Travel to Karachi with travel insurance from Essential Travel

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Information on Karachi with single trip travel insurance from Essential Travel

The cosmopolitan city of Karachi is a Pakistani favourite for its scenic location on the eastern coast of the Arabian Sea. Karachi is the capital of the province of Sind and the former capital of Pakistan; it is also the country’s largest city. The narrow, winding alleys of the old city run alongside the wide, modern roads and elegant high-rises. This is the financial and commercial hub of Pakistan, but is still quite scenic, with two rivers (the Malir and Liyari) passing through it.

Getting There

Karachi Airport, commonly known as Jinnah International Airport, is a strategically located gateway to the Far East and Europe, with facilities for the almost six million passengers that come through here annually. Additionally, Karachi is linked via railway to the rest of the country. Bus travel and self-drive are not recommended.

Key Attractions

there is a lot to see in Karachi, but sights are sometimes spread quite far apart. The Quaid-i-Azam Mausoleum is a monument to Pakistans founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, while even more interesting is the white-marbled Defence Housing Society Mosque. From there, you’ll want to visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Andrews Church. The eerie Zoroastrian Towers of Silence are hills where the dead of this religion are traditionally exposed to vultures. The National Museum is one of the few well-kept museums in Pakistan and contains many artefacts from the Indus Valley civilisation and later eras. Old buildings such as Wazir Mansion and Hindu Gymkhana are also tourist attractions. Frere Hall, Denso Hall and Khaliqdina Hall are a group of old buildings with interesting architecture and history.

Key Attractions

South of the city is Clifton, a former British playground and now an exclusive coastal corner for the local wealthy. Clifton Beach is disappointingly polluted, while Manora Island is a less-crowded beach resort. The citys most beautiful and relaxing beaches are at Sandspit, Sommiani and Hawks Bay. All the areas offer a choice of water sports along with excellent picnic spots, and are a place to meet locals and other tourists. Also outside Karachi is the interesting archaeological site of Moenjodaro – once a city of an Indus Valley civilisation. Here, the Chaukundi tombs are well worth a visit.

Leisure Options

Karachi has as varied a cuisine and delightful restaurants can be found around Burns road, while Defence and Clifton have a large number of upscale restaurants that serve fusion or international cuisine. Saddar, the city centre, is the main shopping area with bustling markets selling carpets, fur coats, leather jackets, snake-skin purses, silk scarves and the countrys biggest range of handicrafts

Safety

Karachi is unfortunately having some political and ethnic tensions, which are only heightened by rival drug gangs, political assassinations and terrorist bombings. Additionally, many terrorist groups call Karachi home, and there have even been attacks against foreigners by militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda. It is not recommended to take a taxi at night, even from the airport, and riding buses at any time should be avoided. You need to take out travel insurance if going to Karachi.

Weather in Karachi

The weather in Karachi is hot and very humid all year round. It is most pleasant between November and February when the temperature ranges between 15-25C. Summer temperatures between April and October can reach 45C with verynhigh humidity. The monsoon months are between July and August.

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