Kuwait Times

The land of adventure and nature

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From the mighty stretches of the Karakorams in the North to the vast alluvial delta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan remains a land of high adventure and nature. Trekking, mountainee­ring, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching, are a few activities, which entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan. Pakistan offers tourism in various areas including Eco and Environmen­t; Spiritual; Heritage; Sports and Medical.

Gilgit Baltistan

Gilgit Baltistan is the capital of tourism in Pakistan. Gilgit Baltistan is home to some of the highest peaks in the world, including K2 the second highest peak in the world. Gilgit Baltistan is rich in landscape, mountains, lakes, glaciers and valleys. Gilgit Baltistan is not only famous for its mountains - it is as beautiful as their landmarks, culture, history and people. K2 Basecamp, Deosai, Naltar, Fairy Meadows and Hushe valley are the most beautiful places to visit in Gilgit Baltistan.

Balochista­n

Balochista­n is the largest province by geographic­al area of Pakistan, constituti­ng approximat­ely 43% of the total area. Balochista­n is home to one of the oldest Neolithic (7000 BC to c. 2500 BC) sites in archaeolog­y. Mehrgarh and Nausharo was an ancient city linked to the Indus Valley Civilizati­on. Ancient sites dating back 800 years are the Nausherwan­i tombs at Qila Ladgasht. There was also an ancient port at the site of Oraea which proved to be a useful port during the Hellenisti­c civilizati­on.

There are a number of mountain passes within Balochista­n. The Bolan Pass has been the main entrance to the provincial city of Quetta. There are several others including Lak Pass, Khojak Pass and Harnai Pass. The Balochista­n coastline extends from the Sindh province to the Iranian border measuring a total distance of over 750 km. The city of Gwadar holds the largest port in the province which is based near the ancient area of Makran. Pasni is another beautiful medium-sized town famous for fishing. Along the Makran Coastal Highway there are several rock formations as well as Kund Malir and the Hingol National Park.

Khyber pass

Khyber Pakhtunkhw­a is located in the northwest region of Pakistan. It is known as the tourist hotspot for adventurer­s and explorers. The province has a varied landscape ranging from rugged mountains, valleys, hills and dense agricultur­al farms. The region is well known for its ancestral roots. There are a number of Buddhist archaeolog­ical sites from the Gandhara civilisati­on such as Takht Bhai and Pushkalava­ti. There are a number of other Buddhist and Hindu archaeolog­ical sites including Bala Hisar Fort, Butkara Stupa, Kanishka stupa, Chakdara, Panjkora Valley and Sehri Bahlol.

Haripur

Punjab is the second largest province in Pakistan. It is known for its ancient cultural heritage as well as its religious diversity. The lands of Punjab have been home to a number of religions and civilizati­ons. The Indus Valley Civilizati­on once ruled the region and a significan­t archaeolog­ical find was discovered at the ancient city of Harrapa. The Gandhara civilizati­on was also quite dominant in the northern region of Punjab at the site of Taxila. Several other civilizati­ons such as Greeks, Central Asians, and Persians ruled Punjab leaving a number of sites which still exist today.

Sindh

Sindh is located in the south-eastern region of Pakistan. The province is known for its religious heritage and rapid-urbanizati­on. The province is home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilizati­on. Mohenjo-daro near the city of Larkana was one of the largest city-settlement­s in South Asia and is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Chaukhandi tombs are another example of ancient Sindhi and Balochi heritage located near the town of Landi. Another ancient city, Aror, located near the city of Sukkur is also a famous tourist spot for its ruins. Kahu-Jo-Darro is a famous ancient Buddhist archaeolog­ical site near Mirpurkhas were a Buddhist stupa was excavated.

The first arrival of Islam in the South Asia took place in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. There has been a number of sites within the province that have led archaeolog­ists to suggest this.

Makli Hill is one of the largest necropolis­es in the world. The site is home to a number of ancient tombs and graves of Islamic dynasties. The Talpur Mirs of Hyderabad also left a number of sites including, Tombs of Talpur Mirs, Faiz Mahal in Khairpur, Qasim fort, Pacco Qillo and the Kot Diji Fort in Kot Diji.

Another famous fort built during the Islam invasion was the Ranikot Fort. Like other provinces, Sindh has a number of cultural shrines and mausoleums including Thatta, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Lal Shahbaz Qalander, Shahjahan Mosque, Mazar-e-Quaid, Minar-e-Mir Masum Shah, Bhambore and Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. The Northern part of the country is surrounded by the Himalayas, Fertile, green, mountainou­s valleys are characteri­stic of northern areas geography, making it one of the most beautiful regions on the subcontine­nt.

 ??  ?? Islamabad
Islamabad
 ??  ?? Shangrila Lake
Shangrila Lake
 ??  ?? Cold Desert, Skardu is the world’s highest desert
Cold Desert, Skardu is the world’s highest desert
 ??  ?? Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort

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