The Tranquilo Traveler
The Tranquilo Traveler is a celebration of voluntourism, slow travel, and other interesting ways to see the world. Travel writer and award- winning Moon Handbooks author Joshua Berman created The Tranquilo Travel as a resource for world trippers and international volunteers, a window to the author’s travels in Nicaragua, Belize, and beyond, and an update of his books and articles.
The Mir of Hunza
By Joshua | July 1st, 2005 | 
16 Comments » Though only 600 kilometers on the Karakorum Highway, the bus trip from Rawalpindi to Gilgit, is an arduous 18-hour ascent, sometimes longer when there is flooding and/or rock slides. No surprise, then, that seats on Pakistan International Airlines’ two daily Islamabad–Gilgit flights are in high demand; by plane, the trip takes an hour or so, but unpredictable Himalayan storms cause many flights to have to abort landing, returning their load of frustrated passengers to Islamabad. This, in turn, results in mayhem at the Rawalpindi PIA ticket office where, each day following a cancelled flight, hordes of men cling to an iron fence with one hand and wave their tickets at the four brave clerks behind it with the other, hoping, sweating, sometimes screaming for a spot on the following day’s flights.
This morning, I was one of those men. As pre-monsoon winds and rain begin to creep into the summer heat, the passenger backup grows. Three days in a row, I’d been in that office, and what was utter chaos to me on the first day, now made a certain sense; plus, I’d developed a joking friendship with the balding Mr. Quddus Butt, in his white PIA shirt with black-and-yellow shoulder epaulets. This, I believe, due to my status as curious foreigner, gave me an advantage over the bearded, skull-capped masses pressing against me.
In between bouts of hanging on the bars, there were waiting periods, seated under the fans. During one of these, I was breezing through my guidebook, browsing Gilgit and Karimibad hotels, salivating over glossy photos of the Hindukush Range, when the man next to me pointed to a shot captioned, “Baltit Fort, Hunza.”
“My father was born in that fort,” he said. “I am from the Royal Family of Hunza.”
He was dressed in casual Western garb — a pink collared shirt, khaki pants and worn, soft leather shoes, and he had a bushy, cookie-sweeper mustache that hid his mouth. His face was serious but calm, and he had a long, low-sloping, rounded nose that I noticed was shared by other people in the room; other Hunzas, I suspected.
He was not boasting, just stating a fact. His family had, indeed, ruled Hunza for 1100 years, up until 1974, when the independent mountain state was placed under Pakistani administration. Major Yousaf Khan, he told me his name when I asked, was returning to Gulmit for his cousin’s son’s wedding and to visit his parents. He was on leave from an army base near Peshawar where he was an officer in the Tank Corps.
I had noticed him earlier, pacing by himself behind the throng of men at the fence, hands behind his back, a man in control. “The boss,” he explained to me later, “the balding man, he is Hunza.” That made two of us receiving special treatment.
I told him that it was a dream of mine to see these mountains where he was so rooted and he nodded in approval. “You must go to Shimshal Valley,” he said. “And you must stay in Gulmit. There are glaciers very close, and Borit Lake.”
I told him of my and my wife’s plans to go trekking, and as he threw out more recommendations, we found and read the listings in my Lonely Planet book; he continued to nod at the authors’ glowing descriptions. Major Khan’s father, Shah Khan, had started the Pakistan Air Force winter survival training camp, mentioned in the Naltar Valley section. These days, Shah Khan runs a hotel in Gulmit, the Silk Route Lodge. “You go there, tell him you met his son.” Major Khan smiled for the first time when I read the listing for his father’s hotel; it was a very positive write-up and relief washed over me that the place hadn’t been panned. The Major’s brother, Assef Khan, is one of Pakistan’s four most famous mountaineers, he said, listing some of the 8,000-plus meter peaks he’s climbed; Assef runs an expedition outfit in Gilgit called Himalaya Nature Tours.
