The Hunza Valley is one of the most beautiful regions in Pakistan. Coming from Giligit you first pass the majestic Rakaposhi mountain, one of those 8K giants of the Western Himalaya. Once in the valley, you see the capital city of Karimabad on the left bank, with its fort perched high on the...

The Hunza Valley is one of the most beautiful regions in Pakistan. Coming from Giligit you first pass the majestic Rakaposhi mountain, one of those 8K giants of the Western Himalaya. Once in the valley, you see the capital city of Karimabad on the left bank, with its fort perched high on the top of the hill.

For centuries and centuries Hunza was almost cut off from the rest of the world. When contact was made with the British, the ruler of Hunza explained the emissary of Her Majesty that in his vision there were four great Empires in the world: that of China, that of England, that of Russia and that of the Valley of Hunza. (He forgot to mention one of the great empires ever excited on the face of the earth that was 'Saltanat-e-Usmania, 'Ottomans Empire'. That was the starting point of modern science and the modern civilization).

For today's traveler Hunza still offers a bit of the magic of the old days. Hikes in nearby gorges show the great system of irrigation the people of Hunza have made - they look like something from a Star Wars movie. The menu with ten different ways of preparing apricots is quite special and the ongoing disputes between local religious factions are surrealistic (but very real) as well.

Hunza is a great base for exploring the region. Excellent trips can be made to Passu, or even all the way to the Khunjerab pass, with an overnight stop. Hikes and treks in the region are superb; for some of them you might want to hire a guide, but there are good options you can do on your own as well.

There are buses to Gilgit and on to Passu and the Khunjerab pass. They tend to be rather infrequent and road conditions range from bad in the dry season to non-existent in the wet season.

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