<strong>Epic and accessible: </strong>Adventure travel company Wild Frontiers says Pakistan bookings are up 100% this year, with travelers drawn to its epic accessible landscapes.
Epic and accessible: Adventure travel company Wild Frontiers says Pakistan bookings are up 100% this year, with travelers drawn to its epic accessible landscapes.
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>Hunza Bridge:</strong> Pakistan was named the top adventure travel destination for 2018 by the British Backpacker Society.
Hunza Bridge: Pakistan was named the top adventure travel destination for 2018 by the British Backpacker Society.
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>Repeat visitor: </strong>Alex Reynolds, a travel blogger from the US who has visited the country twice, was taken aback by the generosity of Pakistani people.
Repeat visitor: Alex Reynolds, a travel blogger from the US who has visited the country twice, was taken aback by the generosity of Pakistani people.
courtesy Lost With Purpose
<strong>Local hospitality:</strong> "My notions of hospitality were completely redefined by what I experienced in Pakistan," says Reynolds.
Local hospitality: "My notions of hospitality were completely redefined by what I experienced in Pakistan," says Reynolds.
courtesy Lost With Purpose
<strong>Hunza Valley: </strong> "In Hunza [a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region], you can sit on the rooftop at your hotel having breakfast and you've got seven 7,000 meter peaks all around you, which is pretty incredible," says Wild Frontiers founder Jonny Bealby.
Hunza Valley: "In Hunza [a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region], you can sit on the rooftop at your hotel having breakfast and you've got seven 7,000 meter peaks all around you, which is pretty incredible," says Wild Frontiers founder Jonny Bealby.
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>Sindh to Karachi by rail: </strong>Traveling with a friend, Reynolds spent two six-week stints -- in 2016 and 2017 -- traveling across Pakistan.
Sindh to Karachi by rail: Traveling with a friend, Reynolds spent two six-week stints -- in 2016 and 2017 -- traveling across Pakistan.
courtesy Lost With Purpose
<strong>Iconic peaks: </strong>Ladyfinger Peak (the sharp peak on the left) and Hunza Peak (right) are two of the most iconic mountains in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Iconic peaks: Ladyfinger Peak (the sharp peak on the left) and Hunza Peak (right) are two of the most iconic mountains in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>Culture and cuisine: </strong>"The cuisine is of course great and the hotel accommodation is actually a lot better than most people think," says Bealby. "Tie all those things together and you've got the perfect adventure travel destination."
Culture and cuisine: "The cuisine is of course great and the hotel accommodation is actually a lot better than most people think," says Bealby. "Tie all those things together and you've got the perfect adventure travel destination."
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>Easier visa-application process: </strong>Earlier this year, Pakistan announced it would offer a multiple-entry 30-day visa on arrival to tourists from 24 countries including the US and UK.
Easier visa-application process: Earlier this year, Pakistan announced it would offer a multiple-entry 30-day visa on arrival to tourists from 24 countries including the US and UK.
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>Improved security: </strong>Wild Frontier's Bealby says the security situation in Pakistan has improved radically in the last three years.
Improved security: Wild Frontier's Bealby says the security situation in Pakistan has improved radically in the last three years.
B.Jenks
<strong>Mastuj: </strong>The lush town of Mastuj in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province is famous for its historical Mastuj fort and other old ruins.
Mastuj: The lush town of Mastuj in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province is famous for its historical Mastuj fort and other old ruins.
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>Nanga Parbat: </strong>Rising 8,000 meters above sea level, Nanga Parbat (in the Gilgit-Baltistan region) is the second-highest mountain in Pakistan and the ninth-highest in the world.
Nanga Parbat: Rising 8,000 meters above sea level, Nanga Parbat (in the Gilgit-Baltistan region) is the second-highest mountain in Pakistan and the ninth-highest in the world.
courtesy Wild Frontiers
<strong>A growing tourism industry: </strong>In 2017, an estimated 1.7 million foreigners visited Pakistan, 200,000 more than the previous year.
A growing tourism industry: In 2017, an estimated 1.7 million foreigners visited Pakistan, 200,000 more than the previous year.
courtesy Wild Frontiers