Tour to Saudi Arabia’s Hidden World

The Karakoram Highway, also known as the Friendship Highway in China, was built by the governments of Pakistan and China. It was started in 1959 and was completed and opened to the public in 1979. Pakistan initially favoured routing through Mintaka Pass. In 1966, China citing the fact that Mintaka would be more susceptible to airstrikes recommended the steeper Khunjerab Pass instead. About 810 Pakistanis and about 200 Chinese workers lost their lives, mostly in landslides and fall, while building the highway. Over 140 Chinese workers who died during the construction are buried in the Chinese cemetery in Gilgit.^[9] The route of the KKH traces one of the many paths of the ancient Silk Road.

On the Pakistani side, the road was constructed by FWO (Frontier Works Organisation), employing the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers. The Engineer-in-Chief’s Branch of the Pakistani Army completed a project documenting the history of the highway. The book History of Karakoram Highway was written by Brigadier (Retired) Muhammad Mumtaz Khalid in two volumes. In the first volume, the author discusses the land and the people, the pre-historic communication system in the Northern Areas, the need for an all-weather road link with Gilgit, and the construction of Indus Valley Road. The second volume records events leading to the conversion of the Indus Valley Road to the Karakoram Highway, the difficulties in its construction, and the role of Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers and their Chinese counterparts in its construction.

Gilgit

Gilgit (Shina: گلیت, Urdu: گلگت), is the capital city of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, one of the four provinces of Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and Hunza River. Gilgit is a major tourist destination in Pakistan and serves as a hub for trekking and mountaineering expeditions in the Karakoram Range.

SERVICE INCLUDES:

• A Professional English Speaking Guide.
• Transport.
• Meals Entry fees for museums and sights.

SERVICE NOT INCLUDES:

• Personal wearing Medication.
• Soft drinks.
• Shopping.
• Extra nights.
• Any Incidents.
• Road washout.
• Strikes.
• sudden Government restrictions.
• Any situation beyond our control.
• Domestic airfare.