#literally had to extend my hotel stay by an extra day and buy a new train ticket

[imagineagreatadventure]

soooo got food poisoning from somewhere yesterday, probably chipotle…. and so have had a very bad time since abt 1 am this morning

and bc i am an idiot american i’m still working

[marvelsswansong]

Could you please do 48 with Sugar daddy!Bucky, please? Thank you!

48: “Why do you keep this picture of me in your wallet?”

word count: 2.3K

a/n: includes mention of sexy times (obviously, it’s a sugar daddy AU). I changed the quote slightly to fit the blurb better, sorry about that x blurb requests are still open, check my bio for more info :)

NOTE: above gif is simply used for aesthetic. not to indicate the reader is imagined to be white and skinny. 

regular taglist: @wantyoubackpeter @platonic-plots @superwholockwannabe @xxmizzlexx @xdsockmonkey @princess-unicorn124  @not-jay-c @therealmrshale @caswinchester2000 @heartbeats-wildly @mostlylyricedits @musiclover1263 @angel-spidey @delicately-important-trash @theimpossiblehologramtree @sweetstilesofmine @valentinevirgo @barnes-heaven @paintingbellarke @cherryblossowm @sailorcrescentpotter1 @tomshufflepuff

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“No feelings, just business.”

That’s what he had told you, the first time he had bought you that far too expensive champagne at the bar at a roof party in Milan. You had been dragged there by Natasha after turning down her offer to let you stay in her penthouse for a few weeks while you could find another place to live in after your landlord had decided to kick you out for a wealthier renter. As a university student, you needed to find a new place to live, and fast, near the university. Unfortunately, your university was in the smack middle of the city- making any possible accommodation extremely expensive.

“Just two drinks and you can leave.” Natasha argued, grabbing your hand and dragging you into the party. You already regretted entering as you felt so out of place- Natasha had been born into wealth, her father being an oil baron and her mother being one of the most famous actresses in Russia’s history. The other people at the party were those in her circle, other rich, successful and attractive people far above your caliber.

“I don’t belong here, Nat.” you complained, frantically pulling at your dress. She had insisted on buying it for you, going as far as pretending to go to the bathroom before paying the bill at the cashier of the designer store, but it was far too tight and short. The black little number clung to every crevice of your skin and matched with the velvet heels you were wearing, making you feel slightly self conscious with every step you took.

“Nonsense, babe. You look fucking gorgeous, you’ve been stressing too much lately and you need to blow off some steam tonight! Besides-” she leaned in closer to your ear to whisper. “I’m pretty sure half of the men here want to jump into your pants tonight.” 

You didn’t even want to glance at the direction she was pointing at and scowled, pushing her off with a playful glare.

“You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend.” 

“No I’m not, I-” 

Someone near the pool called Natasha’s name and she gave you a brief apology and a hug before scurrying off, greeting the other person with a loud scream. She was definitely a social butterfly, whilst you took a bit of time to warm up to people- especially in situations where you felt out of place. And now you were left. 

Alone.

“Could I keep you company instead?” a deep voice rung out from behind you. His tall stature dwarfed yours in comparison as he extended his hand towards you, the cuff links of his Armani suit rolled back slightly to expose his skin. The designer suit was nothing compared to his gorgeous face, a hint of stubble on his chin and a jawline that could cut crystal glass.4

“S-sure.”

He ordered the two of you a cocktail you’d never heard the name of, but you didn’t question it, still mesmerized by his presence. He chuckled at your obvious stare, causing you to look away in embarrassment.

“Are you fond of Oscar de la Renta?” he asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

“W-who?” 

He chuckled at your frantic response, sipping on his glass slowly as he eyed you up and down.

“Your dress. It’s an Oscar de la Renta piece.... You’re not a part of this usual crowd, are you?” 

You shook your head sideways, confirming his suspicion.

“How’d you know Natasha?” 

“We go to the same university. She invited me to this party because I’ve been pretty stressed in between studying and finding a new place to stay... Money’s really tight right now and places in the city are expensive...” you rambled on, not noticing the shift in his eyes as he listened to your predicament.

“I could help you, you know.” he proposed. You chuckled nervously, toying with the hem of your dress.

“I don’t even know who you are.”

“The name’s Bucky. Bucky Barnes.”

Three glasses of wine later and he’d lured you in, trading details of your life with his. You found out that he was a self-made billionaire who co-owned a private equity firm with his business partner, Steve Rogers. With hundreds of companies under his palm, he had it all- the money, the fame in the business world, the admiration and loyalty. But he wanted more than a “quick fuck”, as he put it.

“So what exactly are you proposing?” you’d pressed, leaning in closer. He smirked, flexing his rolex watch in the dim bar light.

“I could be your sugar daddy, in the bluntest terms.”

“Do I look like the type of girl who’d be a sugar baby?” 

He raised his eyebrow.

“I don’t know, doll, but... you’re fucking gorgeous. And out of money. I know you’re busy with school and all, but all I’m asking is that when you’re not at school to accompany me. I’ll give you everything else- money, gifts, trips to exotic places, connections.... All you need to give me is affection and physical company.” 

You bit your lip, mulling this over. The thought of being a sugar baby had never entered your mind, but here you were, being offered the world and more by an insanely attractive man. And all you had to do was keep him company- emotionally and sexually. His hand traveled over to your lap, his clean cologne warming your senses as he awaited your answer.

"No feelings, just business, right?” you asked quietly. He nodded.

“No feelings, just business.”

That solidified your decision.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first few months, you followed him everywhere.

Fiji. London. Paris. French Rivieras.

You’d let him pin you against the wall and fuck you senseless at the hotel room in exchange for an unlimited access to his platinum credit card the next day. He spoiled you with designer dresses from brands you couldn’t even pronounce and gifts that could single-handedly pay off student loans. 

With your schedule as a full time student and his hectic lifestyle as a billionaire CEO, you both agreed on having spaced out interactions. If he was in the city, you’d meet him twice a week, maybe even more if he was offering extra. If he was travelling, you could take a week off, week and a half off, maximum, to see him. On the days where you couldn’t physically see him, lots of sexts and calls were exchanged, all from the new phone Bucky had bought you. 

It was as business as it could get, or so you thought.

You’d gotten a call from Bucky in the middle of the night, whilst you were cramming for a final, even though you’d both agreed at the beginning that meeting up during finals would be extremely limited.

“Hello?”

“I need you to fly with me to Boston tomorrow night.”

You sighed, rubbing your eyes.

“Bucky, I can’t. I’m swamped with finals and-”

“Doll, I’m literally begging you, I-” 

That caught your attention, causing you to sit straight up. Bucky never begged for anything. Let alone, to you.

“My family’s been bugging me about meeting my new ‘girlfriend’ and me ‘settling down’ or whatever. I already told them I was bringing you, please, doll? I’ll double, even triple your pay.”

“Buck... It’s not about the money right now, I really need to do well on my finals. It’s in two weeks.” 

“And we’ll be back in a day or so, it’s just a quick stop by. Please... do this for me? A-at least as a friend, we’re at least friends, right?” 

And for some reason, perhaps it was because he sounded unusually desperate, you said yes. He picked you up in his limo the next day, exactly at 6pm, and you flew with him in his private jet to his childhood home in Boston. 

“It’s a little small.” he’d warned on the plane, as he helped you step down the metal stairs. 

Small your fucking ass.

You were astounded by the sheer amount of ground the mansion covered, as a maid scurried towards you and took your bags into the house. The steep marble arches and the high pane windows made you feel small, as you felt Bucky slip his arm around your waist and guide you towards the entrance.

Bucky’s mother was waiting for you at the door, pulling you into a tight hug and gushing about how pretty and polite you were to Bucky. You felt your heart skip a beat when Bucky referred to you as his “girlfriend”, but you forced yourself to breathe and smile.

No feelings, just business, you had to remind yourself. 

Bucky was dragged off to the side by his sister and father, meaning that you were dragged to the kitchen to keep his mother company. She was a very lovely woman, which was why you felt quite guilty lying to her about dating her son. 

“I’m so happy you’re dating my son, (Y/n).” she cooed, opening the stove. “I’ve never seen him stare at a woman so madly in love.” 

Signing if off as good acting on Bucky’s part, you smiled, waving off her compliment.

“I’m the lucky one, miss. That said, I’m pretty sure I’m the romantic in the relationship.” you joked, eliciting a laugh from her.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, you know. I’ve seen that picture of you in his wallet.”

Picture? 

Bucky never told you he kept physical pictures of you. You’d spend him pictures and you two took pictures on dates and outings, sure, but it was all digitalized and kept away in your phones....

Right?

Before you could question her further, she announced that dinner was ready, forcing you to sit next to Bucky. He pulled out a chair for you, causing his sister to outwardly “aww”, and making you let out a shaky sigh.  His hand found his way down the table to rest in yours, his thumb grazing your hand repeatedly in a soothing manner. 

That was new.

Bucky was an affectionate man, but he usually kept it brief, unless in bed. 

“So (Y/n), tell us more about how you met Bucky.” Rebecca pressed, sipping on her glass of wine with a teasing smile. The conversation flowed easily from there, jokes and embarrassing childhood memories being thrown around as time passed by. Four cups of wine and a mortifying story about Bucky falling on his face during a dance recital at his boarding school, you and Bucky clambered up to bed, your face still red from laughter.

“It’s not that funny.” Bucky grumbled underneath his breath as you clung onto him for support.

“Sorry, I just... I never would’ve thought you’d be a dancer. Let alone a clumsy dancer.” you teased, opening the door to the bedroom.

“Well I guess there’s more of me for you to discover.” 

The drunken haze lifted from your consciousness at his response, the sudden soft tone catching you off guard. The entire night, you drank away your fears, the fear that maybe he liked you back. You’d realized you had caught feelings for him, hard, about two months into it, but you’d talked yourself out of acting on it.

No feelings, just business. That is what he had said.

But the whole night he went out of his way to touch you, holding your hand and kissing the back of your neck. Calling you “doll” and “sweetheart.” Telling his family stories about you with an adoring gaze in his eyes. And according to his mother, that picture of you in his wallet...

“Shit, I left my phone downstairs. I’ll be right back.” he said, interrupting your train of thought. He conveniently left his wallet behind, and when you flipped it open, there indeed was a picture of you inside. 

And not just any picture.

It was one of you, passed out on his lap after a particularly grueling and boring conference call, in which Bucky was working from his home. You weren’t dressed up, hell, you didn’t even have any makeup on. Just an old t-shirt he owned and short pajama shorts, and a pair of penguin socks. It was oddly domestic and simple.

And he had it printed and stuck in between the leather bindings of his wallet.

“Why do you keep this picture of me in your wallet?” 

Bucky’s smile dropped off his face as his eyes shifted to the picture he’d been hiding away in your hand, dread seeping across his chest. He swore under his breath, he knew he should’ve kept it somewhere more secretive, but he just couldn’t help himself.

“Can I be honest?”

You nodded as he took in a deep breath.

“I.... I know I said ‘no feelings, just business’, and really, at the beginning, I thought that was all it was going to be. But... somewhere down the line, I realized, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re wicked smart. You’re so kind. You’re not afraid to crack a joke at my expense. You’re... the perfect girl for me, except I was paying for it. I was paying for this... fantasy. Before you say anything, I know you don’t feel the same. I know this is all business for you, so uh, if you want to end the relationship now, since I’ve gotten attached, I’ll under-”

He’s cut off by your body crashing into his, your arms wrapping around his shoulders and he can taste the cherry wine on your lips as you press into him. He eagerly returns the kiss but is left dazed when you pull back, a wide smile on your face.

“I love you, you idiot.” 

He smiles back, a smile so bright and sweet that makes your heart flutter, before he pulls you onto his lap on the bed. His hand is already underneath your blouse as he pulls out his phone, his lips tracing your neck.

“So... what’d you say I get a new picture for my wallet?”

[shotgun--rider]

Rumor

A Jensen x Reader oneshot

Y/N’s never considered how many suspiciously snuggly photos there are of her and her best friend. Then they all come out in a Buzzfeed article, published just in time for everyone to grill her during her solo panel. Now what?

Word Count: 4000

Warnings: Really dumb fluff, everyone’s anxious, Jared and Briana are sick of everyone’s shit

A/N: This is dumb and fluffy and dangerously song-fic territory but it showed up and demanded to be written so here you go. I have no idea if this is actually any good. Enjoy?

---------* ---------

You were the epitome of normal, growing up. You had decent grades, run-of-the-mill hobbies, and an average high school cashier job. You could hop on your bike (and later, borrow your parents’ car) and take yourself to the coffee shop, or to a friend’s, and the only people that  would look twice at you were drivers checking to make sure the kid on the bike didn’t steer into traffic. 

You didn’t win any “most likely to” awards in the yearbook, your college major was undecided for an embarrassing length of time, and your 300-odd Instagram followers were comprised of friends and some polite acquaintances from welcome week. And you didn’t mind. You were perfectly happy to go through your day-to-day without turning heads and making waves. 

That was all before you’d answered an open casting call on a whim, strapped for cash and mostly there because a sparkly website proclaiming “50 Easy Side Hustles!” had suggested spending your weekends as an extra if you lived in a big filming city. Before your three-episode contract in a show you’d never bothered to watch turned into a series regular.

Now, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have your face splashed across the internet every time you stick a toe off the end of your L.A. property line. Even if the paparazzi aren’t there to get you in Page Six with some wildly exaggerated nonsense, a fan somewhere will snap a blurry photo and upload it somewhere for people to shout about you in the comments section. You’ve never gotten used to being tagged in edits of your own face, or watching your follower count creep steadily upwards. You’re just… you. You’ve always been just the normal, average girl from a nothing-special hometown.  

Even after your third year running on Supernatural, you still forget. You still make it all the way to the end of the block before you remember that the person shouting your name is the bodyguard you accidentally abandoned two errands ago. You still get confused when the restaurant wait staff stares at you, still get annoyed calls from your publicist begging you to at least try to appear in fewer coffee shop paparazzi pictures looking like a disgruntled zombie who’s never seen a hairbrush. (Sue you, you can’t be expected to be functional before a cup of coffee.)

You’re a brilliant actress, an unexpected fan-favorite, relatable to everyone in your autograph line...and you’re kind of a terrible celebrity. Unlike certain child models turned actors straight at 18 you may know, this isn’t a world you were trained in. Which is probably why it doesn’t even occur to you that being caught frequently in the company of your best friend might look like something until you’re staring at your own name in a headline on your phone screen, in line at Starbucks before your first panel of the con weekend. 

Y/N L/N’s Secret Relationship With Co-Star Jensen Ackles, howls the bold-printed headline, and you blink stupidly at the letters, uncomprehending, until you realize that someone’s trying to get your attention. “Sorry, what?”

The barista looks impatient, suppressing an eyeroll and starting her spiel before cutting off halfway with a squeak. “Oh, my god, you’re her! I’m sorry, I’m just… you’re literally my favorite!” She’s blushing and stuttering and has a near-death grip on the empty coffee cup she was preparing to write your name on. 

“Oh,” you reply, forcing the fog of confusion from your brain and slapping on a smile. “Hi, you caught me.”

“Can I...um…” the girl reaches into her back pocket and sheepishly produces her cell phone, complete with a flaming pentagram case. “Um, selfie?”

You smile indulgently, leaning over the counter. The fans are one of the best parts, really, and it’s never a hardship to make someone smile. (That is, when they’re not selling rumors and lies to the tabloids, you think grumpily.)

The barista girl pulls back with a wide smile and a full-face blush, and keeps glancing shyly up at you while she punches in your usual order, plus the second coffee Jensen texted you this morning to beg for. “So I guess Jensen’s around here too, then, right?” she asks perkily, taking your card. 

“Uh...sorry, what?”

She shrugs like it’s obvious. “Since you flew in together,”

You blink rapidly, feeling stupid. You’re obviously missing the punchline somewhere. “We, uh...didn’t. I mean...I flew out of L.A.,” you say cautiously. Your home city is already public knowledge, as is the fact that Jensen lives in Austin, and you can’t imagine she doesn’t know this. 

Her eyes pop wide with curiosity. “Wait, so you’re not staying with him?”

This conversation is too much for your poor, jetlagged, coffeeless brain. “No?” you try weakly, so far past confused at this point that you might actually be getting a headache. “Why would I…” 

Not that Jensen’s Austin house isn’t lovely, and not that you’d object to staying there, and not that you haven’t stayed there plenty of times before, but you’re pretty sure you’re still missing the point. 

The barista lunges forward over the counter, leaning in to ask in a hushed voice, “Did you guys break up?”

An emphatic “No!” leaves your mouth so loudly that the old man in line behind you starts grumbling. “No, you don’t--” 

“Get a move on,” Old Man grouches in the background. “I don’t care who you are,”

“Oh, good,” the girl cuts you off with a relieved grin. “You guys are so cute, you know? I mean, I kinda figured you had to have something going on, but actually seeing it--it’s going to be so much cuter if Dean and Sierra ever kiss now, oh my god--”

She devolves into a squeal, and the we’re not actually dating dies on your tongue. You have better things to do this morning than correct the misinformation of one teenage barista, so you end up just shaking your head and taking the two cups of coffee wearily. “Right, well, I’ve gotta go, so--” you duck around the old man and beeline for the door before anyone can say anything else. Oh, god, your publicist is so going to kill you. 

***

Jared and Jensen are both in the green room when you make it back to the convention hotel, and you groan softly as you walk into the room. Once Jared hears about your so-called relationship, you’re never going to hear the end of it. Then again, better he hear it from you than find it in the tabloids. May as well bite the bullet now before it comes up in a Q&A. 

“Hey,” you slide up to Jensen’s elbow, holding out the requested coffee cup as a preemptive truce. “So, we’re apparently dating now,” 

Jensen snorts, shaking his head and swapping the coffee cup into his other hand so he can wrap his arm around your shoulders in greeting. “Yeah, I saw that.”

“I think I may have given a barista the impression we’ve had a tumultuous breakup,” you say ruefully, tilting your head up to look at him in apology. “Sorry,”

Jensen’s green eyes are dancing, though, and he throws back his head and laughs, still keeping you tucked close enough that you can feel his whole body shake. “Of course you did, sweetheart,”

It’s pretty much the reaction you expected from Jensen, who’s so used to your antics at this point that he just gives you a fond smile and moves on to damage control. Jared, on the other hand, is...not commenting, and suspicion cuts short your quiet enjoyment of being hugged against Jensen. It took the boys a while to feel comfortable messing with you when you first got on set, but after they figured out you gave as good as you got, they’d never yet missed an opportunity to tease and prank you. 

You squint at Jared warily. “Why aren’t you reacting?”

Jared’s lips immediately start twitching, but he makes a valiant attempt at a mock-concerned face. “Oh shit, sorry. Here, tell me again and I’ll pretend like I’m surprised this time,”

Unwilling to bother unwinding yourself from under Jensen’s arm, you extend a childish foot in the direction of Jared’s shins, scowling at him. He dodges easily, laughing, and tosses out, “Someone should really tell Buzzfeed they’re reporting really old news,”

“Shut up and drink your damn coffee, Padalecki,” you shoot back without any real venom.

“Oh, you mean my hotel coffee? The coffee I got stuck with because you only buy Starbucks for Jensen?”

Jensen straightens up proudly, no doubt making a face at Jared over the top of your head. “Y/N just likes me better. That’s why she’s my best friend.”

You roll your eyes, ducking under Jensen’s arm and a few steps away. “You both suck,” you deadpan, resisting an internal wince at the friendzone. “Now shut up and let me drink my coffee, I have to be on stage in fifteen minutes,” 

And God, but your head is way too scrambled for a panel right now. Fifteen minutes is nowhere close to enough time to get your shit together, and you’re going to have to somehow walk out there and not let everyone know. 

You take a seat halfway across the room, watching Jared and Jensen still standing there, heads bowed together, arguing quietly about something. Jensen’s starting to wear an annoyed expression and he still manages to look beautiful and goddamnit this is how you got in trouble in the first place. 

You scroll listlessly through your phone, a headache beginning behind your eyes, and freeze when you realize that you left the damn article open. The headline photo is a picture of you and Jensen on a sidewalk in L.A., caught mid-conversation with Jensen’s hand on your back and a stupid, dopey look on your face while you stare up at him like he hung the moon. Fuck, you’re an idiot. 

A hasty scroll through the rest of the article reveals more of the same, and you could kick yourself for making your dumb crush so obvious. The photo captions are practically mocking you, labelled with things like “an intimate evening for Ackles and L/N” and, under a picture of the two of you at a beach, “We might be a little mad that the two most attractive people are together”. 

Well, at least now you know what every single question at your panel is going to be about. And somehow you have to figure out how to play this off like it’s nothing. Of course I don’t have a crush the size of a mid-sized whale on Jensen, hahaha, that’s such a hilarious idea! 

Your only saving grace is that clearly, Jensen doesn’t think anything of it. It’s nothing more than a brief joke to him and Jared, and as much as that should bring you relief, it still stings to know that he’s obviously never bothered to think of you that way. And why would he? For all Buzzfeed’s nonsense about you making an attractive couple, Jensen Ackles miles above your league. 

You’re pulled out of your thoughts by Misha sitting down next to you, an easy smile on his face as he nudges your shoulder with his own. “So, welcome to the club,”

Typically, you and Misha are pretty close friends, but your patience is too short this morning for any of his shit. “What club?” you shoot back grumpily. 

“People who the internet have declared in love with Jensen Ackles,” Misha returns, grinning like it’s obvious. 

“Ha, ha. See, except when that happens to you, people think it’s funny,”

“It is funny,”

“Not for me!” you explode, belatedly wincing at your harsh tone. “You and Jensen fuck around on stage and that works for you. If I don’t get my shit together in the next five minutes, I’m getting my name dragged through stupid tabloids and laughed straight off the show because I couldn’t keep my goddamn stupid pathetic crush under control!”

“Hey,” Misha waits until you meet his blue eyes. “That’s not going to happen. Okay? It’s not,”

“Misha--”

“Y/N,” Misha returns firmly. “It’s going to be okay. Jensen would never let anything happen to you. And you don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to.”

