What would it be like to travel to Pakistan for 13 days with your best friends?

Nguyệt Digi (30 years old, Khánh Hòa) is currently a digital content creator. Along with eight friends who share a passion for travel and value experiences, she spent 13 days exploring Pakistan – a country that has appeared on some media channels described as "full of bombs and bullets, the sky a gray expanse."

The luggage she brought on this trip was the result of six months of careful preparation. Besides clothes, food, and money, Nguyệt believes that you shouldn't bring "review luggage" when visiting a country. "Relax your mind, experience everything in your own way. Don't let one comment or review create prejudice against an entire place you've never been to," Nguyệt Digi shared with a Travellive reporter.

It's never a bad idea to prepare in advance!

Nguyệt and her friends managed to snag affordable plane tickets (around 20 million VND for a round-trip ticket) by booking six months in advance. If you're also planning a trip to faraway places, plan your itinerary and book your plane tickets early to save money. For this trip, she and her friends bought a land tour to Pakistan. "If I have the chance to come back, I would still choose to buy a land tour with a group of friends to optimize costs. Moreover, I would feel less 'lonely' having friends to accompany me on a long journey to such a faraway place," Nguyệt shared.

The land tour included in this trip covers transportation, breakfast, and hotel expenses. Therefore, you only need to prepare additional funds for lunch, dinner, sightseeing, and some souvenirs (ranging from $200-300 USD). If you intend to travel independently, you must have an invitation letter from someone living in Pakistan to obtain a visa. You may also have to spend more when traveling independently.

If you're traveling to Pakistan in the spring, remember to pack plenty of long-sleeved shirts, windbreakers, waterproof shoes (to avoid getting wet in snowy areas), gloves, and socks. Additionally, for better photos, bring some more colorful clothing to stand out against the gray and white backdrop of the snow-capped mountains.

Nguyệt particularly advises all readers preparing for travel, especially those on long trips, to save their personal information and itinerary details in writing. "You never know what might happen, like Wi-Fi problems, lost information, a broken phone... Print that information out on paper in case of emergencies," she emphasized.

ONE TRIP, MANY EXPERIENCES IN PAKISTAN

After this trip, Pakistani cuisine left many memories for Nguyệt. The dishes she ate were simple: white rice, fried rice, green salad, ginger chicken stew, and beef stew. In particular, "garam masala," a spice blend of Indian origin, was a key flavor found in most Pakistani dishes. "In Pakistan, locals also use masala in many dishes, even drinks, but it's not as intensely flavored as in India," Nguyệt shared.

If you eat at restaurants, you should ask your local guide to arrange food in advance so that you can have it ready as soon as you arrive. "In Pakistan, people work at a very leisurely pace, so sometimes we have to wait for an hour or more for our food." According to Nguyet, you should also prepare some quick snacks like instant noodles, dried food, jam, seaweed, or instant soups to satisfy temporary hunger or replenish energy during the journey.

"When traveling, most of us are inclined to experience local cuisine. But that only lasts for 3-4 days. People like me, with 70% of our bodies being fish sauce, will start to miss Vietnamese food and flavors," she joked. As someone who enjoys cooking, Nguyệt prepared extra Vietnamese condiments like fish sauce, soy sauce, and seasoning powder to cook authentic Vietnamese meals for the whole group during the trip.

At each destination, she would ask a local guide to "accompany" her to the market to buy food for cooking. "When I first arrived at the market, I was surprised because 100% of the people there were men; I was the only woman. Noticing my bewildered and scared expression, some men approached me, asked what was wrong, and helped me bargain. I breathed a sigh of relief, finding the people there so kind and friendly," Nguyệt recounted.

After buying the food, she took it back and asked the chef to prepare it right there in the hotel kitchen. It sounds strange, but this girl was able to "sneak" into the kitchens of 4- and 5-star hotels to cook. "They are very open and willing to let tourists like me prepare food right in the hotel kitchen. Of course, I also paid a small fee afterward to thank the enthusiastic chefs."

Here, she had the opportunity to showcase her skills to the hotel's chefs, sharing Vietnamese cuisine with her Pakistani friends. Later, when her Vietnamese spices ran out, she came up with the idea of ​​finding equivalent ingredients in Pakistan to use as substitutes. She also shared with the hotel's chefs how to prepare Vietnamese dishes in a Pakistani style.

During our journey exploring the local area with Uncle Mohammed – a passionate worker who loves his homeland and doesn't hesitate to invite new acquaintances to his home – a pot of tea, a biscuit, and a shy, gentle smile brought strangers closer together. Sitting and enjoying the biscuits and tea, listening to the stories of the local people's lives, we found their lives simple, unpretentious, yet strangely warm.

Looking at the world outside – then looking inward into the world within yourself.

During their exploration of Pakistan, she and her friends chose to travel on a "road trip" with a local driver. This allowed them to capture breathtaking scenery while navigating treacherous roads. "The local drivers here are 'master drivers.' While I felt like I was freefalling into a ravine, the driver was very proud of their skillful driving," Nguyệt laughed.

The pace of activities on this trip for the group wasn't too packed. Most of the time, they were in the car, traveling hundreds of kilometers across mountains and hills, occasionally stopping at a breathtaking view to capture the moment. She also went ziplining and short trekking trips with her friends. When trekking to the summit of Queen of Victoria, a magnificent landscape unfolded before their eyes. Looking out into the distance, they relaxed and admired the old houses, built long ago, nestled amidst the blossoming cherry, apricot, and plum trees, their white and pink blossoms covering the entire area.

Arriving in the spring, they were immersed in the pristine color palette of various flowers. Almost every house in the village had a large garden filled with blossoms. The locals "opened their doors" to strangers to admire their gardens. Wandering through the gardens, looking up, they saw a sky full of flowers. The pure white and pink hues of spring flowers brought an indescribable feeling of lightness and peace.

"In a remote place with unreliable internet, we put down our phones, huddled together, and listened to stories we'd never shared before. If it weren't for this trip, many stories would have remained hidden in our hearts forever. I thought I understood my friends so well. I observed them from more perspectives, seeing the endearing qualities lurking in their actions and gestures. I also saw the broken pieces hidden deep within the hearts of loved ones...", Nguyệt shared.

As she traveled along the roads, she encountered many men sitting idly on their porches, wondering why they weren't working but instead "doing nothing." Upon asking the driver, she learned that the people here depended on nature and their land for their livelihood. They lived and worked at a leisurely pace, not seeking excessive material possessions – a long-standing "lifestyle." For businesses, shops would open at 10 a.m. and close six hours later – at 3 p.m.

Silently observing the lives of the people here, Nguyet thought: "Actually, we don't have that many ambitions." Sometimes, simply living slowly can be considered a form of happiness.

Bi Le