Gilgit Travel Forum

I am thinking of doing a mountain bike trip through Gilgit, Hunza Valley, Naltar, Ghizer Valley, Buni, and Chitral with a well established tour company and was wondering just how safe this area is? I am from the USA and all we here is the negative side of what is going on in Pakistan. I know there can be problems anyway in the world, but I’m just trying to put my mind at ease. So any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Wooodman

We had a fantastic trip recently to Northern Areas with a reputed company professional outfitter. We went to Skardu, Shigar, Hunza, Khapulo, Gilgit, Passu and Peshawar. We had a great time there and all the places were amazing with very hospitable people.
Enjoy your trip there!

First of all I appreciate you as you dont hear ONLY the negative side of the story.
As you told that you are doing tour with a reputable company then there is no worry. Also most of the northern area is safe. There was a bit tension in Swat Valley which you have already excluded.

Also read ricky52's reply in the second last question in Pakistan Forum "Queries about Naran Vacation". He wrote:

"This information would almost be impossible to update as security issues will change on a daily basis in some places.

Even after your return from your trip, if you were to write a tip about the security, it could be out of date soon after."

So I will encaurage you. Just do what you want. There is no second chance in life.

Take care & good luck.

I have plan to travel over there! So what are the names of the outfitters!
Thanks

I will book it through KE Adventure Travel, but they coordinate it with the local agents. I do not know the local agents name.
Thanks for the replies too.

Hi,

Things after the establishment of the new governement, in Pakistan, getting better and change in the situation's visible.

I’ve done the Jeep safaris and trekking trips, all over north Pakistan and Chitral, beginning from the south, but I don’t have any experience of doing any biking trip, but I’ve done something in Chitral and across Kalash valleys in past, on a bike.

There’re troubles in the south and somewhere in the tribal belt and the areas like Swat valley, where due to the ailing policies of a dictator’s brought a havoc on the country, masses and the whole region.

The areas, you’ve mentioned, absolutely safe, the trip’s mostly on the paved road but when you arrive in Ghizar so after Phandar, there’ll be a bumpy and dirt road, across Shandoor pass 3800 m, then it descends to laspur, Mastuj and after Buni, you’ll be again on the metalled road till Chitral town.

KE, a UK based agency, a very reputable company with very experienced tour leaders and the excellent skills of management,I've seen a group of trekkers, on Baltoro glacier, when I was coming back from K2 base camp with Swiss group.

Their inbound outfitters, Hindukush trails, runs by a Royal prince of Chitral, Sir Maqsood-ul-Mulk, so KE, does the business with this agency.

I post its contact here, so you can get the further details from them.

http://www.hindukushtrails.com/
Email: maqsoodul_mulk@hotmail.com
Ph: 092 344 5010602


Bon voyage,


Imran Schah


Photos of Mountains,valleys,cities of Pakistan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker

Hi supersapper
! It was Vertical Explorers Treks & Tours

www.visitpakistanonline.com.

A local agent of Travel Inspirator.

Salut mon ami,

There're more professional and experienced tour operators in Pakistan except vertical Explorers, like Hindukush trails, Karavan leaders, Adventure Tours Pakistan.

But KE does the business with Hindukus trails, so stop touting on the forum.


happy travels,

Imran Schah

Cities & Mountains of Pakistan, Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker

Hi imranthetrekker!
Recently we traveled with V E and i replied to the question above.

Fact is that, if one does not heed your recommendation and choose ones own, then it never justifies you to label it "touting".

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-407179-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

A quick search shows how many touting posts have been posted by you only in the last couple of weeks. Don't know how many touting postings you had before! It shows who is a tout for whom and what are the ulterior motives of your self centered posts.

All these posts show to whom you are touting!
http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-413816-1-1-Travel-0-1304531-Skardu-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-405198-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-398468-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-398466-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-395497-1-1-Travel-0-0-Pakistan-discussion.html

Hi my dear friend,

I think you don't know the meanings of touting?

A person can't do that for many agencies, as I've recommended in my posts, these're the leading outfitters in Pakistan, unlike you, posting the recommendation of your own agency on the travel board?

The things you're doing on the forum, recommending your own agency's called touting, not me, because I own none of the mentioned agencies, but I want the travelers, trekkers, climbers, should be in safe hands, with professional and experienced tour leaders, who could show them a better picture of the country, enlighten them about the history, not in the hands of the people like you.

As you ran away from other travel forums, you'll get vanished from here too.

Ciao,

I will advise both Imran & liuyung to stop blaming each other.
Specially Imran you have started blaming him first. If someone asks for advise on forum then anyone can share his/her experiences. So the liuyung was doing. I have also noticed that most of your replies contain advertisements of some travel agencies.

One of my VT friend from Lahore, Abbas (chahlawah), who goes to Northern Areas on & off has advised in a forum reply about Skardu:

"there are lot of tour operators, the one with whom i did it is Vertical Explorers, and they were good, you can find them at http://www.visitpakistanonline.com/ "

Forum Reference is: http://forum.virtualtourist.com/discussion-413816-1-1-Travel-0-1304531-Skardu-discussion.html

I know Abbas personally. He is a nice guy. Also this is not touting. Its sharing personal experience. Similarly liuyung was sharing his personal experience.

If you are in USA ask this gentlemen who can be at your first reference to give you information he is from Ghizar. His number is 001 386 299 7013