Gilgit Baltistan - Home to some of the world’s highest peaks including K2, the second tallest mountain after Mount Everest. With its scenic views; historic relics, unmatched greenery, breathtaking mountains and glaciers, and deeply alluring lakes, this place has to be on your bucket-list.
GB consists of ten districts; Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang and Ghanche. Here the three mightiest mountain ranges of the world – Karakoram, Hindukush and North West Himalayan intersect near Bunji at the confluence of Gilgit and Indus River. The six main languages spoken in this part of the world are Balti, Shina, Burushaski, Wakhi, Domaki and Khwar.
For those who want to take a break from technology, this is the best place for a ‘digital detox’ as WiFi is not dependable – almost nonexistent. The road trip along the Karakoram Highway, known as the 8th wonder of the world, is always memorable.
1- People and their homes:
You will find gracious welcome from the locals; their homes effuse warmth and hospitality, people are honest and respectful, ready to accept you in their homes. Their culture rich, unique and colourful, their temperament soft, mellow and civilized; you will find them transparent in character, chivalrous, kind and perceptive. They will provide you with the most comfortable bed setting on the floor and sacrifice their best animal for your meal to show their utmost hospitality.
2- Landscape & Historic Relics:
Gilgit is known for its rare flora and fauna, spectacular valleys and sparkling lakes.
The tourist heaven Hunza Valley is the central piece of Karakorum. It is the only town, where you can view the five famous peaks Rakaposhi 7788m, Golden peak 7027m Diran 7256m Ultar I 7388m, Ultar II 7310m and Ladyfinger peak, to name a few. In Hunza you can visit the 1,000 year old Ganesh settlement; known to be the ‘mother’ of civilization in this Valley and the ‘mother’ of the Silk Route too. The 1,200 year old Altit Fort and 700 year old Baltit Fort, small cobbled streets lined with dried fruit, local handicrafts, rugs, famous needlepoint work and more. Other famous forts are Khaplu and Shigar fort. The pre-historic rock paintings are found in Chilas, Skardu, Khaplu and Hunza.
3- Women Empowerment:
GB gives you a clear impression of what women empowerment actually is; Women-run cafés, restaurants, businesses and workshops. You will notice confident ladies running Hunza Food Pavillion café in the main market of Karimabad Hunza, Kha Basi Café Hunza tucked away at the foot of Altit Fort Hunza and Ciqam Woodwords at the entrance of Altit fort. In fact inside the Altit village you will notice women making jewelry, musical instruments and other things made out of wood, playing guide at the fort and learning to teach and play music. This all is done in a decent fashion without using the feminist card! Travel to lesser commercial parts of Gilgit Baltistan such as Gulmit and witness Gulmit Carpet Center also known as Old House and Bozalanj Café amongst a couple of other shops owned by women. You will also witness women of all ages working in fields with crops and cattle alongside men.
4- Clean and Green:
If you enjoy and appreciate nature – Travel! It’s the only way you will not leave behind waste, avoid wall and stone chalking, make better use of wastebaskets everywhere, enjoy fresh water springs and respect nature and people. You will find garbage cans, handmade dustbins, cartons and hand-constructed holes to dispose off garbage almost everywhere, alongside recycled milk cartons used for planting seeds. Be a responsible citizen and traveler and feel free to collect all the litter in plastic or paper bags and dispose off properly.
5- Lakes and Valleys:
Astore and Diamer are known to have greener pastures. Every season is a spectacle of colour and harmony. Be it the blossoms of spring, bright shiny sunny mornings of summers or layers of thick white snow in winters.
Other valleys to explore are:
- Minimarg and Rama Valley in Astore District
- Naltar, Kargah and Bagrote Valley in Gilgit
- Duikar, Hoopar, Passu and Gulmit Valley in Hunza District
- Khalti and Phander Valley in Ghizer District
- Basho, Skardu, Khaplu Valley in Skardu, Shigar, and Ghanche District
- Fairy Meadows in Diamer District
There are more than 2000 lakes in Gilgit, some famous ones are:
- Attabad lake in Hunza
- Borith Lake in Gulmit Hunza – an important bird sanctuary for wildfowl
- Sadpara, Shangrila, Upper Kachura lakes in Skardu
- Naltar lake in Gilgit
- Sheosar lake in Deosai
- Rush lake in Nagar
- Karombar and Phander lakein Ghizer
- Rainbow lake in Astore
6- Tourist Attractions:
Rakaposhi Mountain is undoubtedly the valley's most well-known peak. The huge range dominates the skyline for a vast stretch of the Karakoram highway. Khunjerab National Park is home to a wide variety of birds and animals, including snow leopards, Marco Polo sheep, markhor, ibex, and yak. Eagle’s Nest perched on Duikar Peak, from where you can see the sun shine gold on the snow-capped mountains when it rises and sets. Passu Cones or Cathedral Cones are stunning peaks; there are many peaks and their meadows, glaciers and passes, including Passu, Minapin and Diran. Don’t forget to visit and cross Hussaini suspension bridge known as one of the most dangerous bridges at Hussaini village. Dried fruits, home-made organic jams, fresh pressed oils, organic honey, herbal tea (Tumoro – Dried wild thyme) handmade spoons, local handicrafts, mountain gear makes the best take-away’s and gift items. Sit back and enjoy the road trip with children sitting in wheelbarrows, chairs over their heads as umbrellas, selling fresh fruit, glaciers cut-up and used as freezers, road-side trout fish and corn, rubab, flute and duff playing.
7- Fruit Orchards:
You will find many fruit trees along the roads as you travel; Luscious cherries, mouthwatering apricots, sweet apples (many different kinds), black mulberry, walnut to name a few. Locals are generous to offer you to pick them fresh off the trees. The fresh fruit keeps your energy levels up. Every household dries fruits on their rooftops that are consumed in winters in the form of juices, or powdered form mixed with milk.
8- Food:
If you are fond of simple, organic, healthy food this place is your food heaven. I have a personal list of must-try must-have recommendations. The most recognizable and widely-eaten dish in the region is Chapshuro (local pizza), Mamtoo (local dumplings), home-made goat cheeses and butter, mulberry sauce (the best), Chamus (dried apricot juice), walnut cake (Karimabad – Hunza), Apricot cake (Passu), milk-tea at Borith lake. You must also try Mulida Chhagurum (chappatis crushed together mixed with onion, local yogurt). Burus Barikutz (local soft cheese mixed with onions, coriander and mint sandwiched between chappatis). Tzamik (a creamy dish of potatoes cooked with crushed apricot kernels). Harisa (crushed wheat grains are cooked in stock to make wholesome soup). Most foods with chappatis are brushed with apricot oil. One popular soup is Dawdo Soup (stock cooked with strips of chappati) and Batering-e-Dawdo (apricot soup) is not very popular. For breakfast you must try Pitthi / Fitti / Pitok (crusty whole-wheat bread).
(Check out my exclusive blogs on Ethnic food)
9- Good to know:
- Baltoro Glacier is the longest glacier outside Polar region and Batura Glacier is the world’s fifth longest glacier.
- Siachen Glacier is one of the five largest glaciers in the Karakoram range.
- Deosai is the second highest plateau in the world.
- There is cold desert in Skardu which is covered by snow-capped mountains of Karakoram and Himalayas.
- Trango Towers are the world’s longest vertical cliff.
- Khunjerab Pass is the highest mountain pass on the northern border of Pakistan with China. It is the highest border-crossing in the world and has the world’s highest ATM machine.
10- Just leave everything and go. Experience the place yourself!
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