Things To Do In Karachi

Karachi is a coastal city that was Pakistan’s capital city until it was edged out by the more progressive Islamabad. As the focal point of Zoroastrianism in Asia, Karachi remains a standout among the assortment of cosmopolitan urban areas in Pakistan. However, tourism in Karachi has waned in recent years. The sometimes chaotic and undeniably frequent power shortages and brownouts from an overloaded power grid can make any tour a challenging one, especially in the smothering heat of summer. Be that as it may, there's a clear buzz here, and a couple of days in Karachi can let you know more about life in today's Pakistan than any number of notable mosque visits or mountain trail hikes.

As the financial and commercial heart of the nation, its strategic coastal location benefits the country’s major economy and provides lots of livelihood resources that depend on the sea. Fishing boats line the docks in Karachi’s harbor, and the city exports large quantities of fish and shellfish all over the world.

When To Go:

A city that is rocked with political disturbance at the moment, Karachi is still an ideal place for sightseeing and shopping. The best time to visit the city is from the month of November up to the end of March. The overall climate during the rest of the year is humid but does receive constant fresh breezes from the sea. There are two fundamental seasons, summer & winter; spring and fall are very short. Summer season lasts for the longest period of the year.

The level of precipitation is low for the majority of the year, but there is a period of stormy downpours from July to September. The city has a mainly tropical atmosphere and humidity levels typically stay high from March to November, but are lower in winter as the wind direction moves towards the northeasterly part of the country.

Here are the top things to do when in the city of Karachi:

Thatta

This is a district of Sindh that was the capital of three successive dynasties and is located about 62 miles from the city limits of Karachi; many Karachi visitors choose to start by taking the trip to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thatta is important for its antiquated & remarkable Makli graveyardthat contains half a million tombs including those of kings and queens, emperors, philosophers, scholars and saints. The monuments here are considered outstanding examples of 14th-18th C. civilization in the region; many of them are quite well preserved in spite of earthquakes, salt air, and floods through the years.

The Shahjahani mosque is of particular interest: made of red brick with stunning blue tile work, it has many domes -- arranged to provide such excellent acoustics that the imman could be heard clearly in every corner or the mosque. There is likewise Sant Sain Sri Chands Darbar; Sri Chand was the founder of the Udasi sect of Sikhism, and son of the renowned Guru Nanak. Many pilgrims come here and yearly there is an enormous meal offered to which all Hindus are invited from everywhere throughout Pakistan.

The extremely old cemetery has a huge number of tombs and mausoleums (some of them are enormous and look as big as a regular home). The admission fee is $3.25 and lets you request the staff to open a few tombs for you. The round trip to this site is about 2 hours from Karachi. The place is safe and secured by national guards and although it is common to see children who beg for money or locals who volunteer to take your picture in return for some rupees, there is really nothing to worry about when visiting this side of Karachi.

Bhambore

Muhammad Bin Qasim initially made his victorious entrance to Sindh through this historic archaeological site. This region has been in existence since the Islamic intrusion and continued its development up to the Buddhist period. It is supposed to have been the home of Sassui, heroine of a famous Sindh folktale. Bhambore is an authentic site from the Hindu times; it is classified as a major town of Debal, which was ruled by Muslim armed forces from Arabia under the brave leadership

of Muhammad Bin Qasim. The old sanctuary site and the first Masjid on the Indian sub-mainland are located not too far apart in this district. A little museum complements the gigantic site. Heaps of archaeological excavations are still being done around this attraction, so we can look forward to a detailed investigative study of its rare archaeological finds.

Check out the entire museum to see the stone and mud ruins of a Scytho-Partian region. Be in awe of the 8-10 rooms and exhibits that successfully depict the history of the city’s progress. For history lovers, this is an amazing place. However, in the event that you expect some idyllic views you might be a little disappointed. Obviously, you might find a group of Hindus with camels if you visit at the right time, but after that there is just desert. The ancient site preserves a selection of antique plates, potteries, and vases. The place is well maintained but still need a lot of exploration work done to recover old artifacts under its grounds. Visitors are required to pay $3.25.

Mohatta Palace Museum

The Mohatta Palace Museum is a perfect impression of Jaipur right in the heart of modern Karachi. This delightful building is situated on top of a hill and gained notice in the 1920s as the official summer residence of a rich Rajasthani trader. It overlooks the Karachi shoreline and the Arabian Sea -- but lately the newer tall structures, efforts toward modernization, and heavy urbanization project have totally changed its atmosphere. The extraordinary thing about this royal residence is the Rajasthan impact, which cannot be seen elsewhere in Karachi. Since Karachi was a frontier city created by Great Britain, it is most acclaimed for Victorian building design. This building seems even more special because it is so different. The pink and yellow stones that were utilized in its construction are a typical expression of the traditional Rajasthani method for building royal residences. It is very spacious and wide from inside, but a lot of the inner part has been totally reconstructed or rehabilitated.

