KARACHI: Pakistan is among the top 10 “under-the-radar” travel destinations for 2020, according to a recent article published by well-known business magazine Forbes.

“Closed countries are opening up. Savvy luxury agencies are making remote destinations accessible to travellers who don’t want to rough it or risk much,” the US-based publication said.

The Forbes’ list also features Armenia, Chad, Eritrea, Guatemala, Mongolia and Saudi Arabia.

Citing adventure travel company Wild Frontiers, the magazine noted that Pakistan had become an increasingly attractive destination, especially after the recent visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

“Pakistan is perhaps the ultimate adventure travel destination,” Jonny Bealby, the founder of Wild Frontiers, told Forbes.

“It offers ancient Indus civilisations stretching back 4,000 years, and exciting cities like Lahore with its forts, mosques and palaces. But most of all, it offers incredible scenery, particularly in the north where the three greatest mountain ranges collide. Pakistan is great for trekking, mountain biking, rafting or just cultural tourism,” he said.

The infrastructure, he added, had also improved, with resurfaced roads and new tunnels cutting down travel time. New luxury hotels were also opening up in the region.

Last year, Pakistan made it to the list of US publication Condé Nast’s traveller’s list of best holiday destinations for this year.In December, travel magazine Wander­lust listed nine destinations of Pakistan for adventurers in 2020, from the magical Himalayan valleys to lunar landscapes of bubbling mud volcanoes.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2020