Law and commerce student at the Australian National University, Dana Wang, travels around the world and shares her experiences on social media platforms.
In her posts, she talks about the journeys, the local people, and the food she enjoyed providing a quick snapshot of the country.
Recently she travelled to Pakistan and shared her thoughts via photos of the iconic places she visited and the people she met.
Ms Wang told SBS Urdu that she travelled to Pakistan because it is an unexplored place but interesting to visit.
“I wanted to explore South Asia because it is a massive region. I chose Pakistan over other countries like India because it is less explored by tourists.
“I have seen a lot of amazing photos and wondered why people aren’t going there; it is such a beautiful place. I also heard that people are very hospitable and kind [in Pakistan], so I went there to check it out myself.”
“I wanted to explore South Asia because it is a massive region. I chose Pakistan over other countries like India because it is less explored by tourists."
Dana Wang visited northern areas of Pakistan during winter season. Source: Instagram/bydanawang
Pakistan experience
Ms Wang travelled across the country and visited several cities including Islamabad, Skardu, Hunza, Peshawar, Swat region, Mingora, Bahrain, Kalash Valley, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Nankana Sahib, Sehwan, Hyderabad and Karachi. In total, she stayed for more than a month.
“It is very difficult for me to pick a favourite; Lahore has amazing architecture, Karachi and Peshawar have amazing food while the northern areas have beautiful landscapes and mountains.
“There is incredible nature which you probably won’t find in the rest of the world.”
“When I landed in Islamabad it looked like a Western country," she recalls.
“It was very clean, green, a lot of paved roads, a lot of nice houses; so I was really shocked. Is this Pakistan?
Ms Wang said that locals have not seen many foreign faces so they always asked for selfies but were really welcoming and always happy to help her.
“There was a time when I was looking for a taxi but couldn’t find one. The locals tried to help me arrange it. Also, not only did they invite me to their house to eat but also provided a place to stay.”
“I haven’t experienced this kind of kindness anywhere in the world. In Western countries, people are very busy and mind their own lives, but people over there [in Pakistan] are very respectful of their guests."
“It is not like what the media portrays. I find out that the media can over-exaggerate and portray a negative image. But when you go to the actual country [Pakistan], it is very beautiful and people are very nice.”
Food
Ms Wang loved Pakistani cuisine and even learned the dishes’ names.
“I tried a lot of things that I haven’t tried before for example, chicken karahi, chapli kabab, Haleem and nihari [in Karachi] and biryani. I also ate samosa chat, gol-gappa, and tried deserts including kulfi, faluda and kheer.
“What I liked over there is how the street vendors make food in front of you and you can get it fresh.
“The food isn’t too spicy but in Karachi, it is spicier than the rest of Pakistan.”
Dana Wang said the taste of food varies from city to city in Pakistan. Source: Instagram/bydanawang
Visa and Expenses
Ms Wang said that it took only three business days to get the visa for Pakistan.
“The requirements were quite simple and the documents needed to be were clearly listed. I believe the Pakistani government is changing the visa process so I guess it will be much easier to get one in future.”
She told SBS Urdu that the biggest expense is the flight ticket, especially from Australia.
“Flights from Australia are the biggest expense, next is the local flight ticket if you are travelling to different cities. Accommodation might be the third but is not that expensive.”
Travelling and taking pictures
Twenty-three-year-old Dana Wang has so far travelled to China, the US, Canada, Nepal and Thailand.
On the question of why she thought of sharing her experiences on social media, she said that it is because of the love of travelling and food.
“I started by taking a lot of food photos and the reason was to keep a record of what I ate. Then I shared them [on social media]. I took travelling photos because I thought it was a bit different and gave me an excuse to visit places.
“I share my travelling experiences to tell [people] that these are the nice places to visit. You should go there too.”
Ms Wang visited Pakistan in December 2018.
