Murree Travel Forum

hi,
i'm a white american and my fiance is pakistani. i'll be visiting pakistan with him this fall. he wants to go to nathia gali and other places around muree. is this a safe place of me? i don't necessarily doubt his judgment, but i don't want to be looking for trouble either.

also, a dear friend of mine recommended pc bhurban, but when i look for availability in october, nothing shows. any other good places to stay in the area?

any suggestions?

Best advice would be to trust your fiance. Wish you happy journey and good luck. If you want to save try some to stay at some some homely place.No use confined to a closed concrete shell when you can plenty of fresh cool breeze out.lol

Bonjour mon ami,

Pakistanis, basically, very friendly and warm welcoming people and the areas for traveling, you've mentioned in your post, safe and pretty scenic.

The best times begins after November, when the snow goddess arrives over the mountains of Galliat and you can make some short treks in Nathigali, to Miranjani 2900 m mountain, 3,4 hrs and Mushkpuri trek.

PC Bhurban's always a very beautiful place, especially the views from there and there're some short hikes like Gharial trek.

It's absolutely safe here and you've the advantage, as Aghani said in the lines above that trust the fiance.

Bien venu et bon voyage,

Imran Schah
The photos of the mountains, lakes of Pakistan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker

thanks for your advice afghani and imranthetrekker. when i saw that nathai gali is part of the nwfp, it made me a bit nervous. i'm sure there are wonderful people that live there, but in the united states, all we hear are super negative things about that region. i just don't want to cause myself any trouble. i know i'm going to get stared at a lot because i have red hair and green eyes. in my culture this is rude, but i've experienced it in malaysia when faisal and i went there last summer, and i know to expect it when in pakistan.

again, thanks for your help. i know it bothers my fiance that i second question him sometimes about safety, but not only the news influences me, but my pakistani friends who are considerably older than myself or faisal.

Hi there,

Thanks for adding me.

Yeah! there's always very authtentic contribution of my fellow and respceted Vter, aghani, that's Afghani.

If you ever come across Peshswar, I invite you for cup of tea, let's share the experiences.

It's an open invitation to all the travelers, who either goign to Afghanistan through Peshawar or Chitral, I live in the old city.

Bon voyage,

Imran Schah
Mountains of Pakistan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker

Sorry, in the above message I wanted to say that's not Afghani.

so, imran, you sound like a well traveled fellow, what else is good to see in the muree area? basically, i have two weeks to be in pakistan. the plan is to fly into islamabad and stay a few days in the muree area, then travel over to lahore, that's where my fiance is from, and then down to karachi to visit a couple of friends of mine. can you give me any advice of what else is good in the muree area? i was told to stay away from the bazaars there. what about hotels that are nice but not too expensive? pc bhurban is nice, but expensive, if you can even get in. i will be in pakistan in october. it's very hard for me to get time off from work, as it is for most americans, and i want to make the most out of my two weeks.

now, i know in lahore and karachi i can probably wear a t shirt and jeans and not have a problem, but in muree, is it not a good idea for me to do this? i mean, should i be more covered?

i know it sounds like i might not trust my fiance. no, that's not what i mean. i trust him, but sometimes i need a second opinion. i've never traveled to pakistan before, i don't speak the language, and so i will have to rely on him for everything. i'm not sure if he knows what he's getting himself into. :P

thanks a million!

Welcome to Pakistan friends. Well its totally safe in Murree & Nathiagali for foriegners.

As far as staying at PC Bhurban is concerned no doubt its very nice place to stay, if you get reservations. There is no other hotel of this class. Its like heaven on earth. Main event/attraction of Bhurban is PC.