You sigh softly, nodding. Rationally, you know he’s right. But mostly, as much as you’re worked up about the panel, your fear is that Jensen is going to be the one laughing at you, and you don’t know how to explain that. “Yeah,” you say dully, just as a convention worker comes forward to collect you. 

“If it’s really going to shit, I’ll come distract everyone,”

“Somehow, I think that would be worse,” you shoot back over your shoulder as you start walking to the stage. Breathe, Y/N. You’re fine. 

You wait for the introductions to finish and take your place on the stage, a slightly breathy laugh escaping into the mic as you look out at the crowd. That is a lot of eyes watching your every move. And they’re on your side, you remind yourself. It’s the fans who’ve been tireless supporters of you and your character, this whole time. 

“Hey, guys,” you clear your throat. “What’s up?”

You chatter for a while about whatever you can think of, telling an edited version of the grumpy Starbucks man this morning and rambling a little about Jared’s latest on-set antics. All too quickly, though, you run out of things to say, leaving you with no choice but to ask for questions. 

At first, to your great relief, they’re pretty tame. You spend a solid few minutes breaking down Sierra’s latest character arc, and the time she’s spending hunting on her own. You do get a few questions about whether she and Dean could get together when she gets back with the brothers, but as long as it stays firmly in the realm of your characters, you’re not worried. 

“And what’s your name?” You ask gently, trying to reassure the nervous young woman at the microphone. 

“Uh, Y/N…”

“I love that name!” you wink at her, rearranging yourself in the chair to be more comfortable. “What do you want to know, Y/N?”

“Uh,” she stutters, her face blushing pink. “You’re my favorite actress, and, I, um,”

“That’s very sweet,” you interject, nodding to encourage her. 

“I just, uh, really want good things for you, and I just wanted to ask if, um, areyoureallydatingJensen?” she spits out all in one breath. “Cause you deserve him,”

You blink, shifting in your seat. You’d arrived at the elephant in the room. Damn. 

“Uh,” escapes your mouth as you frantically try to construct a diplomatic sentence. “No, actually, no, we’re not.” I wish. “The, um, the article was a surprise to us too!” You added a little shrug in as punctuation, trying to play it off. 

“But you guys look so cute together!” Other Y/N exclaims. “He looks at you like--” she cuts off, biting her lip so hard you can see the white from the stage. “Nevermind. Sorry.” 

“No worries,” you assure her casually, like you’re not dying to know what she was going to say. “Next question?”

The next one up is another young woman, this time much bolder in her question. “But if you were given the opportunity, would you date Jensen Ackles?” 

God, Chuck, literally anyone please kill me. “I don’t know how to answer this without getting in trouble,” you finally laugh nervously. “This is a dangerous question,”

The audience all laughs loudly, some of them throwing out comments and suggestions. “In the interests of not getting killed in my bed tonight,” you say lightly when they’ve quieted. “I’m going to skip that question,”

There’s really no saving you, though. After that first question, it’s like a dam has broken and everyone wants to know about your relationship with Jensen. What do you think of his house in Austin and does he cook for you and what do you do between takes and where’s your favorite place to go together. Someone even asks if you’re hooking up even if you’re not dating, which you’re positive turns your face completely purple before you get through redirecting that fan. 

An hour later, you stagger off the stage mentally exhausted and thoroughly grumpy. 

“Ouch,” Briana sympathizes, sliding up beside you as you grab a water bottle in the green room. 

“Can’t wait for my dumb red face to trend on Tumblr,” you mutter, wondering darkly if you could just jump out one of the windows. 

Briana laughs like she knows something you don’t, and rubs a hand over your back soothingly. “Come on, let’s get you out of your head before your photos,”

The two of you end up on a walk a few blocks from the convention hotel, fresh coffees in hand and Briana chattering away while you nod along. It’s not that you’re tuning her out, exactly, you’re just...overwhelmed. You do, however, notice when she stops talking. 

“Are you listening to me?” she looks at you sharply.

“Sorry, B,” you mumble. “Got distracted. What?”

Briana shakes her head with loving exasperation. “I asked what you’re wearing to karaoke tonight,”

“I’m probably not going to--” you start.

“Oh, no you don’t. You can’t leave me there alone,” Briana interrupts, folding her arms across her chest. 

“What do you mean, alone? Kim and Rich and literally everyone will be there,”

“You are not allowed to skip karaoke.” Briana says firmly, and you suddenly know how her daughter must feel when she’s misbehaved. “Besides, Jensen’s singing with Louden Swain beforehand. Don’t you want to see it?”

“Fine. But I’m wearing this,” you gesture to your plain black top and jeans. To be honest, you’re not sure if you actually do want to see Jensen perform, or bother with the rest of karaoke night. Mostly you just want to crawl into bed and put the covers over your head and pretend that you haven’t been making a fool of yourself all morning, but Briana is a force of nature when she wants something. 

She smiles excitedly at your acquiescence, pulling out her phone for a moment to type something before you start heading back. 

You nudge her teasingly with your elbow. “Your phone more exciting than me?”

Briana just slides it away hastily before you can read more than Jared’s name over her shoulder. “Just taking care of something.”

There’s something she’s not telling you, but you don’t feel like digging right now. You’re just focusing on getting to the end of this convention without spilling all your secrets and looking like an idiot. 

By the time you’re sitting down in the seats for Louden Swain’s set, your face is indeed all over Tumblr. (You always deny having the stupid app, but sometimes a girl’s gotta know what people are saying about her and her hot costars.) There’s comments full of stupid speculation that you’re hiding your relationship, including a whole thread about how you’re clearly hiding your secret threesome with Jensen and Misha. Great. 

“Uh, okay,” a familiar voice snaps you out of your thoughts. Jensen’s on stage in front of the microphone, holding his guitar. “This was not part of my original plan, so...if this goes badly, it’s all Jared and Briana’s fault.”

The crowd laughs good-naturedly as your gaze snaps immediately to Briana. Infuriatingly, your friend just shrugs. 

“This is a cover of a song neither of us wrote,” Jensen continues, gesturing between himself and Louden Swain behind him. “But I thought it could be fitting,”

He’s nervous, you realize, watching the way he’s fiddling with his guitar strap while he talks. But you have no idea what he’s doing. And you have no idea why he didn’t tell you. The two of you always know what stupid thing the other person is planning, especially stunts in front of the fans. But clearly not this time. With a sinking sense of dread, you wonder if maybe he does hate you a little bit after today, and that article. Maybe that’s why he’s not talking to you. You swallow hard against the sting in your throat, and Jensen starts playing. 

The opening chords are definitely from a country song you vaguely recognize from the radio, and you wonder why this is Jensen’s choice over one of his own songs. 

“Girl, you know I've known you forever / How many nights we hung out together,”

Across the room, Briana has an enormous smile on her face.

“My boys are laughing and tap me on the shoulder / Making a motion like, ‘Could y'all get any closer?’” He punctuates the words with a little scowl in Jared’s direction. 

“There's a rumor going 'round about me and you / Stirring up our little town the last week or two / So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling / I feel it, don't you feel it too? / There's a rumor going 'round, and 'round, and 'round / What d'you say we make it true?”

There are a lot of people suddenly making noise around you as they come to the same realization that you are, but you’re frozen in your seat. The rumor is you. He’s talking about you. Jensen’s singing for you. And you should be elated but your mind is stuck on a loop of what the fuck there’s no way this is real. 

You don’t even realize that the song is over until everyone is clapping and you’re still stuck staring with embarrassingly wide eyes, Jensen up on stage with an embarrassed dusting of red across his face and a slowly deflating expression. 

“Hey,” Jared’s elbow digs hard into your ribs suddenly. “Please do something. I can’t take any more of him like this,”

“What--oh--shit!” spills out of your mouth as you stand hastily, your phone tumbling off your lap. “I’m just gonna--”

By some miracle, you make it through the crush of people and around to the backstage area, your heart racing unevenly in your chest. You have no idea what you’re supposed to say, or if Jensen will be there, or if you’re even interpreting this right. Maybe it’s all just wishful thinking. No, Jared wouldn’t have encouraged you if that were true. Would he?

You’re so lost in your thoughts that you end up plowing straight into Jensen’s chest, his arm sliding automatically around your waist as you wobble off balance. “Shit, I’m sorry!”

He steadies you, green eyes searching your face with a flicker of vulnerability. “Hey,”

“Hey,” you whisper back. You have no idea what happens now.

With his free hand, Jensen rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Look, if that was too much--”

“No!” you shake your head quickly. “I’m sorry, I was just...processing. I...it was really sweet, Jen,”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you confirm. “I just… me? Are you sure?”

“Why not you?” Jensen’s face wrinkles in confusion. He moves both hands to your waist, the warmth of his skin bleeding through your thin shirt as he tugs you closer. “Y/N,” 

There’s something in you screaming that you might not get to do this again, that he’s going to come to his senses, that the whole thing is a dream, and before you can second guess yourself you launch yourself up onto your tiptoes and kiss him. 

Your arms go around his neck while Jensen wraps you up tighter against his chest and it’s not fireworks, or earth shattering, or anything so dramatic. His mouth moving against yours just feels like home and love and of course. Of course you were going to get here, of course it was going to be like this. 

Jensen lifts you off your feet for a moment before breaking the kiss, and he looks just breathless and flushed enough that you’re equal parts proud and turned on. 

“Of course it’s you,” he murmurs, one hand under your chin to tilt your head up to him. “Of course I love you. You’re my best friend.”

------

Something ate my taglist! If you want to be tagged, please message me!

[bensboynton]

traveling with roger hc

was this requested? no. do i have two other fics i should be working on? yes. but i couldn’t get this out of my head. so here. have this. 

i imagined this w 80s roger because im the world’s biggest whore for him, but it really works with any era. so. 

word count: 1.1k (imagine me being able to write a short headcanon)

warnings: fluffy, unedited( i wrote this after taking my melatonin i’m practically dead im sorry), slight smut, mentions of sex

traveling was roger’s second favorite thing to do. 

you were first on the list, and traveling was a close second. 

he was obsessed with going to new places, seeing new things, trying different foods, meeting new people. 

you know the saying “the world is your oyster?”

the world was roger’s oyster. 

he has been around the world a few times for touring with queen, but never in the same city for too long. 

so he often enjoyed taking breaks and going on trips just with you. 

you both loved going to touristy, fancy places. it was fun to book a really nice hotel, go out to nice dinners, walk around on the ancient cobbled streets.

also romping around in the fancy silk sheets was a bit of fun as well. 

but you were loved traveling to slightly more... exotic locations. 

you both went to a lot of questionable places, but most of those trips were the most fun. 

you’d walk around really busy market places and crowded towns.

it was so much fun for the two of you to try and wrap your minds around unfamiliar cultures, and tongues around unfamiliar languages. 

roger was very touchy when you traveled. he’s a protective guy, always having his hands on you to make sure you were nearby.

would always insist on taking the really early 5am flights but be slightly grouchy every time you’d drag him to the airport. 

you two would practically collapse into each other on the plane, headphones in to drown out the noise of the engines. 

you both have made it to the mile high club a lot. so much so that you lost track. 

he’s the purest person to travel to a new place with, because he’s awestruck by every single thing he sees.

“oh my god look at that hotel it has a dog sculpture out front oh my god... babe where’s the camera i need to take a picture.”

always asking you to take pictures of him in front of statues, pyramids, churches, bridges, large bodies of water. 

always has the biggest, worry free smile you’ve ever seen. you can’t take a picture of his smiling without smiling a little yourself.

on the other side of things, he’s always taking off-guard photos of you. 

if you look out a bus window a little too artistically, or laugh while walking down a photogenic street, or you furrow your brows while reading a book in a coffee shop, roger is snapping a photo of you.

always yells at you when you try to cover your face. 

the both of you go to the pool and beach a lot if you go some place warm, and there’s lots of hand holding/swimming together in the pool.

consists of you yelling at roger to put sunscreen on and roger not listening to you. 

you’re both sunburned all the time but it’s honestly a look. 

roger also had a bad habit of throwing you into the pool when he’s bored. instead of doing... i don’t know, literally anything else he randomly stands up, throws you over his shoulder and tosses you into the pool.

you’d always act annoyed and give him the fake silent treatment for a few minutes. 

roger is definitely the guy to carry you if your feet get too tired. 

say you wear heels out to dinner, and you both decide to walk around for a bit. 

if you pout your lip out enough, he’ll let you hop on his back or he’ll big you up and carry you back to the hotel you’re staying at. 

you always end up stealing some of the clothes roger brings with.

your excuse would always be “i didn’t pack enough clothes” but you definitely did. it’s not your fault roger’s clothes are comfier. 

roger will always go shopping with you in foreign countries, insisting you try on everything your eyes linger on for longer than four seconds.

will sit outside the dressing room attentively to give his honest opinions on your clothes.

although it’s hard for him, because he ends up drooling at how good you look.

sometimes, you both shop so much you need to buy an extra suitcase wherever you’re at to fit all the souvenirs and clothes to bring back. 

every where you go, you buy a postcard and you add it to the wall in your shared room at home of all the places you’ve been. 

paris, italy, indiana, brazil, chile, china, japan, germany, portugal, spain, russia, you name it, and you and roger have probably been there. 

your trips are always pretty long, ten days or more. 

the hotel rooms you stay in are all over the board. sometimes they’re five stars, sometimes they’re negative two stars. it really just depends. 

you both sleep really good on vacation, though, because you’re so busy all day the only time you get to relax is when you sleep.

but there’s plenty of time for sex.

lazy, but passionate morning sex with handholding. 

fast, rough sex after a long dinner that was intertwined with a lot of under the table teasing. 

tired, needy sex after a long flight and you both just need some kind of release. 

going home from any trip is a journey because most of the time, roger tries to extend your stay.

but it doesn’t work out a lot. 

so you practically have to drag roger back to the airport like he’s a toddler. 

he’s always lowkey depressed when you get home. 

but the memories you two make on your trips are strong enough to last a lifetime (spoiler alert; they last longer than that).

you’ll show your kids the polaroids you took of each other to give them a glimpse of what like was like before they existed. 

they’re always so interested in what roger has to say about the pyramids in egypt, or the eiffel tower in paris. 

and you can look at roger however many years later and still feel the same love you felt for him when you were young and in love, traveling the world on a whim. 

and even though you’re getting older now, and you have kids, roger still hasn’t lost that same passion for travel and discovering new things.

and neither have you.

so one day, after the kids have fled the nest, you go back to your favorite spots in all of these beautiful places and relive your favorite memories. 

you try to make new ones, to try and make the golden years last. 

even though times have changed and so have you, nothing will change the images in your mind of your time on planes and shitty hotel rooms with roger.

and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[asreoninfusion]

Oops I’m alive

(In which a small life update is below the cut, just busy with uni and more exciting things really. ^^)

Sorry for the accidental extended absences recently! It’s getting to that time of year when all the assignments are due (I had four major pieces of work all due on the same day which was fun) and exams are around the corner, so. 

I’ve been tending to browse Tumblr on my mobile more recently, ‘cause I can lie in bed and pretend I don’t have work to do, but mobile is shitty for extensive tagging of things. So I catch up on Tumblr, throw things into my drafts folder to tag properly and queue later when I’m on the computer, and... never get round to doing that. orz I’ve also been diabolically awful at getting to things in my inbox for the same reason. I’m sorry!! DX

I’mma set the queue up while I’m here now though, so hopefully that’ll stay active for a couple of days.

I have also taken up a new hobby which is eating a lot of my time. I’m sure everyone knows that I have a terrible doujinshi hoarding habit. Well, I’m now also translating some of my doujinshi. Entire books, like a proper scanlation level kind of thing. :3

Although I have done two years of Japanese at uni now, it’s not really anywhere near enough to be doing full translation like that. So the process involves a lot of yelling at google translate, taking individual words or fragments of sentences over to a more powerful dictionary to double check them or get a better translation, and then rethreading all the pieces back together into something vaguely comprehensible. And then I’ll go and change it anyway to make it sound better in English. (Because even if I do have a 100% accurate translation, what it literally means often sounds stilted or strange in English. Different languages use different phrases and idioms and structures, that’s just how it is.) So, I would call my work more of a localisation than a direct translation, lol.

Besides, it’s all just freakin’ porn anyway. >>

So far I’ve done Harem (that book with Sephiroth fucking the three different versions of Cloud, you recall) and am about three quarters of the way through Life Is Sweet (that book with the actual legit Sephiroth/Zack/Cloud threesome). Both of which are 40 pages long, of course I had to go for the more lengthy things first. orz

Not sure what I’m actually gonna do with those, they’ll probably be on the scan comm at some point.

And the final thing I’ve been busy with is organising going to Japan things, whee. I did end up going for the Kyoto summer school thing, so I got my place on that. Got flights booked (I booked them way back before the applications even went it and I hadn’t got a place confirmed or anything, but it’s fine I knew I was gonna get it >>), paid the summer school tution moneys to the uni, have a hotel in Tokyo for the week I’m spending there before the summer school thing, things are getting organised. 

I’m gonna buy sooooo many doujinshi. >3 Plans for the trip already include taking a completely empty extra bag to be filled, lol. I will be spending a lot of time in second hand doujinshi stores and places, so if there’s any books you really want to get your hands on, gimme a shout and I’ll keep an eye out for them. :D

[chazzfox]

The King and the Ice-Devouring Sex Tornado

JJ needs to recover from his bad loss somehow. The method he has chosen is...unconventional.

Hey he needs to feel on top of something! But he doesn't even get that. ...listen, I...I couldn’t shake this bizarre idea okay I don’t know why I do these things wtf. THIS IS A DIRTY STORY THIS IS PORN PORN PORN

Having lost the Grand Prix, JJ was pretty damn pissed. Yea, people still cheered for him and yes he got engaged and really as far as treatment for a loser, everyone was pretty cool to him. The banquet was okay and enough people broke into the venue to talk about how great he was to help him get through the night.

He also got damn wasted too. That helped a lot. He was so drunk that it didn't matter that he tripped over a very angry Yuri five times or that he walked into a very dark corner and found Viktor getting his dick sucked. In fact good for Viktor, stuffing his cock down that Japanese kid's throat! That's something winners got! He'd found himself wondering why Yuri hadn't snuck off with the far less cool undercut and started getting himself a treat but it was not his problem.

So the night was entertaining and he got to suck face with his girl when he wasn't walking into irritating situations. And when he left he had a line of fans screaming and taking his pictures and he signed one lady's baby.

Life wasn't so bad, until he got back to Canada and had to immediately worry about brushing up and making a new routine and costume and all that shit. In the past it hadn't been an issue because he knew his song could literally be anything and he could dress in a potato sack and he would just be amazing. His loyal fans would still be passing out in the stands and aisles and bathrooms. He'd get a crown and a free year of all the Tim Hortons a human being could stand.

It was wasted on him because he refused to give up his figure for donuts.

The point was, he had to buckle down and put in a little more work and effort than he usually did while at the same time still feeling the crushing blow of his fall from the top. He didn't even know what could fix it.

One morning, while half listening to his coach, he learned that there was a touring group of American skaters in Montreal. They were older ones, not currently competing and more interested in getting into exhibitions and the like. In other words, they were skaters he might have watched a while ago, but had little interest in for the time being.

Except for one. And when he heard his name...

"I have something to do tonight," he said abruptly, and decided to leave practice.

"Excuse me?" his coach asked, incredulous.

"You heard me. The king has plans," JJ quipped, and strolled out even to the tune of his coach pointing out that it was, in fact, still morning.

JJ needed the whole day to plan. He needed the day to think. He needed the day to prepare himself. He needed the day to pick out a good outfit.

Later that night he found himself walking down a street in Montreal, headed for the super expensive hotel the skaters were holding up in. He was wearing his tightest pair of jeans, the ones that really made his ass pop. His top was a simple white tee with a big red maple leaf, the symbol of his home country.

Under the leaf was the text "King JJ", because in the end he decided not to play humble. He wore a red and white jacket over it and okay, maybe he hadn't spent the whole day planning his outfit - more like five minutes. But he didn't want to wear something great and then get it all messed up.

Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, it wasn't hard to pick out his target, chatting with some apparent fangirls, and he marched right up to him. The older skater didn't seem to notice him at first, his eyes totally on the girls, but JJ shoved right through. "Chazz Michael Michaels?" he asked, extending his hand.

The larger, older man with the practically flowing dark brown hair suddenly looked at him. He studied JJ quickly as he took his hand and shook it. "You got 'im."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jean-Jacques Leroy, or, JJ."

"Hey, kid." Chazz nodded and smiled at him. "You want an autograph?"

"Um, no." How did Chazz NOT know his name? He could get it if he was from one of those Kaarblarghalstan places across the ocean, but he was from Canada. He was from America's much nicer older brother. "You haven't heard of me?"

Chazz raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"I'm kind of a big deal here in Canada," JJ bragged, and gave Chazz an annoyed look. "I almost won the Grand Prix, you know."

"Almost means you didn't. Tough luck man." Chazz gave his shoulder an all too rough shoulder squeeze. "Anyway you came to meet your idols?"

"Sort of." JJ sighed. He was going to have to do things the hard way. "Can I buy you a drink at the bar?"

"Are you old enough dude?" Chazz asked with a snort. "Are you 21?"

"Quebec drinking age is 18." JJ rolled his eyes. "What do you like to drink?"

"Some whiskey." Chazz looked truly interested then, and turned away as a few other fans made to approach him. "Yea, buy me some whiskey."

JJ gave him some finger guns. "Hell yea, you got it."

And so, he bought him whiskey. He bought him a lot of whiskey and boy was it a good thing JJ was stupid rich because Chazz Michael Michaels drank a lot. No wonder he had somewhat of a beer gut! JJ found that kind of gross, but at the same time...intriguing, which he supposed helped him out.

He talked to Chazz about all sorts of things, about skating, about his leatherwork, about his time in Denver with Jimmy MacElroy (who, as it turned out, was teaching a skating class and unable to accompany his partner), and so on. Chazz was an open book on just about everything JJ brought up, even his sex addiction. JJ made sure when they were on that topic that he casually leaned forward on the bar stool and touched Chazz's thighs. Chazz's gaze would drop down to JJ's hands, but he never said anything.

When Chazz was good and drunk and turned down anymore whiskey, JJ helped him up to his hotel room and thankfully Chazz was rooming alone. Good. That was good for his plans. It took a while to get up there because Chazz was the kind of drunk who would get distracted by....most things, but eventually, JJ got him into his room.

