I mean it in the sweetest way possible but … seriously, what is wrong with Pakistanis!?!? Before you hate on me, please know that I love Pakistan. I have spent over two years travelling & working here (I’m in Islamabad now, my 3rd time in Pakistan) and I have a company there. But I HAVE SOME FEEDBACK borne out of honest frustration.
As a liberal Californian, you might have some ideas brewing but I promise you can’t guess this. It’s something that EVERY visitor to Pakistan experiences. It’s been a point of frustration since MONTHS before my 1st trip. And it follows me today.
Since I was 21, I’ve lived in 8 countries: MX, ES, IN, CN, HK, MY, ID & PK. I’m no spring chicken when it comes to culture shock or accepting other cultural ideologies.
But Pakistan is singular.
What I don’t understand
My angst started before my 2020 trip when I shared a simple social media post, “I’m going to Pakistan for 8 weeks, where should I visit?” EVERY SINGLE PAKISTANI replied: “Go to the north.”
THOSE COMMENTS made me feel like I’d be a sheep if I did that and instantly made me NOT want to go to the North. They sent me on a Google search that, happily, led me to discover the historic beauty of Sindh & Punjab, Kashmir, and the natural beauty of Balochistan (all 3 regions seen below in my photos).
Everyone goes to the North, their tourism economy didn’t need me anyway!
There is so much MORE Pakistan than the North
Last week I launched a 15-day UNESCO tour in Punjab & Sindh with Adventure Planners Pakistan. And can you guess what I have to delete from the comments most? Yep! “Must go to North” 😡
The North is pretty, 100%! But why do Punjabis & Sindhis tell people “go to North” when their region deserves a visit? I needed real tips for exploring ALL of Pakistan before I travelled here the first time but that was an impossible thing to crowd-source from locals because the whole country says “go North”.
I am sure I’ll get hate for this but I wish locals remembered there’s way more to Pakistan than its mountains!
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I owe the commenters a lot! I might not have prioritised all those Punjab & Sindh heritage sites without them. I definitely wouldn’t have found Balochistan without them and I’ve now explored Balochistan 72 days (10 districts!), the longest of any foreigner in decades.
📸 Damb, Lasbela, Balochistan
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