Apr 25th, 2013 at 3:00PM: A proposed bus route from England to Pakistan has been delayed due to trouble getting permits, the BBC reports.
The proposed route is the brainchild of Tahir Khokher, transport chief for the Mirpur region of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The route starts in the northern English city of Birmingham, where many Pakistanis from the Mirpur region live, and runs 4,000 miles through Europe, Turkey, and ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
pakistan posts
Planned England To Pakistan Bus Route Hits Bump In The Road
Apr 25th, 2013 at 3:00PM: A proposed bus route from England to Pakistan has been delayed due to trouble getting permits, the BBC reports.
The proposed route is the brainchild of Tahir Khokher, transport chief for the Mirpur region of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The route starts in the northern English city of Birmingham, where many Pakistanis from the Mirpur region live, and runs 4,000 miles through Europe, Turkey, and ...Survey Ranks 'World's Most Unfriendliest' Countries
Mar 15th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Have you ever been to a country that just seems to give tourists the cold shoulder? Now, there are some figures behind those unwelcome feelings; the World Economic Forum has put together a report that ranks countries based on how friendly they are to tourists.
The extensive analyses ranks 140 countries according to attractiveness and competitiveness in the travel and tourism industries. ...A Long Lesson From A Short Walk On The Karakoram Highway
Feb 28th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
I've just come home from a whirlwind week in D.C. and L.A. Both trips were wonderful. In D.C. I had energizing meetings at National Geographic Traveler and hosted an exhilarating onstage conversation with the amazing Alexandra Fuller, author of (among other books) Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, an extraordinarily evocative and moving memoir of growing up in Rhodesia. In L.A. I gave a talk ...Amusement Park Planned For City In Pakistan Where Bin Laden Was Killed
Feb 4th, 2013 at 3:00PM: In an effort to bring more tourist dollars to Abbottabad, the city in Pakistan where Osama bin Laden was killed, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has instituted a plan to build an amusement park.
Syed Aqil Shah, the provincial minister for tourism and sports, said:
"This project has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden ... we are working to promote tourism and amusement facilities in ...World's Worst Places: Top 10 Places In The World You Do Not Want To Visit In 2013
Dec 24th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I'm the kind of person who can conjure up an excuse to visit just about any place. I grew up in Buffalo, America's most unfairly maligned city, and so I identify with underdog destinations – places with bad weather, crime, ugly people, rude people, you name it and I probably still want to go there.
But there are some places on this planet that even I do not want to visit. Places where you ...Today Hindus Celebrate Diwali, The Festival Of Lights (PHOTOS)
Nov 13th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
Across the world today, Hindus are celebrating Diwali, one of the religion's most important holidays. Popularly known as the "festival of lights," Hindus mark the occasion by decorating their homes with flowers, paper lanterns, powders and earthen oil lamps called Diyas, which signify the triumph of good over evil. Other traditions associated with the holiday include cleaning your house, ...Eating Out In Chicago For $3.49
Oct 28th, 2012 at 11:00AM: Is it possible to get lunch in Chicago for $3.49? That was the question I sought to answer on Friday at Annapurna, an Indian vegetarian restaurant on Devon Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's largest South Asian neighborhood. Whenever I need a quick trip to a foreign country but can't make it to O'Hare, I gravitate to one of my two favorite ethnic enclaves in Chicago: the Arab corridor of Albany ...A Traveler In The Foreign Service: Meet An Intrepid Diplomat
Apr 4th, 2012 at 10:00AM: In our ongoing attempt to demystify the Foreign Service, we're going to occasionally introduce you to diplomats living in various parts of the world. Amy Tachco is a 36-year-old Foreign Service Officer (FSO) originally from Southern California and Central Ohio who joined the Foreign Service just over ten years ago.
Amy and I joined the Foreign Service at the same time and were part of the same ...Serena Hotels: Opulence amidst squalor and bloodshed
Feb 29th, 2012 at 11:30AM: Anyone for a game of badminton and a round of emerald-hunting in Pakistan's Swat Valley? Or perhaps you fancy a beach resort on the shores of Lake Kivu, just minutes from the Democratic Republic of Congo?
The March/April issue of Foreign Policy features an interesting story and photo gallery on the luxury Serena hotel chain, which they dub the "Ritz Carlton of Failed States." The chain, which ...Brits behaving badly abroad
Aug 4th, 2011 at 8:30AM:
Today the Foreign Office released British Behaviour Abroad 2011, with detailed figures on British nationals in trouble overseas (read: Brits behaving badly abroad). The period surveyed: April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011.
There are lots of interesting tidbits in the survey. British nationals request consular assistance in greatest numbers in Spain and the United States, though since both ...Vote for America's best bathroom
Jun 8th, 2009 at 12:30PM: It's a room we visit several times each day, but the humble bathroom (john, head, bog, loo, etc.) is rarely celebrated in its true glory. Cintas Facility Services, a leading provider of bathroom supplies, wants to change that with its America's Best Restroom Award. Check out their website to see the nominees and vote for your favorite. A good bathroom is the traveler's best friend, and should be ...JetBlue flight attendant assaults elderly woman or vice versa? One of them is to pay fines
Jun 2nd, 2009 at 8:30AM: Imagine your grandmother (or mother) being grabbed by the arm and moved down a plane aisle by a flight attendant. Is the flight attendant being gentle and understanding? Respectful? Particularly since your grandmother is from another culture and has been in route for 30-hours. In the case of Talat Taharia, a woman from Pakistan, the Jet Blue flight attendant forcibly moved her from the exit aisle ...Skier Conquers K2 on One Ski
Apr 1st, 2009 at 8:00AM: When it comes to the world of extreme skiing, there are few men as naturally talented as Lane Meyer. He's skied some of the most challenging mountains in the world, from the Himalaya to the Andes and everything in between. But even his most ardent fans felt that he had bitten off more than he could chew when he traveled to the remote Karakorum Range in Pakistan to ski K2, the second tallest ...Destination on the Edge: Kabul
Dec 29th, 2008 at 10:00AM: While the wealthy winter on St. Barth's and in St. Tropez, the adventurous need something a little different. Instead of settling for the mundane, invest in the time of your life. Go to Afghanistan. For those with an addiction to thrill, the definition of "luxury" is changing. Conspicuous consumption, a taste for exclusivity and bragging rights crystallize when you step onto the dusty Kabul turf. ..."Check" Flag Welcomes Czech Prime Minister to Pakistan
Jun 16th, 2007 at 1:53PM:
What's wrong with this picture? Adil Najam, founding editor of the All Things Pakistan blog, was driving back from the airport in Islamabad when he noticed a banner welcoming Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek to the capital city. A kind notion, for sure, but there's one problem: whoever created the banner used a "check" flag instead of a Czech flag. "I rushed back to see if I would ...Photo of the Day (12/18/06)
Dec 18th, 2006 at 10:02AM:
This is a recent photo of a resort area called Nathiagali, in northern Pakistan. The picture reveals the reality: lush evergreen forests, high mountains (8200 ft, where this photo was taken). While the photo may not be like some of the super artsy items we've thrown on these pages, I got this from a friend who is an embassy worker in Pakistan. The photo is here because it's a glimpse of a world ...
