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I’m an Australian born Chinese and I recently went alone to a country my government advises is against traveling to and my friends think I’m crazy for going to. That country is Pakistan.

A year ago, I would have never considered Pakistan as a holiday destination. Fast forward a year, I was in a local’s house in Pindi eating dinner with their family, I saw some of the most magnificent mountains and blue rivers and lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan, I woke up to vibrant sunrises daily in Islamabad, and I even attended a Pakistani wedding!

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Hello Hunza and hello mountains ?? Arriving in Hunza was like nature heaven! You have pretty much everything. Tall, snow capped mountains, blue rivers and lakes, green fields ? I had an “omg for real?!” moment when I was there since I haven’t seen so much beautiful raw nature in one place before ? . I already saw pics beforehand but going there in person was even better! Everywhere I went, there were mountains on the left, right, in front and behind me. It doesn’t stop. It just made me 10x happier by being there ? I’m thinking of going back later this month (although it’ll be winter) anyone wanna join? ??‍♀️

A post shared by Dana Wang (@bydanawang) on Dec 5, 2018 at 5:00pm PST

Every day was filled with surprises and unforgettable experiences. I had a glimpse of the life in the city and life in villages. Despite events I have seen from media, I felt that the atmosphere was peaceful as are the people. It was safe to go around, and I felt safe.

People were curious and happy to see a new face in their hometown. As I walked past locals, I was greeted with warm smiles. Having a Chinese face, I was greeted with Nihao too! Commonly asked questions were where I was from, why I chose to visit Pakistan and what my feeling was about Pakistan so far. To the last question, I said I enjoyed it a lot!

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I’ve had quite a few pulaos in Australia but I find that local food are always more authentic and tastier, like this chickpea pulao I got from Chitral Bazaar – it has to be the best one I ate! ? It was perfectly seasoned and the rice and chickpeas were both soft that it just melted in my mouth. So much deliciousness on one plate! I can probably eat 5 more ? Have you had pulao before and do you like it?

A post shared by Dana Wang (@bydanawang) on Dec 8, 2018 at 5:00pm PST

Why? Because of the incredible views but also because of the people. I have read that Pakistanis are the most hospitable people. Very true. I have quite a few stories about the hospitality I experienced. One of them was was how a local friend offered me a place to stay in Shigar. I spent the evening with their family by this traditional fire heater drinking homemade tea, and eating homemade bread and butter while chatting about each other’s cultures. They would keep saying to me to let them know if I needed anything whether that’s food, heater or extra bed sheets for the cold night. They genuinely wanted to make sure I had the best visit. It’s hospitality like this that reminded me of how generous and caring people can be.

To the world, Pakistan is a dangerous, crime-filled place. To me, Pakistan is a peaceful nation filled with breathtaking nature, beautiful architecture, awesome food, and kind and hospitable people. I left 1.5 weeks ago but I’ll be back again in mid-December to see more of this beautiful country, and I want to try to share some of that with the world. I’m grateful that I was able to see the real Pakistan.