He couldn't quite place the smell of the room, but while it looked in order for the most part, it smelled like a lumberjack took a nap in there.

Once Chazz was in, JJ took off his own shoes and jacket, then proceeded to take off Chazz's shoes and shirt. Chazz immediately wandered into the bathroom, so JJ went to the king size bed and said on the edge, leaning back to make himself look all sexy and delicious.

When Chazz exited the bathroom, he gave JJ a strange look. "Yea I don't really tend to hang out in the hotel room man, I only bring people back for sex," he said with a laugh.

"I know." JJ stayed where he was, examining Chazz.

Chazz's super smart look suddenly dropped from his face. "So uh...ah, you do..."

JJ sighed. "Yes. See, he's the thing Chazz. I suffered a pretty shitty loss in Barcelona. It was awful. Really awful, and I gotta bounce back. You know what I need to do to achieve greatness?" he asked.

"Not a goddamn clue," Chazz said, looking confused.

"I realized I need to fuck greatness."

Chazz stared, and then realization dawned on him. Slowly, but it did land. "What? You mean to fuck me."

Yep. He really did. And hell, his fiancee knew, and she'd laughed at the idea but told him to go for it because shit, she wanted to hear all about it. Damn she was cool! "I do." JJ hesitated, but then pulled off his shirt. He was one hot piece and he was well aware of it. A damn good sturdy body hid beneath his clothes and he loved showing it off.

His concern was hold Chazz would react. The older man regarded him, looking kind of unsure. "So, you came here to use me for sex." Chazz stared some more, and then to JJ's surprise, removed his own black and gold, extra clingy shirt to let his skater's body right out. "Fuck it, I'm down! It's been like two days since I had any sort of sex."

That was easier than expected, and JJ had to stop his eyes from going wide. "I...yea, good, exactly. Okay-"

"Get on the bed then, you are about to be seriously Chazzledazzled," Chazz promised him, already stripping himself of his jeans.

Alarm bells went off in JJ's mind. HE was supposed to be the one on top, but that wasn't the feeling he was suddenly getting. He decided to go with it, though, and backed off on the bed to get comfortable. "Alright, but you know-"

Chazz was on him in seconds, down to nothing but black undies and a wolf fang necklace. "You thought you were gonna fuck me?" he asked, crawling over JJ. "Open up those pants," he said and his stare was so hungry, so almost predatory that it urged JJ to hurry.

He popped open his jeans and lifted his hips, only to have Chazz finish yanking them off. He revealed JJ's tight dark red boxers. Chazz grinned and wasted no time in cupping his junk through the material. JJ gasped, not expecting that to happen so soon.

Chazz rubbed his thumb over JJ's covered balls, and then sought out his still soft dick and grabbed it through his underwear. "Oooh. You're gonna be fun. So have you ever been fucked in the ass?"

"My girlfriend used a strap-on a few times, but hey! I came here to fuck YOU, and after I bought you all that whiskey, that's what I intend to do." JJ wanted to stay firm on that detail.

"Huh." Chazz stared up at him and then back down at his crotch. "A strap-on. Quaint. Doubt it's anything compared to my massive package. Hey, lemme throw you a bone," Chazz said, tugging at the waistband of JJ's boxers.

Oh God. JJ hadn't really thought about being naked in front of Chazz. He'd been naked around guys in locker rooms and all that and it was no big deal, but sex was involved, sex where he would be bottoming... "What are you talking about?" he asked, annoyed. But he did lift his hips and allowed Chazz to pull down his boxers to reveal his nice long dick with a slight left curve.

"Oooooooh...me likey," was all Chazz said at first, taking in the sight of what JJ had to offer. He took JJ's cock in his hand, making JJ hiss. "You are long, very nice," he commented. "Let's get you where I need you," he said, and he took all of JJ's dick right in his big, wet mouth.

"Ah!" JJ's hips jerked, not expecting that. He didn't expect any of it! Chazz's tongue was working around his shaft, licking with expert pressure. He dipped into his slit and caressed the head, his thumb and forefinger wrapped around the base.

Oh, shit. Chazz was good, really good! JJ knew that, he'd heard it, but he hadn't thought Chazz was going to be on his dick in that way. But he was, sucking on JJ like he was a piece of maple candy. His cock was quickly hardening and he reached down for Chazz's hair.

Chazz didn't seem to mind the hands grasping at his hair. He seemed encouraged and kept working that long, beautiful erection, fitting as much in his mouth as he could while teasing the rest with his fingers. JJ moaned and surprised himself with it. He wasn't supposed to be reduced to a puddle!

Then Chazz let his dick slip from his mouth and smirked up at him. "Ya like that?"

"Uhn..." JJ jerked his hips up a couple of times, asking for more, because suddenly he didn't have shit to say.

Chazz shook his head and slid further up his body. "Nope. No more of that." He licked a line up JJ's chest. "Just wanted you good and hard." He went to one of JJ's nipples and sucked on it and sucked <i>hard</i>.

It almost hurt. "Chazz! Careful I...hey!" He yelped in surprised when Chazz outright bit the sensitive nub and then flicked it with his tongue.

Chazz laughed against his skin. "How often you get your nips played with, JJ man?" he aasked and switched to the other. He teased that one more with his tongue, flicking back and forth in a way that had JJ feeling desperate for something to rub his dick on. He had one hand in Chazz's hair still and another grabbing the blankets, white-knuckled as the attention to his nipple was almost too much.

Before moving on Chazz sucked on it good and hard, and moved up to JJ's neck. He licked the nape of his neck too and it was almost disgusting. But something about Chazz made it so hot, the way his hairy chest dragged up his body, the way his tongue just did as it pleased, the way Chazz himself just took control.

He bit on JJ's neck, sucked on it, and had the poor man achingly hard. JJ had never been so fucking hard in his life, he was sure! No wonder people referred to Chazz as a sex god! "Chazz - ah...CHAZZ!"

And then Chazz silenced him by kissing him. He wasted no time in shoving his tongue in his mouth and letting it probe around. JJ was breathing through his nose as Chazz took his mouth and shifted his entire body on top of him. He could feel the massive erection Chazz sported through his underwear and he swallowed.

His ass was going to be cracked in half! And he really wanted it!

Chazz thrust against him deliciously, his cock rubbing JJ's. "I am going to fuck you SO hard," Chazz informed him, smirking at him and biting his bottom lip as he moved against him. "Spread those fucking legs."

And the king obeyed. His legs opened right up and Chazz slid between them, still thrusting. Though he was still behind fabric, JJ swore he felt that shaft going for his asshole.

"You are not gonna be able to walk right. You just wait. Ah fuck. Fuck!"

And then Chazz backed off him and was reaching for the stand next to the bed. There was a tube and JJ knew exactly what that tube was and his heart was beating faster. He propped himself up on his elbows. "Is that-"

"Yea, this is lube." He was covering his fingers with it. "It's the good stuff too! Makes an ass real easy to get into. Also good when working on your car, sometimes."

JJ didn't ask. What he did do was allow Chazz to spread his legs and get between them, pulling them up and over his shoulder's. JJ dick, balls and asshole were now on display and his cheeks absolutely burned. That was not what he had been planning, not at all! He was the king! The bare asshole was supposed to be in front of him! Though, maybe he didn't want to stick his finger's in another guy's ass...

Chazz lubed up two fingers and pressed them against JJ's entrance. JJ didn't have the chance to question the use of two digits before they were pushed into him.

He let out a cry as those fingers went in knuckle deep but they weren't so bad. "Oh," he commented at first. And then Chazz spread them and and started scissoring them inside his ass. "OH!"

"Uh huh," Chazz was breathy in response, obviously eager. "Ooooh you have a good ass. This is going to be the fucking tits. Oh man."

"I-I do?" JJ managed to ask.

"Yea! I can tell you've shoved some goods in here before, but you're still tight. Oh man." He took out the two fingers and then inserted a third. And then, well, he started finger-fucking JJ hard. "Damn!"

"Aaaah! I-aaaah! Chazz!" JJ had never really been finger-fucked. The strap-on was one thing, but the fingers, spreading, thrusting, crooking, they were getting to him! He tried to jam his hips down on them because while it did hurt, it still felt pretty good.

Chazz laughed. "Man you are a slut for getting it in the ass!" Chazz took out his fingers and then slapped the back of JJ's thigh hard.

Oh. Oh no. JJ immediately went quiet while his dick nearly stood straight up in interest. He felt hot all over, and eager. Chazz was quiet too and the two looked at each other.

Then Chazz was pushing at his body. "Hands and knees now. Now!" he commanded.

JJ scrambled to comply. He turned over and stuck his ass in the air, resting down on his elbows. Yea, his bare ass up like that, waving around like a damn beacon was shameful but he didn't care.

And when Chazz landed a hard slap on one of his cheeks, he cried out and cared about the same even less, because it felt good.

"Oh shit!" Chazz yelled and spanked him hard again on the other side. "Shit! I didn't expect this - damn!" He slapped his ass again and it was sure to leave a mark, but JJ didn't care. His mind was gone entirely, his ass begging for punishment as he drooled more on the bed. Another slap landed and his cock started leaking.

Chazz paused and he heard a noise, the bottle of lube again. Then he heard a squishing sound which told him Chazz was lubing up. He hadn't even seen his bare dick yet but JJ was eager. "Fuck me!" he said loudly and scared himself. But...yes, that's what he wanted. "Fuck me and spank the ever-living shit out of me Chazz! FUCK ME!!" He screamed the last two words and shoved his ass back at Chazz.

"Damn!" Chazz lined up with his hole and he felt the head pushing in. "Damn you want it bad!" He started pushing in his cock and sure enough, it was huge and JJ was worried his hole wouldn't accomadate it.

And so he shoved his ass roughly back on it and Chazz yelled as his dick was suddenly buried in the other man. But then he grabbed JJ's hips and just started going. He didn't even try to go slow and adjust himself how JJ needed and JJ was glad. He would have forced his hips back anyway.

With Chazz's fingers digging hard into his hips and dragging his asshole onto his thick shaft every thrust, he didn't have to. He was being absolutely fucking nailed and he loved it! Chazz's cock was hitting his sweet spot and his hips pounding against him with lewd noises.

JJ was reduced to a lot of loud moaning, writhing on the bed under him and going to fist his own cock. He was so hard and so close to the edge and he was throbbing. Chazz nailed him hard. He wasn't holding back as he shook JJ's whole body with each hard ramming.

Finally Chazz slapped his ass again while he was fucking him. He slapped it twice, three times hard and JJ was screaming his name while coming hard in his hand. He squeezed himself good, shooting his load all over the bed as he saw nothing but a white hot flash. The orgasm rocked his body and Chazz just kept going through it. JJ felt everything pouring forth from his heavy balls and when he was done, he thought he was going to collapse.

Chazz pulled out suddenly and he cried out at the loss, falling on the bed on his chest and stomach. It felt good even though his dick didn't like getting squished against the now sticky blanket.

He was there for a split second before Chazz rolled him over and straddled his chest. JJ finally had a good look at that long, thick shaft and if he had been able to, he'd have gone stiff again immediately.

But he couldn't, and there was no time anyway. Chazz wrapped his hand around his cock, gave it a few good pumps and with a deep, animal like grunt he came in hot strings all over JJ's face. JJ closed his eyes in surprise as come landed on his nose, cheeks, lips, forehead. He was absolutely covered in it and it was so hot.

When he opened his eyes Chazz wa panting above him, his legs shaking on either side of JJ. He stayed there for a minute and then lifted a leg over him and fell on the bed beside him.

For something like ten or fifteen minutes the two just laid there, panting and catching their breaths. JJ was in a state of bliss and disbelief. He had never, ever climaxed so hard! He had never wanted to be fucked in the ass so bad either! And spanked? Forget about it! He was dominant, he was the KING.

But Chazz, ice-skating's backdoor lover, had completely claimed him and screwed him all up. He had flipped his plan upside down and given him something else entirely. And to top it off? JJ couldn't even pretend to be upset!

As good as the sex was, though, JJ gradually came back down to earth and realized he had to go. He'd already been later than he meant thanks to how much Chazz drank at the damn bar. He didn't think they'd be there that long.

He carefully sat up and winced. Moving his body made him suddenly aware that his ass was in a lot of pain. A LOT. He was going to have some trouble walking - maybe he'd take a cab back to where he was staying.

"Want some room service? They serve the best burgers here!" Chazz said, looking at him as he got up.

JJ was locating his underwear. "Aha, thanks, but no thanks. I actually have to go," he said, getting it on.

"Wait whaaaat?" Chazz sat up. "Seriously? Look, I'll pay for the burger!"

JJ shrugged. "Sorry. I actually didn't mean to be out so late." He grabbed the edge of the blanket and wiped his own come off his stomach.

"Damn." Chazz grinned. "But hey, at least you got your freakin' world rocked tonight. It solve your problem, buddy? I mean you didn't get to fuck greatness, but greatness pounded you iinto a screaming sex haze, and that's almost as good."

He kind of had to agree. It didn't work out exactly the way he wanted, but a sex god had still climbed on top of him and enjoyed the shit out of him. JJ felt his ego get an extra stroke, which was what it badly needed.

And it helped, honestly, that he found Chazz likeable. As in, he felt kind of bad just leaving the guy naked and alone in the hotel room. At the same time he kind of knew Chazz didn't mind. Chazz knew he was a king, and he had other things to attend to.

As he got dressed he responded. "You know what? Thanks. You did help. And that was great. More than great. You're reputation is there for a reason." JJ genuinely meant that.

"Hey, no problem. You need help again, you march that ass over here and look me up, you got it! And hey." Chazz tapped his own head. "You are going into the Michaels Spank Bank. Most people make it there, but I've forgotten their names and faces."

Another stroke to his ego. "Cool. I'm going to wash my face and get going."

"Alright buddy. Take care of that ass and stretch it out every now and then."

JJ laughed. "Sure."

Minutes later he had left, the hotel room door closed behind him. Walking caused some pain and his legs trembled a little. His butt was sore inside and out. Who knew he liked spanking?

The pain meant little to him. He felt good. He felt rejuvenated. He felt like he could kick literally anybody's ass and that was incredible.

The motherfucking king was BACK.

[jukeboxgraduate]

Barcelona, Travel Post

Everyone was so generous to me with their Barcelona intel that I wanted to write down all of mine so that I could return the favor.

Airport transport: being someone from New York, my first thought when arriving in a new city is "Can I get into the city center via public transportation?" The answer is yes, but a QUALIFIED yes. You have to take a shuttle bus to the domestic terminal, which is 10 minutes away, and then it is a long, long walk to the station. It did drop me two blocks from my hotel and cost me less than 1 euro but the airport bus was 6 euro, stopped right outside the terminal, and was three blocks from my hotel. 

I did not take the train back, but the morning airport bus was a soul-crushing, sardine-packed-anti-tourist experience that I would not recommend to anybody.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is no ATM in the airport. Do yourself a favor and go to AmEx or an international bank so you have like 25 Euro when you arrive.

Lodging: I didn't do an Airbnb because I was traveling solo and Airbnb is great if everything goes well but if it doesn't you are FUCKED. For example: When I went to Scandinavia and missed my connection so my bags didn’t arrive until the next day, I could t just have them dropped at the hotel whenever, I had to waste a whole day waiting for them. When the plane was late I had to rely on the host to be flexible. There were too many things that could have gone wrong.

I chose a location with proximity to the metro going to the festival and the location of the shuttle bus. I have burned out with locations that are "a short walk" because short walks become lengthy on a day-in, day-out basis. It was worth it to me to pay a premium to be central so I could go back to the hotel whenever I wanted.

Honestly, I would have really liked a nice apartment in Eixample where I could have foisted my bad Spanish on the local cafe daily. Next time.

Sights: 99% of what I like to do in a city is walk around and Barcelona is absolutely a city made to walk around and every block is gorgeous. I would walk and get lost and then pull out my phone and figure out where to go next. 

[I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR about using my phone. I fucking backpacked through Southeast Asia before there was an internet. I have earned the right to use a goddamn smartphone in Europe. The phone meant I could LOOK at the amazing architecture and not have to be looking at a map all the time, and it makes you less of a target for thieves. (More on this later.)]

El Born/Barrio Gotic: Seriously the best thing you could possibly do here is pick a random street and walk. The most famous streets are clogged with people and I moved away from them as quickly as I could. I stopped by the Cathedral but didn’t get in because it was tourist hell. On the other hand, I stumbled into Stella Maris on Sunday afternoon during Mass and I said I wanted to light a candle for Santa Barbara (which I actually did, I do this for my mom) and it was lovely. But mostly I just walked around and got lost.

My favorite thing in El Born was the Mercat del Born Cultural Center. This is the former location of the old neighborhood market that was going to be torn down and turned into a FNAC and then was going to be a library when they discovered hella ancient ruins underneath. Now you can walk around these ancient ruins. I went back a second time, it was so amazing. There is also a restaurant featuring local foods and a shop with locally made goods and public bathrooms.

By Sunday I had promised myself that I would “go sit in a park or something” and although it had poured rain in the morning/early afternoon (when I was writing in a cafe) I took my computer back to the hotel and started walking through El Born to get away from tourists. I ended up at the Arc de Triomf and the park leftover from the 1888 World’s Fair. And although there was a dude under the Arc singing “Easy Like Sunday Morning” it was mostly locals walking around and it was totally chill until a drum circle popped up (to be fair, it was not a bunch of Burning Man leftovers drumming, but, like, actual immigrants/residents from the African Continent). It is a great park. I recommend it.

Sagrada Familia: You have to go. I went in 2000 when I was there and as my tour guide said, “You haven’t been.” It was not even close to the same building. As a coworker said, “How often do you get to visit a 100-year construction project in progress?” I highly recommend plumping for the guided tour and not just the headsets. My guide was awesome and I learned a lot and you can stay and hang out as long as you want to. I did not pay to go up to the Towers because I AM A GIANT CHICKEN ABOUT HEIGHTS, but that was actually fine because they were closed that day. I think I was there for 3 and a half hours. 

Casa Batllo: This is worse from a tourist hell perspective than Sagrada Familia because it’s small. I did the 8:45am “sunrise tour” (hahaha Barcelona you are so cute) and I would advise the 8:30 instead so you have the place to yourself for half an hour before people start walking through with iPads. My advice with Casa Batllo is to spend as much time as you can in the front room, because the rest of it is not nearly as inspiring, and then head to the roof. Ignore advice telling you to go to the roof first and then wind your way down. Keep in mind that you cannot see the entire building because people still live there. So you can’t spend 3 hours like I thought I was going to.

La Pedrera/Casa Mila: I bought a ticket thinking I’d go in the morning and then I didn’t, so I had to go to the nighttime tour and beg to be allowed to pay the difference. The nighttime tour isn’t a tour. It’s a lecture in the courtyard, a climb SEVEN FLOORS UP to the attic with another lecture, and then an audiovisual show on the roof. *bzzt* I was Gaudi-drunk at the time I bought the ticket and honestly I should have just given it a pass. I got more out of doing a Lonely Planet guidebook walking tour than I did out of this experience.

Fundacion Joan Miro: This is lovely and comprehensive, and well-curated. I hate his depiction of women, however, and by the end was done. The gift shop has many cute items as well as jewelry from local Barcelona merchants. The Fundacion is up on Montjuic, which you can get to by bus, cablecar (teleferic) or funicular. The funicular is part of the Metro system so you can transfer to it without paying extra. (Given the GIANT CHICKEN ABOUT HEIGHTS note above you know I did not take the cablecar.) I did not walk around Montjuic because that is also the location of the Palau San Jordi, and I spent a whole lot of fucking time there in 2000 when I came to see Pearl Jam. It is a lovely green space though and I would advocate trading it for the other park noted above, if you find yourself looking for a green space.)

I did this instead of the Picasso Museum because his most important works are not in the museum and I’ve been to (and LOVE) the Musee Picasso in Paris twice, and I have to get to Madrid so I can see Guernica in person anyway. 

Things I deliberately did not do: La Boqueria (cutting through it was nightmare enough), any lengthy walk down Las Ramblas, extended beach time

I also saw the traveling version of the V&A Bowie exhibit, which just happened to be in town, and also let’s remember three nights of Primavera Sound that I had to file from, which kept me up late and sleeping in at the end of it.

FOOD IN BARCELONA:

At this point it will be a separate post.

IMPORTANT PROTIPS:

METRO: The Metro is awesome, convenient, clean. I bought the T-10 card, which gives you 10 trips for 9.95 Euro. That includes the RENFE train from the airport BUT NOT THE Metro (I don’t get it either). The T-10 is good on Metro, buses, trams and the funicular to Montjuic.

OVERSEAS SIM CARDS: It’s getting easier to buy a SIM when you arrive somewhere but I opted for an option called KnowRoaming, which is a sticker you put on your US SIM, and it switches over automatically. WhatsApp is free, calls are cheap, you get an alternate number so you can text, and they have unlimited data plans, which in BCN was $6.99 a day. I bought data for the first day to see how much I used. I bought a 7-day data plan. It was FANTASTIC to be able to use my phone the way I normally use my phone, especially when needing to find friends or discover that Arcade Fire is playing a pop-up show. Also? The map was freedom. I could go ANYWHERE. Maybe when you’re a dude you don’t worry about finding your way out. 

PICKPOCKETING/THEFT/CRIME IS A REAL THING. I read the stories and I was almost sure they were fake, except 1) a Spanish friend who lives in Barcelona met me for lunch and told me how she was clutching her purse in the Metro and when crossing Las Ramblas and 2) a smart woman who was on my food tour had her purse snatched when in La Boqueria. She grabbed it back and kicked the kid in the face, and then bought another purse to replace the leather purse WITH A VERY STURDY STRAP that got yanked off her arm.

EVERYTHING IS CLOSED ON MONDAY except the Museum of Contemporary Art, which I went to partly because I was over there collecting my festival credentials next door, partly so I could get in some air conditioning and use a bathroom but also because this stuff is my jam, and there were some great exhibits. THEY ARE OPEN ON MONDAY. Go watch the skateboarders on the plaza outside if nothing else.

