It was the 17th day of our journey and the last leg of our epic roadtrip, en route to Islamabad. The capital of Pakistan since the 1960’s and the ninth largest city in Pakistan (although, the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area is the fourth largest in the country). About two hours out, we passed through Abbottabad, the city … More Islamabad
The Deosai National Park is a high-altitude alpine plateau, situated at an average elevation of 13,497 ft above sea level, making it the second highest plateau in the world (after the Changtang Tibetan Plateau). Deosai means ‘the land of Gods’. The park protects an area of 1200 square miles, and is stunningly gorgeous in springtime with wildflowers galore and a wide variety of butterflies. We traversed … More The Deosai Plateau
Upon arriving to the town of Khaplu, which once acted as the second-largest kingdom in old Baltistan, having guarded the trade route to Ladakh, we were immediately charmed. Tree lined dirt roads following babbling creeks, that broke from the Indus River and Shyok River, where families hung drying laundry, and children played joyfully with farm animals. We … More The Small Kingdom of Khaplu
The distance from Gilgit to Skardu is approximately 120 miles, but dependent on road conditions, which are constantly fluctuating, the drive can take anywhere from 10 to 14 hours. Being so, we left Gilgit in the early morning hours to hit the road. The narrow, winding, paved road was constructed by the Pakistan Army Engineers … More The Journey to Skardu
Duikar is a small village about 30 minutes from Karimabad, perched on a hilltop about 10,000 feet high. The rightfully named Eagle’s Nest Hotel offers sensational views of surrounding peaks, while enjoying tea from their rooftop terrace. The most notable peak, to us anyhow, was the 19,600 foot rock-spire, Bublimotin, also known as Lady Finger. … More Eagle’s Nest, Onward to Gilgit
Across the river from Hunza Valley is Nagar Valley. From Karimabad, the route to reach the town of Nagar, the largest town in the valley among 24 villages, follows windy dirt roads along cliff sides, crossing the Hunza River and Nagar River junction. As we approached Nagar Valley, we became surrounded by some of the … More Nagar Valley & Hopper Glacier
Karimabad truly feels like a dreamy utopia, nestled in a lush valley surrounded by dramatic snowy mountain peaks. Upon checking-in to the lovely Hunza Serena Inn, I literally had to pinch myself to be sure I wasn’t staring at a digital green screen simply projecting such a stunning backdrop. Almost too beautiful to be real! … More Karimabad, Hunza Valley
Kashgar, also known as Kashi in Chinese, is the largest westernmost city in China, located in the Xinjiang region near the border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. It’s been a crucial trading center and strategically important city along the Silk Road between China, the Middle East, and Europe for over 2000 years. In addition, … More Kashgar, China: Start of the Karakoram Highway
Wandering Ways 