Karachi Travel Forum

Hi to everyone.
Happy Ramadan at first.
I have a bussiness trip to Karachi for 5 month.What should i do in order to make it interesting and impressive.It is quite long time there.So i need advice what to do in my free time and weekends.Maybe u can help.
One thing more.My trip from january till june.Shall i get warm clothes for winter there?If i don't then can i buy there any coat or jacket?

Thanks before.

Salut mon ami,

karachi's located at the shores of Arabian sea so the winters're not as harsh as the northern Pakistan but beter to keep warm clothes with you.

Karachi's a nice city so you'll find many nice people there to avoid your boredom so there's nothing to worrry about that.


You can ask for more from one of the Vter Besal, he's got good knowledge about Karachi.


All the best.

hi friend.....plrease find the belo detail and pick up your interest,

KARACHI
Karachi offers easy connections to other places of archaeological interest such as Moenjodaro, Thatta, Chaukandi Tombs, Bhambore and Hyderabad. All these help make Karachi a pleasant attraction and a welcome stop during your visit to Pakistan.

Aa) KARACHI TOUR - Half Day
The tour commences with a visit to the modern Defense Mosque or Masjid-e-Toba to see the world?s largest concrete shell dome. It then continues to New Clifton Beach before a next stop at Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam, where the Father of the Nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah lies buried. Built entirely of white marble, the Mausoleum has an impressive dome housing a huge crystal chandelier of Chinese origin. Next stop is the National Museum with its fascinating display of ancient relics of the Indus Valley Civilization and an excellent collection of Gandhara art, before ending with a visit to a handicraft gallery.

Bb) KARACHI TOUR - Half Day
This tour begins with a visit to the National Museum. The Indus Valley seals on display in the Indus Valley gallery and the sculpture in the Gandhara gallery are highlights of the museum. From here, you travel to the old part of Karachi to visit Boultan Market, Juna or Old Market and ?Sarafa? Jewelers Bazaar. Passing Merewether Tower with its Gothic design you continue to Mauripur Road, where the colorful transport buses assemble. A little further on is the camel market where the ?ships of the desert? are bought and sold. The last visit of the tour is to Dhobi Ghat, a large outdoor laundry, which really must be seen to be believed.

Cc) CRABBING - Half Day
A visit to Karachi?s Fish harbour can be particularly rewarding, as there are hundreds of colourfully decorated boats and dhows bringing in their daily catch. Karachi has one of the best natural harbours in the entire region and there is an abundance of prawns, crabs and different fish. The crabbing tour features an enjoyable sail on the Arabian Sea in one of the decorated boats. The boat?s captain and crew will help you catch crabs and lobsters, which are then boiled or fried on board and served as a delicious snack. It is a very rewarding cruise for those who love cool sea breezes and sunny skies.

Dd) CHAUKANDI TOMBS & BHAMBORE - Half Day
Chaukandi is a 300-year-old graveyard comprised of tombstones made of yellow sandstone, similar to the tomb of Cyrus in the Iranian Valley of Murghan. Each stone is unique, with geometric or floral designs and other markings that distinguish the rank and sex of the inhabitant. The silent and peaceful archaeological site at Bhambore is closely associated with the legendary City of Debal where Mohammad bin Qasim landed in the 8th century A.D. The excavated town reveals a well-planned network of streets and narrow lanes between blocks of houses made of mud bricks. Around the 10th century, it was the capital of Chief Bhambo Raja, and was named Bhambore after him. The town was subsequently destroyed in 1250 A.D.

Ee) THATTA AND MAKLI HILLS - Full Day
Situated 100 Kms east of Karachi, Thatta is an ancient town with an interesting history dating back to the time of the Macedonian, Alexander the Great, who used the port to rest his weary troops. The present Thatta was founded in the 15th century. Under the Mughals it was a provincial capital and during this period there were as many as 400 institutions of learning in the city. Some outstanding architecture left from the Mughal period remains in the religious and historical monuments. Makli Hill is a large necropolis of mausoleums, made up of stone tombs with geometric and floral carvings, which retain their indigenous beauty of the coloured brick enamel and glazed tile used in their construction. The great Mosque of Emperor Shah Jehan, built in the mid 17th century A.D., has 99 domes with incredible acoustic quality.

Ff) HYDERABAD - Full Day
Hyderabad, a town of 200 years old, is linked by super highway to Karachi, about a 90-minute drive. Historically important as the former capital of the Mirs of Sind, Hyderabad has a number of attractive tombs of the Kalhoras and Talpurs, the former rulers of the area. These are beautifully symmetrical monuments decorated with marble fretwork and colored tiles. The ruins of the Fort, constructed by Ghulam Shah Kalhora the founder of the town of Hyderabad, are well worth a visit. The Kotri and Ghulam Mohammad Barrages across the Indus River are two feats of modern engineering.

Gg) MOENJODARO - Full Day
The Moenjodaro excavations date back to the civilization of the Indus Valley, which flourished 5,000 years ago. The Indus Valley civilization is the third oldest in the world, being preceded only by those of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Moenjodaro enjoys the distinction of being the foremost of the sites excavated to date. Situated some 675 Km north of Karachi, it is easily accessible by air, road and rail. Moenjodaro excelled in practically every conceivable facet of town planning. From the articles discovered here it is believed that the Iron Age had not yet dawned on the Indus Valley civilization. The vessels discovered are of lead, silver, copper or bronze, whereas the weapons are made only of bronze. The museum displays interesting relics found during excavation, such as engraved seals, utensils, ornaments, weapons, sculpture, and pottery.