ALL THE RESTAURANTS ARE CLOSED SUNDAY NIGHT so plan in advance. I was literally [] this close to going to McDonald’s because every.thing.was.closed. Ask your hotel. Plan it in advance. Book at the place I ended up (which was fantastic).

Advance tickets: I booked tickets to Sagrada Familia and Casa Batllo one week in advance. I felt kinda touristy until I turned up at the queue for Sagrada Familia, and the women behind me who had no tickets were told “No, we are totally sold out for the day” at 11:45am. All of the sights will scan your barcode on your phone and most hotels will let you print so I would suggest booking the things you can be sure about and then doing the rest on a case by case basis. THAT SAID, I booked a ticket to La Pedrera that I ended up not getting to use/having to pay up just to get in because I was too ambitious. So, book but be smart.

[tamboradventure]

12 Things I’d Tell Any New Traveler

Updated: 7/10/20 | July 10th, 2020 (Originally published 3/30/15)

Hope. Fear. Excitement. Traveling for the first time produced a wave of emotions.

When I left to travel the world on my first round-the-world trip, I didn’t know what to expect.

Now, with fifteen years of travel experience under my belt, I know better. Traveling is second nature to me now. I land in an airport and I just go on autopilot.

But, back then, I was as green as they come.

To compensate for my lack of experience, I followed my guidebooks and wet my feet by going on organized tours. I was young and inexperienced and I made a lot of rookie travel mistakes.

I know what’s like to just be starting out and have a mind filled with questions, anxieties, and concerns.

So, if you’re new to travel and looking for advice to help you prepare, here are 12 tips that I’d tell a new traveler to help them avoid some of my early mistakes:  

1. Don’t Be Scared

Fear is a powerful deterrent. Taking the leap into the unknown is scary, but remember: you aren’t the first person to travel the world. You aren’t discovering new continents or exploring uncharted territories.

There is a well-worn travel trail out there and people to help guide you along the way. If millions of people can make their way around the world each year, you can too.

You’re just as capable as anyone else. After all, you did the hardest part: deciding to go. Having the courage to make that decision is the hardest part.

You’ll make mistakes. Everyone does. But that’s part of the experience.

There will be lots of people out there to help you. You’ll be shocked at just how helpful and kind people are. You’ll make friends, you’ll survive, and you’ll be better for it.  

2. Don’t Live by Your Guidebook

Guidebooks are useful for a general overview of a destination. They’re a great way to learn the basics and get introduced to the cities and countries you plan to visit. But you’ll never find the latest off-the-beaten-path attractions, bars, or restaurants in them.

For the latest info (as well as insider tips), connect with locals. Use websites like Meetup.com or Couchsurfing to connect directly with local and expats so you can get suggesitons, advice, and tips to make the most of your trip.

Additionally, ask other travelers you meet or the staff at your hotel/hostel. Visit the local tourist board as well. It’s a wealth of information that often gets overlooked.

In short, use a guidebook for the foundation of your plans but fill in the details with up-to-date info from locals.

You can also use travel blogs for planning tips since they are updated more often than guidebooks.  

3. Travel Slow

This is something most new long-term travelers learn the hard way (myself included).

I know it can be tempting to pack in as many cities and activities as possible. (This is especially true if you only have a few weeks of vacation.)

But rushing from city to city every other day is just going to leave you exhausted and stressed out. You’ll experience a whirlwind of activity, most of which will remain a blur when you look back on it. Sure, you’ll have some great pictures for Instagram but is that really why you’re traveling?

Travel is about quality, not quantity. Don’t worry about how much you see. Don’t worry about trying to impress people with the number of countries you’ve visited. Slow down and soak up your destinations. You’ll learn more, enjoy it more, and have a much more memorable experience.

When it comes to travel, less is more. (Plus, traveling slow helps reduce your transportation costs. It’s cheaper to go slow!)

  4. Pack Light

When I went to Costa Rica in 2003, I brought a bag filled with tons of stuff: hiking boots and pants, a fleece jacket, too much clothing, and my bodyweight in toiletries. And it all sat in my bag, mostly unused.

I was packing for “just in case” and “what if” instead of the reality of my trip.

While it can be tempting to bring more than you need “just in case,” remember this: you can buy things on the road. Socks, shampoo, jackets, new shoes — you can find it all aborad. There’s no need to bring everything and the kitchen sink.

So, pack light. You’ll have less to carry, saving you the hassle and stress of lugging a huge backpack around for weeks (or months) on end.

Unless you are going somewhere cold, a bag around 40 liters will suffice. Bags around this size are easier to carry, don’t get too unwieldy, and can fit on your flight as carry-on only if need be (a huge perk if you want to save yourself some headaches).

Here’s everything you need to know to help you find the perfect bag for your budget and your trip.  

5. Get Travel Insurance

Whether you’re a travel veteran or a brand new backpacker, don’t leave home without making sure you’re protected in case something goes wrong. As we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, sudden emergencies can come out of nowhere.

I’ve had my luggage lost. I popped an eardrum in Thailand. I was knifed in Colombia.

I’ve had a friend break bones, need to be helicoptered out of the Amazon, or fly back due to a sudden death.

Stuff happens.

To ensure you’re protected, buy travel insurance.

I never leave home without it because I know just how quickly things can go sideways.

You never know what might happen. The road is filled with uncertainty. Make sure you’re protected. It will also give you peace of mind and help you travel with confidence.

Here are a few posts worth reading. I know it’s not a fun or sexy topic, but it’s an important one!

Is Travel Insurance Worth it?

The 7 Best Travel Insurance Companies

World Nomads Insurance Review

  6. Bring a Phone (and Get Local SIM Cards)

Having a phone with data means you can look up directions on the fly, make reservations, and contact emergency services if something happens.

Sure, there is free wifi pretty much everywhere these days so buying a local SIM card for data might seem like a waste of money (especially if you’re on a really, really tight budget) but having that immediate access to roaming data can be a lifesaver.

If you’re from the US and traveling for less than 3 months, T-Mobile has reliable data plans. Google Fi is another great option too.

Additionally, having a phone makes it easier to connect and stay in touch with travelers you meet.

Simply put: having a phone is really helpful in this day and age.

Just don’t stay glued to it all the time.  

7. Go with the Flow

When every day is planned out and there are timetables to follow, you’ll get stressed. Very stressed. You’ll rush around and be unhappy if there are any glitches in your well-curated schedule.

And there will be hiccups. And glitches. And all kinds of inconveniences, both major and minor. Life on the road doesn’t always go as planned — which is both fun and frustrating.

When you plan too much, there’s no room to experience the happy accidents of travel. There’s no room for spontaneous choice, for incorporating new information and advice that you learn.

When making your plan, make sure that it’s flexible. Learn to go with the flow. Plan one or two activities and let the rest of the day happen.

It’ll be a more enjoyable and less stressful experience. You’ll be surprised by what happens.

Be flexible. Let life unfold the way it should.  

8. Bring Some Extra Money

Travel isn’t as expensive as many people think but you still need to create a budget that means your needs. The secret to long term travel is smart money management.

However, always overestimate the amount you need. You never know what might come up on the road. After all, you didn’t spend all that time saving every penny and staying home to skip those once in a lifetime activities?

Maybe you want to try bungee jumping or you discover an amazing restaurant you can’t pass up. Or maybe you meet some cool people and decide to scrap your plan altogether.

No matter how well you plan, something can always come up that will throw your budget out of synch.

That’s fine.

Just leave home with a little extra. If you’re planning says you’ll need $2,000, bring $2,500. It will give you a buffer for emergencies and spontaneity.  

9. Remember Everyone is in the Same Boat

It takes courage to talk to strangers when you’re new to travel, especially if you’re an introvert like me. What do you say? Can you just invite people to join you? What if you end up alone?

These are all questions I had when I first started traveling. The good news? Everyone is in the same boat. All around you are other solo travelers looking for friends. They want to meet new people too.

While there are a few tricks to learn to help you meet people, it mostly just comes down to saying “hello” and taking that first step. Everything else will fall into place after that. You have nothing to lose and, in the process — this is how you’ll get over your shyness, make new friends, and get better at conversation.

  10. Be Adventurous

The only time we grow is when we’re outside of our comfort zones. And travel is about growth. That doesn’t mean you need to do dangerous things, but it does mean you need to push yourself beyond what you’re used to.

Hiking, sky diving, eating new foods, camping, rock climbing, hitchhiking — whatever taking a risk looks like to you is 100% ok. Everyone has different interests and tolerance levels. Push yours. It may be scary and uncomfortable at the time, but you’ll be glad you did it later.

Challenge yourself. Try new things. You’ll walk away more self-confident.  

11. It’s Ok to Change Your Mind

If you hate a city, leave and go to another one. If you don’t enjoy the tour your on, cancel it early. And if you really love the place you’re visiting, change your plans and stay longer.

It’s perfectly normal to change your mind on the road.

Maybe that means extending your trip. Maybe that means going home early. There’s nothing wrong with either choice.

Always remember you can go home if you aren’t having fun. You aren’t stuck with your decision to travel or your decision to be in a specific place. You’re the captain on your own ship. Never forget that!  

12. Remember, You’re Not Alone

Wherever you go, there is a network of travelers who will be your friends, give you advice or tips, and help you out. They will guide you, point you in the right direction, and be your mentors.

You aren’t out there on your own.

And you will be OK.

***

I know you’re nervous about heading out into the unknown. It’s human nature to worry. But, if you remember these words of wisdom, you’ll go into this the right mindset and able to avoid rookie mistakes.

So take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy your trip!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use — and they’ll save you time and money too!

The post 12 Things I’d Tell Any New Traveler appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[topfygad]

Pakistan travel guide – The ultimate backpacking itinerary

This is the most comprehensive and detailed Pakistan travel itinerary available on the internet

From south to north, I spent two whole months traveling in Pakistan. I arrived in Karachi by plane and left the country overland through China.

It was a wild, adventurous journey and probably one of my best traveling experiences ever.

From extremely overwhelming hospitality to the most striking landscapes ever and just wilderness everywhere;  Pakistan is bloody awesome and, unless you have actually been there, it’s very difficult to explain and convey the deeply personal experience you get.

With all my honesty, if you like real adventure, traveling to off the beaten track destinations and just getting immersed in the local culture, I strongly believe that Pakistan should be at the very, very top of your bucket list.

However, I am also aware that Pakistan is not the easiest place to travel in the world, as traveling information is scarce and you can’t really get the comforts which you may find in other countries.

For this reason, based on my personal journey, I have compiled some useful information and created this Pakistan travel guide and ultimate backpacking itinerary which, hopefully, will help you plan your journey through one of the most fascinating countries I’ve ever been to.

This Pakistan travel guide aims to help you plan your itinerary but it doesn’t really talk about other traveling information such as visas, safety, budget, etc. For this, you should read: 70 Things you should know before traveling to Pakistan

    Here’s all the content:

Travel insurance for Pakistan Tours for Pakistan Backpacking in Pakistan: a 2-week travel itinerary Backpacking in Pakistan: a 1-month travel itinerary Extending your Pakistan travel itinerary – Additional places Other resources for traveling to Pakistan

Pakistan is a pretty big country.

By this, I mean that Pakistan is a destination which can’t be visited in a week or, at least, not properly.

Most of the country’s beauty lies in the northern areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), which are not easily accessible. Once you have reached these northern areas, moving from one place to another takes ages, sometimes several hours just for less than a hundred kilometers.

In addition, this is also the capital of unexpected events. Believe me when I say that, during my 2-month journey, I experienced more than ten bus breakdowns, no kidding, perhaps even more. Traveling in Pakistan is extremely slow.

Therefore, if you’re planning to visit Pakistan for a week, I would recommend going when you have more time to spend there. However, if your job will never allow you to do that, no problem, I am sure you can work something out and visit a couple of southern cities.

Total transparency! If you like my website and found this post useful, remember to buy your insurance through my link, as I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

  Travel Insurance for Pakistan

If you are planning to do some trekking and go a bit wild, I recommend you buy World Nomads because:

The basic plan already covers trekking up to 6,000 meters (note that, in Gilgit-Baltistan, it is very easy to reach 4,000-meter base camps. 

They provide with unlimited medical expenses (and Pakistan can be wild)

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

If you want to know more options, read how to get the right travel insurance for Pakistan.

  Tours for Pakistan

I know this post is about backpacking in Pakistan on your own, but if you are thinking about hiring a guide, I recommend you go with the guys from Find my Adventure, a local Pakistani company with many years of experience and good reputation. 

(In any case, if you are planning to do some serious trekking, then you will require a guide)

They can arrange any customized tour for you and the good news is that the readers of this blog can get an exclusive 10% discount on the final quote by using my promo code ATC-PAK.

Just email them through their contact page, mentioning my blog and promo code. 

  Backpacking in Pakistan: a 2-week travel itinerary

If you are backpacking in Pakistan for two weeks, you can get a nice feeling of the northern areas, as well as a few cities. However, just to let you know: you will have to rush a lot.

Note: This 2-week Pakistan travel itinerary is for anyone, whether you are traveling by public transportation, hitchhiking or in your own car. However, as I said before, from landslides to bus breakdowns, Pakistan is the country of unexpected events.

Note 2: If you really want to save time, you can fly from Islamabad to Gilgit (northern areas), as the bus journey that goes through the Karakoram Highway takes a whole day. However, just keep in mind that flights fill up very quickly, so book in advance. Get the lowest prices on Skyscanner for the Islamabad-Gilgit flight. 

  Places to visit in Pakistan – 2-week map itinerary

The 2-week itinerary follows the Karakoram Highway, almost until the Chinese border. There are loads of other places to discover along this road, so remember to read my Ultimate guide to travel the Karakoram Highway.



  Day 1,2 – Arrival in Lahore

Lahore is the cultural capital and where the real things are going on. From Sufi dancing to underground ladyboy parties, good food and one of the most stunning mosques I’ve ever seen; Lahore is like nowhere else and that’s why your journey should start here.

If you fly to Pakistan, there’s the option of flying to Islamabad which, apparently, would be more convenient, as it’s literally closer to the north. However, I seriously think that you can’t miss Lahore.

In Lahore, go to Badshahi Mosque, one of the most beautiful mosques I’ve ever seen and one of the largest in the world. Its courtyard can fit up to 100,000 worshippers. Can you believe it? More than the Camp Nou Football Stadium in Barcelona!

After visiting the mosque, you can’t miss strolling the alleys of the Old City, where you can get lost among spice bazaars, colors and loads of street food. In the Old City, there’s another very cute mosque called Wazir Khan, dating from the 17th century, which once was one of the most important centers for training Islamic calligraphers.

At night, I recommend you go to one of the many rooftop restaurants in the fancy Food Street and order a delicious lamb karahi (a local curry).

If you have time, you should also go to see the Wagah Indian-Pakistani border ceremony. As you may know, Pakistan and India are not the best friends ever, so, every day, they do a weird ceremony which basically, is a hostile show of power. There are hundreds of people attending and both Indians and Pakistanis show a freaking crazy fanaticism.

Where to stay in Lahore

Backpacker Hostel – Lahore Backpackers – This is the meeting point for all the independent travelers in Pakistan and the only real backpacker hostel. The manager is a super helpful guy who can arrange anything for you, like attending the Thursday night Sufi dancing or just get into a crazy party anywhere.

Click here to see the latest prices

  A bit nicer – Rose Palace Hotel – If you are looking for a nicer option, this hotel was recommended by a female traveler, who said it has gorgeous furnishing and tolerable overall quality.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 3, 4 – Islamabad

Islamabad was built in 1960 with the sole objective of becoming the capital of Pakistan. Composed of wide and extremely clean streets and greenery, Islamabad might differ a bit from the image you have of Pakistan. Here is where the Pakistani elite lives and where you find the best restaurants in the country. Huge mansions and the most expensive cars are just the normal everyday stuff in Islamabad.

By the way, wild marihuana grows everywhere in this city

Here you must visit the Faisal Mosque, the largest one in the country. If you stay for the night, go for dinner and see the sunset at Monal, located at the highest point of a hill from where you get magnificent views of the city.

Moving around town is a bit tricky, as distances are freaking long. If you don’t have your own vehicle, you’ll have to mainly rely on taxis. Get Uber, as it’s way cheaper than the regular taxis.

Islamabad is just OK. I stayed here for a few nights because I had plenty of time and I spent my days eating at some very good restaurants and hanging out with local friends at very expensive Western-style cafés. This should be the least interesting place to visit in your Pakistan travel itinerary. If you want to skip it, that’s fine. However, if you travel by public transportation, you must stop here on your way to the north (Gilgit-Baltistan). Buses leave after 6pm though, which means that, if you leave Lahore early in the morning, you may have time to catch one on the same day.

Read: The ultimate guide to the Karakoram Highway

Marihuana Islamabad

How to get from Lahore to Islamabad

These two big cities are connected by a pretty good and wide 380-kilometer road and the fastest way to get there is by bus. They leave every day at all times. Just ask at the hostel for the exact location. Alternatively, you could also go by train but it’s much slower, plus it gets delayed pretty often so, if you only have two weeks, you may want to go by bus. Timing: 4 hours.

Where to stay in Islamabad

Budget Guest House – Nexus Grace – Islamabad doesn’t really have budget options and Nexus Grace is one of the very few. Recently listed online, this guest house has very comfy and tidy rooms, run by some very helpful staff.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Budget Hotel – Royal Galaxy Guest House Islamabad – This guest house is very highly rated by most travelers and offers pretty good rates as per Islamabad standards. People claim that it has very comfortable and clean rooms, so you can get some good sleep before heading to the mountains.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 5, 6 – Fairy Meadows

Coming from Islamabad through the KKH, when you arrive at Raikot Bridge, you will see a detour that takes you to Fairy Meadows, a stunning, green meadow, which is considered one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan. From here, you get stunning views of Nanga Parbat, a striking peak 8,125 meters high, which belongs to the Himalaya range. 

For further information, I wrote a very comprehensive guide: Fairy Meadows trek and Nanga Parbat base camp

How to get to Fairy Meadows from Islamabad

There are 4 or 5 daily buses (from 6pm to 9pm, approximately) that depart from Islamabad to Gilgit. NATCO is the best company out there and the one that the Pakistani middle class uses. The VIP bus, which is the only one with AC, costs 2,000PKR ($20). Theoretically, the journey takes 15 hours but, due to the constant landslides and the endless breakdowns, mine took more than 21 hours. By the way, I recommend buying your ticket at the bus station on the morning of the day of departure. Try to book a first-row seat. Location of the station: 33.638026, 73.025308. You will need to get off at Raikot Bridge, which is around two hours before Gilgit.

For more details, remember to check my Fairy Meadows Guide.

  Day 7 – Gilgit

Gilgit is the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan, a city with a Shia majority and the perfect base for exploring the surrounding valleys. It has a wide range of hotels and restaurants, as well as bazaars and a few touristic sites. Given its strategic location which, for years, linked China with the Indian sub-continent, Gilgit became a proper city.

The town has a river with some pretty bridges where you can take nice photos. I also recommend you visit the Kargah Buddha, a Buddha statue carved in a cliff during the 7th century.

Gilgit may be a nice town but, if you only have two weeks, don’t stay here for long as the beauty of Gilgit-Baltistan is in the surrounding valleys. Actually, if you have your own vehicle, I would recommend going straight to Minapin.

How to get from Fairy Meadows to Gilgit 

There’s no actual public transportation but, at Raikot Bridge, the police will stop the first car or bus that passes to take you to Gilgit, for free. Welcome to Pakistan!

Where to stay in Gilgit

Budget Hotel – Madina Hotel II – Most backpacker will come to this place, if there is any in town, of course! It’s a simple but very great place, with awesome staff!

Click here to check prices

  A bit nicer – Cozy Lodge Gilgit – This hotel is quite budget but it is better than the previous one, with very accommodating staff and tasty breakfast included. If you are not a backpacker, you may prefer to stay here.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Top-end – Serena Hotel – If you want some semi-luxury and comfort (I do very occasionally, just to re-charge energy) Serena Hotels is a pretty popular hotel chain in Pakistan.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 8, 9 – Minapin and Rakaposhi base camp

Following the Karakoram Highway, around 75 kilometers from Gilgit, you find a detour that leads to Minapin, a small, lovely village with awesome views of the mountains and from where you can organize a trek to the Rakaposhi base camp, one of the best treks I’ve ever done.

Spend the first night in Minapin and, early on the next day, go to the base camp. If you are reasonably fit, you can reach it in just one day and come back the day after. I am sure you won’t regret it.

For more information, read: A guide to the Rakaposhi base camp

How to get from Gilgit to Minapin 

If you don’t have your own car, hitchhiking is the easiest way, much quicker than going by public transportation. Actually, I didn’t take a single minibus when traveling in the north of Pakistan.

Where to stay in Minapin

Budget Hotel – Osho Trang – Minapin also has what is the best guest house in Gilgit-Baltistan, run by Israr, a very kind man who has been dealing with foreigners for many years.

  Day 10, 11, 12 – Karimabad

Karimabad is the main city in the region of Hunza, the most northern area in Pakistan, a place whose inhabitants are Ismailis, the most liberal branch of Islam. For the first time in your journey, here you will most likely talk to women and, perhaps you may be invited to drink some local wine, who knows.

Ladies, it’s time to uncover your head and get some relaxation!

Karimabad is surrounded by striking mountains over 7,000 meters high, as well as being home to two UNESCO World Heritage forts. Given its laid-back atmosphere, it’s really easy to spend 4 or 5 days wandering around Karimabad and its narrow alleys which, by the way, are made of stone and, at some point, they have a close similarity to some old cities in Europe.

Here, you must visit Baltit and Altit forts and Eagle’s Nest, a 360º viewpoint, from where you get clear views of Rakaposhi, Diran, and Lady Finger.

If you like hiking, Karimabad is also a great place for day hikes.

Karimabad, one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan

How to get from Minapin to Karimabad 

Like I said, hitchhiking the Karakoram Highway is the easiest way to move around.

Where to stay in Karimabad 

Backpacker hostel – Old Hunza Inn is the most budget, backpacking option.