The outside however still retains its unique touch and loftiness. The royal residence is equipped with a tremendous-looking garden where you can sit and unwind after exploring the entire castle. A portion of the palace has now been

changed into an art gallery by the Sindh government -- an additional reason to tour this palace. It has additionally been the residence of Fatima Jinnah (younger sister of the founder of Pakistan) for a couple of years in the past and it was from here that she launched her political ambitions in 1966. Other interesting highlights are the statues that are kept on the backyard lawn of the palace. It’s simply a shock when you stroll to the back and notice them -- you can find statues of a British trooper, Holy Mary, Alexander the Great, a Greek goddess and numerous others. They are fairly impressive, however they are simply lying there like discarded items. There is no data about them -- like when were they made or who made them and so forth. But it can be easily understood that in an Islamic state, such statues do not conform to their norms and therefore they have all been relegated to the back part of the palace.

Mazar- E-Quaid

A visit to Karachi is not complete if you have not been to this spot. It’s not only the tomb of the father of the nation -- but also the special and famous structural engineering of the building itself that attracts visitors from around the world. The Mazar- E-Quaid is encompassed by a pleasant park that contains some monster steps, it’s amusing to take pictures and to wander around them. There are seats available anywhere you might want to sit and revel in the scenic views all around. Recently, it has become famous for being a “lover’s lane” as a large percentage of sweet couples roam around this area especially during late afternoons and onwards till the moonlit night. It is a calm and refreshing setting, making it an ideal place for lovers to spend those bonding moments together. That is useful for everybody; especially a violence-ridden city like Karachi needs nice places to display feelings of affection and warmth.

The Tomb of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, serves as the venue for Pakistan’s foundation day celebration; in fact, the country honors its founder on two separate occasions: every August 14 and the 20h of December. The yearly events are organized and lead by the Armed Forces, the Prime Minister and the current President of the country. The mausoleum is a gem in the center of Karachi. The white marble building with curved Moorish arches

and copper grills is set on an elevated platform and surrounded by terraced avenues and fountains. The gallery of Jinnah's personal collections is another interesting place to see. The changing of the guards -- held twice during the day, morning and night, is a dramatic and touching ceremony and can be witnessed while the sun rises in the morning and while it sets before dusk.

Clifton Beach

The Clifton Beach is an excellent sandy shoreline with the most amazing dusk in the world. Or sit back and unwind and let the ocean breeze touch your face while the brilliant daylight washes over everything, it’s absolutely refreshing. If you feel famished, you can feast on freshly cooked grilled corn or other local snacks and delicacies along the coastline.

But if that doesn't satisfy you, then there are numerous different eateries that offer an extensive variety of cooking styles for an affordable price. Perhaps you would delight in the stallion and camel rides under the night-lights that amplify the reflections in the water. By full nightfall, there will be silence as huge turtles start to emerge from the ocean. They dig a hole and lay their eggs -- and return to the sea.

Frere Hall

The Frere Hall is a Gothic-structure museum -- one of many remnants of the British colonial period --with well-maintained gardens. This free public museum is one of the most scenic old buildings of the city and is mostly used for general public events. It is the chosen venue for Karachi restaurants to stage a Food Festival, with 50 stalls offering live cooking demonstrations and local dishes at a sensible cost. On Sundays there is usually a book fair in the courtyard. Frere Hall is one of the nineteenth-century buildings that exemplify the Victorian architectural style. It is not hard to find, as it is located right across from the famous Marriott Hotel.

Hilal Park

The Hilal Park is one of the well-managed, neat parks in the Defense part of Karachi. It is flawlessly composed and has a well-paved walking path. Children are permitted to bring their own favorite balls and toys, but there is no playground area provided here.

It is a pleasant place to hang out and spend a quiet afternoon, with open lawns and flowerbeds. Generally speaking, it is innovatively composed and a visit is very much suggested.

PAF Museum

This museum is a mandatory place to visit when in Karachi. The PAF Museum is the open-air exhibition hall of the Pakistan Air Force. It has a colossal gathering of airplanes that at one time served the PAF.

You can discover MIGs (Russian and Chinese models), A5, Mirages, Gnats, Mashak’s, T-37, Harvard, Y12, F7, F104 Star warrior, F-86 Saber, old transporters, helicopters, awards gallery, old photographs, documents, interactive areas, simulated rides, dining places and souvenir stalls. You have to spend no less than 2 hours or more to see the entire exhibit. The warplanes are parked outside as it is meant to be an open-air exhibition.

Pakistan Maritime Museum

Situated alongside the ARENA on Karsaz Rd, the Pakistan Maritime Museum hall is an incredible retreat. Separated from open-air ship relics, the display center likewise has different showrooms including an intelligent science exhibition with an area devoted to the nation's space accomplishments. Don't miss the occasional Dolphin Show in the event that you are going by the exhibition hall during winter.

Devil’s Point

The Devil’s Point is essentially an enormous wall confronting the sea. One of the interesting things to do in this area is to climb up the wall and from that point, witness how the sea crashes into the segments underneath your feet.

It’s an energizing place. The most popular sport along this wall is fishing. With a lot of enormous waves around, there is the possibility of getting a huge amount of big fish without actually going into a watercraft. Amateur anglers often flock to this area and practice their fishing skills right here in Karachi city.

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