Category: ◇ Pakistan Travel Tip

24.05.2020 update

(Vlog) Safe? Discovering the heart of Pakistan!Is it Safe? Discovering the heart of Pakistan! (including an insightful Travel Vlog shared by our customer)

This February, we traveled the heart of Pakistan with a Swiss and Mexican couple, Lucas and Patricia. Indus Caravan lead the trip from Lahore to Peshawar along the Grand Trunk Road, the railway made during the British-Indian Empire. Please check out the travel vlog from the eyes of a tourist traveling Pakistan, with the narration in Spanish and the subtitles in English.

Safe? Discovering the heart of Pakistan!

The insightful video takes you along the journey from Peshawar to Rhori, a riverside town to the Indus and the train station. The vlog touches on the “History and Hospitality of Pakistan” from the Mughal period, the influence of the British-Indian Empire, to now.

 

Text : Mariko SAWADA

Special Thanks to SUMMERMATTER DIAZ ENRIQUETA PATRICIA.
Please visit her website : https://elpadiro.ch/

Category : = Video Clip Punjab > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > = Video Clip KPK > ◆Khyber Pakhtunkhwa > ◆ Punjab > ◇ Pakistan Railways > ◇ Pakistan Travel Tip
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03.05.2020 update

(Vlog) Adventures Exploring the Impressive Mud Volcanoes in Balochistan (including an insightful Travel Vlog shared by our customer)　

In February of this year, we visited Balochistan with a Swiss-Mexican couple, Lucas and Patricia, and photographer Toshiki Nakanishi. Patricia made a wonderful travel Vlog of our travels. Narrated in Spanish with English subtitles, please see her video, as seen by the tourist.

Patricia is a wildlife photographer. Before coming to Pakistan, she was asked many times by her Swiss friends, “Pakistan? What wildlife is there to shoot? But isn’t it dangerous?” And now, after having been there to see for herself, she made this video “to show everyone the beauty of Pakistan and our journey there!”

And now, due to the Covid19 Pandemic, in the era of #stayhome…Patrica said “Now, I have lots of time!” Patricia, thank you for opening a way for the future of tourism in Pakistan!

 

Text : Mariko SAWADA

Special Thanks to SUMMERMATTER DIAZ ENRIQUETA PATRICIA. Please visit her web site: https://elpadiro.ch/

Category : = Video clip Balochistan > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > ◆ Balochistan > ◇ Pakistan Travel Tip
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28.10.2019 update

How to apply for Pakistan e-VISA

Pakistan’s VISA is now available online.

We had a report from our foreigner client who traveled on an e-VISA recently. Below is the step by step process of application and precautions required, as of Oct 2019.

Necessary items:
PC, passport, credit card, face photo data, hotel reservation certificate.
Fee: $ 8.18 (as of October 2019)

Application site : https://visa.nadra.gov.pk
↑
Access the above site from your PC.
**Note : Website is not displayed with browsers other than Google Chrome or Firefox.

 

This screen will appear when you access it.
Click “Visit Visa” in the red frame.

 

Then click “Tourist Visa”.

 

Click “Apply Now”.

 

First, you need to create an account.
Click “CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT”.

 

Fill in all the blanks and check the checkbox at the end. Click “SAVE AND CONTINUE”.
* *Note: Password must contain at least 8 characters, including upper and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols.

 

If such a screen is displayed, it is success till this point.

 

An e-mail like above will be sent to the registered email address.
Continue clicking “Continue Registration”.

 

Type in the 4-digit pin code you received via e-mail. Fill in the remaining blanks and activate your account. Click “VERIFY”.

 

Once your account is activated, login again with the email address and password you registered earlier.

 

Check and click “Accept and Continue”.

 

Select “Your Country” from the tab.　Click “START E-VISA APPLICATION”　… Finally from this step onwards you start applying for e-VISA.
Afterwards, fill the red stars blank space along the flow.

After entering all necessary items, you need to upload 3 documents.
1 Passport copy
2 Face photo
3 Hotel reservation certificate

(If you live in a third country, visa or work certificate of that country)

You can upload files up to 350KB, so adjust the size and upload one by one.

 

The application will finish once the payment through credit card is completed.

 

About 10 days after applying, I received a Visa approval e-mail.
Copy and Print e-Visa from the email link and take it with you.
**Note : You will be asked to submit at immigration and hotel / flight check-in, checkport etc.. . Keep it always with your passport.