Nicer – Hunza Lounge – A more mid-range option, this hotel has pretty decent prices and good reviews. Click here to see the latest prices

Top-end – Hunza Serena Inn – If you are looking for the best hotel in Karimabad, Hunza Serena Inn is an awesome hotel. I used to go there to have tea, enjoy the views and connect to the internet  Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 13, 14 – Back to Lahore or Islamabad

If you are planning to go back by public transportation, you really need to plan ahead for your journey back to the city, as buses leave Gilgit very early in the morning and the journey may take up to 21 hours. Therefore, perhaps, you should leave Karimabad on the 12th day.

Alternatively, like I said before, if you want to save an entire day, you could also fly from Gilgit to Islamabad. Find the cheapest prices on Skyscanner.

Moreover, to save an extra half day, it would be wise to book your return flight from Islamabad, not Lahore.

  Pakistan Travel Guide: a 1-month itinerary

If you are backpacking in Pakistan for a whole month, you can do all the above and, in addition, visit the northwest of the country which, basically, includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This means that you don’t have to make the long journey from Islamabad to Gilgit through the Karakoram Highway. Instead, go to Peshawar and, from there, go north through Swat, Chitral and the Shandur Pass, on your way to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Before taking this route, you should know that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the most conservative area in Pakistan, inhabited by the Pashtuns, an ethnic group with very extreme, fundamentalist ideas about Islam. Here, most women wear the Afghan burqa, so if you are a woman, dress very modestly. For men, you should definitely dress like them, in a local salwar kameez.

On the other hand, the Pashtuns are the most hospitable and inviting people in the country. You’ll have a lot of fun.

A Pashtun man, somewhere in the Swat Valley

  Places to visit in Pakistan – 1-month map itinerary

Instead of following the KKH from Islamabad to Gilgit, you ascend from the western part of the country.



  Day 1, 2, 3, 4 – Lahore and Islamabad

Check the 2-week backpacking itinerary for all details. 

  Day 5, 6 – Peshawar

Peshawar is history: it’s the oldest city in Pakistan, one of the oldest cities in Asia and used to be the capital of the Kushan empire. Located right at the border with Afghanistan at Khyber Pass, Peshawar had also been a really important and remarkable Silk Road point, linking north and south, east and west Asia.

Today, Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and home to the finest bazaars in the country. Due to its proximity to the Tribal Areas, a region filled with loads of Taliban-friendly people, you should be careful, always dress like a local in a salwar kameez and, if possible, try to walk around with local friends. I met local people through Couchsurfing, so I never encountered any problem.

The best thing you can do in Peshawar is to stroll down its bazaars, buy a real Pashtun hat, go to a restaurant to eat the best lamb in the country and, basically, get ready for one hundred chai invitations.

However, to be honest, not many people invited me because, apparently, I really look like a Pashtun, so they thought I was a local, especially wearing my salwar kameez 

I would have liked to visit the historical Khyber Pass but it requires a permit which takes several days to proceed, as well as some well-connected friends. Alternatively, just at the gate of Khyber Pass, there is a market selling smuggled stuff from Afghanistan, such as daggers or even USA military suits.

How to get from Islamabad to Peshawar 

NATCO buses run daily for just a few USD. You can also come by train. Ask any local friend where the bus station is.

  Day 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 – Swat Valley

Important: Swat Valley is subject to some instability and, occasionally, for no apparent reason, they don’t allow foreigners to enter. For several months in 2017, nobody had any trouble getting in but, in December 2017, some American tourists were not allowed to enter the region. I recommend you try to get an NOC (a special permit for sensitive areas), just in case. More information below. 

The local Pashtuns call it the Switzerland of Pakistan but, in my opinion, Swat is way better.

If you like hiking through fairy forests, along some of the most off the beaten track mountains in Pakistan, you can’t miss the Swat Valley.

Some years ago, in 2009, the region was controlled by the Taliban but, after a six-month bloody war, they were finally expelled. Do you know Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who won the Nobel Peace Prize? She’s from the Swat Valley and got the prize after she was shot for refusing to obey the Taliban during this invasion.

Remember that this is a super conservative area, inhabited by people with very deep fundamentalist ideas. Most men living here have never seen a woman’s face apart from their close female relatives. Actually, girls wear the hijab since they are really, really young and, when they grow up, they switch to the Afghan burqa. Just be careful with what you say and respect their local beliefs. If you do, you’ll have the best experience ever, trust me.

But despite all this, as I said, the Swat Valley is home to an extreme beauty. I recommend you visit Malam Jabba, a ski resort which turns into a lush, green meadow in summer. Also, you should visit some pretty big Buddha carvings which are worth a look.

If you like trekking, there are a lot of hiking opportunities around. I recommend you first go to Mingora, the main town in the Swat Valley, and organize your treks from there.

Furthermore, you really can’t miss Kalam, a small district a couple of hours from Mingora, consisting of a village in the middle of a stunning, beautiful valley. Kalam is a real off the beaten track place, so be prepared to be excessively overwhelmed by the local hospitality. I stayed there a couple of nights and it was, by far, my favorite place in the Swat Valley.

To know what is it like when traveling in the Swat Valley, read this post from Offbeat Traveling: Visiting the Swat Valley in Pakistan

For trekking tips, read: Trekking in Kalam, Swat Valley

By the way, in Swat, you must contact my good friend Ihsan Khan from Swat Backpackers, a local Pashtun who will be happy to show you around and organize treks for you at a very friendly price, staying at his place as well. Ishan can also help you get the bloody NOC, which they may require if you try to enter the Swat Valley.

Where to stay in Mingora 

Rose Palace – I stayed at this mid-range hotel for a couple of nights. Double rooms with private bathroom.

Where to stay in Malam Jabba 

Samsons Inn Mala Jabba – One of the few good options in Malam Jabba. This mid-range hotel could be a good option, especially if you are two people. Click here to check prices

Where to stay in Kalam 

I stayed in a very budget hotel called Mehboob Hotel, which was not very nice. Alternatively, you can stay at the PTDC Hotel, which is within the mid-range option.

Malam Jabbad – Best places to visit in Pakistan

  Day 12 – The journey to Chitral

The journey to Chitral is a pretty tough one and it takes the entire day. I left early morning and arrived in Chitral around 11pm. We got delayed two hours because the bus driver ran out of gas. Yeah, this should not surprise you in Pakistan.

If you are in Mingora, you should first get a minibus to Timargara. At Timargara, you must take a second minibus towards Chitral. It’s a pretty awesome and scenic journey.

Alternatively, if you are in Kalam, you can also go to Chitral through Kumrat Valley and Dir. For more information, read: How to get from Kalam to Chitral.

Apparently, only in September 2017, they finished a tunnel which had been built for ages, so you may save a good couple of hours.

  Day 13 – Chitral

Chitral is a relatively big town and a transit point for going to the Kalash Valleys or Gilgit Baltistan.

I didn’t do much here besides checking out one mosque and registering at the police station. If you don’t register, they won’t allow you to enter the Kalash Valleys. By the way, if you visit the Kalash, the police in Chitral will also give you a private guard armed with an AK-47, which is compulsory for any foreigner visiting the area since. in 2009/10, the Taliban crossed the border, attacking and killing several people nearby.

Getting a guard seems to be pretty cool but it actually sucks, as you don’t have the freedom to move around.

However, I was really lucky and didn’t get one as I went there during the Kalash Joshy Festival and, since there were a lot of foreigners, they ran out of policemen

Where to stay in Chitral  

Al Farooq Hotel – Good Wi-Fi and friendly owner.

Chitral Mosque – Places to visit in Pakistan

  Day 14, 15, 16 – Rumbur and the Kalash Valleys

More than 2,000 years ago, on his journey through the Hindu Kush range, Alexander the Great and his troops left their footprints and descendants in what is today called the Kalash Valley, home to an ethnic community in Pakistan who have fair skin, are blue-eyed and believe and practice a religion which for centuries, has been classified as pagan.

Unlike more conservative Pakistan, the Kalash people drink alcohol and women have a completely different role, represented in more freedom, a greater independence and some very colorful dresses.

From an anthropological point of view, the Kalash Valleys are such a unique and fascinating place.

There is much to say about Kalash people and that’s why a very detailed article is on its way.

In this valley, we also managed to enter a forbidden village inhabited by people who are originally from Nuristan, an Afghan province which is today a Taliban-controlled area. It was such a great and funny story. Read: Sneaking into an Afghan village in Afghanistan.

There are several Kalash villages, all of them spread across three different valleys, named Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir. Bumburet is the biggest village, hence the most commercialized one; whereas Birir is, perhaps, too small and there is not much going on. I suggest you go to Rumbur, which is very authentic and big enough to keep you busy for a couple of days.

For more information, read this post I wrote for the Broke backpacker: Exploring the Kalash Valleys

How to get to Rumbur 

Whichever valley you visit, you should first go to the village of Aini (30km away). From Chitral main bus station, there are mini-vans, as well as shared taxis, going there. In Aini, you can take one of those local pickups with 20 other locals hanging from the back of the car with their chickens and their goats. It’s quite a cool experience.

Where to stay in Rumbur 

Engineer’s Guest House –Engineer (this is his actual name) is a local, kind man who speaks very good English and will try to make your stay unforgettable.

In Aini, on our way to the Kalash Valley

  Day, 16, 17 – Back to Chitral and the journey to Gilgit through Shandur Pass

This was the best road trip I did while backpacking in Pakistan. It was really tough but awesome at the same time. The road ascends through freaking steep cliffs by finally going over Shandur Pass, a breathtaking 3,700 meters mountain pass.

It’s a 360-kilometer challenging, mountain road. We did it in a private Jeep and it took us more than 18 hours, leaving at 5am and arriving at 11pm. But damn, what a journey… The road is absolutely fascinating from the start until the end.

At the Shandur pass, you also find the highest polo pitch in the world. If you are traveling in Pakistan during the summer months, you may be lucky to see a polo match.

Moreover, as you can imagine, there are plenty of valleys and trekking opportunities around this area but, for this, you will need a hell of a lot of time. We wanted to camp somewhere near Shandur Pass but, when I was there in May, it was really cold.

If you want to go by private Jeep, ask the owner of Al Farooq Hotel, as he has loads of contacts. We got a pretty good deal, finding one guy who had to go Gilgit anyways, so we paid less than 15USD each.

If you go by public transportation, the journey takes two whole days. Yes, two days! You need first to go to Mastuj, stay there for a night and take a second minibus on the next day. I seriously think that, if you can share costs, going in a private Jeep is, definitely, much better.

Taking a break at Shandur Pass

  Day 18 to 30 – Gilgit, Fairy Meadows, Minapin, Rakaposhi basecamp, Karimabad and back to Islamabad

Check the 2-week backpacking itinerary for all details. 

  Extending your Pakistan travel itinerary – Additional places

I traveled in Pakistan for two months, which allowed me to visit a couple of additional places. If you have only one month but you have a car, it’s also possible to visit some of them.

Backpacking in Pakistan – 5 more additional places



  Astore Valley (5 days)

If I had to choose one place from Gilgit-Baltistan, I would choose the Astore Valley. Home to the most stunning scenery I have ever seen, the Astore Valley used to be a trading route that connected Gilgit-Baltistan with the Indian subcontinent. Coming here takes a lot of time, so plan your trip accordingly. The heart of the Valley is 7 to 8 hours from Gilgit, assuming that you are traveling by Jeep. 

For more information, I wrote this post: Astore Valley, a historical paradise in Pakistan

  Naltar Valley (3 days)

Another very pretty valley located 3 to 4 hours from Gilgit. Naltar is greener and at a lower altitude than Astore. It receives quite a lot of domestic tourists, who come for both trekking or just chilling. In Naltar, you can’t miss the Rainbow Lake, a very peculiar lake with loads of color tonalities. If you are not camping, I recommend staying with my friend Salman at The Dream Jungle Inn, located quite inside the valley. Call him at +923445474816.

Rainbow Lake – Tourism Pakistan

  Passu (3 days)

Located in Hunza, following the Karakoram Highway after Karimabad, the Passu Range is one of the most iconic ranges in Hunza, as the mountains are so sharp and thin that they look almost impossible to climb. Passu is a peaceful village from where to do awesome treks, as well as visiting Passu and Batura glaciers, the latter being one of the largest glaciers in the world, outside the polar regions (56km).

  Khunjerab Pass (1 day)

Located at 4,600 meters above sea level, the China-Pakistan border crossing, which goes over the Khunjerab Pass, is the highest and, consequently, one of the most beautiful borders in the world. It has become a real tourist attraction, which means that you can actually go there, even if you are not planning to cross.

For more information, read: China-Pakistan border crossing at Khunjerab Pass.

  South Pakistan (7 days)

What about the southern part of Pakistan?

Most travelers just explore the northern areas but, Sindh and Punjab provinces are where the real cultural heritage of Pakistan lies. I was actually planning to explore these two areas thoroughly but, when I came in April, it was really, really hot so I quit and headed north. In a week, I just managed to visit two cities: Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, and Multan, home to some Sufi shrines. If I ever come back to Pakistan, it will be in winter and I look forward to exploring the entire south and visiting places such as Thatta, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, and many others.

  Other resources for traveling to Pakistan

Tours and agencies

Private, tailored tours – I definitely recommend the guys from Find My Adventure, a local Pakistani company with many years of experience who can arrange absolutely anything you want. Moreover, the readers of this blog can get an exclusive 10% discount on any of their tours by using the promo code ATC-PAK. Just email them through their contact page, mentioning my blog and the code.

Swat Valley – As I said before, contact Ihsan Khan from Swat Backpackers for any trekking in the Swat Valley.

Thank you for reading until the end. I really hope you enjoyed my Pakistan travel guide. If you have any further concern or want to suggest a place, just mention it in the comments below. 

If you like my website and found this post useful, remember that, if you book any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

  source http://cheaprtravels.com/pakistan-travel-guide-the-ultimate-backpacking-itinerary/

[bleachedfish]

through the strait gates(guomen) intro+01//by priest

disclaimer: not my work (except for the translating), all credits go to priest

intro(written by me, as there’s no summary in the original work except for the Bible passage):

Work by Priest, original work at https://m.jjwxc.net/book2/2495960

Through the Strait Gates//Guomen

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." -Matthew 7:14

Guomen, 過門/过门, meaning marriage in Chinese. If explained literally, it means going past the gates/door––a reference to the Bible(see above).

"Through the Strait Gates": to me, it's the best way to explain it.

The gate's narrow, the road small for them.

Their past and future interwoven into a tangled, messed up web.

Thirteen years of sour and bittersweet memories. And a decade in between that washed out everything they had like water, leaving only stark, plain dullness.

From pt. scallions to pt. onions to pt. sliced green onions, tears and more tears and tears sprinkled on top.

01

It was snowing lightly outside, the year at its end. The masses, in a rush to get home, were stuck halfway through their way home. A rickety folk song was played on repeat, and none of the two in the car spoke a single word, awkward silence between them. Xu Xilin had a hand on the steering wheel. He looked up through the windshield, watching rows and rows of cars extend all the way to the horizon. Brake lights flashed on and off around them—it was going to be a long time before he could drive through the traffic. Xu turned his gaze to the left, and saw Mr. Do Xun prop up the side of his face by one hand, spacing out. Though it had been many years since they last met, Do Xun was aiming for ignoring Xu Xilin's presence for the whole ride. Xu Xilin sighed to himself. Then he suddenly decided to swerve the car round in the tiny gap they were in, showing off his driving skills along the way, and successfully wove out of the traffic jam, snaking into a tiny alley. Do Xun finally paid attention to him, swiveling his gaze to glance at him. Xu Xilin immediately reacted to it—he had been extra alert to Do Xun's presence since the start of the ride. "I think that taking a smaller road will be faster—"Xu Xilin said. "So that you can get rid of me sooner?" Do Xun laughed scathingly. "—and I can also get a few flowers along the way."They both opened their mouths to say something, and then went quiet simultaneously. Xu Xilin frowned, looking like he was going to go on a rant, but then decided to put up with Do Xun. "What are you getting pissed off about? You know that he's been like this since forever." Xu Xilin thought, and turned his attention back to weaving through the tiny lanes. The northwest winds weaved into a discordant harmony with the barking of dogs, and the folk singer's voice became wispier and wispier, close to breaking. Xu Xilin stopped the car in front of a store that called itself "*Lao Ye". He dug his phone out of his pocket and called a contact. "Hey, it's me. I'm in front of your flower shop. Bring me a few orchids or kumkrats or something like that—I need them for New Year gifts." "So you're bothering to buy flowers, *'Lin-zi? I watched the stars tonight, and did a telling for ya—they say you're gonna encounter some misfortune soon!"A swaggering voice shouted from the other side of the phone. Xu Xilin: "......" The flower shop's window on the side of the street flew open, and a non-mainstream-styled young man with a tiny moustache poked out of it. The apparent dumbass set down his phone, concentrated his energy in his belly, and yelled out with an even louder voice, "Did you hear that Do Xun's back?" Xu Xilin wished that his arm were two meters longer so that he could slap that dumbass right onto the window frame. The window on the shotgun's side rolled down slowly, revealing Do Xun's face. "Yeah, I've heard." The store owner's expression twisted into a strangled wild chicken's. Then the muted store owner and a stony-faced Do Xun helped Xu Xilin carry the plants into the back of the car together. Before the two left, the shop owner scratched his head for quite a while, and then finally decide to pull Xu Xilin back, asking, "So, uh, there's a class reunion next week, are you going to attend it?" Xu Xilin wanted to get rid of the awkward people as soon as he could. He answered detachedly, "I'll think about it for a while." "Just go. You haven't showed up even once in many years," The shop owner retorted. Not even wanting to look at the flower shop owner's face, Xu Xilin didn't reply. He merely waved, and drove away. Half an hour later, they finally arrived at the hotel Do Xun was staying at. Do Xun got off the car without speaking a single word, and stood outside of it, staring at Xu Xilin silently. Xu Xilin let out an inaudible relaxing sigh. "That'll be it. Get some rest—I'll have to leave now." Do Xun nodded, and then dug inside the pocket of his coat, realizing the cigarette box inside was empty. He instinctively asked, "Hey..." Xu Xilin stopped the car half a meter away. "Hmm?" Do Xun stopped himself from asking, You got a cigarette?: he remembered that Xu Xilin didn't smoke. Xu Xilin never smoked, and even never drank any alcohol if he didn't have to. When he was young, he was always careful in fights—he was that type of person that didn't look responsible on the outside, but actually was inside. "You need anything else?" Xu Xilin asked. "Was it because you didn't want to see me that you never went to any of the reunions?" "......" Do Xun probably could never leave any mental personal space for anyone, being the *wooden club he was. "I've simply been busy for the past few years." Xu Xilin said stiffly. "So you're not busy this year, right? I'm going. Are you?" Do Xun locks his burning gaze on him. Whenever Do Xun spoke, it brought up a thin layer of white steam. He stood in the stern winter like a sharp sketch, lacking red and green colors. He did look good, Xu Xilin had to admit—but his gaze had daggers hidden in them, and a knife concealed in the tip of his tongue. An exquisite and clean human arsenal. Xu Xilin's eyes were close to being pierced through by how sharp he was. He could only give him a skimpy and perfunctory answer. "If I'm free on that day, maybe. I'm not sure." Xu Xilin said. Do Xun had nothing else to say. He stood in stiff silence, and watched Xu Xilin leave, perfect manners and perfect politeness and perfect small talk and all. "Can you please turn back and give a me a single glance?"Do Xun thought desperately. I'll jump down from a rooftop for you to turn back and look at me. Unfortunately, Xu Xilin couldn't read his mind and drove away cleanly, not leaving a even a single trace. Do Xun lost his chance to jump off a building. The horrible folk song was still on repeat in the car, and Xu Xilin drove, the dusk surrounding him, closing into him from all directions. His vision was blurry—perhaps a fog? It was the thirteenth year since he and Do Xun had known each other. They've been together, broke it off with each other, wanted to be together forever, and also wanted to never see each other again. A notification popped up on his phone, and it let out a small "ding!". Xu Xilin glanced at it—Do Xun had even bothered to give him a full-star rating. The sky was still clear, the ground was still heavy, the traffic jam was still there, the Earth still hadn't destroyed itself yet, and the rest of the years he had was still rich and plentiful. But the school buildings and papers and pens of the past were left bygone. —and the only one that became anew was the person from the past. Author's Note: The only novels I've written of the same genre/topic is Their Lives(BL) and Flowing Fifteen Years(BG). They're both terrible, so from the past data, this is probably going to be terrible too. Translator's Note #1: 1)Lao Ye: Chinese speaking language for maternal grandfather. 2)Lin-zi: Xiao-Lin-Zi in the original text. Xiao meaning little, Lin as in the last character of Xu Xilin's name, Zi just to accentuate the "young(er), little" meaning and add some verbal stuff—kind of like chan in Japanese but doesn't have the same complete meaning-ish effect. 3)Wooden club: Bangchui in Chinese. Basically means someone who is dumb when it comes to Chinese social interaction and its messy properness. (Me!) thx for reading;)

updates won’t be frequent lol

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12 Women on Whether They Felt a “Spark” When They Met Their Partners

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12 Women on Whether They Felt a “Spark” When They Met Their Partners

T

he first time I met my boyfriend, I felt absolutely nothing. Actually, that’s a lie. I felt irrational anger toward him for showing up to town and (innocently, unwittingly) enabling one of my close guy friends to get back with a toxic ex — just before he was set to fly back to the West Coast and completely avoid the aftermath. I also noticed he had the well-timed wit that all my womanizing exes had shared.

Maybe anger and passion are similar enough emotions…I don’t know. But I do remember that he made me laugh in spite of myself and that a seed of something was planted that night. I didn’t start to fall for him until much later though, through a series of stories my friend Jordan told me about him from when he used to live in Ann Arbor and dated her roommate. I came to recognize his character, emotional intelligence and kindness even later.

After we met, I didn’t see him again in person for a year. Too shy to do anything about it, I didn’t make my interest known for another six months after that. He never made me wait or wonder, though, for the record. Not like all those exes I mentioned. We talked all the time, and he was clear about his feelings from the start — quite a different trajectory than the spark-filled phenomenon I’d replicated many times before him.

Before all this, I’d toyed with a lot of personal theories about “the spark” — whether great love can exist without it, if it was a manufactured product of my anxious attachment system, etc. All I can say now is that I’m no longer convinced of anything at all, except perhaps that love has about a million incarnations.

