Pakistan offers breathtaking views not only of the legendary Himalayan and Karakorum mountain peaks, but also of many more different landscapes, that you could never imagine.
During this very special trip, I could not skip the south, a separate and unique part of the country, with a long, scenic coastline, a vast desert, countless rugged mountains, many significant ancient monuments, bustling cities and a completely different culture.
I’ve spent 4 amazing days in the province of Sindh, staying in a chaotic metropolis of 22,000,000 inhabitants, where I visited ancient cities, mausoleums and tombs, enjoyed the most beautiful sunset over the Arabian Sea and tasted the country’s best food in the vivid night markets.
Bonus: my wonderful new friends, who made me feel like home!!
Karachi, Thatta and Makli
KARACHI
Karachi used to be out of the travel map for a long time, due to its very bad reputation as the most dangerous city of Pakistan. It is the largest city, the largest commercial and financial center and the largest port of the country, serving even neighboring Afghanistan. The architectural style gives a sense of Europe, since it has been a British colony for years. Most of the buildings in the old town, either preserved or decrepit, are built in a colonial style, while at the same time there is a mixture of traditional Muslim architecture with modern skyscrapers.
My own experience was quite different from Karachi’s disrepute, even during covid era and Ramadan, when theoretically the restrictions were stricter. I experienced a modern and westernized big city, the least conservative in the whole country, where the local women were free to walk around dressed in western style, and men were acting friendly and outgoing.
Considering that we were 2 women alone on this trip, we used every possible public transportation mean, from long-distance buses, to taxis and tuk-tuks within the cities. Karachi was our last destination before our flights back to Greece, visited right after Multan town, while traveling by night bus. We arrived after almost 12 hours and met local friends who were happy to show us around, whereas the last couple of days I was wandering around alone ‘till late at night, without facing any issue.
Quaid e Qzam museum
Frere Hall
Empress Market
Strolling around the Old Town
Points of interest in Karachi:
- Mazar e Quaid, the impressive mausoleum-symbol of the city, housing also the tomb of the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah
- The Empress Covered Market, placed in a stunning Gothic building, in Saddar area
- The Quaid Museum e Azam house, dedicated to the life of the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah
- Frere Hall, a very impressive building dating back to the early British colonial era, running as an exhibition area and library
- Port Grand complex, a modern entertainment area, close to the city’s port
- The Old Town, with the colonial buildings and the oldest streets of Karachi (Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road, Merewether Clock Tower, City Hall, Karachi Port Trust Building, Chindrigar Shopping Street rd , the historic Bolton Market, etc.)
- Clifton Beach, for the best sunset over the skyscrapers at the back, together with the fishermen, the camels, and the small street food vendors – the most ideal place to feel the vibe of the local life
Mazar e Quaid Mausoleum
CLIFTON BEACH
FOOD
The food I tasted in Karachi was the best in the country!
The local restaurants were closed during the day, due to the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, but there were some street markets open from morning to late at night. My friend Ali guided me to Bohra night street market, to taste local snacks and the famous desert malpura, while we also tried the traditional beef Nihari at Zahid restaurant, and faluda ice cream at Sindh Muslim Society.
Tea, fruit juices and non-alcoholic cocktails can be found everywhere, in shops, restaurants and street vendors (alcohol is prohibited throughout the country).
A full day tour to Thatta & Makli
Departing from Karachi, we booked a full day tour to the province of Sindh, in order to visit some of the most important sights of the region outside the cities, while also having the chance to get a glimpse of the nomads of the south, who live scattered in makeshift camps.
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Haleji & Keenjhar lakes to relax
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Shah Jahan Masjid in Thatta
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Μakli Necropolis
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Chaukhundi Tombs
THATTA TOWN
Shah Jahan, the central mosque of Thatta also known as Jamia Masjid, is one of the most impressive mosques in the country, housed in a 17th century building.
Its architectural style is influenced by Turkey and Persia, and due to the extensive use of bricks and blue tiles, it seems to have been directly influenced by the architecture of the Timurid Dynasty of Central Asia.
Shah Jahan mosque
MAKLI
Makli Necropolis was the most impressive place I visited during my stay in the southern part of Pakistan.
Covering 10 km, the necropolis has several large burial monuments belonging to various Saints of the Sufi religion. Located on a plateau in the town of Makli, about 6 km outside of Thatta, and 98 km east of Karachi, it was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1981 as an “extraordinary testament” to the Sindhi culture.
CHAUKHAUDI TOMBS
The Chaukhandi Tombs form a vast Islamic cemetery, located 29 km east of Karachi.
The tombs are famous for their impressive sandstone carvings, similar to those at the Makli Necropolis. They are carved and placed above ground, so actually, the bodies were never buried!
Rumor has it that the cemetery is haunted and the locals avoid entering after sunset…
We were lucky enough to be the only visitors at that time, just like in the rest of the monuments we visited that day, making our tour even more exciting.
General tips and information:
Accommodation: in Karachi (but also in most of the towns around the county) we stayed at the local hotel chain “Lokal rooms”, having the best service and experience (www.lokal.pk), while on my last 2 nights in Karachi, I stayed at a random guesthouse (via booking.com)
Transportation: there are 3 bus agencies for long distance services, but we opted for “Daewoo” & “Faisal movers” only, while we used mostly uber within the cities, especially in Karachi
*The full-day tour around Sindh was organized by our friend Ali (www.hiddenture.com), by private car
Safety: we didn’t face any safety issues, but in general, since Karachi is a huge metropolis, the visitor should be constantly stay alert for possible thefts, just like in every megacity around the world.
Regarding female travelers, although headscarves, abayas, etc. are not necessary, a relatively decent western-style dress is recommended, avoiding crop tops, shorts and short skirts. Apparently, a conservative dress code is obligatory inside the mosques, like in the rest of the Muslim world.
Since Karachi was off-limits for many years due to high crime rates, locals are not used to tourists and everyone desires a photo with the foreigners, and especially the female travelers. As a blonde woman who spent several hours alone at Clifton Beach, I didn’t encounter any aggressive behavior, except for a few moments of annoying selfies. That’s why I decided to enjoy my meals together with the street-vendors, who played the role of my bodyguard, sending away any “stalker” seeking a photo with me.
Generally speaking, everyone was friendly and polite, just like in the rest of the country.
When to go: Karachi is located in southern Pakistan, and it’s incredibly humid, as it is placed by the Arabian Sea. The whole area is anyway the hottest in the country and the high temperatures combined with the humidity make the city unbearable during the summer months. Spring and autumn are the most suitable seasons for a full trip from the north to the south of the country, otherwise winter would probably be more tolerable, regarding the southern part of the province of Sindh only.