 

When you arrive at the airport, first you have to go to the e-Visa counter.
It is necessary to have a sign and stamp like the image above.
After that, you will line up in the immigration counter for foreigners.
Pakistan has made easy access for individual travelers to obtain visa.
Please use it when you travel to Pakistan.

This information is what our foreign client has experienced in November 2019.
The content/condition of obtaining e-visa may change. Be sure to check the website https://visa.nadra.gov.pk by yourself and apply with enough time before traveling to Pakistan.

 

Text :Mariko SAWADA

 

* The article is based on information as of November 28, 2019. It does not guarantee the acquisition of a visa. In the future, e-VISA application sites and acquisition conditions may change. Please be sure to check the latest https://visa.nadra.gov.pk information. In addition, please make an application with enough time before departure.

* I have heard that the above site does not open in India. Please be careful  if you live in India or traveling in India.

* Crossing India-Pakistan border and Flag ceremony at Wagha .

Category : ◇ Pakistan Travel Tip
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29.03.2019 update

Arrived at Wagha , Pakistan! crossing the India-Pakistan border

Finally, I arrived at the Wagha. When I passed through the border gate, I saw the stadium of the flag ceremony, with a picturesque portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah – founding father of Pakistan.
The time difference between India and Pakistan is 30 minutes.
Therefore, I set the clock accordingly at the border and strolled forward with my suitcase.

Presently, glancing back at the Indian side from Pakistan.
People are crossing the border one after another. It was the time when the relationship between India and Pakistan was deteriorating. Nevertheless, I saw about 50 people intersecting the border in a very short time span.

A portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founding father of Pakistan. Beneath it in Urdu, “Bab-e-Azadi”, is written which literally means, “The door to Independence”.

By the way, this border is usually walked over, but “India-Pakistan friendship bus”, at that time was running between Delhi and Lahore, which crosses the border without changing the vehicle.
I often get queries regarding the opening time of the border in the evening. Recently, it looks like it is open in the evening, except for the flag ceremony time. Still, it is wise to finish the border crossing by 3 o’clock in winter and 4 o’clock amid summer time.

Go straight out from the stadium of Flag Ceremony and direct towards the immigration office on your right side.
There are also people who own up “money exchange” in this area.
At the immigration office, I had to fill in an A4 sized entry card with a lot of spaces to be filled, unlike the airport’s entry card (As of March 2019).
Pass the luggage through the X-ray machine and exit out of the customs. When I walked towards the Lahore side, I met our Guide who came to receive me from Islamabad.
Now only an hour drive from here to Lahore, which is famous for its unique heritage and beguiling Mughal architecture.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Visit: Mar 2019, Wagha Border, Punjab, Pakistan

Category : ◆ Punjab > - Wagha Border > ◇ Pakistan Travel Tip
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26.03.2019 update

Pakistan-India border crossing – Attari (India) to Wagha (Pakistan).

I crossed the border in mid of March 2019, when the tensions between India and Pakistan escalated.
Certainly, the faces of the military personnel on both sides were harsher than before. Though, I felt really peaceful and calm.
Firstly, I took a domestic flight to Amritsar at exactly 8:50 am and arrived after an hour. Thereafter, from the airport to Atari border it took 30 minutes to reach by car.

As Atari approaches, you can see the overly sized Indian and Pakistani flag raising poles in front. At this time, only the Pakistani flag was raised.

Signs – the border mood rising gradually!
Once you get to the border’s facilities. Next step is to complete the entry at the entrance point and go to the immigration and customs building. Photography is prohibited from this point. Then you finish the baggage security check and go towards the Immigration. Here, you only need to submit a passport. Then pass your luggage through the X-Ray machine and fill a custom form. The customs took quite a long time than I expected….

After the departure and custom’s procedures ended, I took a sigh of relief and on a bus started to head towards the Flag ceremony stadium on the border.

Once you arrive at the Flag Ceremony stadium, you can take pictures starting from here. By the way, please be prepared, as it becomes quite expensive when using a porter to carry the luggage.

Lastly, you need to check your passport at the gate and start to walk towards Pakistan.

Pakistan is in front of me! Just a few steps away and I will be standing on the surface of Pakistan.

At the Pakistani border, there are tourists taking pictures. On both the sides of the border, you can witness the true patriotism of the people and the love they share towards their country.

In the end, the border guards generously said, “Welcome to Pakistan! please show me your passport.” It was 12:00 India time, 11:30 Pakistan time.

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA
Visit: March 2019, India-Pakistan border crossing, Attari to Wagha

Category : - Wagha Border > ◇ Pakistan Travel Tip
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