To get a flavor of the many shades on that spectrum, I asked women in thriving relationships what they felt when they met and started to get to know their current partners. From weird vibes to excitement, easy camaraderie to absolutely nothing, here’s what they told me.

I’d been single for five years when my husband and I met for a blind date on a Sunday night at a hotel bar in L.A. I walked through the lobby and into the bar, sort of looking around for a guy sitting alone, and then in the back room I saw a dark-haired man on a bench looking up at me with sort of a sly look on his face. I was like, WOW, he is way better looking than I expected! I felt instantly relaxed and happy. We ended up talking for over four hours, and he just seemed different than the typical L.A. guy. For one, he was Canadian, and he was almost nine years older and just felt solid and mature — more relationship-minded than a lot of guys I’d met, but not in a weird, clingy way. At the time I was sort of seeing this other guy who was very hot and cold with his attention. After my date, at around midnight, my phone rang. I thought it might be my now-husband calling to say he had a good time, but it was actually the other guy! Something clicked for me in that moment, and I knew I was completely over him and moving on to something better. We fell into a relationship pretty quickly and got engaged two years after that.

Samantha, 47, married for 9 years

I met my husband and his friend, my eventual roommates, the same night. I remember he was nice, welcoming, funny. I felt at ease with him, but there was not even a blip of romantic interest. He was not remotely my type. When we moved in together, we always had really great conversations, though. I started to think, Hmm…maybe? Everything changed when we got drunk one night and made out at a bar. That was the beginning.

Andra, 29, married for 2 years

I feel like people always expect some crazy romantic story from us, but really we met on Tinder. I remember the first picture I ever saw of her perfectly, though. I really did think she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, and I was so excited when we matched and quickly decided to go on a first date. We went to an annual art festival in our city and spent hours walking around and chatting. I thought she was so cool and intriguing, and I wanted to learn everything about her. I also thought she was hilarious and hung onto her every word — which she loves, because she also thinks she’s hilarious. With Allie, things were totally different than anyone else I’d ever dated. I always felt a little bored with other people and often couldn’t wait for dates to end. I felt so attracted to not only her outer beauty but her amazing personality — and it happened almost instantly. I definitely fell fast. But ironically, Allie had no idea. She initially thought I just wanted to be friends and didn’t clue into the fact that I wanted a lot more for a couple dates.

Samantha, 24, together for 4 years

We instantly had not one but two jobs together. We were both in grad school at the time; I had been hired to wait tables at a restaurant and had just gotten a tutoring position at the campus writing center. At orientation for the restaurant job, the guy who was leading it found out I also was going to be tutoring and said, “Well you should meet one of our bartenders. He works at the writing center, too!” So he introduced me to Paul, and I thought it was a cool coincidence but really didn’t think anything else about it. I wasn’t super interested in Paul at first, and he was already dating someone — a girl who was also tutoring, no less! But we had a lot in common with two built-in communities from our two jobs. So we chatted a lot and hung out in groups, sometimes going for drinks. But he was also a big partier at the time, and my general impression was that he kinda needed to grow up. Five years later, he did just that! In the interim, he had dated other women and I had moved to New York. But finally, when I moved back to California, something clicked. I knew we were being flirty, but I was kinda scared to make anything of it; we were working together again at the restaurant, and I didn’t want that to be awkward. I also didn’t want to ruin our friendship. (I know.) But finally I got the nerve up and just asked him out. The rest is history.

Christy, 34, married for 4 years

We met at the library, where he was working at the time. I asked to check out some sheet music to some Broadway musical. I had an inexplicable feeling, as if I knew him — which was not possible, since we’d just met. It’s not that he reminded me of someone else; it was more like I felt we knew one another in a previous incarnation. Crazy, I know…but here we are, happily married 20 years later.

Natalia, 40, married for 20 years

He was wearing this blue button-up, sitting behind his computer at his desk. When I was introduced to him, he just kind of looked at me and barely said anything, while I was being my extra-bubbly self because it was my first day of work. Now I know he’s introverted, but I felt judged! I thought he hated me or was at least totally annoyed by me. Anyway, I thought he was cute, but not like drooling-ly so. I was dating someone else at the time and didn’t really consider his level of cuteness that much. Liking him kind of came out of nowhere, which was cool and different for me compared to other relationships I’ve been in. Ben and I just started hanging out because we liked to do the same things, like play basketball after work until the traffic died down or run to Meijer to buy PB&J supplies versus going out to eat. I really didn’t want to date anyone at all, but it just transitioned into dating all of sudden because he was so easy to get along with! It was effortless. Literally, the least amount of effort to date of anyone else I’ve ever been with. I can’t remember a specific moment where it became romantic. It was more like, we’d have an awesome week of hanging out, and the weekend would show up, and I’d miss him, and then I was like, “Wait, when did this happen?”

Shanley, 25, together for 18 months

We originally met online in 2009, but I friend-zoned him for the next eight years! In February of 2017, he finally told me bluntly that he’d been hinting he was still interested in me for some time. I’d missed all the hints. We arranged to meet up outside a Panera before I had a night out with some friends. When I saw him again, I had this weird feeling that whatever happened between us would be very different than anything I’d ever known in relationships before. We only spent about 15 or 20 minutes together that night, but we hugged before parting ways and when he wrapped his arms around me, I felt like I was in a familiar embrace. Our first official date was the following week. He walked me to my car after dinner and gave me another hug. I knew in that moment that I was already falling in love with him. Our relationship developed more slowly than any other relationship I’ve been in, and yet that gave us a more solid foundation than any other relationship I’ve ever been in. We took our time, carefully considering each step as we moved forward. We are now getting ready to move in together.

Wendy, 39, together for 15 months

I was actually turned off by his braggadocious behavior when we met in a bar in Baltimore, and I was skeptical of his big personality. But we ended up talking the night away with awesome intellectual debates about psychology and mental health. Long story short: We dated, I ended things, we stayed friends, we got back together and now we’ve been together for seven years. I had no idea when we first met what an amazing match he was for me. He would say that he knew when we first met, and I think many of my friends knew early on, but I didn’t understand until years later. Ironically, his big personality is what keeps our relationship so fun and exciting. His confidence extends past himself to belief in both me and our relationship. He’s helped me become more confident, too.

Rebekah, 36, married  for 3 years

I first met my now fiancée, Anna, online through OkCupid. It sounds cheesy, but I was immediately drawn to her screen name, which had something about Michigan in the handle. I’m a big Michigan fan, and it’s also the state where we now live together. We chatted online for the better part of a month, as we were both out of town when we connected, and I just remember feeling like, Wow, we have a lot in common and I really hoped we actually meet up. I felt really excited for our first date, but I really didn’t have any expectations. I wasn’t quite in the mindset for a serious relationship at the time, as I’d previously been engaged and it hadn’t worked out, but then I walked into the bar where we were grabbing a drink at together. I felt a connection right away; I immediately felt comfortable in her presence. We quickly dove into easy, meaningful conversation about anything and everything, like Detroit, sexuality, politics, our friends and family, traveling and so on. It was the most meaningful conversation I’d ever had on a date, and before we knew it, three hours had gone by. I remember feeling like I wanted to talk forever and be in her presence, but also a little overwhelmed that I’d met someone I liked so much when I wasn’t expecting it. I also remember entertaining a thought about how it seemed like we were such a good fit! I felt excited but was super nervous about the idea of us turning into something serious; I had never had a thought like that so quickly after meeting someone. It’s been a journey ever since, but a beautiful one with lots of growth. I am so excited to marry her.

Jess, 34, together for 4 years

I met my husband at work while I was living in DC and he was based in New York. During a work trip, our colleague introduced us. He gave me a polite but very short, “Hi, nice to meet you.” I felt absolutely nothing; zero sparks. He was also married at the time, albeit on the rocks (unbeknownst to me). Over the course of the next two years, we both moved to the West Coast, became closer colleagues, collaborated on a lot of work projects and developed a really solid friendship. Fast forward a little bit further and our great work partnership evolved into very clear, strong romantic feelings. After his marriage completely ended, we started dating, moved to New York together and got married. Not at all what I expected, but it’s worked out great.

Amy, 31, married for 1 year

We first met online. I thought she was cute, but she was a super-hippy Hawaii beach girl who overly edited her photos, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel until I met her face to face, which happened when she came to study abroad in London in 2008. As soon as I walked across the bridge from Waterloo station, I spotted her gorgeous, long blonde hair and my heart started to flutter. We instantly hit it off and didn’t stop chatting for hours. Two weeks later, we were officially girlfriend and girlfriend. We both quickly knew that we wanted to marry one another. We’ve conquered four years of long distance between Hawaii and the U.K.; had a civil partnership and “upgraded” to marriage; and will have been together for a decade in October. I’ve never had the same feelings about anyone else that I have for Whitney, and I certainly never had them reciprocated in the same way. We’ve always been on the same page, which has been wonderful.

Megan, 31, together for 10 years

When I first met my husband during Trinidad Carnival in 2006 in a mas costume, there was instant rapport. I immediately felt comfortable with him — and that had never happened before with any other man I’d met. His energy was comforting and familiar, and his being cute probably didn’t hurt either. After dating, talking over the phone continually and traveling to see each other for a few months, we decided to commit. Although we didn’t live in the same city at the time and were a bit leery about starting a long-distance relationship, we decided to give it a shot because the option to not be connected and committed to each other felt empty. From the very beginning of the relationship, we agreed that at the two-year mark, we’d make a decision about relocating to be together. We did exactly that at two years and were married just over a year later.

Esha, 40, married for 8 years

Photo via Getty Images. 

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Home 2 Suites Huntsville, Alabama – Home Sweet Home #Home2SuitesHSV

Home 2 Suites Huntsville is an affordable, welcoming, home away from home. Earlier this year I headed to TBEX, a travel blogger expo and conference in Huntsville, Alabama. TBEX rotates to many different cities and countries and there are typically 3 of these events a year. I am lucky to make it to one at most. Huntsville, Alabama and a trip to the deep south beckoned as did Space CAMP. But more on that amazing experience later. Here’s what I discovered at Home 2 Suites Huntsville.

While visiting Huntsville we opted to stay at Home 2 Suites. This property is joined to the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton and is located at 7010 Cabela Drive in Huntsville. Both are in the Research Park area of Huntsville. In case you didn’t know, Huntsville is one of the smartest cities in the USA. Space and aeronautics research is a massive employer here. And space camp is a BIG draw!

The Home 2 Suites themselves are generous and private enough for a family. DownshiftingPro Margarita Ibbott, a friend and fellow Canadian travel blogger, and I were thrilled to have our own separate suites to decompress after each day of the pre-tours. Before we left for the next destination, we toured a few different rooms and found they all had a privacy curtain that made them quite clever for families. If you had a small family you could easily put the kids to bed and pull the curtain then put the TV on and kick back on the sofa for a bit. This Home 2 Suites Huntsville location in the summer months hosts many sports teams.

The decor is fresh, clean and cute. Word art is cheery and the colours are also bright. Every suite has a spacious living area, separate bedroom space and a kitchen with fridge and microwave. Hot plate is available on request.

The patio – ambience at the Home 2 Suites Huntsville is lovely both indoors and out.

There is a heated outdoor pool for guests and a spacious patio. One part of the patio also has Barbecues for guests and an outdoor fireplace seating area.

Staff are friendly and seriously well versed in all the best things to see and do while you visit. SO, don’t forget to ask them for their recommendations. Huntsville Home 2 Suites is spacious and has everything you need for an extended stay, or a shorter stay too. Their extended stay guests are often new businesses setting up in the area or building new restaurants in the area. So staff here are used to being asked for recommendations.

Service was exceptional everywhere we went in Huntsville. This is a friendly city. People at the Home 2 Suites were every bit as friendly as the rest of this beautiful city is. The only downside we could see at all was that this property had no airport shuttle.

The Home 2 Suites Huntsville is a short drive from the US Space and Rocket Centre. And there are numerous amenities nearby. We walked to a gorgeous outdoor mall called Bridge Street Shopping Centre and had a fantastic dinner there one evening at Kona Grill. Their calamari is world class. The shopping is pretty fabulous too, even if I didn’t really have time to buy. Window shopping was enough this time. Another time though I would spend a big chunk of a day at this shopping and lifestyle centre. You can easily walk from Home 2 Suites Huntsville.

Home 2 Suites is an all suite extended stay hotel built for budget conscious business and leisure travellers. It is adjacent to Cummings Research Park. There are 77 suites with kitchen and living area. There is a sofa bed in each unit and a 42 inch TV. All units have plenty of storage to accommodate the extended travellers.

As I noted to my good friend Margarita when we were out walking nearby one night of our stay, there’s something about America and visiting the United States that always makes me feel like everything is bigger in the USA. For me as an entrepreneur in a communications field I often feel like the possibilities are endless in the United States of America. Oh I know it’s not perfect. Believe me. And I am happy to be Canadian always. But the US keeps drawing me back for visits and for learning opportunities.

The lobby business centre area

The Lobby has a working business centre too. There’s also a small shop in each the hotels – at the Hampton and the Home 2 Suites Hilton in Huntsville. So now worries if you forget something or have a late evening craving for potato chips.

Each suite has a very functional workspace and the free Wifi is perfect for many purposes.

In room workspace is ample How cute is the duck food station? Very pet friendly space. A Few More Details About Home 2 Suites Huntsville, Alabama

Accessible suites are available

Complimentary breakfast – that’s fabulous and super helpful.

Pet friendly accommodations – with a deposit on check in.

Spin2CYCLE – fitness area with laundry station nearby – that’s pretty awesome for extended stay guests

Traveler Tip: You can also slip into the adjoining Hampton’s breakfast area. No extra charge – these are sister hotels and they are adjoining. If you can’t get a room at one, definitely book one in the other and if you are a big party booking together you could split the group between the two sites. One is literally two minutes indoors from the other one.

This local Hilton owned spot is perfect for many types of travellers. Home 2 Suites Huntsville is a place you can feel at home or even be at home while building your southern dream.

I was a guest of Home 2 Suites Huntsville for two nights and received complimentary accomodations. My opinion is all my own and it is truthful.

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Pakistan travel guide – The ultimate backpacking itinerary

This is the most comprehensive and detailed Pakistan travel itinerary available on the internet

From south to north, I spent two whole months traveling in Pakistan. I arrived in Karachi by plane and left the country overland through China.

It was a wild, adventurous journey and probably one of my best traveling experiences ever.

From extremely overwhelming hospitality to the most striking landscapes ever and just wilderness everywhere;  Pakistan is bloody awesome and, unless you have actually been there, it’s very difficult to explain and convey the deeply personal experience you get.

With all my honesty, if you like real adventure, traveling to off the beaten track destinations and just getting immersed in the local culture, I strongly believe that Pakistan should be at the very, very top of your bucket list.

However, I am also aware that Pakistan is not the easiest place to travel in the world, as traveling information is scarce and you can’t really get the comforts which you may find in other countries.

For this reason, based on my personal journey, I have compiled some useful information and created this Pakistan travel guide and ultimate backpacking itinerary which, hopefully, will help you plan your journey through one of the most fascinating countries I’ve ever been to.

This Pakistan travel guide aims to help you plan your itinerary but it doesn’t really talk about other traveling information such as visas, safety, budget, etc. For this, you should read: 70 Things you should know before traveling to Pakistan

    Here’s all the content:

Travel insurance for Pakistan Tours for Pakistan Backpacking in Pakistan: a 2-week travel itinerary Backpacking in Pakistan: a 1-month travel itinerary Extending your Pakistan travel itinerary – Additional places Other resources for traveling to Pakistan

Pakistan is a pretty big country.

By this, I mean that Pakistan is a destination which can’t be visited in a week or, at least, not properly.

Most of the country’s beauty lies in the northern areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), which are not easily accessible. Once you have reached these northern areas, moving from one place to another takes ages, sometimes several hours just for less than a hundred kilometers.

In addition, this is also the capital of unexpected events. Believe me when I say that, during my 2-month journey, I experienced more than ten bus breakdowns, no kidding, perhaps even more. Traveling in Pakistan is extremely slow.

Therefore, if you’re planning to visit Pakistan for a week, I would recommend going when you have more time to spend there. However, if your job will never allow you to do that, no problem, I am sure you can work something out and visit a couple of southern cities.

Total transparency! If you like my website and found this post useful, remember to buy your insurance through my link, as I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

  Travel Insurance for Pakistan

If you are planning to do some trekking and go a bit wild, I recommend you buy World Nomads because:

The basic plan already covers trekking up to 6,000 meters (note that, in Gilgit-Baltistan, it is very easy to reach 4,000-meter base camps. 

They provide with unlimited medical expenses (and Pakistan can be wild)

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

If you want to know more options, read how to get the right travel insurance for Pakistan.

  Tours for Pakistan

I know this post is about backpacking in Pakistan on your own, but if you are thinking about hiring a guide, I recommend you go with the guys from Find my Adventure, a local Pakistani company with many years of experience and good reputation. 

(In any case, if you are planning to do some serious trekking, then you will require a guide)

They can arrange any customized tour for you and the good news is that the readers of this blog can get an exclusive 10% discount on the final quote by using my promo code ATC-PAK.

Just email them through their contact page, mentioning my blog and promo code. 

  Backpacking in Pakistan: a 2-week travel itinerary

If you are backpacking in Pakistan for two weeks, you can get a nice feeling of the northern areas, as well as a few cities. However, just to let you know: you will have to rush a lot.

Note: This 2-week Pakistan travel itinerary is for anyone, whether you are traveling by public transportation, hitchhiking or in your own car. However, as I said before, from landslides to bus breakdowns, Pakistan is the country of unexpected events.

Note 2: If you really want to save time, you can fly from Islamabad to Gilgit (northern areas), as the bus journey that goes through the Karakoram Highway takes a whole day. However, just keep in mind that flights fill up very quickly, so book in advance. Get the lowest prices on Skyscanner for the Islamabad-Gilgit flight. 

  Places to visit in Pakistan – 2-week map itinerary

The 2-week itinerary follows the Karakoram Highway, almost until the Chinese border. There are loads of other places to discover along this road, so remember to read my Ultimate guide to travel the Karakoram Highway.



  Day 1,2 – Arrival in Lahore

Lahore is the cultural capital and where the real things are going on. From Sufi dancing to underground ladyboy parties, good food and one of the most stunning mosques I’ve ever seen; Lahore is like nowhere else and that’s why your journey should start here.

If you fly to Pakistan, there’s the option of flying to Islamabad which, apparently, would be more convenient, as it’s literally closer to the north. However, I seriously think that you can’t miss Lahore.

In Lahore, go to Badshahi Mosque, one of the most beautiful mosques I’ve ever seen and one of the largest in the world. Its courtyard can fit up to 100,000 worshippers. Can you believe it? More than the Camp Nou Football Stadium in Barcelona!

After visiting the mosque, you can’t miss strolling the alleys of the Old City, where you can get lost among spice bazaars, colors and loads of street food. In the Old City, there’s another very cute mosque called Wazir Khan, dating from the 17th century, which once was one of the most important centers for training Islamic calligraphers.

At night, I recommend you go to one of the many rooftop restaurants in the fancy Food Street and order a delicious lamb karahi (a local curry).

If you have time, you should also go to see the Wagah Indian-Pakistani border ceremony. As you may know, Pakistan and India are not the best friends ever, so, every day, they do a weird ceremony which basically, is a hostile show of power. There are hundreds of people attending and both Indians and Pakistanis show a freaking crazy fanaticism.

Where to stay in Lahore

Backpacker Hostel – Lahore Backpackers – This is the meeting point for all the independent travelers in Pakistan and the only real backpacker hostel. The manager is a super helpful guy who can arrange anything for you, like attending the Thursday night Sufi dancing or just get into a crazy party anywhere.

Click here to see the latest prices

  A bit nicer – Rose Palace Hotel – If you are looking for a nicer option, this hotel was recommended by a female traveler, who said it has gorgeous furnishing and tolerable overall quality.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 3, 4 – Islamabad

Islamabad was built in 1960 with the sole objective of becoming the capital of Pakistan. Composed of wide and extremely clean streets and greenery, Islamabad might differ a bit from the image you have of Pakistan. Here is where the Pakistani elite lives and where you find the best restaurants in the country. Huge mansions and the most expensive cars are just the normal everyday stuff in Islamabad.

By the way, wild marihuana grows everywhere in this city

Here you must visit the Faisal Mosque, the largest one in the country. If you stay for the night, go for dinner and see the sunset at Monal, located at the highest point of a hill from where you get magnificent views of the city.

Moving around town is a bit tricky, as distances are freaking long. If you don’t have your own vehicle, you’ll have to mainly rely on taxis. Get Uber, as it’s way cheaper than the regular taxis.

Islamabad is just OK. I stayed here for a few nights because I had plenty of time and I spent my days eating at some very good restaurants and hanging out with local friends at very expensive Western-style cafés. This should be the least interesting place to visit in your Pakistan travel itinerary. If you want to skip it, that’s fine. However, if you travel by public transportation, you must stop here on your way to the north (Gilgit-Baltistan). Buses leave after 6pm though, which means that, if you leave Lahore early in the morning, you may have time to catch one on the same day.

Read: The ultimate guide to the Karakoram Highway

Marihuana Islamabad

How to get from Lahore to Islamabad

These two big cities are connected by a pretty good and wide 380-kilometer road and the fastest way to get there is by bus. They leave every day at all times. Just ask at the hostel for the exact location. Alternatively, you could also go by train but it’s much slower, plus it gets delayed pretty often so, if you only have two weeks, you may want to go by bus. Timing: 4 hours.

Where to stay in Islamabad

Budget Guest House – Nexus Grace – Islamabad doesn’t really have budget options and Nexus Grace is one of the very few. Recently listed online, this guest house has very comfy and tidy rooms, run by some very helpful staff.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Budget Hotel – Royal Galaxy Guest House Islamabad – This guest house is very highly rated by most travelers and offers pretty good rates as per Islamabad standards. People claim that it has very comfortable and clean rooms, so you can get some good sleep before heading to the mountains.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 5, 6 – Fairy Meadows

Coming from Islamabad through the KKH, when you arrive at Raikot Bridge, you will see a detour that takes you to Fairy Meadows, a stunning, green meadow, which is considered one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan. From here, you get stunning views of Nanga Parbat, a striking peak 8,125 meters high, which belongs to the Himalaya range. 

