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Asian Travel Pioneer, Islamabad (2026)

14/09/2026

HUNZA & SHIMSHAL TRAVEL EXPEDITION with Asian Travel Pioneers

27 September – 4 October 2026

Eight days from Islamabad through the Karakoram Highway, Hunza and deep into Shimshal, the famous Valley of Mountaineers.

This is a different kind of Hunza trip. We travel small, stay locally and make contact with the communities we visit. We are guests here, sleeping where local people sleep and experiencing mountain life from close by.

Along the way we:

• Meet women’s cooperatives near Baltit Fort
• Have lunch with a local family at Hussaini
• Stay at Borith Lake, an important stopover for migratory birds travelling between north and south
• Meet a renowned mountaineer in Gulmit
• Explore Altit and Baltit Forts and have tea with the Mir and Rani
• Visit Attabad Lake and hear the stories of the people who lived through its creation
• Travel deep into Shimshal, stay locally and meet the people of this remarkable mountain community
• Experience Wakhi culture, villages and everyday life

No big hotels. No standard tourist route.

Just a small group, local hosts and real encounters.

8 - 10 travellers
8 days | PKR 80,000 pp*
*Depending on fuel prices.

GO LOCAL. TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE.

Info wilma 92 3196555410

14/09/2026

HUNZA & SHIMSHAL TRAVEL EXPEDITION with Asian Travel Pioneers

27 September – 4 October 2026

Eight days from Islamabad through the Karakoram Highway, Hunza and deep into Shimshal, the famous Valley of Mountaineers.

This is a different kind of Hunza trip. We travel small, stay locally and make contact with the communities we visit. We are guests here, sleeping where local people sleep and experiencing mountain life from close by.

Along the way we:

• Meet women’s cooperatives near Baltit Fort
• Have lunch with a local family at Hussaini
• Stay at Borith Lake, an important stopover for migratory birds travelling between north and south
• Meet a renowned mountaineer in Gulmit
• Explore Altit and Baltit Forts and have tea with the Mir and Rani
• Visit Attabad Lake and hear the stories of the people who lived through its creation
• Travel deep into Shimshal, stay locally and meet the people of this remarkable mountain community
• Experience Wakhi culture, villages and everyday life

No big hotels. No standard tourist route.

Just a small group, local hosts and real encounters.

8 - 10 travellers
8 days | PKR 80,000 pp*
*Depending on fuel prices.

GO LOCAL. TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE.

Info wilma 92 319 6555410

13/09/2026

I have lost count of how many times I have visited Rohtas Fort. And still, this place keeps surprising me.

Rohtas, near Dina outside Jhelum, is one of the most formidable military fortresses in South Asia. Built between 1541 and 1548 by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, its massive walls stretch for almost 4 kilometres.

This time, heritage expert Imran Williams, whom I work with through Asian TravelPioneers, took our guests from abroad and me to parts of the fort I had never explored before.

Walk beyond Rani Mahal, the remains of the palace of the queen, you reach the old soldiers’ quarters, hidden within the enormous walls. Soldiers once slept here, protected from the fierce heat by the thick stone walls.

Further on, you find old residences, horse stables and layers of history left by rulers who came after Sher Shah Suri. The fort was later occupied by the Sikhs, and Ranjit Singh had Rani Mahal built here for himself and his wife.

And then there is the last stretch along the outer wall: not exactly the easiest walk, first you have to negotiate layers of goat and cow dung, but at the end comes the reward: breathtaking views over the river, the surrounding landscape and the immense fortress walls.

Even after all these years in Pakistan, Rohtas keeps amazing me.

Today I brought our guests with more than 34°C, but absolutely worth it.

Thank you, Imran and the rest for another Rohtas discovery.

Go Local. Travel with Purpose.
Asian TravelPioneers
92 319 6555410

08/09/2026

Why I love my tours more than anything. ❤️

Traveling with a group of heritage and culture lovers, sharing the excitement, the fun and the unexpected moments together that gives me so much energy and makes me incredibly happy.

I love watching the landscape change from the car window: hills, rivers, sheep, farmers working in their fields, and small busy towns with endless little shops.

Our tours are different. We don't just visit places. We go for the experience. We become part of it. We meet people, listen to their stories and make connections.

Yesterday in Nowshera was exactly that.

We visited a church and met the priest and his family. We had a fascinating conversation with the priest and his wife, who runs a school with around 50 children from Christian, hindu and muslim backgrounds. They are doing everything they can to support the children and keep the school going, paying for education and renovations from their own pockets.

