Karachi
The City of Lights - Batiyon ka Shehr
Karachi has a vibe that is unmatched by any other city in the country. Whenever I land in Karachi, I feel excited and my heart starts racing. It holds possibilities for everyone and no amount of trouble can bring down the spirits of Karachiites.
Sobia Maq
Co-founder
Karachi
Karachi is not only the largest city in Pakistan but also one of the largest cities in the world. While at one point the boundaries of the city may have been defined, we have been pushing into the sea to make land for high rises while on the other hand, there are sprawling housing societies well into the Karachi-Hyderabad motorway.
The population of Karachi is quite diverse, as people from all over the country come here looking for job prospects and are an integral part of the city’s eco-system.
The history of Karachi dates back to the time of Alexander the Great and many centuries later, Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia from Karachi. Under British rule, the city was connected to the rest of British India by rail. Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Karachi had become a bustling metropolis with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings, lining the city’s thoroughfares.
Things To Do, See & Shop
As a coastal city, one of the greatest attractions is the beach. In addition to Clifton, Hawke’s Bay, French Beach, Manora, Charna Island, more recently, Gadani Beach, and Bhit Khori have become very popular. Many might not know that Bhit Khori beach is a luminescent beach, which means it’s waves glow in the dark.
For those interested in diversity, a trip across various religious sites could be arranged, including the Tower of Silence (Parsi Graveyard) or Parsi Institute, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Ismail Jamatkhana and Narayan Mandir.
From the food you can eat, to the people you meet and the shopping experiences, theater performances, Karachi has a lot to offer to its traveling guests.
To See
To Do - Activities
Boating & fishing
Horse and camel back riding
Swimming
Cycling
Theater
Shopping
Whether you want to buy clothes, furniture, handicrafts, footwear, jewelry, ornaments, or just about anything – Karachi has a range of options to choose from at a price point, within everyone’s budget. Old style covered markets such as Hyderi and Zainab market still buzz with hyper activity despite the fact that many high end malls have sprung up in recent years such as Dolmen Mall, Ocean Mall, Luckyone Mall, etc. Zainab market will definitely test your bargaining skills!
Best Time To Go
There is always a breeze in the air in the evenings which allows one to let go of the steam from the hot summer days. Having said this, summers are long and in winters, it rarely gets very cold – it just gets mostly pleasant.
Accommodation
Karachi has a huge number of options to choose from when it comes to accommodation – from high end hotels to budget hotels and we will pick the best places for your stay.
Food
The food list in Karachi is endless and we really don’t know where to begin from!
Let’s take street food for instance – you can totally enjoy a bun kebab (local burger) and gol gappay sitting inside a clean restaurant or at a food cart on the roadside – we can assure you that both will be beyond yummy. The Karachi kachoris (fried bread with stuffing) are unique to the city and if you are visiting Karachi, then you have to go to this one food cart on Tariq road that serves the best kachoris.
There are a huge number of great local restaurants that one can try, including Zahid’s Nihari, Bar-B-Q Tonight (the Clifton one has a vibe like no other), the whole buns road with a range of options for biryani, haleem, barbecue, fish, etc. High end restaurants are also in abundance offering expensive beef steaks, Japanese cuisine, Thai cuisine, and many more!.
Pakistanis have a huge sweet tooth and we absolutely love the hot jalebis from Bahadurabad, or the rabri (a milk based dessert) from buns road, to name a few.
If you are health conscious, there are a growing number of restaurants catering salads or more specific options such as keto friendly and gluten-free diets.