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Exploring northern Pakistan: A family adventure
HIMALAYAS AND HERITAGE Zara Rahman, a seventh grader at The Kinkaid School, took a trip with her relatives (23 in total!) to northern Pakistan. Pictured: Zara, her younger siblings Adam and Deena, and parents Amina and Shad.
This summer, I went on an amazing trip to northern Pakistan with my family. We traveled with my mom’s side – 23 total! I had doubts, but it surpassed all my expectations.
We spent a few days in London before flying to Islamabad and then to Skardu. The views were breathtaking – snowcapped glaciers and stunning mountains. Once we landed, we took a shuttle to our two white vans. Our drivers tied our luggage to the roof with ropes! I sat with my cousins in the “nicer” van with AC. We drove 10 hours, surrounded by mountains and blue skies alongside the rushing Indus River, to the Silk Route Lodge in Gulmit. There was girl talk, naps, and unfortunately – vomit, thanks to bumpy roads and my baby sister’s motion sickness.
The lodge felt sketchy at first (no AC, dark halls), but the creek and mountains made up for it. After a “desi naastha” breakfast (spiced eggs, paratha, mango lassis) we hiked Passu Glacier. The supposedly 50-minute hike took three hours! Me and my cousin Zayna led the way. My foot slipped and got lodged in a rock – thankfully, it stopped me from falling!
Later we ate apricot jam and other native foods at a 700-year-old house in Hunza. Then we visited Hussaini Suspension Bridge, where we took gorgeous pictures. That night, a live band played tabla and sitar at our hotel under the starry sky.
The next day was my favorite. We hiked for a 360-degree view of the Himalayas, held a baby goat, had yak burgers (yum!), and apricot pound cake. Then we rode speedboats on Attabad Lake – they tipped us at 90-degree angles! Later we ziplined across the lake, where the brake system was the rope hitting a brick wrapped in tape.
After that, we arrived at Hunza Serena Hotel and had a delicious rooftop dinner. The next day we visited forts, saw an ancient Buddha carved into a mountain, and hiked by a gorgeous mountain stream. My dad and others climbed Rakaposhi Glacier (27th tallest mountain in the world). To finish the trip, we visited Skardu, played Mafia during a blackout, and heard a touching speech about family from my grandpa. Pakistan was full of beauty, family, and adventure. Everyone should travel – the world is big and life is short. Always make time for it!
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