Finding the route…
Finding the route…
Every trip comes with a guide: what it cost, how the visa worked, where to stay and what to eat. In English, with a short Roman Urdu summary on top.
Gulmit to the Pakistan–China border at 4,693 m: the Rs 500 Dih ticket, low oxygen, an ATM that didn't work, my first yak ride, Pak Army at zero point and a Rs 1,200 yak burger – with every price I paid.
A road trip from Faisalabad to Murree with cousins: the Pindi Point chair lift floating through the clouds, the climb at Bariyan, archery and an evening on Mall Road.
From my first Saudia flight in 2022 to Gulf Air via Bahrain: every flight, the routes, and the stories, including a Wizz Air denied boarding, a missed flynas flight, 17 hours in Colombo and 3 days stuck in Sharjah.
Saudia from Riyadh to AlUla, free entry at Elephant Rock (Jabal AlFil) under the full moon, real Ajwa dates on an Arab farm, an hour hunting for a taxi and a 100-riyal ride to Madinah to surprise my parents.
A guide to Diriyah from my visit: free entry at Bujairi Terrace, the At-Turaif mud city, a 300-year-old Quran, the Arabian Horse Museum's 9,000-year-old statue, a 200-year-old mosque with a women's prayer area, and the parking fee.
I missed my flynas flight from Jeddah to Riyadh, so I went by road: about 10 hours with a Pathan driver, Fajr in a desert mosque, Bedouin herders, Saudi petrol prices and a huge desi breakfast.
From Kathmandu to Jakarta and on to Bali, then the long way back by road across Java: Ketapang, Ijen's blue fire, Mount Bromo, Tumpak Sewu waterfall in Lumajang, Yogyakarta and Bandung.
Nearly offloaded at Faisalabad airport, three days stuck in Sharjah while Nepal was in turmoil, a closed Kathmandu, 12–14 hours by bus to Pokhara and six days to Annapurna Base Camp.
A full day at Bangkok's biggest amusement park: the Vortex suspended coaster (twice), the lion-mouth log flume, the giant wave pool, the halal food search, and the rides that were closed.
One of our best days in Bangkok: 344 steps up the Golden Mount, the dark history of Wat Saket, the Grand Palace in the midday heat, a 5-baht ferry and running out of baht at Wat Arun.
Finding halal food was the hardest part of Bangkok. Here's what worked: the Sooksiam food hall at ICONSIAM, halal octopus, checking street snacks, and the mistakes we made.
The whole route of my 2024 trip with Chachu Waleed: SriLankan Airlines via Colombo, Bangkok, AirAsia to Phuket, a boat to Phi Phi, on to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi, and Eid ul Adha in Kuala Lumpur.
Lahore to Colombo on SriLankan Airlines, a visa desk that didn't work the way we were told, 17 hours inside Colombo airport, a $100 room we didn't take, and finally Bangkok.
Umrah explained practically, the way I filmed it in Masjid al-Haram: Ihram and Talbiyah, wudu and where to leave your shoes, starting Tawaf at the Black Stone, Zamzam, Sa'i between Safa and Marwa, and Halq or Qasr.
The Makkah ziyarat bus tour stop by stop, plus the new night route up Jabal al-Noor to the Cave of Hira and a free bus ride through Makkah after Isha.
Every Madinah ziyarat I've done, with how to get there: the 10-riyal pilgrim bus after Fajr, Jannat al-Baqi after Asr, Bi'r Ghars by night and the 20-riyal coach to Badr.
A full Ramadan in the two holy cities: flydubai from Faisalabad, Ihram in Dubai, rooftop iftar at Masjid an-Nabawi, rain in Madinah, Jummah in the Mataf and Eid prayer in front of the Kaaba.
Flynas from Jeddah to Baku, a new friend at the gate, a hotel that was hard to find, and nearly a month exploring Old Baku, the Maiden Tower, Yanardag fire mountain, Nizami Street and Quba.
Sargodha to Faisalabad and Karachi by train, Etihad through Abu Dhabi to Jeddah, then 17 days of Umrah with my brother, a late-night Makkah street market and the walk to Jannat al-Mu'alla.
Sargodha to Islamabad, Peshawar and the Torkham border, then 4–5 days in Jalalabad. The kind people, the hard moments, and why I turned back instead of going on to Kabul and Iran.
Every journey has a first step. Mine was a 20-day Umrah in December 2022: Saudia from Pakistan to Jeddah, then Makkah, Madinah and back to Makkah.
Altit Fort in Hunza is 1,100 years old. Here's the 2026 ticket price, why the doors are so small, the hidden prison, the standing grave and the 300-metre drop, from my own visit.
My first trip to Northern Pakistan with a tour group: the overnight coaster to Naran, Lulusar Lake, the Babusar Top zipline at 13,700 ft, 24 hours on the KKH, the Three Mountain Junction and the sky cycle at Rakaposhi, with every price I paid.
Practical Umrah tips from my time in Makkah and Madinah: where to get a 35–50 riyal ride to Madinah, when Jannat al-Mu'alla opens, the As-Safiyyah Museum, street markets and changing money.
Hafiz Tayyab is Muhammad Tayyab Khalid, a 24-year-old travel vlogger from Sargodha, Pakistan. Since his first Umrah in December 2022 he has travelled to 8 countries and taken 24 flights. Here's his story, channels and schedule.