Then lunch by the Kabul River — thank you, Afshan, as always, for the delicious food! - underneath the Sikh monument dedicated to a brave Sikh fighter. Watching the cable car carrying people back and forth across the river, we all felt how peaceful this place is. I could have stayed and walked around there the whole day.

And then we really saved the best for last.

Thank you, Maaz, our curator and guide, for the wonderful sunset visit to Takht-i-Bahi.

I think I am in love with this place. ❤️

This is one of the best-preserved Buddhist monastic sites in Pakistan, high on a hill and surrounded by an almost magical landscape. It feels like stepping into a fairy tale. There is so much to see that you need more than two eyes to take it all in.

And now they have started new excavations. One thing is for sure: we are going to book more tours to Takht-i-Bahi and follow the new discoveries as they emerge.

This is why I love what I do.

Heritage. People. Stories. Landscapes. Connection.

See you all soon on one of our tours!

Asian Travel Pioneers Go Local. Travel with Purpose. 🌿
92 3196555410

07/09/2026

Asian Travel Pioneer visited Shaheedi Asthan Akali Phoola Singh Nihang(06.09.2026). Asian Travel Pioneer proudly organized a special Sikh Heritage Yatra to Shaheedi Asthan Akali Phoola Singh Nihang, located on the bank of the Kabul River (Landa River) in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. We first had a peaceful lunch by the Kabul River, before visiting the sacred asthan. As a Heritage Expert and Tour Guide, I had the honor of sharing the inspiring history of Shaheed Akali Phoola Singh Nihang at the very place where he attained martyrdom. Sitting there, listening to that powerful story made the experience deeply emotional and unforgettable for everyone. For me, this was also a very special milestone—after years of guiding at Sikh historical sites across Pakistan, this was the first time I had the privilege to lead a complete heritage tour and presentation at the Samadhi of Shaheed Akali Phoola Singh Nihang. Asian Travel Pioneer, professionally offers Sikh heritage yatras in Pakistan, connecting the global Sikh sangat with authentic history, heritage, and culture. Let’s explore the real history and heritage of Pakistan together with Asian Travel Pioneer.

06/09/2026

Today Travel Pioneer began its Nowshera Heritage Walk at the historic Christ Church. Established during the British era, the church remains an important part of Pakistan’s cultural and religious heritage. Its peaceful atmosphere and historic architecture gave us a beautiful glimpse into the past and highlighted the importance of preserving it. The most beautiful moment of the visit was when the respected priest of the church warmly invited us to his home. The pleasant conversation over tea made this journey even more memorable. This experience reminds us that the true beauty of Pakistan lies in its diverse heritage, mutual respect, and human values. We hope such heritage tours will further promote understanding and respect among different faiths and cultures. Heartfelt thanks to the church priest and the entire Christian community for their love and hospitality. Interfaith Harmony itageWalk

30/08/2026

🏰 Malakand Fort — Walking Through the Footsteps of History

Last Sunday, Asian Travel Pioneer arranged a remarkable heritage journey to Malakand Fort and the surrounding historic areas—a place where the mountains still preserve stories from one of the most dramatic chapters of the British-era North-West Frontier.

Malakand became strategically important because of its position overlooking routes towards Swat and Chitral. The area gained international attention during the Malakand campaign of 1897, when British positions came under sustained attack during a major uprising on the frontier.

One of the most fascinating historical connections is Winston Churchill, who travelled to the frontier in 1897 as a young officer and war correspondent. His experiences here later became the basis of his book The Story of the Malakand Field Force, published in 1898.

Standing within this historic landscape today, it is remarkable to imagine the events that unfolded here more than a century ago.

For our group, this was more than simply a visit. It was an opportunity to walk through history, explore a remarkable military heritage site, and experience the landscape that shaped an important chapter of the region’s past.

🙏 Special Thanks

A very special thanks to the local administration and all the concerned authorities of Malakand for granting us permission and facilitating our visit to this historically significant and sensitive area.

Their cooperation made it possible for our group to experience and appreciate this important part of Pakistan’s heritage.

And of course, a heartfelt thank you to Asian Travel Pioneer for arranging this exceptional heritage journey and bringing history to life for our guests.

