Northern Pakistan adventure vacation

Planet

Carbon Reduction -
This tour does not use any domestic flights as the whole route can be done using vehicles avoiding unnecessary internal flights.

Vegetarian food is available each day of the tour if clients prefer this. Although Pakistan is well known for many meat based dishes there is also a good variety of vegetarian Pakistani dishes available, from a nice choice of soups and salads (including Dal and Chana Chaat – lentil soup and chickpea salad), to many different types of curries (with beans / lentils / potatoes / vegetables – for example Bhindi ki Sabzi & Aloo Gobi Matar – Okra and vegetable curry and potato, cauliflower and peas curry), grilled, steamed, stir-fried vegetables, fried vegetable rice, pakoras, samosas, vegetable patties and of course lots of fresh fruits and nice sweet deserts.

Depending on the area you will find more options, for example in the Hunza valley they have very tasty filled buckwheat pancakes and daudo (noodle) soup. Some of the vegetarian options are vegan and others can easily be turned into vegan dishes so also for vegan travelers you should always be able to find something suitable. In larger cities there are lots of restaurants with various international cuisines on the menu which also have great choices for vegetarian and vegan travelers for the days when you do not want to eat typical local food.

Especially in the north of Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan region) you will find a lot of locally sourced (often organic) food on the menu, from apricots, apples, grapes, cherries, fresh mountain herbs and buckwheat to almonds, walnuts as well as a variety of vegetables including fresh green leaves which are similar to spinach. Many of the restaurants in this region are very proud of their traditional dishes with their locally sourced ingredients.

Environment and Wildlife -

The tour includes a visit to the Deosai National Park (on the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage sites), the entrance fee which we pay is used to:
Maintain a viable population of the (endangered) Himalayan Brown bear and other wildlife species in the park area;
Maintain the ecological health of the natural ecosystems and their associated biodiversity;
Provide research opportunities to students, researchers and research institutions;
Promote sustainable tourism and awareness as a source of education for the people of Pakistan and for socio-economic development of the custodian communities
Promote sustainable development opportunities for the people dependent on park resources.

People

Local Economy -

The main focus of the tour is real local experiences, we only work with local guides and drivers, making lots of stops on the way and are staying in locally owned hotels and guesthouses to make sure the people of each region can truly benefit from our visit. We will go to various small villages where the clients can interact with the locals to get an idea of their daily life.

At many of these places they will be able to purchase handicrafts and local produce (for example (dry) fruits, nuts, dried herbs and mountain tea). There will also be an opportunity to cook together with a local and learn how to make a stone pot meal, we (try to – subject to permission) visit a local music school where clients can learn about the traditional music and musical instruments of the area and how the school is trying to preserve this). A polo match will be organized in a small village, the money we spend on this will fully benefit the local community and at the same time contributes to keeping the mountain polo sport alive in less affluent areas.

Employment, Inclusivity and Diversity -

All staff are Pakistani and on our tour to the Mighty North of the country all the guides and drivers are locals from the Gilgit-Baltistan region. In our office we have a diverse team including a Christian woman, who has been our operating assistant for more than 5 years. We find it very important to pay proper wages and also try to help out when staff are in (financial) need for example due to illness or family circumstances.