Hunza

About Hunza Hunza, the Eden lying in the mountains of the Karakoram Range is only just one of the most mesmerizing wonderland that Pakistan’s North constitutes. Bordering with the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan and the Xinjiang region of China. Karimabad […]

About Hunza

Hunza, the Eden lying in the mountains of the Karakoram Range is only just one of the most mesmerizing wonderland that Pakistan’s North constitutes. Bordering with the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan and the Xinjiang region of China. Karimabad is the capital of Hunza where the historical Baltit Fort is situated dating back to the 8th Century and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.

Tourist Attractions

Altit Fort is situated in the village of Altit, which is about three kilometers from Karimabad. It is built on a sheer rock cliff that falls sharply downward into the Indus river. The fort is 100 years older than the Baltit Fort and was at one time inhabited by the ruling family. Baltit fort also exists today and still overlooks Hunza-Nagar. From Karimabad it is a strenuous but very rewarding 2-hour walk up to Eagle’s Nest which is a must to come up to see the sunrise or sunset views on Hunza valley and Rakaposhi and the other peaks surrounding Eagle’s Nest.

Hotels

While visiting Hunza, you don’t need to worry about the accommodation at all. Karimabad has one of the most comfortable and environmentally friendly hotels with all the necessary facilities from Wifi to hot water. The rooms are well organized, neat and maintained up to the mark.

Some of the famous hotels are:

1. Hunza Serena Inn
2. Hunza Embassy Hotel
3. Hunza PTDC
4. Hunza Darbar

Food

Every area has its own specialty in food, and Hunza has some of the most delicious dishes to offer. To start your day, the traditional Giyaling is to make your breakfast worthwhile. It is a flatbread, made with whole-grain flour served with butter on the bread along with namkeen chai.

Harisaaaa is one of the acclaimed dishes of Hunza which is prepared by wheat, boiled meat, and oil, sometimes they use butter instead of oil and sometimes they use dry apricot seeds as oil with Harissa. The must-have local pizza of Gilgit Baltistan is the Chapshuro locally known as Berckuzh. Chapshuro is a bread filled with a mixture of chopped Beef/Yalk meat, onion, chile peppers, tomato, and fresh coriander leaves.

A traditional Hunza soup is made with homemade noodles and is locally known as Chapchy Dowdo and Moch in Wakhi (a language spoken in Upper Hunza). It is the most special soup made during winters in Hunza. Chap refers to the meat –  mutton or beef but never chicken. Traditionally, this soup is served in a wooden bowl with a wooden spoon.

People of Hunza

Those who are familiar with the difficult terrain and relatively scarce resources in Hunza would be pleasantly surprised to know that the literacy rate in Hunza is around 95%. The initiative to have an impact on educational life in Hunza was the establishment of community schools. These schools were a welcome addition as they gave the local community a sense of participation and ownership. The people of Hunza are commonly known as Burusho and are extremely friendly and educated. J. I. Rodale wrote in his book called The Healthy Hunzas in 1955 that asserted the Hunzas, noted for their longevity and many centenarians, was long-lived because they consumed healthy organic foods such as dried apricots and almonds, and had plenty of fresh air and exercise.

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