Finding the route…
Finding the route…
The full story behind each episode.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
