29/05/2024
After any trips, we feel so touched receiving loads of love from our beloved customers. The trip may end but the feelings stay!
“Quoted from Ms. Quynh Trang Tran”
🇵🇰 Miracles in Pakistan 🇵🇰
In spring 2024, a touch of the "healing" trend and a serendipitous encounter with my sister B**h Ngoc on Facebook led me to Pakistan, with nothing prepared except for the clothes and shoes she advised me to bring.
Unlike my previous trips where I rarely wrote anything beyond photo diaries, this trip was different. My travel companions were avid photographers, capturing beautiful images, which allowed me to immerse myself in the experience without the pressure of taking photos. So I told myself to write something about the beauty and experiences that stole my heart in Pakistan. In fact, laziness delayed me until now, in the blazing summer of Northern Vietnam, I leisurely revisit my spring memories of Pakistan.
🛫 Flights 🛬
Our journey began with an international flight from Hanoi to Bangkok, where we enjoyed bubble tea, tom yum, mango sticky rice, and shopping at Suvarnabhumi Airport, then to Islamabad. In Pakistan, we took two domestic flights, both miraculously on schedule despite 2023’s numerous cancellations due to fuel shortages, this was our first miracle. Seeing the Himalayas from the plane window was unparalleled, and the pilot even circled back for us to see the legendary ranges of Karakoram and Hindu Kush. The local airports (Gilgit, Skardu) are surrounded by breathtaking mountains, making each landing a photo-worthy celebration.
☀️ Sunshine ☀️
Pakistan greeted us with rain and storms in Islamabad, and a 10-day weather forecast predicted more rain. Yet, the second miracle unfolded as we enjoyed sunny days throughout our journey, with perfect sunrises and sunsets that had us snapping photos tirelessly. The weather ranged from -5 to 5 degrees Celsius, a dry cold unlike Hanoi’s humid cold. There were some skin and nasal issues due to dryness and high UV levels but thank you, my sisters, for saline sprays, moisturizers, and Vaseline provided.
🌸 Blossoms 🌸
Encountering blossoms was our third miracle. Blossoms bloomed sequentially from lower to higher altitudes, and we arrived just in time to witness their peak beauty at each location, as if following in the footsteps of spring. For dreamers and lovers of beauty, especially flower enthusiasts, Gilgit-Baltistan is a must-visit. We spent most of our time wandering through valleys and charming villages enveloped by cherry, apple, apricot, and plum blossoms in shades from creamy whites to deep pinks. Blossoms adorned mountainsides, bordered lush wheat fields, mingled with poplar trees, framed fortresses and windows, floated on breezes, swayed above our heads as we sat having lunch in an apricot garden, and fell on the road as children returned from school etc. Writing this part fills my mind with images of blossoms, and my vocabulary suddenly feels too limited to describe them. We thought we'd tire of looking at blossoms after a few days, but no, from dawn to dusk, they captivated us, leaving us in awe day after day.
During a treacherous path to a village for blossom viewing, a local asked why I traveled so far to see blossoms, questioning if Vietnam didn’t have cherry blossoms. Indeed, Vietnam has cherry blossoms, and some countries are famous for them, but if I had to choose again, I'd still pick Pakistan. As some well-traveled friends said, this is the most beautiful place for blossom viewing they’ve ever seen.
❄️ Snow ❄️
After sunshine and blossoms, we experienced snow, another miracle, at Fairy Meadows. The journey involved a nerve-wracking jeep ride on a narrow, cliffside road, followed by a 2-3 hour trek on an even narrower path. Witnessing rain turn to snow, the first flakes covering everything, was magical. Snow beautified everything it touched. By the time we reached our lodging, a thick blanket of snow awaited us. I don't remember exactly how thick the guide said it was, but it was certainly enough for us to frolic in, bury ourselves like marinating fish, throw snowballs, and play other games with snow the next morning. I'll miss the early sunlight filtering through towering pine trees, snow falling lightly from the trees when the wind blew, the numb hands when taking photos, the silly snowman we made, and the fireplace where we shared stories. This unforgettable first snow experience was filled with joy and camaraderie.
😊 Smiles 😊
If you love smiles, Pakistan will touch your heart. There's a miracle called communication regardless of language, through smiles, as "everyone smiles in the same language." A little girl on her way home from school stopped with a few simple English phrases she probably just learned like "How are you? Where are you from?" and immediately said "Thank you" with a radiant smile when I said “Your country is so beautiful.” A father smiled with sparkling eyes as he proudly talked about his six talented children. An elderly woman, who couldn't speak English, continuously said "Thank you" with a wrinkled smile when we bid farewell after a tea party. Smiles from tourism service providers added warmth to our trip. We know their job isn't easy, but they always responded with smiles, for instance, when it was run of time, but we (guests) were mesmerized and wouldn't get on the bus, when being exhausted from hiking down the mountain but guests asked to be taught how to make a snowman, when it was cold and the power was out, and guests asked to burn wood all night, when you are a driver but guests insist on taking your photos, when you are a hotel manager but the same guest keeps getting lost and asking for directions repeatedly etc. Countless other smiles left a lasting impression on me.
👫 Companions 👫
Besides the beautiful destinations, my travel companions made the trip unforgettable. From a group of "strangers," there were people who cared for me, feared I would be hungry or cold, took photos for me, bought me gifts, told me about their trips, shared life philosophies with me, joked with me, provided me with a real romantic story to admire, took over my suitcase, handed me a towel when I was holed up in my sleeping bag, gave me various medications, and even tried to find me a husband.
And I must thank all the information I heard from our guides everywhere: a friend I just met on the plane who talked non-stop for a few hours, the 67-year-old guide who had conquered K-2 twice and had many interesting topics to share, the staff in the fortress who seemed to "narrate with their lives," and the Pakistani “boyfriend” everyone tried to set me up with. Your hospitality and knowledge made my trip much easier and more interesting, as well as filled in gaps in my understanding of history, geography, and religion.
Thank you very much. I only regret not meeting you all sooner and hope to have the chance to continue traveling together.
… Others …
Reaching the point of laziness to write but still wanting to note down to remember that there were many other things that made me "wow" on this trip: the snow-capped peaks and melting snow at different levels, rivers and lakes with 50 shades of blue/green, bridges, glaciers, fortresses, poplar trees, parties with traditional musical instruments, traditional dances, lamb without the smell of lamb, songs we didn't understand a word of but felt so fitting with the majestic scenery, organic fruits, and humorous stories that saved me from car sickness, etc.
❤️ Love ❤️
Meeting Pakistan and experiencing its many unexpected miracles was a blessing. “A friend of mine” often mentioned Vietnam while in Pakistan, reminiscing about places like Da Lat, Sapa, Ha Giang, and the Mekong Delta. I’m sure I’ll do the same in my future trips: the snowy mountains, blooming apricots, and the kind-hearted people will remind me of Pakistan. My personal dream and message to those hesitating to visit Pakistan: besides the spring blossoms, come to enjoy the vibrant colors and pleasant weather of autumn as well.
Unquote”
------------------------------------------------
𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞
Ms. B**h Ngoc (Please click for her personal facebook)
Mobile/Zalo/Whatsapp: +84983086116
𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞:
Mr. Riazullah Baig - CEO of Adventure Hunza
Mobile/Zalo/Whatsapp: +923009789114
