Karachi to Gwadar Survival Tips

Makran Coastal Highway Zero Point

Trip to Gwadar is an excellent 2/3 days escape from Karachi especially in the winters when the weather is suitable for long expeditions. Also, the drive through the Coastal Highway is a pleasure in itself. 

MHis also planning for the long drive however he has some valid concerns which he shared with me through an email. It would be appropriate to blog these concerns here along with the response:

Dear Muzzammil,

We are planning to travel to Gawadar this weekend from Karachi. Could you please give us some travel tips?

1. What will be outlook of fuel in the way? Or we need to get extra fuel with us from the start?
2. What about the lunch on the way? Are there any restaurant in Ormara or Pasni?
3. How is the security?
4. What is the condition of the road?

Thanking in advance.

Regard

MH

What will be outlook of fuel in the way? Or we need to get extra fuel with us from the start?

Yes, it will be a good idea to take a 15-20 liters can with you as a backup.

PSO at HUB will be your last choice for the authentic Pakistani fuel. Afterwards, it will be all smuggled Iranian one being sold in open drums and that too can only be found after driving half an hour from the previous drum!

Well, going to Gwadar means that you cannot avoid the Iranian petrol so the tested strategy would be to first top up the tank at HUB and then refill past Ormara junction when the tank is half full without utilizing the backup fuel. This way the fuel would be mixed up which will be better than the ‘pure’ Iranian one. I understand that Iranian refineries do not produce high quality octane and then the obsolete logistics methods add up to the worries.

There is a Caltex petrol pump in Gwadar which claims selling the local blend so that would be your best bet even if you have doubts over their claim. The can is still with you as a reserve which you can use on your way back however keep 4-5 liters for the emergency until you hit back the RCD Highway.

You will find the Last CNG Station at HUB

Refueling Facility

Utilizing the Reserve Fuel

Beware, the pressure gauge there is in kilograms!

What about the lunch on the way? Are there any restaurant in Ormara or Pasni?

What I tried successfully in the previous trips is to avoid the breakfast and instead have a brunch at Hingol River Bridge before continuing nonstop to Gwadar.

Al-Hasan Hotel located just after the bridge – ~120 km from the zero point – serves passersby especially truck walas and does that well. The chef there can make a scrumptious Chicken Karhai if requested with respect! You may also ask for the keys from the waiter for the ‘luxurious’ WC toilet, if needed.

Ormara and Pasni have got local eateries but for that you have to go off the highway which is better done for the backward stretch. There is indeed a restaurant on the main highway after crossing the Ormara junction where Javed Coach also takes a stop however I have to yet try that.

Finally Some Food!

How is the security?

During the last many trips I did not see any security issues. But this does not mean that one avoids the precautions.

Try to keep low profile, shalwar kameez are the ideal to achieve that. Give respect to the locals and avoid traveling after dark. Security concerns arise from the locals’ perception that Pakistani security agencies are usurping their rights and the word ‘Punjabi’ is like a ‘gaali’there, so keep that in mind too.

Usually I found Makrani people hardworking, friendly, harmless, and busy in their lives, but don’t close your eyes.

Uptil Ormara it’s pretty uninhabited and cutoff from the rest of the country therefore very safe. Pasni is connected with Turbat by road which kept disturbed sporadically while Gwadar is pretty much calm and peaceful in my experience.

What is the condition of the road?

This question is actually redundant! This is such an excellent road that I would only suggest to keep your speed checked - 100 km/h is approximately the most optimum especially from the fuel perspective - and watch out sfor roped barricades raised by customs and levies one of which I erroneously overrode!

The Freeway!

http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/02/06/the-great-canyon/

Tea Party at Pasni Jetty

You will find this tea vendor, or the Chai Wala, at the jetty near the auction house serving hot tea to his customers, mainly fishermen and auction hall labours. His portable cart allows him to keep changing his shop with Sun’s direction to provide his customers with a level of comfort! So, if you want to refresh up yourself then there is no harm in having a make-to-order cup of tea. Don’t forget to tell him about your preferences, for a strong tea or the Karak Chai, beforehand otherwise expect a sugary and a milky syrup with a pinch of tea. And beware, there are no seating arrangements, so have it like they do at Italian cafes!

Pasni Trap: The Fish Adventure

Pasni, and in fact the whole Makran coast for that matter, is so much about fish. So much so that a historian of Alexander era complained that all food, even mutton, in Makran tastes like fish. He actually could not figure out that local chefs usually use the same crockery and the oil for cooking other food which they have already used to cook the fish! But where is the trap?