Hh) HALEJI LAKE - Full Day
North of Karachi, forming the end of a chain of great lakes, lie the beautiful waters of Haleji. A hundred thousand birds, including over 70 species of waterfowl alone, find sanctuary here during the winter months. Flamingoes, herons, ducks and egrets, to name but a few, can be observed, undisturbed, in their natural habitat.

Jj) KEENJHAR LAKE - Full Day
Keenjhar Lake, an hour?s drive east of Karachi, is a recently constructed resort that offers lake fishing, boating, bird watching and a very peaceful atmosphere. This excursion can also be extended to include Thatta and Chaukandi Tombs and the archaeological site at Bhambore.

Places to Visit,
-Quid - e Azam (Founder of the Nation) Mausoleum,
-Defense mosque ,
-Clifton Beach and minora beach,
-haux bay point on beach,
-Bus painting yard,
-Juna Market a bustling Oriental bazaar
-paf (pakistan airforce) meuseum
-Mango Pir mausoleum
Visit the mausoleum of Mangho Pir. a tradition pilgrimage point where devotes from nearby villages and city come to pray in front of the Mangho Pir. Also visit the Crocodile hot springs 8ft large crocodiles live in them. An old 17th century graveyard has a few Chaukundi type tombs ( Sandstone carved with ancient symbols and motifs.)

Historical Sites Tour,
-Take a day trip to Thatta - 70km from Karachi. You can cover several sites in between (Chaukandi, Bhanbore, Haliji lake, Makli, Thatta, Kalri lake).

-Visit the Mohatta palace (in Clifton) which has been converted into a museum. They occasionally have excellent exhibitions going around.

Shopping,
To keep it simple - If you want to buy:
1/good quality/branded stuff: Point, Forum, Doleman malls & Tariq road
2/ Local handicrafts: Zainab Market
3/ for trendy, latest fashion and designer clothes, please visit ZAM ZAMA Clifton area

-About Weather,
Karachi has quite a stagnant weather but there are a few temperature Variations. From November to February temperature is From 10 to 26 Degrees With an average humidity of 65% From March to April Temperature remains between 25 - 38 Degrees and from May to October Temperature remains between 28 to 39 Degrees. There is very little rain fall but due to the monsoon From July to August casual rain showers are expected, which some times may be extended to September.

TO SEE LIVE WEATHER FORCAST AND PRESENT SITUATION IN PAKISTAN CITIES...
http://www.cybercity-online.net/yp/html/Weather_Report_for_Pakistan.htm

Few Restaurants but remember its not end there are many many more...
Some of the best and trendy restaurants are in Zam Zama Clifton area. If you want to taste variety of local cuisine, dishes and BBQ, for the price of one, then go to Village Restaurent at sea view and the place name Boat Baisan.

-Bar BQ Tonight
5/1 Boat Basin, Block 5 Clifton......
I PERSONELLY HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS RESTAURENT IF YOU ARE BBQ LOVER AND RESERVE THE TABLE AT THE TOP ROOF OF RESTAURENT TO HAVE NICE VIEW AND LIGHT BREEZ.

-For French food: Cafe Flo and Okra
(expensive)

- For Japanese food…visit restaurants at PC and Avari (Sukura and Fujiyama)

-Lal Qilla (for traditional Pakistani & continental food)
At main shahrah-e-faisal

-Coper Kettle
Mall Square. Zamzama 1 Defence-5

-Dolphin Restaurant
14E 26th street, Defence-5
Tel: 574715- 583-6015 Fax: 586-558

-Koran Restaurant
Café Grand. Abdullah Haroon Road.
Opp. Hotel Metropole
Tel: 568-2402, 568-7607

-Ming Court
16C Stadium Lane-1. Off Khy-e-Shamsheer
Near French Badery. Defence Housing Authority Tel: 584-1694

-Pizza Hut (three location)
1)World Trade Centre.
2)10 Khy-e-Roomi Block 5
3)Clifton and Shaheed-e-Millat Road
Tel: 587-2081/2. 455-8574 Fax: 4526873

-Summer Palace
Dhell Promenade. Block-3 Plot 2&3 Clifton

-Yuan Tung Restaurant (Chinese)
173P. Block-2. PECHS
Opp. English Boolt House.
Tel: 454-8231, 454-6624

-Kentucky Fried Chicken
4970018-9,8118476
(K.P.C) 8118479, 8118487

hope it works.....wish you remain the best .....regrads.....Tabrez

Hi there
There's a lot to do in Karachi if you know the people around. However, as one of the replies, you can take those tours. During your 5 months I'm sure u'll make good friends around. There are some very nice restaurants and coffee shops at Zamzama area apart from boutiquies etc. If you're into old architecture there are many buildings one can visit. Also winters are not that harsh here, but year before it became quite cold. You can also get nice and very reasonable leather jackets here. Take care and let us know if u need anymore info.
Ciao