The crowd was again rushing to the fence, and the Major translated the Urdu announcement for me — that day’s flight had successfully landed in Gilgit, so seats on tomorrow’s flight would now be given out. We didn’t have long to wait, he said.
I decided then to tell him about my own connection to the Hunza Royal Family, an unlikely personal link to the current would-be Mir of Hunza. Surprised, but still calm and poker-faced, he confirmed my information regarding the Mir (another relative of his), which Tay and I had received at dinner the night before; he said we should indeed visit the Mir in his palace in Karimabad.
Despite the warm room, I felt goosebumps rise on my neck. The adventure was coming together, leading us to places, giving purpose to our movements.
The Major’s name was suddenly called by Mr. Butt, and then mine, our tickets handed to us over the heads of the crowd and we gave each other a congratulatory hand shake before walking back out into the heat of the day.
What, you ask, is my link to the Mir of Hunza? It sounds doubtful, I know, but I beg your patience. It is part of a much bigger story – the story of why Tay and I came to Pakistan in the first place.
And for that, you’ll have to wait; because first, weather permitting, we have a plane to catch. A plane to the north; a plane to the past.
16 Responses to “The Mir of Hunza”
just wish to know if there r vandelisms & western usa uk franch danish canada crimes going on in hunza too? hope not! these basterds nation should keep away from our beauriful muslim lands as agha khan is their good man i hope they have no troubles in hunza .
I belong to Gulmit. I am an undergraduate and study business administration at a private college in Karachi. I was fascinated by the way you have remembered Gulmit and Hunza. But I shall point to an error in the text. The brother of Maj.Yusuf who is the mountaineer is not Asif but he is Col. (retd) Sher Khan. A man who had served as the guard for President of Pakistan (Laghari). While Asif is the one who runs that business. I have also a very close relation with this family of the royals.
Maj Yousaf Khan is a close friend of mine now he has left the army and working togather in some other setup he nerrated about his trip to Gilgit and also mentioned about you and your wife she was seriuosly sick in those days he also mentioned that he had been waiting for you in Hunza and also in Gulmit where you people were suppose to visit after this post ill tell him about ur this site
Welcome to the land of extreme adventure.
Shimshal is the most suitable place to trek,tour and climb. Experience the Shimshal Wakhi- Tajik culture and get amongst some of the most spectacular trekking peaks in the Karakoram. Shimshal was receiving relatively few foreign visitors before road access but after completion of road in 2003 new horizons for adventure have risen. Shimshal maintains customs and traditions no longer practiced in other wakhi villages. Large herd of yaks, sheep and goats are best indicators of interest with livestock. passu is the starting point, from where a non -metallic jeep road goes along the Shimshal River. Shimshal is the starting point for long as well short treks. To the east pasturs of Shimshal pamir (Shimshal pass), to the north Gujerab and chafchingoal, to the south khurdopin and verjerab pass and to the west Lupgar and Momhail attract the attention of tourist toward them. On the way to Shimshal, you can see the Malangudi glaciers, which descend from Dastageer sar (7,785m). Two to six days trips to the pastures along the Lupgar and Momhail glaciers can be made from Dut i-e on route to Shimshal.Beyond Shimshal trek to pastures along Yazghail, a Khurdopin and Verjerab glacier is possible. For more details visit http://shimshal.tripod.com
I also belong to Gulmit and I was passed my SSC from the High School Gulmit in the year 1992 and then I left Gulmit and came to Karachi for further studies. I completed my law (LLB) from SM Law College Karachi in the year 2004 and now I am an advocate and working with a law firm in Karachi.
My village Gulmit is a beautiful place and the capital of Gojal. In Gulmit there are many glaciers and others beauticul region.
we are always welcoming tourism in north pakistan ,shimshal,passu, Batura,Khunjarab,etc
so please write us we will Guide you in the right way ,
thanks for you all for promotig tourism in Pakistan.