Actually, locals over there eat all kinds of fish without even giving preferences to the taste and to the texture. Not to mention, that they have their own recipes to turnaround some of the bland varieties into sumptuous meals. But making things worse, they even don’t mind having fish full of thorns which otherwise can disturb one’s ENT mechanism. Anyway, overwhelmed by this fish-centric culture, we chose a fish and only after the BBQ we found out that the fish is a combination of both of the above mentioned qualities, alas! Full of thorns and no taste, hence it was a total waste.

But this is not to suggest at all that one should avoid the fish in the land of fish-eaters (actual meaning of the word Makran). This would be an injustice, in fact. However, one needs to be a bit choosy and should avoid unfamiliar fish verities even though they look popular among locals. Instead search for varieties like Surmai, Sonu, Heera, Ghissar, Mangra, Mushka, and obviously the tasty Pamphlet.

Pasni is for Seafood!

Our Shrimp Catch at Pasni Beach!

It would be injustice to Pasni and to one’s own self should someone visit the place and does not have seafood, available in wide and at times weird varieties. Though Pasni is a small time town, but it accounts for the significant seafood catch out of the total Makran coast produce, most of which makes its way to export markets due to its size and quality. Good news is one can buy the precious metal, say fish and shrimps, over there in whatever quantity they fancy without breaking their pockets. Unfortunately, I had to wait for my second visit to take benefit out of this value proposition as the first one, enroute to Gwadar, only proved to be a raky.

I thought we would get a better and a fresher deal from the fishing jetty itself rather than bargaining at the fish market; and the fluke went well. We bought more than three pounds of medium sized pink prawns, called Jheera in the local jargon, and small sized unfamiliar fish in the similar quantity from one of the fish traders. Including the labour to peel and clean the treasure, to make it ready for the BBQ, we paid a meager sum of around PKR 800, i.e. around USD 9.

It is totally another story that the fish was nothing but a lesson learned; it was actually BBQed shrimps that made our long day after a drive of more than 500 kilometers. At the end of that sea side BBQ evening, we were all wondering why not we bought three pounds of shrimp for each five of us in the first place! To make up for this gross oversight, we decided to load the ice box with shrimps and sneaked into the jetty again the next morning, only to learn that shrimp carrying boats usually dock at the jetty before the sunset, alas!

One can also take benefit of the local eateries which sell cooked, usually fired, seafood including fish, shrimps, and lobsters with authentic local taste. It would be interesting to mention here that the word Makran is derived from Mahi, means fish, and Khor, means eater. And people of Makran are proud fish lovers to the extent that a historian of Alexander era suggested that all the food, even mutton, in Makran coastal range taste like fish!

Pasni Shopping - Shrimp Deal

Fresh Prwans for Rs. 600 only!

Pasni may be called a paradise for shrimp lovers, where one can buy high quality shrimps, prawns, and lobsters (and I just googled to find out that there is actually a minute difference between shrimps and prawns!) without breaking their pockets.

The tested method is to head to the jetty, instead of bargain hunting at the local fish market, for a better and a fresher deal. The best time for this fortune hunting is a little after noon till the sunset. Well, at the jetty, there are no formal shops or stalls which sell the sea-catch as such. So what I am suggesting here? That one jumps into the rich sea and catch some for them, obviously not! One practical way is to walk along the beach located on the left side of the jetty until one finds fishermen busy in trapping fish and shrimps. Due to the natural setting of the Pasni bay, some lazy fishermen usually get their share of shrimps barehanded, i.e. without even a boat. So, if you find one with a satisfied face and some load in their hands, don’t wait and quote your price after having a brief look at their catch. A pound of medium sized prawns, not significantly smaller than jumbo tiger prawns, should not cost you more than PKR 200, i.e. around 0.25 USD.

Should you not feel confident of your luck, there is another way out, which I tried and managed to break a value deal. Go to one of the fish collecting shops, which in fact front for export dealers, located around the jetty. These places are very visible and can be located from the fish loading/de-loading activity. Tell them, in a polite tone, that you are not into fish business and need only a couple of pounds shrimps for yourself and that you could not find that fresh and big shrimps elsewhere. They may ignore you but be persistent to get your deal. This way, we bought more than three pounds of medium sized shrimps for around PKR 600, i.e. around USD 7! Deal, isn’t it? Btw, after breaking the deal, we had to go to the nearby fish market to peel them off and to make them good for the BBQ we did along the seaside.