But Bhurban is almost 15 km away from main Murree hills. Even on the opposite direction to Nathiagali. There are other fine hotels in main Murree on Mall Road like Hotel "Move n Pick". It is recommended by a couple of friends. I'll get phone numbers and let you know.
Other hotel where I stayed twice is also near Mall Road, its Al-Qamar Hotel situated on Imtiaz Shaheed Road near GPO. Its economical but doesn't contain any stars. For details see my Murree Hotel Tips.
You can also make Nathiagali/Ayubia as base camp. There are few nice hotels in Nathiagali like some are listed in Nathiagali Hotel tips page: http://www.virtualtourist.com/hotels/Asia/Pakistan/North_West_Frontier_Province/Nathia_Gali-1307715/Hotels_and_Accommodations-Nathia_Gali-R-1.html

Recommended hotel at Ayubia is Pakistan Tourist Delvelopement Council's (PTDC) motel at Ayubia near chair lifts.

For Murree, Nathiagali, Lahore & Karachi Travel Tips see my related/concerned pages. I have tried to put all related info there. I am sure they will be helpful.

For any further assistance don't hasitate to write.

Hi there,
Thanks for the very fond message, I highly appreciate that.

Actually Muree, Bhurban, Ayubia, these areas’re always crowded because of the load of the local tourism from the different parts of south Pakistan, so most of the hikes & treks’re ’re located in Nathiagali, Thandiaani (Beran Gali trek & towards Miranjani) areas of this part of Pakistan.

Things’re fine now, after the new setup, I’ve pinned strong hopes with them, because after almost a decade of dictatorship a new sun of democracy and freedom’s risging over the welkins of Pakistan.

In Lahore, royal fort, Badshahi mosque, Shalimar gardens, Sufi Qawali nights at the shrine of Data gunj bakhsh, dinner at Food street Gawalmandi, shopping streets of Anarkali bazaar're the main attractions.

About the dress code, if you wear a jean, better to wear a long shirt (kurta) and a shawl as dupatta, your clothes shouldn’t be revealing,this dress code’s fine for all the areas of Pakistan.

October’s not a very busy months because neither it’s hot in the south nor it’s snowy in Murree, so after your arrival you can check some hotels and you can get better prices, because of the off season.

I welcome your queries,

Bon voyage,


Imran Schah
Photos of my adventures in the Mountains
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker

thanks again, imran, and thanks bohkari76.

i know i shouldn't wear anything revealing, and i wasn't planning on it, but then again, my idea of revealing and pakistani standards of revealing clothing are probably two separate ideas. i live near the ocean in california, just south of los angeles, actually. it will be cool here in october, and it will be warm for me in lahore and karachi. when i went to kuala lumpur last summer, i didn't anticipate how much humidity would affect me and i was sick most of the time and didn't do hardly anything i wanted to do. i'm hoping this is not going to be the case with pakistan, but i know lahore and karachi will both be warm for me. if i wear any pakistani clothes, i'll pick them up there. we do have some pakistani and indian clothing stores here but they are very expensive.

i hear there is a lot of theft in pakistan. my fiance has been robbed many times and my good friend that lives in karachi tells me how people steal cell phones a lot there. i was thinking of buying a video camera before my trip, but i'm afraid it's going to draw more attention to me. as a white redhead, i don't blend in. :P anyways, do you think this is a safe thing to bring or am i going to be highly risking it being stolen?

thanks a bunch like always,

allyson

I can understand the problem of a person belonging to cold climate + fond of beaches. You should buy cotton (lawn) dresses which are relatively cool. Don't choose woolen or mixed polyester fabric. For your bad luch Lahore is away from Sea so they don't have any beaches also Karachi has a couple of beaches dedicated to foriegners but they too are away from main city. Or some five star hotels both in Karachi/Lahore provide Pool facility to foriegners where locals are not allowed.

You are right about mobile phone & other expensive stuff snatching in Karachi/Lahore. Well its risky to carry expensive items like camera or mobile but if you follow some precautions then risk can be minimized. Like don't show/use cell phone or camera on the road or near traffic signals. Use it on your destination or specific picnic spot. Within the boundary of a park, restaurant, monument etc. where you are planning to visit or shoot you will be safe.

