In This Blog I Will Show You The Most Interesting Places Of Pakistan By Adventure, Conventional, Religious and Archaeological tourism.

Pakistan with the world's oldest civilization, exotic mountain beauty and splendid seasonal variety has immense tourist potential. The scared religious places which is spread throughout the country Makes Pakistan an attractive place for different peoples and religions.

DIVERSE COLOURS OF TOURISM

Adventure Tourism (Sightseeing)

With a landscape blessed with the mightiest mountain ranges, snaking rivers of incredible speed and grand valleys, Pakistan is the ultimate destination for adventure travel. From glacier trekking and mountaineering to rock climbing and rafting,there are plenty of ways for thrill seekers to get their adrenaline fix. Some adventurous travels in Pakistan are:

1. Mountaineering expeditions Skiing

2. White water rafting,canoeing and kayaking

3. Rock Climbing

4. Trekking

5. Cycling from KKH Hunza to China

Conventional Tourism (Festivals, Sports, Traditions):

Sibi Festival:(February)

At Sibi (Balochistan ). Traditional sports, handicrafts exhibition, folk music and dances.

Sindh Horse & Cattle Show:(February) 

At Jacobabad (Sindh). Similar activities as in Sibi Festival.

Jashan-e-Larkana:

(February) At Larkana (Sindh). Traditional sports, exhibition of handicrafts, folk music and dances.

Basant:

With the advent of spring Basant Festival is celebrated with pomp and show in mid-February every year in Lahore. In other words this is the spring festival.

Nauroze:(March)

Celebrated only in Gilgit , Hunza, Skardu and Chitral. Polo,foot-ball,volley-ball and hockey matches, folk dances and music.

Mela Chiraghan (Festival of lamps):

(Last week of March) Held for 01 week outside Shalimar Gardens,Lahore.

Horse & Cattle Show: (End of March till 1st week of April)

. At Dera Ismail Khan. Local games, folk dances, music, cattle races and exhibition of local handicrafts.

Jashan-e-Shikarpur:(In April for 01 week)

 At Shikarpur, Sindh. Cultural activities, local sports and handicrafts exhibition.

Joshi or Chilimjusht :(14-15 May) 

Kalash festival of welcoming spring, held in Kalash Valleys near Chitral. Folk dances, music and exchange of dishes.

  Shandur Polo Festival:

Traditional polo tournament between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit is being held on the highest polo ground of the world - The Shandur Pass (Chitral district). Allied activities include fold music, folk dances and other competitions.

Utchal: (15-16 July)

A harvest festival, celebrated by Kalash people in Kalash Valleys,Chitral.

Phool:(20-25 September) 

Held in Kalash Valleys near Chitral.Reaping grapes and walnuts,dancing and singing.

Lok Mela:(1st week of October, for one week) 

Folk Festival held at Islamabad. Folk Music, songs, music contests, folk dances, craftsmen at work, exhibition and sale of handicrafts. The festival presents a unique opportunity to watch the culture and craft of the whole country at one place.

Chowmas:(18-21 October)

:Held in Kalash Valleys near Chitral. Welcoming of winter with first snow-fall.

Karakoram Car Rally:A colorful closing/award giving ceremony was held in Hunza Valley. Prizes, shields, certificates were distributed among the ralliers. SAF-International Karakoram Car Rally was also planned for year 2001, but it was postponed. International Karakoram Car Rally has been proposed to be held during the month of November in 2002 as part of the International Year of Mountains celebrations

Religious Tourism:

Pakistan is an especially important site for both Sikh and Buddhist tourists. At one point,Punjab was the centre of the only Sikh empire in history. Nankana Sahib,the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak, is one of the holiest sites for Sikhs, with the potential to attract as many pilgrims as the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Yet, barely 6,000 Indian Sikhs visit Pakistan, in contrast to over 50 million that visit the Golden Temple-just 120 kilometres away from Nankana Sahab-each year.

  Nankana Sahib: 

Pakistan's Gandhara region comprising Mardan, Taxila and Swat holds a special place for them. Korean Buddhists in particular trace their religious origin to the area that is now Pakistan,where Korean monk Hyecho travelled 1,300 years ago.

Just recently, a 48-feet-long Buddha was also unearthed in Haripur, making it the world's oldest sleeping Buddha statue. Takht-i-Bahi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the sites in northern Punjab alone have the potential to attract a major proportion of the 50 million Mahayana Buddhists in Korea,China and Japan.

