Pakistan Going Out

Food and Drink

Pakistani cuisine is based on curry or masala (hot and spicy) sauces accompanying chicken, lamb, prawns and a wide choice of vegetables. Its flavours are drawn from its Afghani, Turkish and Iranian roots.

Things to know: Alcohol may be bought at major hotels by visitors who have been issued a Liquor Permit from the Excise and Taxation Office. Wine is expensive and only available in upscale restaurants. Pakistani-brewed beer is widely available, as are canned carbonated drinks. There are no bars since there are strict laws concerning alcohol, and it is illegal to drink in public. Waiter service is provided in the larger hotels and restaurants. Visitors should avoid drinking water from the tap; bottled water is available everywhere, but it is necessary to make sure it comes in properly sealed plastic bottles.

National specialities:
• Biryani (seasoned rice with mutton, chicken and yoghurt).
• Sag gosht (spinach and lamb curry).
• Dal chawal (brown lentils and rice).
• Shish kebabs (charcoal-grilled meat on skewers).
• Shami-kebabs (patties of chopped meat fried in ghee or butter).
• Halwa (sweetmeat made with eggs, carrots, maize cream, sooji and nuts).

National drinks:
• Tea (drunk strong with milk and often very sweet).

Legal drinking age: 21.

Tipping: Most high-class hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge. Other tipping is discretionary.

Nightlife

Top hotels have bars and dancing but there is little Western-style nightlife. Cinemas in the large cities show international as well as Pakistani films. There are plenty of cultural events featuring traditional music and dance organised by the Pakistani Arts Academy throughout the year. Festivals and annual celebrations are colourful and lively. Lahore has the most bustling nightlife, including popular theatre and musical events.

Shopping

Special purchases include carved wooden tables, trays, screens, silver trinkets, pottery, camel-skin lamps, bamboo decorations, woodwork, brassware, cane items, glass bangles, gold ornaments, hand-embroidered shawls, rugs and carpets, silk, cashmere shawls and saleem shahi shoes with upturned toes. While some of the major towns have craft centres where handicrafts from different regions are sold, bazaars often provide the most interesting shopping. It is expected that the customer should bargain for goods.

Shopping hours: Sat-Thurs 0930-1300 and 1500-1830. Bazaars stay open longer.

Pakistan Top Things To Do

• Tour the Sindh region, known for the remarkable quality of its light. The two main places of interest are Mohenjodaro, a settlement dating back 5,000 years, and Thatta, notable for its mausoleums and mosques. There are sporting facilities on Lake Haleji.

• Explore Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan since 1963. It has an air of spaciousness, with parks, gardens and fountains below the silhouette of the Margalla Hills. In the midst of these lies Daman-e-Koh, a terraced garden with an excellent view over the city.

• Also located on the Pothowar Plain, Rawalpindi lies waiting to be discovered. The old part boasts fine examples of local architecture and bazaars crammed into the narrow streets where craftspeople still use traditional methods.

• Take a day trip to Rawal Lake. Situated about 8km (5 miles) from the capital, the lake has an abundance of leisure facilities for watersports and a picnic area.

• Discover The Punjab. Lahore is a historic, bustling city with buildings of pink and white marble. Visit the Badshahi Mosque (one of the largest mosques in the world, and an example of Moghul architecture rivalled only by the Taj Mahal), the beautiful Shalimar Gardens and the Gate of Chauburji.

• Near Taxila, explore Jaulian and Sirkap, two excavated sites that date back to the Buddhist Gandhara period.

• Follow the Karakoram Highway, which follows the ancient Silk Road over a breathtaking knot of mountain ranges that incorporates the Himalaya mountains, Hindukush and Pamir. The trail runs along the Indus River and to the beautiful Gilgit and Hunza valleys.

• Go trekking and mountaineering. Pakistan contains five of the world's highest peaks and several of the world's largest glaciers. The northern areas are the most popular for trekking, with Gilgit and Skardu being good starting points for trips.

• Ski at the Malam Jabba resort in the Karakoram range.

• Go white-water rafting or canoeing. Both are increasingly popular on the rivers of the north of the country.