Juddi Hotel in Pasni - When You Dont Have Choices

Juddi Guest House and Restaurant is located in the heart of Pasni and is the only livable place commercially available on the whole Makran coast barring Gwadar. Although I did not stay there, though intended, thanks to one of the colleagues who arranged for a private guesthouse, but the place is worth mentioning because of lack of accommodation facilities in Pasni and Ormara.

The hotel is a basic lodging place with primary facilities. Rooms were just fine and were categorized into AC and non-AC, which signifies the level of cleanliness and hence the higher price. Staff was polite and cooperative, apparently. I also sneaked into the bathroom of one of the AC rooms, which appeared clean and odorless. There was a restaurant also on the mezzanine floor which also looked ok in terms of cleanliness and as per the given conditions.

The hotel is recommendable not because of its merits but due to lack of options. We actually wanted to spend the night at Ormara, but only after searching wildly for a livable place for an hour or so we resorted to plan B, i.e. Pasni. Therefore, Juddi Hotel is effectively the only commercial option along the Makran Coastal Highway before Gwadar. The place is also ideal if one is planning for Astola Island.

Pricing: For a double bed, we had been quoted PKR 1,500 (around USD 17) and PKR 600 (around PKR 7) for AC and non-AC room, respectively. I assume that these rooms are negotiable to the extent of PKR 100-200 depending upon the demand supply scenario. During my second visit, when we actually stayed in Pasni, we bargained for triple bed room with extra mattresses for five of us and the guy was finally willing to charge us PKR 2000 (around USD 23) for one night.

The Pasni Surprise

Pasni is a small fishing town located along Makran Coastal Highway some 500 kilometers from Karachi, or around 120 kilometers short of Gwadar, and is considered as one of the main shipping hubs of Makran coastal range.

Seafood and Sunrise

Two reasons the town can easily be fit into an explorer’s itinerary are the inexpensive seafood and the amazing sunrise along its eastern coastline, the latter is otherwise an exception in Pakistan as country’s coastal line is largely South/West facing.

My Peeks

My first visit of the town was in fact a sojourn during the Road Trip to Gwadar in September 2010. Actually, I aimed to collect some firsthand information especially about accommodation options in the town and about logistics to Astola Island. My travel buddy, Haris, and I wanted to visit the island but the paucity of time, the low tide, and the absence of economy forced us from making the voyage.

A month later, a group of colleagues made a plan to explore the Coastal Highway till Ormara and gave me no choice but to join them. Pasni was actually the Plan B of our trip, in case we would not find a place to spend the night in Ormara. And we did not! The town surprised us with its inexpensive seafood and the magnificent sunrise. However, I could not do the island again, alas, because of time constraint.

Pasni Differentiation

One of the distinguishing features of this town is the presence of a deep sea island, referred to as Astola in the Atlas, under its administrative jurisdiction. This 200 feet high platform, locally known as Haft Lar, mainly attracts scuba divers due to the steep fall on its Northern face and also used as a base by the local fishermen in the netting season. Ruins of an antique Hindu temple and a mosque attributed to Hazrat Khizr increase the mysteriousness associated with the isle.

Although Pasni is a small settlement, which had been further overshadowed by the emergence of Gwadar and hence ignored by travelers, however, history of this town dates back to Alexander’s Indian Campaign and further back to Harappan era.

Astola Island - A Dream Yet to Come True!

Approximately 30 nautical miles from Pasni, located a rare and uninhabited island in the Arabian Sea. The island, shown as Astola on the atlas while famous as Haftlar (seven hills) among locals, is a 200 feet high flat surface with a vertical drop on its North face. The Arabian Sea atoll is famous among scuba divers, because of crystal clear water, and air travelers who report a breathtaking bird eye view while traveling between Karachi and Makran Coast cities.

Due to its desolated nature, the island is abode to various marine species, notably green turtle and Astola viper, and birds. Astola remains inaccessible during Monsoons (June to August) but then serves as a base for local fishermen during the fishing season. A 2-3 night camping looks enough to explore the 4 square kilometer island, however, scuba lovers may enjoy longer stays as well. For seafood maniacs, the adventure camping would be a perfect treat as the place is favorite among fishermen because of the top quality lobsters, jumbo shrimps, and oysters; loads of which can be bought against few pennies. Also, ruins of an antique Hindu Mandir attributed to Kali Devi (the Goddess of Death) and a mosque attributing to the legendary Hazrat Khizr are also present there.

