20 Photos you won’t believe are from Pakistan
My parents were both born and spent the first 20 years of their lives in Pakistan and it has always been a country which has always hit a cord with my heart strings. I still have lots of family in the country and after visiting several times as a young child I have some fantastic memories of my time there. However, Pakistan is often overlooked by Western tourists and I think it is such a shame as the country has so much to offer from some of the worlds best mountain ranges, gorgeous scenery and lakes, stunning beaches and amazing wildlife. I have put together 20 photos you won’t believe are from Pakistan and why you should add Pakistan to your travel bucket lists.
Mountains
The Himalayas need little introduction and the north of Pakistan is home to the stunning K2 and mountain ranges which will leave adventurers truly breathless. A visit to this area of the himalayas is truly off the beaten path when compared to the much more visited mountains of India and Nepal. The mountain ranges of Pakistan are still very much untouched and offer something unique for your travels.
Photo by Maria Ly
Photo by Guilhem Vellet
Photo by Maria Ly
Beaches
When people think of Pakistan they are often unaware that the coast in Southern Pakistan is home to some truly beautiful beaches and coastlines which people would associate more with the Spain or Greece. The beaches are clean, quiet and a great way to unwind after the adventuring of the north!
Photo by Umair Ulhaque
Photo by Kashif John
Photo by Wetlands of Pakistan
Beautiful scenery and Lakes
The whole of Pakistan is a treasure trove of beautiful scenery, lakes and backdrops which is more akin to a storybook then real life. As I have been researching into the posts, the amount of amazing shots of the country was astounding. The images associated with Pakistan are often of crime, third world country with lots of poverty. However, the following shows you how much more there is to Pakistan then originally meets the eye.
Photo by Fasih Ahmend
Photo by Jawad Gakhar
Photo by Kaleem Ullah
Photo by Umair Adeeb
Wildlife
The wildlife in Pakistan is very much reflective of the country, with array of wildlife which changes with the varying terrain and landscape of the country. The Gazelles of Pakistan are some of the most beautiful.
Photo by Dr Shaggy
Photo by Srikaanth Sikar
History and culture
Like many of the countries in the area Pakistan is fusion of various cultures and traditions and is a real showcase of the amazing history from the country. The country has hundred of stunning mosques, ornate forts and relics from hundreds of years and times gobe by. Whilst the Taj Mahal in India is always the highlight for most travellers, Pakistan has more then its fair share of buildings to wow those who venture to the country.
Umar Khan
Photo by Jacksoncam
Photo by Wasif Malik
Photo by Makli
Natural Beauty
I love that Pakistan has so many beautiful and striking natural beauty from the sloping mountains found outside many of the cities, to beautiful, turquoise lakes and my favourite fact that I learnt was that Pakistan is home to the largest mud volcano in the world.
Photo by Bilal Sarwar
Photo by Omair Mohammed
Photo by Umair Adeeb
Transport
This is a personal addition because if you have little adventurers in tow, the range of transport will be what they truly delight in and Pakistan has some weird and wonderful modes of transport. My personal favourite was the tanga (horse carriage) which may be less common now but are still beautiful when you do get a chance to experience it
Photo by Sahaab Photography
Photo by Carol Mitchell
I hope the above has shown you a different image of Pakistan and helped removed the negative aspects which are only images portrayed by the media. Pakistan is a truly amazing country and I think travelling to the country would be truly off the beaten path. With South East Asia growing year on year this country is still somewhat undiscovered but would be an amazing country
I don’t think many people realise the beauty of Pakistan…when they think of Pakistan all they think about is dust, dirt, crowds.
But SubhanAllah some of these pictures are stunning and show what gems there are in Pakistan
Ma shallah wat a beauty country we as a family go every year and it’s just lovely to see the beautiful places nice people
Just stunning, absolutely stunning. I knew about the mountains but not the beaches!
Breathtaking!!
Beautiful! The scenery is stunning and the colorful buses remind me of the jeepneys in the Philippines. I hope to visit one day!
Wow Pakistan looks absolutely stunning! Such a diverse and interesting country. Thanks for sharing 🙂 #mondayescapes
Wow just wow!! I had absolutely no idea that Pakistan had so much to offer. As you say, these are not the images they portray in the media. Thanks for enlightening me:)
Stunning pictures! It’s so great to see another side to Pakistan. Each country has its good and bad coverage but Pakistan does seem to get a bad rap in the media which does put people off. Thanks for sharing and showing the beauty of Pakistan! #mondayescapes
I think the most surprising photos are the ones of beaches, somehow I have never associated Pakistan with coast. Mountains, beautiful lakes, stunning buildings and colourful transport are all images I would expect but not the beaches. Thanks for showing those. 🙂 #mondayescapes
These pictures make me a little sad. We lived in Pakistan (Islamabad) for a few short months back in 2008. We lived on the diplomatic compound and were so restricted in our movements for security reasons that we hardly got to see anything. And then the 2008 Marriott bomb happened and, because we had small children, we were evacuated. So I never really got to experience what Pakistan had to offer. Families who had left around the time we were arriving said what an amazing country it was – they were lucky as the security situation during their time meant they could travel around a lot more. PS One of my favourite souvenirs is our little jingly jangly trucks. PPS you forgot pictures of the beautiful food!
I travelled through Pakistan in the mid 1990s and loved it. As you say, most people don’t realise how beautiful the country is, we only get to see the negative media images. That said, I didn’t take any photos as amazing as these! I have got plenty of transport related ones with colourful lorries though etc. Thanks for sharing. #Mondayescapes
Thank you for sharing. I had no idea how diverse the landscape is, and just how incredibly beautiful. #MondayEscapes
This is such a lovely post! You are very right that Pakistan is often overlooked by tourists, despite all the beauty that you’ve shown. Those mountains are spectacular 🙂
I think every country has it own unique share of beauty. These pictures are great!
What absolutely stunning photos – and as you say, there’s so much more variety than most people expect. I certainly didn’t know (or didn’t remember) about the beaches, those look so unspoiled. #mondayescapes
Amazing!! I knew there were many interesting things in Pakistan, I have some friends there, but I never guessed that the beaches were soooo beautiful! I hope to visit your parents’ country someday 😀
Thank you for linking up with #MondayEscapes
What absolutely stunning photos! #MondayEscapes