Personally I think if some bad luck is going to happen with you then it occurs anyway. People haven't stop purchasing/keeping costly mobiles due to fear of snatching. Cell phone business is on the top here. Rest is upto you.

thanks for the reply.
of course i'm not going to wear any wool or polyester, but even then i know that heat and humidity has a huge effect on me. in malaysia, i was sick all the time. it was only about 85-90 degrees f, but all the humidity did me in.

yeah, electronics are stolen here too, but i rarely see or hear of it happening. i've had my house and my car broken into, but i never had anyone rob my person. we'll have to see what my finances are when i get closer to the trip. i'd like to get a video camera, but i also got to cover all my bills.

Dear Imran, Thanks for compliment but really I fail to understand the shift from aghani to afghani. lol.
Can you elaborate, Please?

Allyson, After reading most of posts I would like to narrate an intersting incident. I am male almost 73 living in Karachi. I have a daughter in law , american, white, blond,30 in hinterland of South Carolina. You can hardly locate her place highly magnified Google Earth. Before her marriage she never saw even the cities of her home state. Forget about NY or LA.Never seen the inside of of a plane.To cut it short she planned to visit us with her husband despite all 'Don'ts'.She and her parents very nervous. As luck would play trick her luggage was left behind in Dubai.After reaching Karachi there was a genuine problem of clothing. Our family females after making little alterartion made her to wear the clothes of another family female. Later she liked them so much that she changed to T-shirst and jeans only when she left home for airport back to US.
One can and should adapt. Good luck.

well, afghani, i see your point. i am more traveled than she is, and living near los angeles and knowing a lot of people in the local pakistani community, i have learned a lot. but i'm not your average pakistani girl size. i'm very tall and have meat on my bones. say what you will, it's not all the american fast food. :P anyways, there are a lot of stores i can't buy clothes from in the usa due to sizing, unless i want to dress like an old lady or have sleeves and pants too short. i'm sure it won't be that easy for me to find clothes in pakistan if i want to wear a salwar kameez. i thought about giving all my measurements to my fiance and having something made. he doesn't understand sizing because he's a rather small built and very fit individual. i could have clothing made here in the local indian/pakistani community, but it will be very expensive in comparison to what i could buy it for in pakistan. we were planning on having engagement photos taken in pakistani attire, so, i guess i'll have to figure out at least one outfit.

i'm so excited to meet his mom and dad! his mom asks about me all the time, and unfortunately, her english isn't the best, so faisal has to translate for us. any tips of what i should do when i meet his family? oh, and should i bring gifts? if so, what's appropriate? he has a couple of nephew, should i bring something for them? i know americans aren't known for their hospitality, but i always try to go out of my way to make people feel comfortable when they visit me, and to show my appreciation to them when i visit them.

thanks for all your guys' help! you're the best!

The person you've replied to is Abdul Ghani (aghani) not Afghani (which means person belonging to Afghanistan). Actually what I understood from his reply is that her daughter in law adapted Pakistani dress, liked it and tried to adjust with it. It was just an example which may do not fit with your case exactly.

Yes the idea of gifts is great. They will like it very much. You can bring Shawl or some unstiched fabric for his mother, Some wrist watch, book or something similar for his father. Chocolates or toys for younger family members will be appreciated. Well you can FREELY discuss with your fiance that what kind of gifts will be right for them. Because sometimes people take gifts (whatever they are either useful for them or not) but some people are complaining. They say that this gift is worthless for us. You should bring this item or that item. So to minimize these kind of complaints you have to discuss with your fiance. As far as matter "How could you please/impress them" is concerned then also discuss with your fiance. He knows nature & likes/dislikes of his parents better.

oh sorry aghani.. it was a typo. i wasn't paying attention. :P

i was talking to a good friend of mine the other day about nathia gali. he's from lahore and has been here in the us for about 25 years. he was telling me that nathia gali is basically just a vista point, and that there isn't much to do but pull of the road and take a couple of pictures. is this true? i know the reason my fiance wants to go to muree is he's trying to be sweet and find someplace that isn't too hot for me so that i can try to adjust to the time change and everything.

