Hindukush Heights Hotel Chitral

... to come too so we went together. She has blue eyes and blonde/mousy hair like mine so everyone thought it was amusing that people thought she was my daughter! I went to say hello to Farooq before I left and he gave me a handful of business cards to give out to other travellers and guesthouses. Back at the house I talked to the sisters about a shopping list - they weren't able to go to the bazaars themselves ...

... the kitchen with the women. They gave me a present of a Shu'mann - it's a woven piece that is used as a belt or as a strap for the baskets and is often given to 'honor an appreciated guest'. They also put a Shu'shut and Ku'pas on my head to try out. The Shu'shut is a band worn by women on their heads in their everyday dress, with a long tail that falls at the back. It is elaborately decorated with shells, beads, chain and embroidery. The Ku'pas, which is similarly decorated ...

... a window seat and the views were incredible over the snow covered mountains. Arriving in Chitral I found I was the first person this year in Farooq's hotel and when I went to register with the police (compulsory in this area) I found I was only the third foreigner so far - the other 2 were working here. Farooq was friendly and knowledgeable so it was a nice place to start off. I went for a walk around the ...

... mangue. Nous en profitons tout de même pour nous faire tailler des vêtements Pakistanais. Le principal interet de la région de Chitral sont 3 vallées, les Kalasha, ou vivent une ethnie particulière. Les gens las bas ne sont pas musulmans, mais ont une religion qui n'existe qu'ici, polythéiste. Les femmes sont habillées en vêtements de toutes les couleurs et ...

... s very very physical and to say the least spectacular. Nearly every year there are serious injuries and it's quite common that one of the beautiful Afghan horses dies on the field in part due to the high altitude. The Shandur pass is an incredibly beautiful place, with wetlands, lakes surrounded by the sharp peaks of the Hindu Raj and Hindu Kush ranges. So during the last days of the festival when all the spectators have arrived and camp on ...

... festivals, worships and wooden images speak voluminous about their religion and the pattern of their social life. To make your trip to Kalash valley worthwhile and enjoyable, you can be in contact with CAMAT [Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism] office in the Mountain Inn, Chitral town. Contact number: 92 943 413540, 413507. Email: camatchitral@yahoo.com

... and wooden images speak voluminous about their religion and the pattern of their social life. To make your trip to Kalash valley worthwhile and enjoyable, you can be in contact with CAMAT [Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism] office in the Mountain Inn, Chitral town. Contact number: 92 943 413540, 413507. Email: camatchitral@yahoo.com

"I'm so happy to see you," one of the nature guards said as I arrived at sunset to their Ranger Checkpost Station on a ridge high above Chitral Valley in the Chitral Gol National Park. That evening, I erected my Sierra Designs' Clip Flashlight tent under a large Deodar cedar tree at a high point on the ridge, with views of the valley below and the Hindu Kush for hundreds of miles, it seemed. After dinner, I ...

The Pakistani flag you see above contains a white stripe. That white stripe is extremely important for the Kalash people, as they aren't Muslims. The white stripe is symbolic of religious tolerance, the right to a separate identity for minority groups. Although minorities such as Christians are a small part of Pakistan's population, having this right flying above them is important, although it doesn't guarantee their longevity and ...