For further information, I wrote a very comprehensive guide: Fairy Meadows trek and Nanga Parbat base camp

How to get to Fairy Meadows from Islamabad

There are 4 or 5 daily buses (from 6pm to 9pm, approximately) that depart from Islamabad to Gilgit. NATCO is the best company out there and the one that the Pakistani middle class uses. The VIP bus, which is the only one with AC, costs 2,000PKR ($20). Theoretically, the journey takes 15 hours but, due to the constant landslides and the endless breakdowns, mine took more than 21 hours. By the way, I recommend buying your ticket at the bus station on the morning of the day of departure. Try to book a first-row seat. Location of the station: 33.638026, 73.025308. You will need to get off at Raikot Bridge, which is around two hours before Gilgit.

For more details, remember to check my Fairy Meadows Guide.

  Day 7 – Gilgit

Gilgit is the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan, a city with a Shia majority and the perfect base for exploring the surrounding valleys. It has a wide range of hotels and restaurants, as well as bazaars and a few touristic sites. Given its strategic location which, for years, linked China with the Indian sub-continent, Gilgit became a proper city.

The town has a river with some pretty bridges where you can take nice photos. I also recommend you visit the Kargah Buddha, a Buddha statue carved in a cliff during the 7th century.

Gilgit may be a nice town but, if you only have two weeks, don’t stay here for long as the beauty of Gilgit-Baltistan is in the surrounding valleys. Actually, if you have your own vehicle, I would recommend going straight to Minapin.

How to get from Fairy Meadows to Gilgit 

There’s no actual public transportation but, at Raikot Bridge, the police will stop the first car or bus that passes to take you to Gilgit, for free. Welcome to Pakistan!

Where to stay in Gilgit

Budget Hotel – Madina Hotel II – Most backpacker will come to this place, if there is any in town, of course! It’s a simple but very great place, with awesome staff!

Click here to check prices

  A bit nicer – Cozy Lodge Gilgit – This hotel is quite budget but it is better than the previous one, with very accommodating staff and tasty breakfast included. If you are not a backpacker, you may prefer to stay here.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Top-end – Serena Hotel – If you want some semi-luxury and comfort (I do very occasionally, just to re-charge energy) Serena Hotels is a pretty popular hotel chain in Pakistan.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 8, 9 – Minapin and Rakaposhi base camp

Following the Karakoram Highway, around 75 kilometers from Gilgit, you find a detour that leads to Minapin, a small, lovely village with awesome views of the mountains and from where you can organize a trek to the Rakaposhi base camp, one of the best treks I’ve ever done.

Spend the first night in Minapin and, early on the next day, go to the base camp. If you are reasonably fit, you can reach it in just one day and come back the day after. I am sure you won’t regret it.

For more information, read: A guide to the Rakaposhi base camp

How to get from Gilgit to Minapin 

If you don’t have your own car, hitchhiking is the easiest way, much quicker than going by public transportation. Actually, I didn’t take a single minibus when traveling in the north of Pakistan.

Where to stay in Minapin

Budget Hotel – Osho Trang – Minapin also has what is the best guest house in Gilgit-Baltistan, run by Israr, a very kind man who has been dealing with foreigners for many years.

  Day 10, 11, 12 – Karimabad

Karimabad is the main city in the region of Hunza, the most northern area in Pakistan, a place whose inhabitants are Ismailis, the most liberal branch of Islam. For the first time in your journey, here you will most likely talk to women and, perhaps you may be invited to drink some local wine, who knows.

Ladies, it’s time to uncover your head and get some relaxation!

Karimabad is surrounded by striking mountains over 7,000 meters high, as well as being home to two UNESCO World Heritage forts. Given its laid-back atmosphere, it’s really easy to spend 4 or 5 days wandering around Karimabad and its narrow alleys which, by the way, are made of stone and, at some point, they have a close similarity to some old cities in Europe.

Here, you must visit Baltit and Altit forts and Eagle’s Nest, a 360º viewpoint, from where you get clear views of Rakaposhi, Diran, and Lady Finger.

If you like hiking, Karimabad is also a great place for day hikes.

Karimabad, one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan

How to get from Minapin to Karimabad 

Like I said, hitchhiking the Karakoram Highway is the easiest way to move around.

Where to stay in Karimabad 

Backpacker hostel – Old Hunza Inn is the most budget, backpacking option.

Nicer – Hunza Lounge – A more mid-range option, this hotel has pretty decent prices and good reviews. Click here to see the latest prices

Top-end – Hunza Serena Inn – If you are looking for the best hotel in Karimabad, Hunza Serena Inn is an awesome hotel. I used to go there to have tea, enjoy the views and connect to the internet  Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 13, 14 – Back to Lahore or Islamabad

If you are planning to go back by public transportation, you really need to plan ahead for your journey back to the city, as buses leave Gilgit very early in the morning and the journey may take up to 21 hours. Therefore, perhaps, you should leave Karimabad on the 12th day.

Alternatively, like I said before, if you want to save an entire day, you could also fly from Gilgit to Islamabad. Find the cheapest prices on Skyscanner.

Moreover, to save an extra half day, it would be wise to book your return flight from Islamabad, not Lahore.

  Pakistan Travel Guide: a 1-month itinerary

If you are backpacking in Pakistan for a whole month, you can do all the above and, in addition, visit the northwest of the country which, basically, includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This means that you don’t have to make the long journey from Islamabad to Gilgit through the Karakoram Highway. Instead, go to Peshawar and, from there, go north through Swat, Chitral and the Shandur Pass, on your way to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Before taking this route, you should know that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the most conservative area in Pakistan, inhabited by the Pashtuns, an ethnic group with very extreme, fundamentalist ideas about Islam. Here, most women wear the Afghan burqa, so if you are a woman, dress very modestly. For men, you should definitely dress like them, in a local salwar kameez.

On the other hand, the Pashtuns are the most hospitable and inviting people in the country. You’ll have a lot of fun.

A Pashtun man, somewhere in the Swat Valley

  Places to visit in Pakistan – 1-month map itinerary

Instead of following the KKH from Islamabad to Gilgit, you ascend from the western part of the country.



  Day 1, 2, 3, 4 – Lahore and Islamabad

Check the 2-week backpacking itinerary for all details. 

  Day 5, 6 – Peshawar

Peshawar is history: it’s the oldest city in Pakistan, one of the oldest cities in Asia and used to be the capital of the Kushan empire. Located right at the border with Afghanistan at Khyber Pass, Peshawar had also been a really important and remarkable Silk Road point, linking north and south, east and west Asia.

Today, Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and home to the finest bazaars in the country. Due to its proximity to the Tribal Areas, a region filled with loads of Taliban-friendly people, you should be careful, always dress like a local in a salwar kameez and, if possible, try to walk around with local friends. I met local people through Couchsurfing, so I never encountered any problem.

The best thing you can do in Peshawar is to stroll down its bazaars, buy a real Pashtun hat, go to a restaurant to eat the best lamb in the country and, basically, get ready for one hundred chai invitations.

However, to be honest, not many people invited me because, apparently, I really look like a Pashtun, so they thought I was a local, especially wearing my salwar kameez 

I would have liked to visit the historical Khyber Pass but it requires a permit which takes several days to proceed, as well as some well-connected friends. Alternatively, just at the gate of Khyber Pass, there is a market selling smuggled stuff from Afghanistan, such as daggers or even USA military suits.

How to get from Islamabad to Peshawar 

NATCO buses run daily for just a few USD. You can also come by train. Ask any local friend where the bus station is.

  Day 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 – Swat Valley

Important: Swat Valley is subject to some instability and, occasionally, for no apparent reason, they don’t allow foreigners to enter. For several months in 2017, nobody had any trouble getting in but, in December 2017, some American tourists were not allowed to enter the region. I recommend you try to get an NOC (a special permit for sensitive areas), just in case. More information below. 

The local Pashtuns call it the Switzerland of Pakistan but, in my opinion, Swat is way better.

If you like hiking through fairy forests, along some of the most off the beaten track mountains in Pakistan, you can’t miss the Swat Valley.

Some years ago, in 2009, the region was controlled by the Taliban but, after a six-month bloody war, they were finally expelled. Do you know Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who won the Nobel Peace Prize? She’s from the Swat Valley and got the prize after she was shot for refusing to obey the Taliban during this invasion.

Remember that this is a super conservative area, inhabited by people with very deep fundamentalist ideas. Most men living here have never seen a woman’s face apart from their close female relatives. Actually, girls wear the hijab since they are really, really young and, when they grow up, they switch to the Afghan burqa. Just be careful with what you say and respect their local beliefs. If you do, you’ll have the best experience ever, trust me.

But despite all this, as I said, the Swat Valley is home to an extreme beauty. I recommend you visit Malam Jabba, a ski resort which turns into a lush, green meadow in summer. Also, you should visit some pretty big Buddha carvings which are worth a look.

If you like trekking, there are a lot of hiking opportunities around. I recommend you first go to Mingora, the main town in the Swat Valley, and organize your treks from there.

Furthermore, you really can’t miss Kalam, a small district a couple of hours from Mingora, consisting of a village in the middle of a stunning, beautiful valley. Kalam is a real off the beaten track place, so be prepared to be excessively overwhelmed by the local hospitality. I stayed there a couple of nights and it was, by far, my favorite place in the Swat Valley.

To know what is it like when traveling in the Swat Valley, read this post from Offbeat Traveling: Visiting the Swat Valley in Pakistan

For trekking tips, read: Trekking in Kalam, Swat Valley

By the way, in Swat, you must contact my good friend Ihsan Khan from Swat Backpackers, a local Pashtun who will be happy to show you around and organize treks for you at a very friendly price, staying at his place as well. Ishan can also help you get the bloody NOC, which they may require if you try to enter the Swat Valley.

Where to stay in Mingora 

Rose Palace – I stayed at this mid-range hotel for a couple of nights. Double rooms with private bathroom.

Where to stay in Malam Jabba 

Samsons Inn Mala Jabba – One of the few good options in Malam Jabba. This mid-range hotel could be a good option, especially if you are two people. Click here to check prices

Where to stay in Kalam 

I stayed in a very budget hotel called Mehboob Hotel, which was not very nice. Alternatively, you can stay at the PTDC Hotel, which is within the mid-range option.

Malam Jabbad – Best places to visit in Pakistan

  Day 12 – The journey to Chitral

The journey to Chitral is a pretty tough one and it takes the entire day. I left early morning and arrived in Chitral around 11pm. We got delayed two hours because the bus driver ran out of gas. Yeah, this should not surprise you in Pakistan.

If you are in Mingora, you should first get a minibus to Timargara. At Timargara, you must take a second minibus towards Chitral. It’s a pretty awesome and scenic journey.

Alternatively, if you are in Kalam, you can also go to Chitral through Kumrat Valley and Dir. For more information, read: How to get from Kalam to Chitral.

Apparently, only in September 2017, they finished a tunnel which had been built for ages, so you may save a good couple of hours.

  Day 13 – Chitral

Chitral is a relatively big town and a transit point for going to the Kalash Valleys or Gilgit Baltistan.

I didn’t do much here besides checking out one mosque and registering at the police station. If you don’t register, they won’t allow you to enter the Kalash Valleys. By the way, if you visit the Kalash, the police in Chitral will also give you a private guard armed with an AK-47, which is compulsory for any foreigner visiting the area since. in 2009/10, the Taliban crossed the border, attacking and killing several people nearby.

Getting a guard seems to be pretty cool but it actually sucks, as you don’t have the freedom to move around.

However, I was really lucky and didn’t get one as I went there during the Kalash Joshy Festival and, since there were a lot of foreigners, they ran out of policemen

Where to stay in Chitral  

Al Farooq Hotel – Good Wi-Fi and friendly owner.

Chitral Mosque – Places to visit in Pakistan

  Day 14, 15, 16 – Rumbur and the Kalash Valleys

More than 2,000 years ago, on his journey through the Hindu Kush range, Alexander the Great and his troops left their footprints and descendants in what is today called the Kalash Valley, home to an ethnic community in Pakistan who have fair skin, are blue-eyed and believe and practice a religion which for centuries, has been classified as pagan.

Unlike more conservative Pakistan, the Kalash people drink alcohol and women have a completely different role, represented in more freedom, a greater independence and some very colorful dresses.

From an anthropological point of view, the Kalash Valleys are such a unique and fascinating place.

There is much to say about Kalash people and that’s why a very detailed article is on its way.

In this valley, we also managed to enter a forbidden village inhabited by people who are originally from Nuristan, an Afghan province which is today a Taliban-controlled area. It was such a great and funny story. Read: Sneaking into an Afghan village in Afghanistan.

There are several Kalash villages, all of them spread across three different valleys, named Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir. Bumburet is the biggest village, hence the most commercialized one; whereas Birir is, perhaps, too small and there is not much going on. I suggest you go to Rumbur, which is very authentic and big enough to keep you busy for a couple of days.

For more information, read this post I wrote for the Broke backpacker: Exploring the Kalash Valleys

How to get to Rumbur 

Whichever valley you visit, you should first go to the village of Aini (30km away). From Chitral main bus station, there are mini-vans, as well as shared taxis, going there. In Aini, you can take one of those local pickups with 20 other locals hanging from the back of the car with their chickens and their goats. It’s quite a cool experience.

Where to stay in Rumbur 

Engineer’s Guest House –Engineer (this is his actual name) is a local, kind man who speaks very good English and will try to make your stay unforgettable.

In Aini, on our way to the Kalash Valley

  Day, 16, 17 – Back to Chitral and the journey to Gilgit through Shandur Pass

This was the best road trip I did while backpacking in Pakistan. It was really tough but awesome at the same time. The road ascends through freaking steep cliffs by finally going over Shandur Pass, a breathtaking 3,700 meters mountain pass.

It’s a 360-kilometer challenging, mountain road. We did it in a private Jeep and it took us more than 18 hours, leaving at 5am and arriving at 11pm. But damn, what a journey… The road is absolutely fascinating from the start until the end.

At the Shandur pass, you also find the highest polo pitch in the world. If you are traveling in Pakistan during the summer months, you may be lucky to see a polo match.

Moreover, as you can imagine, there are plenty of valleys and trekking opportunities around this area but, for this, you will need a hell of a lot of time. We wanted to camp somewhere near Shandur Pass but, when I was there in May, it was really cold.

If you want to go by private Jeep, ask the owner of Al Farooq Hotel, as he has loads of contacts. We got a pretty good deal, finding one guy who had to go Gilgit anyways, so we paid less than 15USD each.

If you go by public transportation, the journey takes two whole days. Yes, two days! You need first to go to Mastuj, stay there for a night and take a second minibus on the next day. I seriously think that, if you can share costs, going in a private Jeep is, definitely, much better.

Taking a break at Shandur Pass

  Day 18 to 30 – Gilgit, Fairy Meadows, Minapin, Rakaposhi basecamp, Karimabad and back to Islamabad

Check the 2-week backpacking itinerary for all details. 

  Extending your Pakistan travel itinerary – Additional places

I traveled in Pakistan for two months, which allowed me to visit a couple of additional places. If you have only one month but you have a car, it’s also possible to visit some of them.

Backpacking in Pakistan – 5 more additional places



  Astore Valley (5 days)

If I had to choose one place from Gilgit-Baltistan, I would choose the Astore Valley. Home to the most stunning scenery I have ever seen, the Astore Valley used to be a trading route that connected Gilgit-Baltistan with the Indian subcontinent. Coming here takes a lot of time, so plan your trip accordingly. The heart of the Valley is 7 to 8 hours from Gilgit, assuming that you are traveling by Jeep. 

For more information, I wrote this post: Astore Valley, a historical paradise in Pakistan

  Naltar Valley (3 days)

Another very pretty valley located 3 to 4 hours from Gilgit. Naltar is greener and at a lower altitude than Astore. It receives quite a lot of domestic tourists, who come for both trekking or just chilling. In Naltar, you can’t miss the Rainbow Lake, a very peculiar lake with loads of color tonalities. If you are not camping, I recommend staying with my friend Salman at The Dream Jungle Inn, located quite inside the valley. Call him at +923445474816.

Rainbow Lake – Tourism Pakistan

  Passu (3 days)

Located in Hunza, following the Karakoram Highway after Karimabad, the Passu Range is one of the most iconic ranges in Hunza, as the mountains are so sharp and thin that they look almost impossible to climb. Passu is a peaceful village from where to do awesome treks, as well as visiting Passu and Batura glaciers, the latter being one of the largest glaciers in the world, outside the polar regions (56km).

  Khunjerab Pass (1 day)

Located at 4,600 meters above sea level, the China-Pakistan border crossing, which goes over the Khunjerab Pass, is the highest and, consequently, one of the most beautiful borders in the world. It has become a real tourist attraction, which means that you can actually go there, even if you are not planning to cross.

For more information, read: China-Pakistan border crossing at Khunjerab Pass.

  South Pakistan (7 days)

What about the southern part of Pakistan?

Most travelers just explore the northern areas but, Sindh and Punjab provinces are where the real cultural heritage of Pakistan lies. I was actually planning to explore these two areas thoroughly but, when I came in April, it was really, really hot so I quit and headed north. In a week, I just managed to visit two cities: Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, and Multan, home to some Sufi shrines. If I ever come back to Pakistan, it will be in winter and I look forward to exploring the entire south and visiting places such as Thatta, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, and many others.

  Other resources for traveling to Pakistan

Tours and agencies

Private, tailored tours – I definitely recommend the guys from Find My Adventure, a local Pakistani company with many years of experience who can arrange absolutely anything you want. Moreover, the readers of this blog can get an exclusive 10% discount on any of their tours by using the promo code ATC-PAK. Just email them through their contact page, mentioning my blog and the code.

Swat Valley – As I said before, contact Ihsan Khan from Swat Backpackers for any trekking in the Swat Valley.

Thank you for reading until the end. I really hope you enjoyed my Pakistan travel guide. If you have any further concern or want to suggest a place, just mention it in the comments below. 

If you like my website and found this post useful, remember that, if you book any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

  from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2Crf43f via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

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Pakistan travel guide – The ultimate backpacking itinerary

This is the most comprehensive and detailed Pakistan travel itinerary available on the internet

From south to north, I spent two whole months traveling in Pakistan. I arrived in Karachi by plane and left the country overland through China.

It was a wild, adventurous journey and probably one of my best traveling experiences ever.

From extremely overwhelming hospitality to the most striking landscapes ever and just wilderness everywhere;  Pakistan is bloody awesome and, unless you have actually been there, it’s very difficult to explain and convey the deeply personal experience you get.

With all my honesty, if you like real adventure, traveling to off the beaten track destinations and just getting immersed in the local culture, I strongly believe that Pakistan should be at the very, very top of your bucket list.

However, I am also aware that Pakistan is not the easiest place to travel in the world, as traveling information is scarce and you can’t really get the comforts which you may find in other countries.

For this reason, based on my personal journey, I have compiled some useful information and created this Pakistan travel guide and ultimate backpacking itinerary which, hopefully, will help you plan your journey through one of the most fascinating countries I’ve ever been to.

This Pakistan travel guide aims to help you plan your itinerary but it doesn’t really talk about other traveling information such as visas, safety, budget, etc. For this, you should read: 70 Things you should know before traveling to Pakistan

    Here’s all the content:

Travel insurance for Pakistan Tours for Pakistan Backpacking in Pakistan: a 2-week travel itinerary Backpacking in Pakistan: a 1-month travel itinerary Extending your Pakistan travel itinerary – Additional places Other resources for traveling to Pakistan

Pakistan is a pretty big country.

By this, I mean that Pakistan is a destination which can’t be visited in a week or, at least, not properly.

Most of the country’s beauty lies in the northern areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), which are not easily accessible. Once you have reached these northern areas, moving from one place to another takes ages, sometimes several hours just for less than a hundred kilometers.

In addition, this is also the capital of unexpected events. Believe me when I say that, during my 2-month journey, I experienced more than ten bus breakdowns, no kidding, perhaps even more. Traveling in Pakistan is extremely slow.

Therefore, if you’re planning to visit Pakistan for a week, I would recommend going when you have more time to spend there. However, if your job will never allow you to do that, no problem, I am sure you can work something out and visit a couple of southern cities.

Total transparency! If you like my website and found this post useful, remember to buy your insurance through my link, as I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

  Travel Insurance for Pakistan

If you are planning to do some trekking and go a bit wild, I recommend you buy World Nomads because:

The basic plan already covers trekking up to 6,000 meters (note that, in Gilgit-Baltistan, it is very easy to reach 4,000-meter base camps. 

They provide with unlimited medical expenses (and Pakistan can be wild)

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

If you want to know more options, read how to get the right travel insurance for Pakistan.

  Tours for Pakistan

I know this post is about backpacking in Pakistan on your own, but if you are thinking about hiring a guide, I recommend you go with the guys from Find my Adventure, a local Pakistani company with many years of experience and good reputation. 

(In any case, if you are planning to do some serious trekking, then you will require a guide)

They can arrange any customized tour for you and the good news is that the readers of this blog can get an exclusive 10% discount on the final quote by using my promo code ATC-PAK.

Just email them through their contact page, mentioning my blog and promo code. 

  Backpacking in Pakistan: a 2-week travel itinerary

If you are backpacking in Pakistan for two weeks, you can get a nice feeling of the northern areas, as well as a few cities. However, just to let you know: you will have to rush a lot.

Note: This 2-week Pakistan travel itinerary is for anyone, whether you are traveling by public transportation, hitchhiking or in your own car. However, as I said before, from landslides to bus breakdowns, Pakistan is the country of unexpected events.

Note 2: If you really want to save time, you can fly from Islamabad to Gilgit (northern areas), as the bus journey that goes through the Karakoram Highway takes a whole day. However, just keep in mind that flights fill up very quickly, so book in advance. Get the lowest prices on Skyscanner for the Islamabad-Gilgit flight. 

  Places to visit in Pakistan – 2-week map itinerary

The 2-week itinerary follows the Karakoram Highway, almost until the Chinese border. There are loads of other places to discover along this road, so remember to read my Ultimate guide to travel the Karakoram Highway.



