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By APD writer Muhammad Sohail
**ISLAMABAD, Dec. 29 (APD) -- **The British Backpacker Society, an adventure travel project which is also followed by thousands of people online, has declared Pakistan to be the world’s leading adventure travel destination, local Urdu Channel Geo TV reported on Friday.
The announcement came from the group after it has counted down the top 20 adventure travel countries throughout the course of the year and implored travelers to visit.
Samuel Joynson of the British Backpacker Society, who visited Pakistan with his colleague Adam Sloper, told Pakistani media that the team has traveled to over 100 countries worldwide and described Pakistan as a “clear winner”.
The British Backpacker Society gave Pakistan No. 1 position in ranking describing it as “one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination”.
The society particularly recommended travel on the Karakoram Highway, contending that taking the road from the capital Islamabad to the Pakistan-China border on the Khunjerab Pass is “the world’s greatest road-trip”.
Samuel Joynson, 26, and Adam Sloper, 25, both from southern England visited Pakistan in the summer of 2016 and spent a number of days in different Pakistani areas from north to south, including cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad.
From Islamabad, they traveled overland through the country’s northwest Kaghan valley to Naran Valley, before heading over Babusar Top to Gilgit region. They finished their journey by heading to the idyllic Hunza Valley, where they climbed to the top of the Hon Pass at the height of 4,257 meters from the sea level.
Samuel commented that adventure travel is at its best when it changes your perceptions and “I have never experienced this more than during my two weeks in Pakistan”.
Samuel said, “Travel in Pakistan is an experience that just keeps surprising. Whether it is gazing at the astonishing peaks of the Karakoram, dining in the delicious back-street restaurants of Rawalpindi, or finding a new group of friends on a long-distance bus journey, it is a country that offers tourists a new intrigue at every corner. I have no doubt that as the story of Pakistan's wonders spreads to travelers around the world, the country will enjoy a true renaissance of international tourism and adventurous travelers will soon be filling the markets of Lahore and the hiking shops of Hunza.”
On a lighter note, Adam Sloper added: “The only real concern for us in Pakistan was the number of selfies that they were asked to be in. I would advise all prospective visitors to prepare to smile for the camera, and get ready to enjoy some of the best hospitality on earth.”
The British Backpacker Society also ranked China, Russia, India, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Tajikistan, Georgia, Uganda, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Jordan, Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Montenegro, Egypt, Rwanda, Uzbekistan and Kosovo among the world’s top 20 adventure travel destinations.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
