World honeymoon tour: A ride from Lahore to Khunjerab
Belgian couple finds Pakistan different from what they were told
ISLAMABAD:
Maximilian Volders and Marriane started their honeymoon trip on August 4, 2011, from Belgium. They reached Pakistan on September 1, through Wahga Border travelling through Europe, Africa, China and South-East Asia on their motorbike.
The Belgian couple has visited Lahore, Islamabad, Murree, Bisham and travelled on the Karakoram Highway all the way up to the 16,500 feet high Khunjerab Pass.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Volders said they are enjoying their time in Pakistan. He said the country is not what the international media portrays it to be. “We really liked Pakistan. We loved the scenic beauty along the Karakoram Highway.” He said Pakistanis are friendly and helpful people. “Many a time, people helped us with our bike. And we are staying at a Pakistani’s home here.”
Volders, an information technology networking engineer, and Marriane, started their world honeymoon trip on a KTM-950 Adventure motorbike from Ghent in Belgium on August 4, 2011.
“We started traveling EU countries some eight years back but we felt that we were just wandering there. We wanted to see the world. We planned a long trip and started saving money; we got married before embarking on this world tour.” He said they have not faced any visa problem so far.
About this country, he said Europeans are told one-sided story of Pakistan. “When I told my family that we are going to tour South Asia too, they told me not to visit Pakistan because they thought there are terrorist threats in Pakistan.” He, however, said they have not had any security concerns in Pakistan so far. “We really felt safe and sound in Pakistan.”
He said that traffic in India was very dangerous. “I did not feel safe there. The roads here in Pakistan are better and cleaner and traffic more organised as compared to India.”
Another thing they liked about Pakistan was its cheaper food. “We had to cook in Africa but here in Pakistan food is available at economical rates everywhere. Today, for example, we did breakfast in Rs150 only.”
About their inspiration for travel, they said that they wanted to see some more of the world, meet other people from other cultures, get to know customs and habits from different cultures which they were not familiar with.
“We wanted to see and experience what countries are like with our own eyes, which is often different from what the media tells us. Pakistan is a very good example of that.”
The couple has visited France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Togo, Ghana, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa, Lesotho, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Hong Kong, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and India.
Volders said they will now leave for Quetta, via Lahore, Multan and Sukkur. From Quetta, they plan to visit Iran via Taftan border, Turkey and back to Europe.
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) sources say number of foreign tourists to Pakistan has reduced significantly in recent years, especially after killing of 11 tourists at Nanga Parbat last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2014.
Maximilian Volders and Marriane started their honeymoon trip on August 4, 2011, from Belgium. They reached Pakistan on September 1, through Wahga Border travelling through Europe, Africa, China and South-East Asia on their motorbike.
The Belgian couple has visited Lahore, Islamabad, Murree, Bisham and travelled on the Karakoram Highway all the way up to the 16,500 feet high Khunjerab Pass.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Volders said they are enjoying their time in Pakistan. He said the country is not what the international media portrays it to be. “We really liked Pakistan. We loved the scenic beauty along the Karakoram Highway.” He said Pakistanis are friendly and helpful people. “Many a time, people helped us with our bike. And we are staying at a Pakistani’s home here.”
Volders, an information technology networking engineer, and Marriane, started their world honeymoon trip on a KTM-950 Adventure motorbike from Ghent in Belgium on August 4, 2011.
“We started traveling EU countries some eight years back but we felt that we were just wandering there. We wanted to see the world. We planned a long trip and started saving money; we got married before embarking on this world tour.” He said they have not faced any visa problem so far.
About this country, he said Europeans are told one-sided story of Pakistan. “When I told my family that we are going to tour South Asia too, they told me not to visit Pakistan because they thought there are terrorist threats in Pakistan.” He, however, said they have not had any security concerns in Pakistan so far. “We really felt safe and sound in Pakistan.”
He said that traffic in India was very dangerous. “I did not feel safe there. The roads here in Pakistan are better and cleaner and traffic more organised as compared to India.”
Another thing they liked about Pakistan was its cheaper food. “We had to cook in Africa but here in Pakistan food is available at economical rates everywhere. Today, for example, we did breakfast in Rs150 only.”
About their inspiration for travel, they said that they wanted to see some more of the world, meet other people from other cultures, get to know customs and habits from different cultures which they were not familiar with.
“We wanted to see and experience what countries are like with our own eyes, which is often different from what the media tells us. Pakistan is a very good example of that.”
The couple has visited France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Togo, Ghana, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa, Lesotho, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Hong Kong, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and India.
Volders said they will now leave for Quetta, via Lahore, Multan and Sukkur. From Quetta, they plan to visit Iran via Taftan border, Turkey and back to Europe.
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) sources say number of foreign tourists to Pakistan has reduced significantly in recent years, especially after killing of 11 tourists at Nanga Parbat last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2014.