Roughly half way between Lahore and Islamabad, these two sites make for a wonderful detour from a journey between the two cities.. The town of Sheikhpura, near Lahore, is also on the way, and is home to Hiran Minar, a beautiful complex built by Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Khewra is home to the world’s second largest salt mines (and the world’s oldest!), but what really blew me away was the nearby Katas Raj temples, a little visited
The way I like to put it, Lahore is an explosion of colours, sounds, smells and more. For someone living in Europe, North America, or perhaps even most of the world’s countries, coming to Lahore is overwhelming. Bypassing the chaotic (but somehow moving?!) traffic can be challenging. As a noticeably foreign face, you’ll get a lot of locals wanting to talk/take selfies – this may also be overwhelming to those who haven’t experienced it. But
Having lived in Oman for 5 years and knowing the country well, I can say that the answer is simply YES. While the country boasts some of the region’s (if not the world’s) most luxurious hotels, it is possible to visit Oman on a budget. It has many cheap/mid-range hotels, and a national pastime of such is camping (albeit mostly not in Western-style tents). In fact, in Oman, you’re allowed to pitch your tent up
Vladivostok: After arriving in Vladivostok by coach from Hunchun, China, it felt like we’d entered a different world. China was only a few kilometers away, and yet Vladivostok felt culturally and ethnically closer to Europe than anything. The name ‘Vladivostok’ is derived from the Russian words of ‘to hold’ and ‘east’, perhaps symbolising the city’s strategic military significance – it was never taken by the Japanese during their empire. We were to stay in this
With summer approaching, holiday planning is beginning to take root for many. Instead of travelling to the tourist-packed beaches of Spain or the theme parks of Florida, why not try something more unique. Here’s my list of my top 5 “off the beaten track” destinations to travel to this summer: 1) Northern Pakistan While the visa is a little expensive and tricky to obtain (you have to be a national/ permanent resident of the country