There is a flip side also as there is no regular transport between the isle and the mainland, instead one has to either negotiate customized trips at Pasni jetty or feel lucky if some fishermen agree to carry them along. Because of this uncertainty, I have yet to make the voyage. All I sorted out in my three consecutive trips to Pasni last month is that one should have at-least two nights to make it feasible plus a group in the multiple of 4-5 will be required to make it economically optimum. Now I am looking for a bunch of friends having a pinch of adventure and who can afford the speed boat fuel. Can’t wait!

ONE Road, ~TWO Thousand Kilometers in THREE Days

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After a short day-trip to Rock Formations on Makran Coastal Highway last month, I could not resist and made another plan till Gwadar and beyond.

I was accompanied by a friend Haris; a couple of other friends were also interested but could not join due to other commitments. We planned to leave on Sunday September 19, so I made necessary arrangements on Saturday including arrangement of supplies (food, water, extra fuel, etc) and pre-trip car checkup. We departed around 6:30 in the morning on the scheduled day; first took Northern Bypass from zero point, which actually proved wrong because of heavy traffic, then replenished the CNG cylinder from Hub and Petrol tank from Windar, as per the previous experiences, and took our first major break at Hingol River Bridge for brunch at around 10:30 am.

We than continued till Pasni – bypassing Rock Formations, Kund Malir, and Ormara – and stopped at Pasni Fish Harbor to gather information about Astola Island logistics. At around 5:30 pm, we finally managed to enter into Gwadar city after a journey of around 700 km, and subsequently searched and negotiated for night stay. Early morning, the next day, we visited Zaver Pearl Continental and Gwadar Fish Harbor, and then embarked for Jiwani. On our way, we were struck by a pleasant surprise by the roadside milestone, which showed distance from Pak Iran border in addition to that of Jiwani. That was real good news for us and that too in the wilderness, as I was not expecting a highway type road till Iran border.

We returned back to Gwadar before sunset.

Next morning we started our journey back home after replenishing both, our car’s fuel tank and ours. Instead of bypassing Pasni, as per the morning’s plan, we decided to give Astola Island a second chance, but only to gather further information about the voyage. We took brief stops at Rock Formations and Malir Kund beach first and then went off the highway to follow Hinglaj Yatra. Luckily, the water in the stream was not enough to halt our car, so we made all the way to Mandir by car, and luckily found a troupe from Karachi to add flavor in our expedition. It was around 6 pm when we rejoined the highway, and due to night driving blues, could only made it to Karachi by around 11 pm.

Pictures and tips will follow in coming days, Inshallah, so stay tuned…

Makran Coastal Highway: Distance from Karachi to Iran Border

While planning my Makran Coastal Highway trips, I could not find much information about exact distances between cities and other attractions along the highway, so I thought to mark them myself during my trips in August and September (2010), and here it goes:

(All distances are calculated from Hub Toll, for the sake of uniformity, which is 40-50 km from Karachi depending on the route and point of departure)

km    Milestone

000   Hub Toll

002   RCD CNG (adjacent to PSO pump) - Last chance

006   Hub Check Post (Motor Registration Certificate + CNIC)
035   Gadani Check Post (Motor Registration Certificate)

053   Petrol Pump at Windar (last chance for Pakistani petrol)

088   Makran Coastal Highway Starts
099   Lasbella Levies Check Post (Motor Registration Certificate + License)

164   Bad Patch (bridge under construction - stay on the road)

190   Tyre Shop (second one after MCH zero point)

216   Nani Mandir (Hinglaj) Sign - further 15 km off-highway

216   Hingol River Bridge 

216   Roadside Hotel - reasonable for tea and meals

225   Kund Malir 

243   Princess of Hope 

256   Buzi Pass area

335   Ormara Chowk 

374   Road Bump - just before a bridge

502   Pasni Junction 

513   PNS Makran cut 

610   Surbandar cut 

618   Gwadar Junction 

667   Iran Border/Jiwani Junction - Jiwani is 32 km from this point

698   Pak Iran Border 

This is with due credits to my companions who helped me in recording these milestones. Numbers are mostly curtailed down (instead of rounding them off) and are subject to recording and editing errors.

Feedback and queries are welcome.