Karachi

Karachi is developing a cruise terminal at Manora Island. Plans include a 700 m quay wall capable of handling the latest cruise liners.

Karachi has 18 million residents, so there is no shortage of things to do.

Allow the city to overwhelm you with its scale and reach, striking sights and sounds, and heart-breaking divide between rich and poor. Karachi is not merely a city; it is a world in itself.

Safety concerns lead most visitors to choose cruise-organised excursions.

You can shop to your heart’s content in the massive range of markets and bazaars dotted around the city, or at the many modern shopping malls across affluent sectors, especially Defence and Clifton.

Pakistan uses the Pakistani Rupee.

Major credit cards are accepted by large department and souvenir shops and every upscale restaurant. Smaller shops may add their 2-3% service free to a card payment, but this is negotiable, so feel free to haggle.

Cyber-cafes appear on virtually every street corner, with rates as low as Rs.15-20 per hour.

Holidays: Ashoura, February 20; Pakistan Day, March 23; Independence Day, August 14; Eid al-Fitr, November 3-5; Allama Muhammad Iqbal Day, November 9; and Quaid-e-Azam’s Birthday, December 25. Islamic religious holidays follow the moon cycle and other factors, so none of these observances has a fixed date.