Karachi - Again :)

Society Travel & Tourism
21

That's understandable why you are afraid of going to Pakistan. This is your first time and frankly you don't have a clue how the life is in Karachi. It's gonna be different picture for you......TOTALLY. About time to experience loadshedding, finally!

It's a busy life there just like we see in the Western Countries but it's different.

Do the shopping at night. It's a best and perfect time. Don't forget to visit Gulshan-e-Iqbal, which remains open 24/7 despite of all agitation, strikes or whatever. Good food options there, too.

Not sure about the condition of Beaches since the Oil was spilled a month ago or so. I wouldn't recommed you to go there but if the situation is clear and sanitary, then you should visit Beaches in Karachi. Must see Sun-set in Clinfton. It's awesome!

And the most important thing....BOIL THE WATER BEFORE YOU DRINK. Don't spend thousands of ruppees just buying Nesttle water bottles. Believe me, from my prespective, it's not worth it.

I'd recommend you should stay in Pakistan until Eid. Here in USA, Eid-Day is just like any other regular day. You don't get vacation...you don't get to meet your relatives, friends. Even more painful, you have classes and work to do. See where I'm getting it at?

I've to been Nazimabad and North Nazimabad as well. These are populated areas and does face Water shortage sometimes. Now, don't you worry, it's a part of everyone's life there which you might experience!

The mosquitoes in Karachi are waiting for golden-brown complexion gurl to arrive......Good Luck. :p

22

Mehnaz

I definitely agree with Pakistani Tiger about spending Eid in Pakistan, definitely definitely definitely celebrate Eid there, it's going to be something completely different than what you've experienced in the west. It's sort of like chritsmas, but you actually feel part of the whole deal....It's an experience i'd kill to live all over again :( I've been dying to celebrate Eid in Pakistan but in the past few years, Eid has always fallen during school/college days. sigh

23

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by MehnazQ: *
What shots do I need to get done before I go?

[/QUOTE]

they have medicine there as well :p anyways the shots u wud need to get are for malaria, hepetitus c (sp?), and tetanus.

dont eat or drink outside other than any good restaurants or fast food places like kfc etc.

have fun! :-)

24

Mehnaz

thanks for the answers :slight_smile:

Stay with relatives. Your cousins will show you around I am sure. It’ll be so much better. Plus you are going after a long time and if you stay in a hotel they are gonna get offended prolly. Not to mention that staying in a hotel will be boring plus getting help/directions will be more difficult too.

In Ramzaan, shopping is FUN :smiley: …its like the best experience of your life ever to go shopping in Ramzan specially during the last 10 days and SPECIALLY during chaand raat…trust me u will LOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEE it :smiley: The shops are open till late, people usually come out with their families after iftari to shop, and shop till late at night, shopping areas are packed with people, and everyone is in a festive mood. Chaand raat shopping is too much fun. Do the whole traditional chaaand raat :smiley: get mehndi done on your hands on chaand raat, get bangles, buy all your artifical jewelr, eid shoes and everything on chaand raat…it’ll be a LOTTTT OF FUNNNNNNNNNNNNN…so yup Stay till Eid. Eid in Pakistan is the best, you’ll never experience Eid like that in a foreign country.

Hot shopping spots are Tariq Road, Gulf in Clifton, Zaibunnisa Street and Bohri Bazar in Saddar. Near Nazmabad there’s Paposh. There’s others too like Laaloo Khet has a shopping center which is hecka cheap.

500 dollars wil not be enough. Seriously, you are going after so long, take some more money, it will be totally worth it!!! You’ll see so many things you’d want to buy, and you’ll be amazed at how cheap everything is when you convert from rupees to dollars…trust me you will want to buy MUCH MORE than 2 suits!!! take as much money as u can, u can always bring it back if u dont spend it.

not sure abt this but…Get vaccinated for typhoid, malaria and jaundice i think? Test with your local doctor, local desi doctor maybe, and other desis… Take lots of diarrhoea and vomiting medicine…thats what ppl usually get when they come to pak…but hopefully if u drink bottled water and dont eat at the street stalls etc, [though do that atleast once!!!] you’ll be fine :slight_smile:

The crime situation is not THAT big of a deal. Your cousins will till you the main things like don’t go out wearing expensive jewelry, dont carry too much cash etc etc…the else just depends on your luck…but its not something that should stop you from going out n having fun and shopping like crazy :smiley:

