home to many wonderful places. One of these is the Changa Manga forest. It is believed to be one of the world’s largest man-planned and man-grown forests. Planted in 1890 by the then ruling British, its aim was to provide wood fuel for the railway steam engines. The forest is located close to Lahore around 70 Kilometers from the city and covers a massive 48.6 square kilometers, or
The Chotiari reservoir is a natural wonder in the middle of nowhere. According to WWF Pakistan, Chotiari consists of: 14 species of large mammals 19 species of small mammals 109 species of birds 58 species of amphibians and reptiles 53 species of freshwater fish In addition to being home to these species, Chotiari also has species that are on the endangered species list (in the IUCN Red list). This in
“And the gardens and the agreeable pavilions which had been erected about the grounds, which all vied with the heavens in grandeur, were now found suitable to the royal taste. In fact never before had a garden of such magnificent description been seen or heard of; for the buildings alone of this earthly Paradise had been erected at an outlay of six lakhs of rupees” (ibid., 298). One of the
Another magnificent structure from the Mughal era that still stands is the Rohtas fort, or Qila-e-Rohtas, as it is also known. The fort was ordered to be built in 1541 by Sher Sha Suri after he defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun. Sher Sha Suri built the fort at the strategic location of Rohtas. The fort lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the mountainous region of Afghanistan and the plains
‘Pakistan is this and Pakistan is that!’ ‘There is nothing to do in Pakistan other than just go visit relatives!’ That’s what we Pakistan-lovers usually get to hear from the haters! But that is just not true my friends. Pakistan is so much more than a place to go for just visiting relatives! Pakistan has places to see and things to do that are sure to amuse even the harshest
You have all heard of the Great Wall of China right? The wall built to protect Ancient Chinese borders. But have you heard of the Great Wall of Sindh or Dewar-e-Sindh? I am sure most Pakistanis haven’t. The Dewar-e-Sindh is known more commonly as the Ranikot fort. Its claim to fame is that it is even today the largest fort in the world! Yes, I did write ‘world’ and no,
One of the greatest and most exhilarating treks that one can undertake is the one to the K2 Base Camp and Concordia. The trek has scenery that takes your breath away and dangers that can take your life away, in a deadly second. Yes, this is no walk in the park. It is an extremely arduous and demanding trek, but the journey and sense of achievement upon completing it is
Located approximately 100 kilometers from Karachi lies another historical gem of Pakistan, called Makli. Makli is located close to Thatta, which used to be the capital of lower Sindh till the seventeenth century. Designated as a United Nations World Heritage site in 1981, Makli is one of the largest necropolises in the world. Measuring approximately 8 km in diameter, it holds the graves of approximately 125,000 rulers, Sufis and many
Pakistani or not, everyone has heard of Karachi nowadays. Karachi is in the news as often as Beirut was a few years back. Many folks are wary of going to Karachi and try avoiding it like the plague. If they do end up in Karachi, they are given strict instructions: Stay indoors and don’t go out too much! If you do need to go out, stay in the “good” areas