In the final twenty years, Pakistan’s tourism trade was fully upended because of journey security and safety considerations. But this Intrepid chief says instances are altering, notably for feminine travellers, and now’s the proper time to go to.
Before 9/11, Pakistan was having a second. Tourism within the area was on the rise, with travellers realising they may have a real ‘off the beaten track’ journey in a rustic that provided a wealthy and sophisticated historical past, jaw-dropping landscapes, and heat, welcoming individuals.
But after September 2001, journey to the area nearly stopped in a single day. People have been afraid of terrorism, safety points and political unrest. Pakistan turned a part of the world the place individuals – notably ladies – didn’t really feel secure visiting.
Fortunately that is beginning to change, thanks partially to ladies like Aneeqa Ali, an Intrepid tour chief and founding father of journey firm The Mad Hatters. Aneeqa launched The Mad Hatters in 2017 as a strategy to present travellers a few of Pakistan’s less-explored (and infinitely lovely) places.
Aneeqa, who’ll be heading up our new 2023 Pakistan expeditions, focuses on feminine empowerment, engagement and connection to neighborhood on all of her excursions. “If you look at Pakistan’s tourism industry – at the tour guides, transport operators, and hotel owners – it’s like a world of men,” she says. “I’ve faced these challenges firsthand, and thought ‘Why not be the change you want to see in the world?’. Starting up my own tour company could make it easier for other people – especially women – who want to see Pakistan too.”
While influencer tradition lately has made journey in Pakistan look fairly easy, that’s probably not the case. Visiting the area is not with out its complexities.
“Pakistan is a black hole on the internet. Even the most adventurous travellers who have been all over the world can’t find information online about how to travel within Pakistan,” Aneeqa says. “So when they come here, particularly women, they want to sign up for an organised tour, and they want to be with a female tour guide, because of the news they’ve heard about Pakistan.”
Aneeqa says that almost all of organised excursions in Pakistan have a tendency to not enterprise too far off the vacationer path, hitting up well-liked websites whereas steering away from smaller cities. “One thing that’s really missing is that connection with local communities, which is something I encourage on all of my tours,” she says.
As a Pakistani girl with deep connections to native communities, Aneeqa is proud to supply travellers a extra immersive expertise that different tour teams simply don’t get. She makes use of the instance of staying at conventional guesthouses and with households in an area homestay. “When we’re staying with local people in their homes, we’re doing the things that they do in their everyday lives. We can go into the kitchen and start cooking food with them,” she says. “If you’re staying in a hotel, you’re cut off from that. You’re not having that experience of how people in the community are living.”
The factor that surprises travellers most about Pakistan, in line with Aneeqa, is the surroundings. “After Nepal, Pakistan has the highest number of mountains over 8000 metres,” she says. “When you’re travelling down the Karakoram Highway, you’re surrounded by these towering peaks. People are just amazed by these incredible landscapes.”
The second factor that stands out is the nice and cozy hospitality travellers obtain. “I think that’s the thing that keeps people coming back, again and again,” says Aneeqa. “You could be walking down the street and suddenly you’re invited into someone’s home for a cup of tea or a meal. The people here are just so welcoming.”
Aneeqa is happy about taking Intrepid travellers on this yr’s model new expeditions by Pakistan, not solely to point out off her favorite components of the nation, however to help ladies in native communities. “Women don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to earning an income,” she says. “But on these trips, we visit local businesses where women make handicrafts from their homes, weave carpets, run cafes. And we’ll always go to the places that are run by locals. I want to make sure that all the money that is spent on these tours goes to the people who need it.”
Want to study extra about travelling to Pakistan? Check out our Pakistan journeys.