You will be stared at somewhat coz anything female is :smiley: so dont worry its not coz u lok lke a foreigner or something :smiley: but try to get used to it, most ladies, specially in Nazmabad side, wear chaadars when they go out shopping, so you can wear a chaadar on your head too, it will make you feel safer and less stared at…

about mosquitoes, use BOOTS insect repeller, my cousins used to use that, its pretty good…u can also put mustard oil on u but its messy, lekin that works..theres a paki thing avlbl locally called MOSPEL but that doesnt work…in pak tho they use coils and electric mats which help…if u live with ur cousins, i am sure they will know abt these things…

about urdu…dont feel nervous…and hey! this is the time for u to perfect ur urdu :slight_smile: so don’t be shy, just speak in urdu a lot, and by the time u come back u’ll be speaking fluently, if u r there for a month…

my uncle’s family friend’s daughter was staying with us in karachi…she was also visiting for the first time kinda from england and in her early/mid twenties…she had a great time…she used to speak broken urdu but became much more fluent by the time she left, she ate a lot of paki foods even if they made her unwell, she even got the hang of taking the bus to the shopping center near our house..i being a local dont even do that by myself!! she would bargain with the shopkeepers better than me, could go to the tailor herself and tell him exactly how she wanted her SK done…she got the hang of the place really well…she had a greatttt trip she absolutely loved it…so i am sure u will too :slight_smile: just dont get pulled down by anything and make sure to make it a positive experience…

best of luck…gosh i’m hecka excited for u :smiley: :hula: hope u have a great time!!!

25

Oh one more thing about jewelry…

for gold jewelry:

it’ll be the best if your cousins have a certain trusted jeweller whom they always get stuff from…otherwise go to the main gold jewelry shops in Zaibunnisa Street…dont go to the small ones..

and there’s one thing u shuld always do when u buy gold items…after purchase take it to another shop, and just ask them u want to sell it, how much r they willing to buy it for…dont tell them u have just bought it…then compare prices…and u will know if u have been conned or not…

a lot of ppl also do this: if u r passing thru Dubai in transit..[which u r prolly too right?] they buy ARY gold biscuits from Dubai or gold jewelry from Dubai [coz its cheaper n also trustworthy coz when they say 22K or 24K gold it is that]…but the prob with that is that the designs in Dubai r not that good…so then when they go to pak, tjhey give that jewelry to jewellers, choose new designs and ask them to remould it into new designs…

so if u want to buy gold jewelry then too u will have to take more money than just 500 dollars…

artifical jewelry:

for antique artifical jewelry, go to Zainab market in Saddar, Gulf also sells some…and for non antique artifical jewelry, dont get it from Tariq Road/Gulf, they’ll charge u double for the same thing, go to Bohri Bazar or Paposh for that…or if u want to go to Laloo Khet…i went there once and the stuff thay was selling for 20 bucks at Gulf in Clifton was selling for 5 bucks there :eek: and Gulf is supposed to be not to expensive!!! But the only prob is sometimes these shopping centers are inconveneint, far, not so clean etc…so its your choice…Shopping in Gulf is clean and covenient..

26

Thanks Irem. :flower1:

I will mostlikely be taking a direct flight from London to Karachi.

I will just have to trust my relatives cause I will not remember all these places you are mentioning.

When are you going to be there?

27

Mehnaz, take printouts of this thread with you when you go to Karachi :D

Your flight will prolly have a stopover in Dubai and those shops r all at the airport... :)

I haven't bought my ticket yet. I'm trying to wrap things up soon so that I can get there ASAP. But you can imagine, wrapping up everything and moving back is taking me longer than I had expected coz there's sooo many things I have to do!!!

Lekin inshallah planning to get there before the end of October for sure... :)

28

Irem, if we can, let's meet!

29

fasting or not Ramzan would be boring .. and shopping around Eid time would be a horror story for you.. it's your first time.. many enjoy the crowds that come with the festival.. you might be repulsed and annoyed by it.

30

That's what I'm afraid of Baba G. Anyway, I've decided on going for 2 weeks only. I don't think I would be able to handle an entire month in Pakistan it being my first time there. We'll see how it goes.

31

Let me give you a very valuable tip, which I am surprised no one else mentioned yet.

If you go to Pakistan with the aim of having tonnes of fun, shopping, going around, eating out, hanging out with your cousins... you will have a ball of a time, and will enjoy every second. You won't want to come back.

