Pak Your Bags

TIP SHEET
The dhabas are quite something. The Chicken Makhani anywhere in India pales in comparison.

SPECIAL RECO
Restaurant Boat Basin houses every cuisine imaginable under one roof and a joint called Havana Cigar is a tobacco gold mine. Also hit Rainbow Centre for pirated CDs, DVDs or VHS tapes for Rs 40 INR. I bought Season 6 of Sex and the City even before it was aired in America.

Pradip P Shah
Venture Capitalist
4 days, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore
I WAS part of a group that took the overland route into Pakistan by bus just after the monsoons last year. Of all the images I8217;ve carried back home, the one that still lingers is of sunset in Lahore. It8217;s fascinating to watch the light gradually dim over its numerous mosques, with their tall minarets piercing the sky.

This former cultural centre of the Moghuls is green, with as many gardens as there are local trains in Mumbai, and the architectural styles of its structures range from Moghul to Gothic and Victorian.

But there is none of the buzz one finds in Karachi; both the old city, with its twisting alleys, and the new one. The two experiences that stand out are visits to the Amil Sindhi colony, and the Parsi Colony. The latter is a place that looks lived in, with old buildings and people lounging around just as they would have done all those years back. While Mohenjo-Daro was fascinating, it was also a sort of anti-climax. There8217;s history both in the air and the earth there, in the remnants of buildings, the water channels, but it8217;s more a place for the mind8217;s eye. The people are hospitable to a fault, and very curious about life in India.

TIP SHEET
Don8217;t talk politics.

SPECIAL RECO
Mohenjo-Daro, the Lahore masjids.

Hema Upadhyay
Artist
30 days, Karachi
When I landed in Karachi I hardly felt I was in a different country. The Rangoonwala Community Centre was our studio space and all of Karachi our kingdom for material. I decided to work with matchsticks after I saw them being sold on handcarts at Khodi Gardens and Khajoor Bazaar a replica of Mumbai8217;s Lohar Chawl or Crawford Market.

My father is from Karachi so I had to visit Saddar Bazaar, where his family lived. I even managed to track down an Irani restaurant called Pfaff, now closed. My grandfather used to take my dad there for breakfast.

Besides trips down my father8217;s memory lane, I stuffed myself at kebab corner Bundu Khan, which is the taste of Pakistan. I also went to Mohatta Palace, once the residence of Jinnah8217;s sister and now a museum that houses beautiful textiles.

The roads are so colourful8212;Pakistanis really dress up their public transport. And I loved the way they say salaam instead of hi. Returning from the sweet melody that is Urdu, Bambaiya Hindi really hits you.

TIP SHEET
Don8217;t go with preconceived notions.

SPECIAL RECO
Gaddani Beach in Baluchistan. It has seven colours of the ocean, from light grey to ultramarine blue.

Jaideep Patwardhan
Golfer
8 days, Karachi
THE Arabian Sea Country Club in Karachi, where our golf tournament was recently held, was amazing. It8217;s on the outskirts and the architecture is Japanese. We also bought many shawls at Zenab market, Karachi8217;s shopping hub. There8217;s not much of a night life, but the electronic market was good fun. DVDs for Rs 70!

Jinnah8217;s mausoleum, the Quaid-e-Azam, too was a great experience. It8217;s in the heart of the city and the architecture is fascinating. There8217;s a museum that houses his clothes, his chair, even two or three of his cars.

TIP SHEET
Gorge on the huge mutton kebabs at Lal Qila.

SPECIAL RECO
The Quaid-e-Azam.

Aarti Sabharwal
Designer
10 days, Lahore and Karachi
I8217;LL be in Pakistan in a few days. This is my third trip, the last one was around mid-February. I8217;ve been to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and am looking forward to exploring Rawalpindi and Peshawar.

Pakistan may not be everyone8217;s idea of a chill-out zone, but I8217;d pick it over any eastern destination if I just wanted to relax. There are no spas, no bars, none of the trappings we associate with nights out in India, evenings are mostly family-and-friends time. Since alcohol is not part of the culture, the emphasis is on early, convivial evenings.

Young girls rarely venture out late, but during the day, they pack the ice-cream parlours and coffee bars. Then, of course, there8217;s the shopping. Karachi has many competitively-priced outlets for foreign goods. The local products are incredible. Lahore8217;s jootis, called khussas, are absolute must-buys and the textiles, especially summer fabrics like lawn, are very comfortable. Don8217;t forget to dress conservatively. A sleeveless dress may go unnoticed in Karachi, but not in Lahore.

TIP SHEET
Carry Indian jewellery! They love it, especially diamonds.

SPECIAL RECO
Lahore8217;s Gawli Mandi. The food alley serves the most amazing meats, including quail. Don8217;t miss Daata Durbar, a wish fulfilment mosque.