  Day 1,2 – Arrival in Lahore

Lahore is the cultural capital and where the real things are going on. From Sufi dancing to underground ladyboy parties, good food and one of the most stunning mosques I’ve ever seen; Lahore is like nowhere else and that’s why your journey should start here.

If you fly to Pakistan, there’s the option of flying to Islamabad which, apparently, would be more convenient, as it’s literally closer to the north. However, I seriously think that you can’t miss Lahore.

In Lahore, go to Badshahi Mosque, one of the most beautiful mosques I’ve ever seen and one of the largest in the world. Its courtyard can fit up to 100,000 worshippers. Can you believe it? More than the Camp Nou Football Stadium in Barcelona!

After visiting the mosque, you can’t miss strolling the alleys of the Old City, where you can get lost among spice bazaars, colors and loads of street food. In the Old City, there’s another very cute mosque called Wazir Khan, dating from the 17th century, which once was one of the most important centers for training Islamic calligraphers.

At night, I recommend you go to one of the many rooftop restaurants in the fancy Food Street and order a delicious lamb karahi (a local curry).

If you have time, you should also go to see the Wagah Indian-Pakistani border ceremony. As you may know, Pakistan and India are not the best friends ever, so, every day, they do a weird ceremony which basically, is a hostile show of power. There are hundreds of people attending and both Indians and Pakistanis show a freaking crazy fanaticism.

Where to stay in Lahore

Backpacker Hostel – Lahore Backpackers – This is the meeting point for all the independent travelers in Pakistan and the only real backpacker hostel. The manager is a super helpful guy who can arrange anything for you, like attending the Thursday night Sufi dancing or just get into a crazy party anywhere.

Click here to see the latest prices

  A bit nicer – Rose Palace Hotel – If you are looking for a nicer option, this hotel was recommended by a female traveler, who said it has gorgeous furnishing and tolerable overall quality.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 3, 4 – Islamabad

Islamabad was built in 1960 with the sole objective of becoming the capital of Pakistan. Composed of wide and extremely clean streets and greenery, Islamabad might differ a bit from the image you have of Pakistan. Here is where the Pakistani elite lives and where you find the best restaurants in the country. Huge mansions and the most expensive cars are just the normal everyday stuff in Islamabad.

By the way, wild marihuana grows everywhere in this city

Here you must visit the Faisal Mosque, the largest one in the country. If you stay for the night, go for dinner and see the sunset at Monal, located at the highest point of a hill from where you get magnificent views of the city.

Moving around town is a bit tricky, as distances are freaking long. If you don’t have your own vehicle, you’ll have to mainly rely on taxis. Get Uber, as it’s way cheaper than the regular taxis.

Islamabad is just OK. I stayed here for a few nights because I had plenty of time and I spent my days eating at some very good restaurants and hanging out with local friends at very expensive Western-style cafés. This should be the least interesting place to visit in your Pakistan travel itinerary. If you want to skip it, that’s fine. However, if you travel by public transportation, you must stop here on your way to the north (Gilgit-Baltistan). Buses leave after 6pm though, which means that, if you leave Lahore early in the morning, you may have time to catch one on the same day.

Read: The ultimate guide to the Karakoram Highway

Marihuana Islamabad

How to get from Lahore to Islamabad

These two big cities are connected by a pretty good and wide 380-kilometer road and the fastest way to get there is by bus. They leave every day at all times. Just ask at the hostel for the exact location. Alternatively, you could also go by train but it’s much slower, plus it gets delayed pretty often so, if you only have two weeks, you may want to go by bus. Timing: 4 hours.

Where to stay in Islamabad

Budget Guest House – Nexus Grace – Islamabad doesn’t really have budget options and Nexus Grace is one of the very few. Recently listed online, this guest house has very comfy and tidy rooms, run by some very helpful staff.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Budget Hotel – Royal Galaxy Guest House Islamabad – This guest house is very highly rated by most travelers and offers pretty good rates as per Islamabad standards. People claim that it has very comfortable and clean rooms, so you can get some good sleep before heading to the mountains.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 5, 6 – Fairy Meadows

Coming from Islamabad through the KKH, when you arrive at Raikot Bridge, you will see a detour that takes you to Fairy Meadows, a stunning, green meadow, which is considered one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan. From here, you get stunning views of Nanga Parbat, a striking peak 8,125 meters high, which belongs to the Himalaya range. 

For further information, I wrote a very comprehensive guide: Fairy Meadows trek and Nanga Parbat base camp

How to get to Fairy Meadows from Islamabad

There are 4 or 5 daily buses (from 6pm to 9pm, approximately) that depart from Islamabad to Gilgit. NATCO is the best company out there and the one that the Pakistani middle class uses. The VIP bus, which is the only one with AC, costs 2,000PKR ($20). Theoretically, the journey takes 15 hours but, due to the constant landslides and the endless breakdowns, mine took more than 21 hours. By the way, I recommend buying your ticket at the bus station on the morning of the day of departure. Try to book a first-row seat. Location of the station: 33.638026, 73.025308. You will need to get off at Raikot Bridge, which is around two hours before Gilgit.

For more details, remember to check my Fairy Meadows Guide.

  Day 7 – Gilgit

Gilgit is the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan, a city with a Shia majority and the perfect base for exploring the surrounding valleys. It has a wide range of hotels and restaurants, as well as bazaars and a few touristic sites. Given its strategic location which, for years, linked China with the Indian sub-continent, Gilgit became a proper city.

The town has a river with some pretty bridges where you can take nice photos. I also recommend you visit the Kargah Buddha, a Buddha statue carved in a cliff during the 7th century.

Gilgit may be a nice town but, if you only have two weeks, don’t stay here for long as the beauty of Gilgit-Baltistan is in the surrounding valleys. Actually, if you have your own vehicle, I would recommend going straight to Minapin.

How to get from Fairy Meadows to Gilgit 

There’s no actual public transportation but, at Raikot Bridge, the police will stop the first car or bus that passes to take you to Gilgit, for free. Welcome to Pakistan!

Where to stay in Gilgit

Budget Hotel – Madina Hotel II – Most backpacker will come to this place, if there is any in town, of course! It’s a simple but very great place, with awesome staff!

Click here to check prices

  A bit nicer – Cozy Lodge Gilgit – This hotel is quite budget but it is better than the previous one, with very accommodating staff and tasty breakfast included. If you are not a backpacker, you may prefer to stay here.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Top-end – Serena Hotel – If you want some semi-luxury and comfort (I do very occasionally, just to re-charge energy) Serena Hotels is a pretty popular hotel chain in Pakistan.

Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 8, 9 – Minapin and Rakaposhi base camp

Following the Karakoram Highway, around 75 kilometers from Gilgit, you find a detour that leads to Minapin, a small, lovely village with awesome views of the mountains and from where you can organize a trek to the Rakaposhi base camp, one of the best treks I’ve ever done.

Spend the first night in Minapin and, early on the next day, go to the base camp. If you are reasonably fit, you can reach it in just one day and come back the day after. I am sure you won’t regret it.

For more information, read: A guide to the Rakaposhi base camp

How to get from Gilgit to Minapin 

If you don’t have your own car, hitchhiking is the easiest way, much quicker than going by public transportation. Actually, I didn’t take a single minibus when traveling in the north of Pakistan.

Where to stay in Minapin

Budget Hotel – Osho Trang – Minapin also has what is the best guest house in Gilgit-Baltistan, run by Israr, a very kind man who has been dealing with foreigners for many years.

  Day 10, 11, 12 – Karimabad

Karimabad is the main city in the region of Hunza, the most northern area in Pakistan, a place whose inhabitants are Ismailis, the most liberal branch of Islam. For the first time in your journey, here you will most likely talk to women and, perhaps you may be invited to drink some local wine, who knows.

Ladies, it’s time to uncover your head and get some relaxation!

Karimabad is surrounded by striking mountains over 7,000 meters high, as well as being home to two UNESCO World Heritage forts. Given its laid-back atmosphere, it’s really easy to spend 4 or 5 days wandering around Karimabad and its narrow alleys which, by the way, are made of stone and, at some point, they have a close similarity to some old cities in Europe.

Here, you must visit Baltit and Altit forts and Eagle’s Nest, a 360º viewpoint, from where you get clear views of Rakaposhi, Diran, and Lady Finger.

If you like hiking, Karimabad is also a great place for day hikes.

Karimabad, one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan

How to get from Minapin to Karimabad 

Like I said, hitchhiking the Karakoram Highway is the easiest way to move around.

Where to stay in Karimabad 

Backpacker hostel – Old Hunza Inn is the most budget, backpacking option.

Nicer – Hunza Lounge – A more mid-range option, this hotel has pretty decent prices and good reviews. Click here to see the latest prices

Top-end – Hunza Serena Inn – If you are looking for the best hotel in Karimabad, Hunza Serena Inn is an awesome hotel. I used to go there to have tea, enjoy the views and connect to the internet  Click here to see the latest prices

  Day 13, 14 – Back to Lahore or Islamabad

If you are planning to go back by public transportation, you really need to plan ahead for your journey back to the city, as buses leave Gilgit very early in the morning and the journey may take up to 21 hours. Therefore, perhaps, you should leave Karimabad on the 12th day.

Alternatively, like I said before, if you want to save an entire day, you could also fly from Gilgit to Islamabad. Find the cheapest prices on Skyscanner.

Moreover, to save an extra half day, it would be wise to book your return flight from Islamabad, not Lahore.

  Pakistan Travel Guide: a 1-month itinerary

If you are backpacking in Pakistan for a whole month, you can do all the above and, in addition, visit the northwest of the country which, basically, includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This means that you don’t have to make the long journey from Islamabad to Gilgit through the Karakoram Highway. Instead, go to Peshawar and, from there, go north through Swat, Chitral and the Shandur Pass, on your way to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Before taking this route, you should know that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the most conservative area in Pakistan, inhabited by the Pashtuns, an ethnic group with very extreme, fundamentalist ideas about Islam. Here, most women wear the Afghan burqa, so if you are a woman, dress very modestly. For men, you should definitely dress like them, in a local salwar kameez.

On the other hand, the Pashtuns are the most hospitable and inviting people in the country. You’ll have a lot of fun.

A Pashtun man, somewhere in the Swat Valley

  Places to visit in Pakistan – 1-month map itinerary

Instead of following the KKH from Islamabad to Gilgit, you ascend from the western part of the country.



  Day 1, 2, 3, 4 – Lahore and Islamabad

Check the 2-week backpacking itinerary for all details. 

  Day 5, 6 – Peshawar

Peshawar is history: it’s the oldest city in Pakistan, one of the oldest cities in Asia and used to be the capital of the Kushan empire. Located right at the border with Afghanistan at Khyber Pass, Peshawar had also been a really important and remarkable Silk Road point, linking north and south, east and west Asia.

Today, Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and home to the finest bazaars in the country. Due to its proximity to the Tribal Areas, a region filled with loads of Taliban-friendly people, you should be careful, always dress like a local in a salwar kameez and, if possible, try to walk around with local friends. I met local people through Couchsurfing, so I never encountered any problem.

The best thing you can do in Peshawar is to stroll down its bazaars, buy a real Pashtun hat, go to a restaurant to eat the best lamb in the country and, basically, get ready for one hundred chai invitations.

However, to be honest, not many people invited me because, apparently, I really look like a Pashtun, so they thought I was a local, especially wearing my salwar kameez 

I would have liked to visit the historical Khyber Pass but it requires a permit which takes several days to proceed, as well as some well-connected friends. Alternatively, just at the gate of Khyber Pass, there is a market selling smuggled stuff from Afghanistan, such as daggers or even USA military suits.

How to get from Islamabad to Peshawar 

NATCO buses run daily for just a few USD. You can also come by train. Ask any local friend where the bus station is.

  Day 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 – Swat Valley

Important: Swat Valley is subject to some instability and, occasionally, for no apparent reason, they don’t allow foreigners to enter. For several months in 2017, nobody had any trouble getting in but, in December 2017, some American tourists were not allowed to enter the region. I recommend you try to get an NOC (a special permit for sensitive areas), just in case. More information below. 

The local Pashtuns call it the Switzerland of Pakistan but, in my opinion, Swat is way better.

If you like hiking through fairy forests, along some of the most off the beaten track mountains in Pakistan, you can’t miss the Swat Valley.

Some years ago, in 2009, the region was controlled by the Taliban but, after a six-month bloody war, they were finally expelled. Do you know Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who won the Nobel Peace Prize? She’s from the Swat Valley and got the prize after she was shot for refusing to obey the Taliban during this invasion.

Remember that this is a super conservative area, inhabited by people with very deep fundamentalist ideas. Most men living here have never seen a woman’s face apart from their close female relatives. Actually, girls wear the hijab since they are really, really young and, when they grow up, they switch to the Afghan burqa. Just be careful with what you say and respect their local beliefs. If you do, you’ll have the best experience ever, trust me.

But despite all this, as I said, the Swat Valley is home to an extreme beauty. I recommend you visit Malam Jabba, a ski resort which turns into a lush, green meadow in summer. Also, you should visit some pretty big Buddha carvings which are worth a look.

If you like trekking, there are a lot of hiking opportunities around. I recommend you first go to Mingora, the main town in the Swat Valley, and organize your treks from there.

Furthermore, you really can’t miss Kalam, a small district a couple of hours from Mingora, consisting of a village in the middle of a stunning, beautiful valley. Kalam is a real off the beaten track place, so be prepared to be excessively overwhelmed by the local hospitality. I stayed there a couple of nights and it was, by far, my favorite place in the Swat Valley.

To know what is it like when traveling in the Swat Valley, read this post from Offbeat Traveling: Visiting the Swat Valley in Pakistan

For trekking tips, read: Trekking in Kalam, Swat Valley

By the way, in Swat, you must contact my good friend Ihsan Khan from Swat Backpackers, a local Pashtun who will be happy to show you around and organize treks for you at a very friendly price, staying at his place as well. Ishan can also help you get the bloody NOC, which they may require if you try to enter the Swat Valley.

Where to stay in Mingora 

Rose Palace – I stayed at this mid-range hotel for a couple of nights. Double rooms with private bathroom.

Where to stay in Malam Jabba 

Samsons Inn Mala Jabba – One of the few good options in Malam Jabba. This mid-range hotel could be a good option, especially if you are two people. Click here to check prices

Where to stay in Kalam 

I stayed in a very budget hotel called Mehboob Hotel, which was not very nice. Alternatively, you can stay at the PTDC Hotel, which is within the mid-range option.

Malam Jabbad – Best places to visit in Pakistan

  Day 12 – The journey to Chitral

The journey to Chitral is a pretty tough one and it takes the entire day. I left early morning and arrived in Chitral around 11pm. We got delayed two hours because the bus driver ran out of gas. Yeah, this should not surprise you in Pakistan.

If you are in Mingora, you should first get a minibus to Timargara. At Timargara, you must take a second minibus towards Chitral. It’s a pretty awesome and scenic journey.

Alternatively, if you are in Kalam, you can also go to Chitral through Kumrat Valley and Dir. For more information, read: How to get from Kalam to Chitral.

Apparently, only in September 2017, they finished a tunnel which had been built for ages, so you may save a good couple of hours.

  Day 13 – Chitral

Chitral is a relatively big town and a transit point for going to the Kalash Valleys or Gilgit Baltistan.

I didn’t do much here besides checking out one mosque and registering at the police station. If you don’t register, they won’t allow you to enter the Kalash Valleys. By the way, if you visit the Kalash, the police in Chitral will also give you a private guard armed with an AK-47, which is compulsory for any foreigner visiting the area since. in 2009/10, the Taliban crossed the border, attacking and killing several people nearby.

Getting a guard seems to be pretty cool but it actually sucks, as you don’t have the freedom to move around.

However, I was really lucky and didn’t get one as I went there during the Kalash Joshy Festival and, since there were a lot of foreigners, they ran out of policemen

Where to stay in Chitral  

Al Farooq Hotel – Good Wi-Fi and friendly owner.

Chitral Mosque – Places to visit in Pakistan

  Day 14, 15, 16 – Rumbur and the Kalash Valleys

More than 2,000 years ago, on his journey through the Hindu Kush range, Alexander the Great and his troops left their footprints and descendants in what is today called the Kalash Valley, home to an ethnic community in Pakistan who have fair skin, are blue-eyed and believe and practice a religion which for centuries, has been classified as pagan.

Unlike more conservative Pakistan, the Kalash people drink alcohol and women have a completely different role, represented in more freedom, a greater independence and some very colorful dresses.

From an anthropological point of view, the Kalash Valleys are such a unique and fascinating place.

There is much to say about Kalash people and that’s why a very detailed article is on its way.

In this valley, we also managed to enter a forbidden village inhabited by people who are originally from Nuristan, an Afghan province which is today a Taliban-controlled area. It was such a great and funny story. Read: Sneaking into an Afghan village in Afghanistan.

There are several Kalash villages, all of them spread across three different valleys, named Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir. Bumburet is the biggest village, hence the most commercialized one; whereas Birir is, perhaps, too small and there is not much going on. I suggest you go to Rumbur, which is very authentic and big enough to keep you busy for a couple of days.

For more information, read this post I wrote for the Broke backpacker: Exploring the Kalash Valleys

How to get to Rumbur 

Whichever valley you visit, you should first go to the village of Aini (30km away). From Chitral main bus station, there are mini-vans, as well as shared taxis, going there. In Aini, you can take one of those local pickups with 20 other locals hanging from the back of the car with their chickens and their goats. It’s quite a cool experience.

Where to stay in Rumbur 

Engineer’s Guest House –Engineer (this is his actual name) is a local, kind man who speaks very good English and will try to make your stay unforgettable.

In Aini, on our way to the Kalash Valley

  Day, 16, 17 – Back to Chitral and the journey to Gilgit through Shandur Pass

This was the best road trip I did while backpacking in Pakistan. It was really tough but awesome at the same time. The road ascends through freaking steep cliffs by finally going over Shandur Pass, a breathtaking 3,700 meters mountain pass.

It’s a 360-kilometer challenging, mountain road. We did it in a private Jeep and it took us more than 18 hours, leaving at 5am and arriving at 11pm. But damn, what a journey… The road is absolutely fascinating from the start until the end.

At the Shandur pass, you also find the highest polo pitch in the world. If you are traveling in Pakistan during the summer months, you may be lucky to see a polo match.

Moreover, as you can imagine, there are plenty of valleys and trekking opportunities around this area but, for this, you will need a hell of a lot of time. We wanted to camp somewhere near Shandur Pass but, when I was there in May, it was really cold.

If you want to go by private Jeep, ask the owner of Al Farooq Hotel, as he has loads of contacts. We got a pretty good deal, finding one guy who had to go Gilgit anyways, so we paid less than 15USD each.

If you go by public transportation, the journey takes two whole days. Yes, two days! You need first to go to Mastuj, stay there for a night and take a second minibus on the next day. I seriously think that, if you can share costs, going in a private Jeep is, definitely, much better.

Taking a break at Shandur Pass

  Day 18 to 30 – Gilgit, Fairy Meadows, Minapin, Rakaposhi basecamp, Karimabad and back to Islamabad

Check the 2-week backpacking itinerary for all details. 

  Extending your Pakistan travel itinerary – Additional places

I traveled in Pakistan for two months, which allowed me to visit a couple of additional places. If you have only one month but you have a car, it’s also possible to visit some of them.

Backpacking in Pakistan – 5 more additional places



  Astore Valley (5 days)

If I had to choose one place from Gilgit-Baltistan, I would choose the Astore Valley. Home to the most stunning scenery I have ever seen, the Astore Valley used to be a trading route that connected Gilgit-Baltistan with the Indian subcontinent. Coming here takes a lot of time, so plan your trip accordingly. The heart of the Valley is 7 to 8 hours from Gilgit, assuming that you are traveling by Jeep. 

For more information, I wrote this post: Astore Valley, a historical paradise in Pakistan

  Naltar Valley (3 days)

Another very pretty valley located 3 to 4 hours from Gilgit. Naltar is greener and at a lower altitude than Astore. It receives quite a lot of domestic tourists, who come for both trekking or just chilling. In Naltar, you can’t miss the Rainbow Lake, a very peculiar lake with loads of color tonalities. If you are not camping, I recommend staying with my friend Salman at The Dream Jungle Inn, located quite inside the valley. Call him at +923445474816.

Rainbow Lake – Tourism Pakistan

  Passu (3 days)

Located in Hunza, following the Karakoram Highway after Karimabad, the Passu Range is one of the most iconic ranges in Hunza, as the mountains are so sharp and thin that they look almost impossible to climb. Passu is a peaceful village from where to do awesome treks, as well as visiting Passu and Batura glaciers, the latter being one of the largest glaciers in the world, outside the polar regions (56km).

  Khunjerab Pass (1 day)

Located at 4,600 meters above sea level, the China-Pakistan border crossing, which goes over the Khunjerab Pass, is the highest and, consequently, one of the most beautiful borders in the world. It has become a real tourist attraction, which means that you can actually go there, even if you are not planning to cross.

For more information, read: China-Pakistan border crossing at Khunjerab Pass.

  South Pakistan (7 days)

What about the southern part of Pakistan?

Most travelers just explore the northern areas but, Sindh and Punjab provinces are where the real cultural heritage of Pakistan lies. I was actually planning to explore these two areas thoroughly but, when I came in April, it was really, really hot so I quit and headed north. In a week, I just managed to visit two cities: Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, and Multan, home to some Sufi shrines. If I ever come back to Pakistan, it will be in winter and I look forward to exploring the entire south and visiting places such as Thatta, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, and many others.

  Other resources for traveling to Pakistan

Tours and agencies

Private, tailored tours – I definitely recommend the guys from Find My Adventure, a local Pakistani company with many years of experience who can arrange absolutely anything you want. Moreover, the readers of this blog can get an exclusive 10% discount on any of their tours by using the promo code ATC-PAK. Just email them through their contact page, mentioning my blog and the code.

Swat Valley – As I said before, contact Ihsan Khan from Swat Backpackers for any trekking in the Swat Valley.

Thank you for reading until the end. I really hope you enjoyed my Pakistan travel guide. If you have any further concern or want to suggest a place, just mention it in the comments below. 

If you like my website and found this post useful, remember that, if you book any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

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