Personally I liked Nathiagali very much. I don't understand what do your friend mean by saying there is nothing to do in Nathiagali. When me and my wife started towards Nathiagali from Murree, I was literally crying with pleaure to see the beauty of nature. We enjoyed a lot. I think you won't go there for LIVING. May be your trip will be a week long at maximum. So there is much to see during a week. You can visit Nathiagali Church, Bazaar, Subzazar. For hiking/walking you can go to Dunga Gali pineline track or Mushkpuri Track. Ayubia is just few kilomteres from Nathia Gali. There is a hill station there, chairlifts are installed which take you to Neelam View point. Best of all environment is too cool.

If you get tired of Nathiagali in a couple of days then you can go to New Muree (Patriata) where a world class chairlift & CABLE CAR system is installed. From where you can enjoy beautiful view of hills near and far till Kashmir mountains.

Then we have PC Bhurban and finally main Murree Hills where you can visit Pindi Point, Kashmir Point & Mall Road.

So if your fiance wants to take you there then don't break his heart. Believe me it will be a life time experience.

absolutely no issue in and around murree. If you are interested in history and love eating, then you must visit lahore for atleast three days. weather would be pleasant during october.

Don't worry. We as Pakistani's are more friendly than u think. If you travel all alone in pakistan, u'll not see any hatered.

bokhari,
i wouldn't break my fiance's heart over going to someplace he wanted to share with me. i just had asked a friend of mine about it, and he made it seem rather boring and uninteresting. he's lived in the us for 25 years, and maybe he's remembering this area from his childhood. i am not sure. i think the main reason my fiance wants to go to muree and the surrounding area is that it is a lot cooler than lahore or karachi. even though it is cooler in october, it will still be hot for me, and he remembers how sick i was in malaysia from heat. i only have 2 weeks to be in the country and will be spending most of my time in lahore with him and his family. we'll only be in muree a couple of days when i arrive and i'll be trying to adjust to the 12 hr time change.

i'm looking forward to my trip and trying to make the best of everything. it's very hard for americans to get vacation time, so i'm going to savor my two weeks. i just want to make sure that i'm doing and seeing all i can in that short amount of time.

I understood. I was saying the same that if you are going to Murree or nearby hills like Ayubia, Nathiagali just for a couple of days then you won't be bored. As you mentioned that Murree is a cooler place so it will be a good place to adjust the 12hr difference + temprature difference. Its a lovely hill station.

hi all!
you guys have been much help. i wasn't planning on spending any time to mention in islamabad, but i figure, if i am flying in there, i might as well stay a day or so. i've been looking to find places of interest since my fiance is from lahore, he's not as knowledgeable of islamabad. i know the faisal mosque is a must see, and i hear the rose and jasmine gardens are nice. any other suggestions?

Rose & Jasmine Garden is near Shakar Parian Hills. There are a number of things to do within that specific area.
>> Just before Rose garden is LOKE VIRSA HERITAGE MUSEUM which I would recommend you to must see. Then if you climb the hills there are two view points. 1-East View Point & 2-West View Point or Pakistan Monument.

>> First go towards East view point. There is a terrace & fountain there.You can watch Rawal Lake and Rose Garden from there.

>> West view point is lately developed. Govt. has made a monument there called Pakistan Monument which is a very beautiful architectural marvel. There is a beautiful lighting, fountains and fire arrangement there which you can enjoy after sunset. So preferably watch Pakistan Monument after sunset. Whole city can be viewed from here.

Daman-e-Koh is another beautiful hill resort. Peer Sohawa is still more beautiful place but its at higher altitude than Daman-e-Koh on same hill.

>> Blue area is skyline and commercial area of Islamabad. Government offices like President house, prime miniser secretriate, Pakistan Secretriate, Assembly building, supereme court building all are near blue area on Constitution Avenue. All buildings are very beautiful and pictorious.

Islamabad is a well developed city. There is no mess here like others cities. You will like it.

Feel free to ask any other relevent info.