Pakistan Off the Beaten Path Tips by Faiza-Ifrah

Our introduction to Pakistan at the top of this page says that it has been a meeting place of 3 empires - the Mughal, the British and of God.

In order to experience the Empire of God, one must visit a shrine of sufi saint where thousands of devotees come and pay homage to the mystics, who spread the message of Islam in a most peaceful way. It is said that its because of these sufi saints that the rural population of those areas which now constitute Pakistan converted to Islam from Hinduism between 11th to 19th centuries.

Most of the shrines are located in the two eastern provinces of Pakistan - Sindh and Punjab.

During our brief visit to Karach this summer, we traveled to Bhit Shah, about 200 kms (120 miles) from Karachi pass Hyderabad. There is a beautiful tomb of one of the most well known sufi saints of Pakistan - Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

Our visit was more from an exploration point of view rather than religiously motivated. We were over-awed by the peoples' devotion to the late Sufi, the architecture of the tomb, of the building and of the adjacent mosque and the graveyard.

People wept at the tomb praying for healing of their near and dear ones and for other blessings. Surely, a number of people were fully convinced through their experience that prayers did not go unanswered.

The tomb is located in a complex that has a rest house, a library, conference hall and a museum.

Bhit Shah also has an ancient Buddhist stupa.

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Pakistan has 14 national parks. Some of these are easily accessible from its major cities like Kirthar Range near Karachi, Margallah Hills near Islamabad, Chiltan-Hazara Ginji near Quetta, etc. These national parks are home to a diversified range of wildlife such as Muntjac or Barking Deer shown here, Chinkara Gazelle, Blacbuck, Snow Leopard, Black and Brown Bear, Asiatic Leopard, Markhor sheep, the blind Indus Dolphin, birds of prey, waterfowl, etc.

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Margallah Hills National Park hovers over the capital city of Islamabad as its most identifiable natural feature and is the most accessible of Pakistan's National Parks.

We went on a supposedly 3 hour-long hiking trip that turned out to be a thrills packed 8 hour long adventure over the Himalayan low hills. During the trip, we were lucky to see rare Leopard (Panthera Pardus Fusca) descending a hill to drink water from a rock pool. We also saw Rhesus Macaques preparing their evening nests, Barking Deer (also called Muntjac), Goral mountain sheep and Monal pheasants. Grunting of wild boars every now and then kept us on our toes.

The narrow track with forested slopes on one side and forested wall on the other, the chirruping of birds, the gentle cool wind of October and the whispering pine trees so enthralled us that we kept on moving till the dusk began to set in. For quite some time, the narrow trek would wind to give views after views of Islamabad. The city appeared smaller and smaller till it disappeared altogether leading to some panic in the group of beginners.

If you are interested in hiking, we recommend to take the 'Secretary Walk' once you go behind the Shah Faisal Mosque and encounter the forks. Else, remember to take the far left track at each junction. Start in the early morning so that you are able to complete the trek during the day time.

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Haleji Lake, Asia's greatest waterfowl reserve, is about 80 kms east of Karachi on the National Highway going towards Thatta. During winters, nearly a hundred thousand birds fly down to this lake escaping from the cold weather of Siberia. It is classified as one of the ten wetlands of international importance that are located in Pakistan.

Haleji is a bird watcher's paradise. One can rest on a conveniently located platform protruding into the lake near the entrance or drive along the 16 km track around it for photography or bird watching. Also, birds can be observed in nearby marshes, ponds and pools that have formed due to water seepage.

The best time to be at the lake is November to February. There are however, no facilities for overnight stay.

As an ameteur photographers on the road, we took lot of photgraphs of flora and fauna of this wildlife sanctuary.

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We visited Keenjhar Lake recently during an adventurous drive out of Karachi (see travelogue in the near future).

This is the largest freshwater lake in Pakistan (formed by the damming of lakes Kinjhar and Kalri in 1930) and is one of the 9 lakes of international importance in Pakistan that appear on the Ramser List. It is located 20 kms from Thatta, which is a small town 100 kms east of Karachi on the National Highway.

The lake, which is set in a stony desert, is 24km long and 6km wide, with an irregular shoreline of some 192km.

Swimming is strictly prohibited, because of reedbeds and floating vegetation that abound, especially in shallow western and northern parts. The eastern shore is formed by a 12 km dam.

The lake is internationally important for breeding, staging and wintering water birds. The birds are best observed through oars pushed boat. Couple of motorboats also ply in the waters for thrilling rides, but are a nuisance for bird watchers.

Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation's Lakeside cottages, somewhat worn down, are available for night stay. These have to be booked in advance.

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Lal Suhanra National Park is located 60 miles (100 Kms) from Multan towards Bahawalnagar in the Punjab.

It has 3 eco-systems - desert, lake and marshes and grassland. It is the habitat of Blackbucks, Nil Gai (Blue Cow), water fowls, Indian Rhinosaurus, Chinkara Gazzelle like the one here (a female, see a male in the wildlife travelogue), etc. This is also home to 480 Black Bucks, easily the most beautiful of antelopes and of lions that can be watched through a lion safari.

Information on the park can be had from WWF Pakistan or Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation.

The park has a good restaurant by the name of 'Whispering Hills'. Boating facilities are available on site.

However, this national park may come as a disappointment for avid national park lovers for its more like an expanded zoological garden. The best thing is to treat it as a base camp for moving into the deserts of Cholistan towards East, seeing desert forts, anciant ruins and life of Cholistani nomads, who remind you of olden times.

If you happen to be with Cholistani folks, then watch the special hairdo of floral patterns on their camels.

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