"Travel into Baltistan" Northern Areas Tip by lachydragon

Most people who pass through Baltistan do it enroute to the trekking areas, but if I was to return to Pakistan I would love to spend some time hiring jeeps (and drivers) and travelling through the villages around Skardu - places such as Khapalu, Kande, Machulu, Hushe, Shigar looked stunning but went by all too quickly as we passed them by. Baltistan is an amazing area with a mix of ancient Tibetan heritage fused with the Pakistani way. Using a village such as Hushe as a base you could then do a series of stunning day-walks to places like Masherbrum base camp using local guides! There is even a PTDC Motel now built at Khapalu which looked really pretty and would also serve as a great base for exploring this region. PTDC (Pakistan Tourism Develepment Corporation) is the government tourism promotion agency and they have an established network of motels around Pakistan - Northern Pakistan's coverage was a bit spartan but Khapalu is a step in the right direction.