Malakand — where the mountains remember, and history comes alive. 🏔️

24/08/2026

In Churchill’s Footsteps in Malakand
Today we travel in the footsteps of a young Winston Churchill. In 1897, he spent five weeks here as a journalist, reporting on what the British called the Malakand Field Force and its struggle against the tribes resisting British rule.
But I would call it something else: an uprising against British occupation.
The British Crown was steadily extending its power. Roads, bridges, forts and military posts appeared in a region where tribes and small kingdoms had governed themselves for centuries. This was the frontier: a borderland the British believed had to be controlled, but which the people living here did not consider British at all.
From Malakand Fort, I look across the valley. Churchill looked out over the same landscape. In The Story of the Malakand Field Force, he described the people fighting the British as “savages” and wrote about “mad mullahs” who had supposedly incited them against the British.
But who, in reality, were the outsiders?
Inside the fort hangs a portrait of Churchill: a young man with an unmistakably stubborn expression, who would later become a statesman. The old British church is still standing. Today, Pastor Adnan holds services there. The barracks, post office and other buildings are reminders of the British presence.
We continue over the Malakand Pass towards the Swat River and Chakdara Fort. Churchill travelled this route on horseback.
Above the fort is Churchill’s Piquet, his lookout post. From here he watched the fighters advancing across the iron bridge. British machine guns positioned on the heights helped the soldiers defend the fort.
The landscape is overwhelming. And today, the welcome from the Pakistani soldiers is warm.
Yet one question stays with me.
Did Churchill ever ask himself who the real aggressor was?
The British soldiers who had come thousands of miles from home and entered a land that was not theirs?
Or the people defending their land, their freedom and their way of life against a foreign power?
Perhaps travelling in someone’s footsteps only becomes truly meaningful when you are willing not only to follow their route, but also to question their view.

24/08/2026

We travelled to Malakand, near the Afghan border, in the footsteps of a young Winston Churchill. Who spent here in 1897 five weeks as a journalist, reporting on what the British called the Malakand Field Force and its struggle against the tribes resisting British rule. But in reality it was an uprising against British occupation.

The British Crown was steadily extending its power. Roads, bridges, forts and military posts appeared in a region where tribes and small kingdoms had governed themselves for centuries. This was the frontier: a borderland the British believed had to be controlled, but which the people living here did not consider British at all.

From Malakand Fort, I look across the valley. Churchill looked out over the same landscape. In The Story of the Malakand Field Force, he described the people fighting the British as “savages” and wrote about “mad mullahs” who had supposedly incited them against the British.

But who, in reality, were the outsiders?

Inside the fort hangs a portrait of Churchill: a young man with an unmistakably stubborn expression, who would later become a statesman. The old British church is still standing. Today, Pastor Adnan holds services there. The barracks, post office and other buildings are reminders of the British presence.

We continue over the Malakand Pass towards the Swat River and Chakdara Fort. Churchill travelled this route on horseback.

Above the fort is Churchill’s Piquet, his lookout post. From here he watched the fighters advancing across the iron bridge. British machine guns positioned on the heights helped the soldiers defend the fort.
The landscape is overwhelming. And today, the welcome from the Pakistani soldiers is warm.
Yet one question stays with me.

Did Churchill ever ask himself who the real aggressor was?
The British soldiers who had come thousands of miles from home and entered a land that was not theirs?

Or the people defending their land, their freedom and their way of life against a foreign power?

Perhaps travelling in someone’s footsteps only becomes truly meaningful when you are willing not only to follow their route, but also to question their view.

16/08/2026

Join us Asian Travel Pioneers on our tour in the footsteps of Winston Churchill.

Few people know that Winston Churchill, one of Britain's most famous statesmen, was once stationed in the rugged hills of western Pakistan.

In 1897, a 22-year-old Winston Churchill arrived in Malakand as a young cavalry officer and war correspondent. Seeking adventure, he found himself in the middle of a fierce frontier war, riding under fire and reporting from the front lines.

On August 23, we follow in his footsteps and visit the places connected to this dramatic chapter of his life:

- the riverside fort where he lived and wrote his dispatches,

-Churchill’s Picket overlooking the valley,

- the cemetery where many of his comrades are buried,

- Malakand Fort,

- and the old garrison church.

A journey through history to the valley where Churchill's military and writing career truly began.

Info or booking wilma 92 3196555410
Price 8500 pkr inc transport

Asian Travel Pioneer

14/09/2026

14/09/2026

13/09/2026

08/09/2026

07/09/2026

06/09/2026

30/08/2026

24/08/2026

24/08/2026

16/08/2026

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