10 Things You Must Know Before Visiting Pakistan | Pakistan Travel Guide

There are many of you who are planning to visit Pakistan and they have many questions in their mind, to answer their questions I saw an American vlogger Mansoureh who just visited Pakistan. So, today I'm going to talk about what you need to know before traveling to Pakistan. Let me start with the most asked question

10 Things You Must Know Before Visiting Pakistan

Is Pakistan safe? 

I can only answer this question by saying I've never felt unsafe during my trip to Pakistan. Even though I've seen a lot of armed police checkpoints During our trip, we were only followed by armed police once at one of the attractions in Swat. We didn’t feel uncomfortable or threatened at all, but we were told it was for our own safety but keep in mind that travelling to Pakistan needs more research compared to other destinations you need to try to be smart when drafting your itinerary, not all areas in Pakistan are the same so you will need to be up-to-date about what is the current situation of the places you want to visit The majority of Pakistan is safe but it is wise to have a local guide with you when you are travelling around the country.

Getting a tourist visa for Pakistan

 The good news is getting a tourist visa for Pakistan is very easy for most nationalities right now citizens of 175 countries can apply online for a Pakistan visa The prices vary depending on the country you are from the process is pretty straightforward you should register on this website,

visa.nadra.gov.pk

Fill the online form, upload your documents and pay for your application we did exactly that but we very see us bring our passport to the High Commission of Pakistan in London in person they didn't keep any of our documents they just wanted to see the originals and a week later we were issued our visas via email. The short-term tourist visa is valid for 3 months and for a single entry and it allows you to stay in the country for up to 30 days.

Money in Pakistan

The currency in Pakistan is the Pakistani rupee you might not be able to exchange your currency into Pakistani rupees at home but don't worry about that you can do it in Pakistan easily you can exchange US dollars, Euros or British pounds in Islamabad Some of the ATMs in Pakistan they support visa and Mastercards but this is not the case for all of them especially when you are travelling to other parts of Pakistan Pakistan is mostly cash-based, so make sure you have a reasonable amount of cash with you when you're roaming around We have also experienced that some hotels and guest houses out of Islamabad don't accept cards so make sure you have cash with you.

Hotels and Accommodation in Pakistan

hotels and accommodation in Pakistan there are various types of accommodation in Pakistan depending on your budget you can choose where to stay, Generally speaking, Pakistan is a cheap country to visit. During our stay in Pakistan, We stayed in different types of accommodation from guesthouses to a luxury hotel with high security. We also stayed a couple of nights in a very local in Ayun you can also book your accommodation in Islamabad online but the situation is different outside of Islamabad when you try to search for hotels online in smaller cities, you will probably only have a few options Get help from some locals to book your accommodation Locals usually book hotels and guesthouses by calling in, and most likely, the prices will also be cheaper than the ones you see online.

What to Wear in Pakistan 

According to Pakistani laws, you can wear anything you want in the country but I wouldn't recommend you to do so Pakistan is an Islamic and conservative country so try to dress modestly. Pakistani men and women wear a traditional costume called Shalwar Kameez, which is basically a long shirt with loose trousers You will see a lot of women not covering their hair in Islamabad but the situation varies region by region In some areas, females not only cover their body and head, but they cover their faces too. I would recommend females to carry a shawl with you o you can cover your hair when necessary, especially when you are going to visit mosques or other religious attractions.

Food in Pakistan

Pakistani food is very delicious I must say we really enjoyed all the Pakistani dishes we've tried. Pakistani food can be spicy but not extremely spicy if you like me, don't have a strong stomach always ask for lesser spicy food. There is no pork in the country, but you can find other types of meat like chicken, fish lamb, beef and even goat all around Pakistan, unfortunately, most Pakistani dishes are not vegetarian friendly but you should be able to find some vegetarian options.

Be ready to feel like a celebrity

There aren't many foreign tourists in Pakistan because of this most Pakistani are not used to tourists they might stare at you, come to you for small talk, or even ask for a selfie, this is how they try to show their hospitality. People in Pakistan are very kind and friendly they want you to feel welcome and you will probably get invited for tea or sometimes even for dinner. If you don't like attracting the attention it might be a good idea to dress up like the locals I can't guarantee that you won't stand out but different clothing makes it obvious that you are not from the country.

Amazing landscapes and rough roads in Pakistan

Pakistan is home to some of the highest peaks in the world there are beautiful landscapes and amazing mountains all over the country but getting somewhere to go for a hike is not very convenient there aren't many motorways in the country the roads can be very rough and sometimes quite dangerous this is why travelling by car from one part of Pakistan to another can take hours and sometimes even days. Flying domestically could be an option but the number of daily flights is limited the price is usually quite high and flights get cancelled all the times due to bad weather.

Carry some toilet paper with you

Some of the public toilets in Pakistan don't provide toilet paper at all especially when you are on the road. Toilets at the airport and the malls do provide it but you should sometimes ask the cleaner to give it to you I would suggest carrying your own toilet paper or wipes just to be safe

Take your trash back with you

When you travel to rural areas in Pakistan you will see a lot of rubbish in the streets or even in nature including plastic bottles, plastic bags or other things. We also saw a group of young people has been cleaning up some areas but they were not sure what they were supposed to do with the pile of rubbish they collected. After talking to some locals we found that there isn't a proper disposal system in many areas in Pakistan. Some villages have to send their rubbish to the bigger cities which can cost them a lot. Of course, it won't be possible to clean and collect all the rubbish wherever you go but it will help if you can collect your own trash and take it back to Islamabad or even to your home if you want to go the extra mile.

I hope you enjoy your trip to Pakistan. What are your thoughts about this country, please tell us in the comments section. Don't forget to visit her channel Travel With Mansoureh and her blog


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