A 2016 Gallup survey of the Buddhist population across a selected pool of countries identified 58 million “interested visitors” of which 5pc (2.9 million) were “likely to visit”Pakistan

Archaeological Tourism:

Pakistan possesses remains of several ancient civilizations. The most famous is Indus Valley Civilization which dates to 3,000 BC. However, due to investigations I Balouchistan the remains of Mehergarh have stretched the antiquity even further back in time to 5,000 BC.The most famous sites of Indus Valley Civilization are Moenjoaro (Sindh) and Harrappa (Punjab).

The other famous ancient sites are evidence of Buddhist civilization that flourished in this land. There are several of them and are found in the northern part of Pakistan.They are situated in Taxila (Punjab) and Takht-e-Bahi(NWFP).

 

PEAKS

Pakistan is home to 108 peaks above 7,000 metres and probably as many peaks above 6,000 m. There is no count of the peaks above 5,000 and 4,000 m. Five of the 14 highest independent peaks in the world are in Pakistan (four of which lie in the surroundings of Concordia; the confluence of Baltoro Glacier and Godwin Austen Glacier).

K2( Karakoram 2)

·K2 also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori, at 8,611 metres(28,251 ft) above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft). It is located on the China-Pakistan border between Baltistan in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang,China.K2 is the highest point of the Karakoram range and the highest point in both Pakistan and Xinjiang.

  

Broad Peak

·Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,047 metres (26,401 ft) above sea level. The literal translation of "Broad Peak" to Falchan Kangri is not used among the Balti people. The English name was introduced in 1892 by the British explorer Martin Conway, in reference to the similarly named Breithorn.

  Gasherbrum I:

·Gasherbrum I surveyed as K5 and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at 8,080 metres (26,510 ft) above sea level. It is located on the Pakistan-Chinese border and Xinjiang region of China. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya. Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean "Shining Wall", presumably are reference to the highly visible face of the neighboring peak Gasherbrum IV; but in fact it comes from"rgasha" (beautiful) + "brum" (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means "beautiful mountain."

  Gasherbrum II

·Gasherbrum II surveyed as K4, is the 13th highest mountain in the world at 8,035 metres(26,362 ft) above sea level. It is the third-highest peak of the Gasherbrum massif, and is located in the Karakorum, on the border between Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan,and Xinjiang, China. The mountain was first climbed on July 7, 1956, by an Austrian expedition which included Fritz Moravec, Josef Larch,and Hans Willen part.

  FESTIVALS

Desert Safari Jeep Rally

·Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally started back in 2005. The event portrays a softer and positive image of Pakistan abroad. The rally covers three districts of Punjab including Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur. The prime objective to hold this event in the majestic desert of Cholistan is to show outside world its history and rich culture.

Mango Festival Mirpurkhas

·The annual three-day National Mango Fruit Festival held at Mirpurkhas every year. In the festival mangoes from more than 400 orchards of Sindh are displayed. The district is known for its mangoes in the world and has been organizing Mango Festival for the past 54 years. Mango is the King of all fruits whose production is higher in Sindh than other provinces. The main purpose of festival is to promote the local production.

  Sibi Mela

·Sibi lies 163 Kms. - 3 hrs. drive to the South East of Quetta at the mouth of the famous “Bolan Pass”. Sibi is famous for SIBI MELA,where tribesmen flock from all over Baluchistan, parts of Sind and Punjab with their animals. The salient features of this “Mela” are horse and cattle and cultural shows, tent pegging,camel races, animal markets and exhibitions of handicrafts, tribal dresses and folk dances.

Shandur Polo Festival

·Passion for Polo will be the highest on the world's highest Polo ground. Every year,Shandur (3,734 meters) invites visitors to experience a traditional polo tournament between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit from 7th to 9th July. The festival also includes folk music, folk dance, traditional sports and a camping village is be set up on the Pass. The version of game played at Shandur Top has attained legendary status.

 PAKISTANI CUISINE

Pakistani National Cuisine is the inheritor of Muslim Culinary Traditions and known for having aromatic and sometimes spicy flavors. Pakistani Cuisine is divide into wider range of Regional Cuisine. i.e. Punjabi Cuisine,Sindhi Cuisine,Pakhtun Cuisine, Balochi Cuisine, Hunza Diet, Kashmiri Cuisine and Balti Food.

RICH REGIONS OF PAKISTAN

Punjab

·Punjab is Pakistan's second largest province by area, and it is the most populated province, with rich culture & history.

Sindh

·Sindh is in the southeast of the country, and the historical home of the Sindhi people.Sindh has Pakistan's second largest economy,while its provincial capital Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and financial hub.

Khyber Pakhtun Khwa

·Beautiful province is located in the northwestern region of the country along the international border with Afghanistan.

Balochistan

·It is the largest province in terms of land area,forming the southwestern region of the country, but is the least populated. Its provincial capital and largest city is Quetta.