Pakistan Travel Forum

hey all,

im planning to go to lahore in june/july (if i get my poc card back in time - how comes nicop cards are quicker than poc's??), but as i've only been to karachi before i wanted to know if there are any major differences, i know karachi is seen as fairly modern esp in defence so im not too sure what to expect. im hoping that ppl will b just as welcoming/accepting as they were in karachi of a gori being on their soil thats all
as my little boy went to karachi at xmas and enjoyed the trip so much i wanted to take him back to pakistan but see another city . . . so lahore it is. unfortunately some of the pakistani friends i have over here in london dont think much of lahore?!? :( (mayb they r just all from karachi, hey)

anyways, firstly im assuming weather is gonna b really hot by that time??

i've heard a few mentions of the lahore fort in books, is this a cool place to go and see whilst im there??

i also wanted to see the work that the edhi foundation do, as they are such an important organisation in pak im assuming they have a branch or 2 in lahore?? and do u think it would b easy to go and see or meet some of the children who live there or the people who give their time look after them, or would that not b welcomed. i know that talking about orphans and adoptions can still be a little taboo with religion and culture and i just wanted to explore the reasons behind this. im just a bit worried that i will upset or offend anyone by wanting to go there?? any help on this would be appreciated.
thanks,
kate

Lahore is also a modern city like Karachi. It also has clean residential areas like Defence and also it has densly populated areas or downtown. There is a great cultural difference between Karachi & Lahore. Karachi is a bit more devleoped and Metropolitan & Lahore being the heart of Punjab Province given a bit different picture. For example We speak Urdu all over the Karachi but Punjabi is widely spoken in Lahore. They do know/speak Urdu but prefer to speak Pujnabi. You may see more Horse Carriages in Lahore than Karachi.

People are friendly. Lahore is rich in Heritage as it remaind capital of India during Mughal period. Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque are worth visiting. There are many other historical places mentioned on Lahore Travel Page.

As far as weather is concerned It will be too hot in June/July. Tempratures goes above 45 Celcius in daytime. Nights are cooler.

:) just give it a try, and you will say, as the locals say "Lahore Lahore aay", meaning "Lahore is Lahore"

it is much to see here, but the months you choosed for the trip are so hot, any way hope you guys will enjoy your trip to Lahore

Happy Travels

thanks for ur replies, i just visited the pakistan embassy today and they said my card is gonna take another 2 months as they had problems verifying our marriage or sumthin :(
so im really hoping i get my card back in time for june or i will have to postpone the trip anyway - but at least the weather will b cooler later in the yr i guess thats sumthing to b said on the plus-side!
im def gonna look up some of the travel guides in the meantime though
thanks

Bonjour Kate,

Lahore, as I usually say, the culture capital of Pakistan.
June, July, very hot months of the year, it goes beyond 45 celcius and the nights are pretty sultry.

Lahore Fort, Badshahi mosque, Shalimar gardens are worthseeing besides to taste the Pakistani cuisine at Food street of Gawalmandi, near Nisbat road.

You could visit the orpahnages and other homes for the homeless people, run by Edhi foundation Pakistan and there is nothing to offend someone, because the foundation will cooperate with you if you could explain the reasons why you are there.

I wish you all the luck,

Imran Schah

From the plains to the mountains Pakistan, photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker

Love your forum name 'gorikate.' Lahore is a bit different from Karachi, and yes there is a bit of a rivalry between Karachi dwellers and Lahoris. The major difference between the two cities is that Karachi is the financial/business capital and Lahore is the cultural and historical capital. Karachi is bit more modern with skyscrapers, etc while Lahore is more like a huge, sprawling village.

I've lived in Lahore for three years and have written a number of articles about expat life here, like:

The Benefits of Living in Lahore as an Expatriate
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1044049/the_benefits_of_living_in_lahore_as.html?cat=16

5 More Reasons to Love Life in Lahore
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1047016/5_more_reasons_to_love_life_in_lahore.html?cat=16

10 Disadvantages of Living in Pakistan as an Expatriate
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1001866/10_disadvantages_of_living_in_pakistan.html?cat=16

For more see:
The Ultimate Guide to Life and Travel in Pakistan
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1217751/the_ultimate_guide_to_life_and_travel.html?cat=16

I'm not sure about getting in touch with the Edhi foundation here in Lahore. I've been told adoption is not too common because it is culturally inappropriate to have a non-mahram (blood relative male) in the family. If a family adopts a son, this boy is not a blood relative of the mother or of the sisters, and therefore if the family is conservative the boy can not be with the mother or sisters after puberty. Likewise, if the family adopts a girl, she is a non blood relative of the father and the brothers, meaning that they could have 'relations' with her.

If you're meeting people who have adopted children, they will have a different view of it than the one stated above, and are likely to be more open talking about it.

As for weather, it is HOT in Lahore from mid-April to mid-October. It's already reached 47 C here in April, that's 117 F.

edhi is the largest private ambulance service in the whole world, abusattar eidhi is around 90 and hes still running the organization, the us wanted to take ownership of the organization by paying a lot $$$ but edhi refused.

there are a lot of branches in all of the cities. almost every colony/area of city.

yea u can visit them anytime anyplace, i once in a while go there..
its important to help all the needy ppl there through charity.. as islam says..
charity does not decreases ur money, infact it increases it

if ur muslim, youd know the norms and things to observe, but if you are foreigner, there are some things you need to take care of like
dressing, meeting with strangers.. taking care of ur belongings, passports etc..
things are not so bad around here, but its always good to take some precautions

anyways, if u need to know anything, u can contact me at jassim.talat@hotmail.com

and o the weather here get around 45+'C in summers