If you, instead, go to Pakistan petrified about the mosquitoes, taking a big medicine bag with you, are afraid to talk to the shopkeepers, are skeptical of the relatives you have not met (ever), worried about your accent, the sun and the hot weather, germs and infections in the eating outlets... then, trust me, you will face everything and more, and won't have any pleasure in the trip.

Not to say that you shouldn't take your required medicines with you or becoming totally reckless by eating everything offered to you by thailaywalas... but, that your mind set will determine how much you enjoy anywhere. You seem like a touristy kinda gal, with a sense of adventure... don't be so worried about Pakistan. It will be fine. Just be positive and you will have a lot of fun there.

32

Yeah yeah faisal uncle, I know. I have to go with a positive attitude. I'm just a little concerned and this is the only place where I am expressing myself as i'm bubbly as a bumble bee at home (on purpose so that I don't give my parents an excuse to cancel plans for Paksitan :p ).

I honestly do see this as an adventure. What can I say though? CNN has succeeded in making me paranoid. I blame the Jews. :) (j/k)

33

:hehe:

34

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by MehnazQ: *
Irem, if we can, let's meet!
[/QUOTE]

Yeah lets! :) PM me when your plans get finalised.

35

Hey Mehnaz, I could be in Karachi too by October. So we can hang around and shoot all troubles. :slight_smile:

:hula: Rikshaw ki sair karain gey. :hula:

36

I think it is a good idea to take immodium with you, although you can find it in Karachi as well, it is always good to have it handy and believe you me, if you have any sense of adventure you will need it. I have been a frequent visitor to Karachi, khaala lived there, and this is what I will suggest in addition to what others have said.

Abdul Khaliq ki dal moTh
Sadder ki Nimko
Dehli Colony ki haleem and aaloo ki chaaT
Student Biryani.
Sadder ki peshawari icecream.
Rait ki challi (not sure if it is available in Karachi)
Balloch ki icecream(boat basin)
rabRi (i am not sure exactly where in KHI)
Sabri Nehari
Piyala hotel ki chai paraTha
Bundoo khan kay Behari kabab
There are also some famous dahi bhallays some where in sadder but I can't remember (karachiites help)

For shopping try another place that no one has mentioned, dopatta gali, I used to get my guitaars fixed from there as there were no decent places in Islamabad/ pindi, and I noticed a lot of women there.

Lee market ki hira manDi (you would have had a better experience in Lahore but this ain't too bad for experience either)

Paaposh ki Saadia market (for ladies apparel, mainly embroidered stuff)

For classy(designer) shalwar kameez suits check Zamzama street.

Haathi ki sawaari at Gandhi garden. :D my fav since bachpann.

Gulberg ki chorangi for old books (man half of my library in Pakistan was from these Thailaas, or old book shops in Islamabad)

Experience a rickshaw ride as well, scarier than most roller coasters :D

more to come later, right now i am too drowsy.

37

Thanks everybody. I'm going to be in Karachi for 20 days. I have my tickets so everything is final.

Irem, I will PM you. :)

38

mehnaz q kakai : dont be scared after all u r pakistani..... :p . its wierd i feel so self conscience when i talk punjabi lakin when i went buray wala (place in punjab) i felt normal speaking punjabi there beause everyone speaks it.... even urdu feels wierd when i first go pak lakin with in one day one feels normal so dont worry aboyt speaking urdu .. once u start u will be fine.

oh ang the ogaling thingy it will help if u dont wear toursers and shirts... specially tight ones... i saw one lady wearing some tight jeans and a tank top .. wasnt pretty :p ... if u r really worried then well there is always a dopata.... my mum wears one here in uk but when she goes pak she wears a shawl thingy (as its big it doesnt show the outline of the body) any way have fun and dont stress..... the only thing is be careful abotu wat u eat for the first few days because we get ill every time we have gone pak for the first week lol.

as sehar said eid zinda baad i havent been in a pakistan eid for 8 years :(

39

I don't wear tight hoochi clothes even here Waleed. I certainly wouldn't in Pakistan. That would be stupid and totally disrespectful to the locals (IMHO). :) Khair, I am considering wearing a burkha just for the experience. :D

My urdu is atrocious. I will try though. :)

40

:o i never said u wear tight 'hoochi' cloths :p

yep u can experience the boorka alright... my mum used to wear it in her jawani (she still is jawan of course) hehehe ... lakin in karachi women dont even wear a dopata ... so dont be surprised if u get wierd looks :p

dont worry yaar u will be fine with ur urdu.... practise makes perfect :p ... but u will be with ur family member when u go out so it should be alright.