TRAVEL PAKISTAN IN 2006
It is a matter of immense pleasure for me to recommend you the following areas for visit,if you are first time comming to Pakistan.
1>For trek:Shimshal,Passu,Ghulkin,Chapurson,Broghail(N.As)
2>For sight seeing: Hunza Valley,Skardu,Ghizer,chitral and Broghail.
3> For Expedition: Skardu,Passu,Shimshal,Diamer etc
For more details log on to; http//:shimshal.tripod.com
Dear Sir
my name is umar i m the part of Explorer Den(a tour oprater)Company. we are working from 15 year in hiking and trekking we need same latest information about north pakistan if u have pleas mail me it will be a big help for hikker and trekker from pakistan
Thanks
Umar gill
UGF-79,Land mark Plaza, jail road, Lahore
042-5718278-79/5713601
All of us at “Explore Pakistan” have realized a common dream, to explore the unspoiled and less traveled areas and to visit and learn from the diverse and wondrous culture of the world. We are a group of experienced young staff, speaking various foreign languages like English, Japanese, German, French and Spanish etc. We are dedicated to work as friends and guide to each traveler we assist. In the hope of enabling each of our friends to achieve a dream of their own.
Explore Pakistan was founded in 2001 by a group of young’s from (Hunza) northern area of Pakistan. All of us have experience of working with different reputed tour Companies in Pakistan and abroad.
We are company of choice if you are looking for local experts and want to experience the diverse culture and hospitality in every corner of Pakistan.
OUR MISSION
“TOURISM, ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY”
Explore Pakistan believes that tourism should respect the environment and benefit the local community.
We have demonstrated our commitments by making significant investments in the local communities in the form of donation for various essential projects and providing opportunities for the young’s to work with our team to learn and earn.
Dear Sir,
I read your reply in late because of seasion problems, As u read in my measage i m the part of Explorers Den as a tour guide but now i have started my own office in lahore with name of PERAMOUNT TOURS, In this office i have company of very telanted person in tourism.
As u know in pakistan tourism industry have only three month for working in North Pakistanand other nine month they can not do any thung,and one thing you also know that in pakistan the comman person dose not have any awerness and information about tourism and tourist Places in pakistan, they know every thiing about Dubay,USA, UK, and other tourist Ciuntries but they donot know about the paksiatn it is a bed thing.
Sir I hope u have lot of information about our Pakistan and North Pakistan if u send your detail and magzene of prev date we and oyr mamber waiting for your massage and good nes
We are a group planning to drive from Rawalpindi to Hunza mid-October with our children. We will make overnight stops along the way and to visit some interesting sites. What is the security situation like? People tell us that there could be fighting. Or that it is Ramazzan and you won’t get food and service. What are the road conditions and should we drive with a 12-seater Mitsui or Toyota or a smaller vehicle. Some of us would like to take the bicycle. Is it rainy season? Sigh, lots of questions but I am sure the journey will be beautiful as I love the Hunza.
heyy im sherkhan’s son .. was showing my grandfather Shah khan how to use the net .. and landed up here …
hello adventure lovers,
nice to see many information regarding trekking and mountaineering in North part of Pakistan. its good to work hard to permot tourism and try to do the meximum we could lead down the require detail about adventure activeties.
best wish all of you!
Fida
A trip through Pakistan is face to face encounter with a fascinating land that has withstood countless invasions and preserved the essence of its conquerors on the form of present day monuments and archaeological heritage.
Dear All and Prince,
It dose not matter if the Mir are or are not ruling Hunza, the fact remains, they are history and not such a great one to. If one keeps saying I am a prince my father is a King, then India,China and most of the European countries and few African and Middle East countries will say, we were Monarchy and we are and we want just like you HUNZA BOYS.
The past has past, and we live in today and tomorrow. Hunza boys you are NOT royal anymore, and respect is gained and NOT demanded from a title, wake up and smell the coffee, its 2008
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