High street hospitality: Lahore Backpackers

Sometimes love for the country can be seen in a discounted rate card and free wi-fi.

The 1973 tourism brochure for Pakistan featuring the hippie trail may now seem like a road less travelled to most of us, but one would be surprised to know how many foreigners still take that route. Although in smaller numbers, the modern hippies continue to tour the country discreetly on their motorbikes or cycles, making an odd appearance at a dhaba or a mall to piece together memories of Pakistan to take back home. And while many have abandoned the once flourishing tourism industry in search for more profitable ventures, a few enthusiasts still remain, incurring costs to accommodate those who may turn the tide some day.

Sajjad Hussain is one such patriot, whose love for the country takes the form of a small hostel called Lahore Backpackers. Armed with nothing but hospitality and a discounted room rate card, he hopes to counter negative perceptions about the country with his warmth and affordable accommodation. “It’s been three years since I started this business,” he says proudly. “I just want our guests to be so overwhelmed by our hospitality that they keep visiting Pakistan again and again.” It is this simple idea that has kept him going even in the face of rising inflation and infrequent foreign visitors.



With a central, rooftop location the hostel enjoys an aerial view of the city. “At a walking distance of two minutes there is a money exchange, a minute away is KFC, ten minutes away is the museum and the zoo is eight minutes away,” claims Hussain. The location is ideal for backpackers who prefer to explore the city on foot. Along with a prime location, the hostel’s daily rates also play a major role in luring guests.

The standard rate for a room ranges between four to ten dollars while an air-conditioned room with a double bed may cost up to $16. But if you are a cyclist, you can spend a night at the hostel absolutely free of cost, and also avail the free wi-fi, filtered drinking water and laundry and kitchen facilities. “Previously we would charge our guests as low as Rs150 to Rs200 but due to an increase in electricity costs we had to raise it to around Rs400 per night,” Hussain says.



Having carefully narrowed down his target audience, Hussain caters to foreign travellers who plan their visits on a very low budget. They are mostly backpackers or cyclists who come from Europe, cross Turkey and Iran, enter Pakistan and then proceed to India and Nepal — following the hippie trail. “Currently I have a motorcyclist from Iran, two from Europe and a Japanese cyclist staying with us,” says Hussain. “We only cater to foreigners and not locals. This way they are at ease and feel comfortable and secure.” Although Lahore Backpackers has enlisted one security guard, Hussain insists that they do not need more security as it only alarms the foreigners who otherwise consider themselves to be in a very secure location.

“Our guests are made to feel at home. They can dress however they want without fear of attracting attention or stares,” assures Hussain. “They are most happy that way.” To make their stay even more joyful, Hussain serves his guests with tea and green tea whenever desired. With only four workers managing the place, he makes sure to tend to his guests personally. When Elliott Ford, a British traveller fell ill, Hussain and his staff took special care. Later Elliott extended his visa by two weeks, giving him a chance to visit Changa Manga where he stayed at Hussain’s friend’s house. “Pakistan was a really special place for me. I genuinely felt like a guest wherever I went and the people were always friendly and genuine and not concerned with making money,” Elliott later wrote in his blog titled ‘Unexpectedly enjoyable time in Lahore’ on TravelPod.

A letter of appreciation by one of the backpackers.

The maximum capacity of the hostel might be limited to 13 or 14 guests, but the quality of experience makes up for the small scale. “We organise a qawwali night twice or thrice a month, depending on the number of guests staying with us,” says Hussain. To entertain the tourists, he also takes them to various festivals depending on the time of year along with a customary visit to the Data Darbar. A special surprise meal at a local eatery is also arranged in order to introduce guests to Pakistani flavours.

“Many people think that since the stay here is cheap, we do not provide many facilities, but we have even had foreigners staying at Avari Hotel come to us,” insists Hussain. Marcus Losdhal, a Swedish tourist, wanted to extend his trip because of his “really nice stay” at Lahore Backpackers. “I reached really late at night but the people at the desk were very welcoming and offered me chai… the view from the rooftop is also beautiful and they have free wi-fi,” Losdhal commented.

Tales of Hussain’s hospitality echo loud and far. Some, like the visitors from Hungary, were so impressed by the experience that they became voluntary ambassadors for the country. Not only did they buy traditional clothes to wear to work back home but also promised to spread word about the country and encourage others to visit too. Proof of the kindness extended to all guests is proudly displayed on the soft board that hangs in the reception. Letters of appreciation on the Lahore Backpackers letterhead hang like medals, assuring all those who walk in that they are in safe hands.

Along with letters, many document their stay on blogs for everyone to read and inform friends and family about the ideal lodging place in Lahore. It is by word of mouth that Lahore Backpackers has grown in popularity. In March 2013, it won the 11^th annual Hostel Awards and was declared the best hotel in Pakistan by hostel.com, one of the most trusted websites on Lonely Planet. But even with such positive reviews and feedback from tourists, Hussain sadly admits that tourists frequenting the hostel are few. “Many tourists are not granted visas to visit the country,” he explains. “Although the month of August was completely booked, many did not get a visa. It now costs around $300 to $400 which is expensive.”

But even in the face of adversity, Hussain manages to remain optimistic. “Tourism in Pakistan shall improve,” he promises. He claims that even the Nanga Parbat attack earlier this year in which 10 foreign tourists were murdered by a terrorist group, did not affect tourism as much. And although there were cancellations from many European and American tourists, there was a flood of foreign visitors from the Eastern side and the number of Koreans and Chinese tourists almost doubled.

“The [ground realities] are not as bad as your media projects it. I have travelled on [the] Karakoram Highway in a bus from Rawalpindi to Hunza with local passengers,” says Kim Hoyeon, a banker-explorer from South Korea. He has already been to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal and India and after visiting Northern Pakistan believes that the beauty and hospitality here remains unmatched.

Additional reporting: Dilaira Mondegarian 

Vasiq Iqbal is a Lahore-based photojournalist and a travel writer. He has worked with a non-military think tank as a research associate. He tweets @vasiq_eqbal 

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, November 24^th, 2013.

Correction: An earlier version of the story mistakenly used an incorrect twitter handle. The error is regretted.