What do you know about Pakistan? Well, I personally didn’t know that much until I asked our Pakistani couch-surfers, Dada and Hamza, about their home country. People love to share about their culture. Not only did I get to know them better, but I learned more about another country in this massive world. From them I learned the personal inside tips for a traveler visiting Pakistan on: places, food, cultural cues, musicians, facts, phrases and history. I hope this guide will enlighten you on the Pakistani culture or help you with your future travels.
(Picture below left to right: Dada, Hamza, Denny, me and Norman)
Top 7 Places a Person Should Visit in Pakistan
1.K2 (Godwin Austin, the 2nd tallest mountain in the world)
4. Biafo Glacier (The largest glacier outside the polar regions.)
5. Lahore ( A city known for it’s British era buildings and a food street with all the dishes Pakistana has to offer.)
6. Concordia Base Camp ( A beautiful site that overlooks four mountains that are over 8,000 meters tall.)
7. Ranikot Fort (The largest unexplored fort in the world.)
Top 5 Recommended Pakistani Dishes
1. Biryani (Chicken/Beef/Mutton, spices, and rice (A little spicy).)
2. Khausa (Spaghetti with curry, minced beef, mint and top with lemon juice. )
3. Nihari (Beef Stew and vegetables (Very spicy, be careful.))
4. Haleem (Lentils, Chicken or beef)
5. Chicken Tikka with Seekh Kabob (BBQ)
3 Tips on Cultural Cues
1. No PDA (kissing) even with your spouse. For couples, hand holding and hugging is okay.
2. Hugging the opposite sex is not allowed. You can only hug your spouse or family member.
3. Local women typically wear a dubatta. They can wear capris. It is recommended to traveling/expat women to wear a scarf. (Read more tips here.)
The top 5 Musicians in Pakistan
I personally like the first artist the most out of the five. Which one is your favorite? (Note: the links below connect with the musician’s music on youtube.)
1. Rahat Fateh Ali Kham (Classical)
2. Atif Aslam (Pop, Romance and Rock)
3. Junoon (The band is similar to the Beatles in Pakistan. Classical Rock)
4. Zeb And Haniya (Pop)
5. Shafqat Ammat Ali Khan (Rock, classical pop)
Interesting Facts about Pakistan
1. If there is no prior link of a previous generation you can marry your cousin. It’s not a taboo but the trend is changing.
2.In their education, Pakistanis usually score higher than the British. Families value education; there is no free health care or welfare.
3. Pakistan is the second largest exporter of the textiles industry (cotton) in the world. Pakistan’s largest importer is the United States.
4. Pakistan is second or third for philanthropy in the world.
5. Pakistan has the only free cancer treatment in the world.
9 Useful Pakistani Phases to know:
The language they speak in Pakistan is Urdu, but many people will understand English.
1. Hello– Asalamualaikum (Broken down Asa/la/mo/alai/kum)
2. Goodbye– Allah Hafiz
3. Thank you– Shukriya
4. Your welcome– Koi Baad Nahi (It’s okay, it’s not a problem.)
5. I want this./I don’t want this.- Mujae(I) yeh (this) chahiyae (want). Mujae yeh nahi (don’t) chahiyae.
6. How much is this?– Kitnae (how much) ka hai?
7. Bathroom– Bathroom
8. Too expensive– Bohat mahinga hai.
9. Water– Pani
The History of Pakistan
Pakistan was settled by Dravadians and later taken over by the Aryans. The Aryans (Hindu’s and idol worshippers) had a cast system that they enforced on the Dravadians and made them the “untouchables”. 720AD is as far as I got on the interview but you can learn more here on their extensive history.
gifts from our couch-surfers
The above interview was conducted with Hamza and Dada (Qassim) Did you learn something new about Pakistan? Is there another tip you would advise a future traveler?
10,000 Smiles
(Urdu: Dus Hazaar Muskaratay Chehray)
Below are some of my favorite smiles on Day 63 for my 10,000 Smiles Project.
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