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Guide to Peshawar, Pakistan
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Peshawar
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PeshawarDespite the world's near universal awareness of the Khyber Pass - or at least the words themselves, the city closest to the natural divide between what is known as the East and West seems to have had, and still has, quite a bit of trouble gaining global recognition. Peshawar, a large metropolitan landscape originally part of Afghanistan, is now a Pakistani location roughly 100 miles west of the country's capital, Islamabad. Consisting of just over 1/2-million residents, Peshawar has served as a gateway between these middle-eastern neighbors since its inception. The reason for its rather large residential body has to do with historical happenings. Prior to the start of the 21st Century, instability inside Pakistan's closest (in political and cultural terms) relative caused an influx of emigrants to find themselves at Peshawar's doorstep. Unable to deter such a large number of Afghans from making way into this "safe zone," the Pakistani government allowed those fleeing their native grounds to live, albeit temporarily, in Peshawar and surrounding towns and villages. Already well documented is the fact that temporary turned to permanence. The city is now a thriving marketplace of commerce, social circles, and faithfulness, and it's no surprise that cultural collaboration has been the root of Peshawar's success. Enlarged over time to accommodate the added peoples, it is now a gathering place for all. Foreign visitors are welcome.
When to go:
Known to receive mixed reviews, the Khyber Pass is both wonderful and detrimental to those who stand upon or beside its grounds. Offering a potpourri of climatic conditions, it gives few regions reason to rejoice: Peshawar is one of such places. Though summer days here can be torturous for those un-acclimated to temperatures which blanket much of the Middle East, you're generally better off traveling to a location in the vicinity of the "great divide", lest you'll avoid the much-needed frequency of rainfall and steady breezes. Always carry plenty of deterrents against sunburns and dehydration; the markets inside Peshawar are good (if noisy) places to find shade, a great alternative to huddling beside one of the city's stone structures for solace.
Getting there and around:
Though Islamabad may provide a larger percentage of international connections to the nation and its visitors, Peshawar doesn't do too bad itself in the way of commercial flight. Good luck finding a direct flight from Europe's westernmost points to Peshawar's terminal, but if you're relatively close to the Middle Eastern countries, the chances for a non-stopper are high. Buses and a variety of taxis are the fastest way of traveling Peshawar, but if you're walking the grounds of the city's center, you're better of walking than troubling yourself with hailing a road-going vehicle in the midst of congestion. Private cars are of no use unless you're a local businessman or are planning visit the plains beyond the city's limits.
Attractions:
Architectural sophistication has been left only to a few sites within Peshawar. Everything here more or less follows a uniform approach to construction. Instead, the people themselves are what interest travelers. Visit the city's marketplaces and chat it up with the stalls' operators for bargains or simply for a friendship in a land where foreigners - especially of Western origin - are not so kindly accepted into local circles.
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