Travel Guide To Karachi, Largest City Of Pakistan

Karachi is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the largest and most populated city in Pakistan, with a metropolitan population usually ranked among the top 5 cities in the world. Karachi is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, north-west of the Indus River Delta and has a mild climate. The city is the financial and commercial centre as well as the largest port of the country. The metropolitan area along with its suburbs comprises the world's fourth most populated city, spread over 3,530 square kilometers.

The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants and refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins who have largely come to settle here permanently. It is locally termed as the City of Lights (روشنیوں کا شہر) for its liveliness and the City of The Quaid (شہرِ قائد), for not only being both the birth and death place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan but also his home after 1947.

Residents and those born in the city are called "Karachiites".

Getting Around

The main ways of getting around in Karachi is through buses, and it is used by the majority of the Karachi population. However, outsiders might be put off by the cramped conditions in the buses, and might prefer travelling in taxis. There are two kinds of taxis in Karachi, Yellow and Black. The yellow ones are generally thought to be better than the black ones. Although they do charge a greater mark up. As in any nation, elements can overcharge "foreigners". 99.99% of taxis don't have any meter, so you should first fix the charge and the location with the driver before getting in. The official per kilometer rate is around 10 Rupees but expect to pay around double of that.

There is also the so called "Radio/White Cab" service, which is airconditioned and can be called in at the airport or anywhere in the city. Typical cost for a full day (8 hours, 150 KM) is $25 (USD). White Cab Tel No. 00-92-111-789-786 or within karachi 111-789-786. Per kilometer rate is 15 Rupees plus Rs. 50 calling charges.

A new company, "Metro Cabs" is considered highly efficient, their taxis are usually easily available from the airport, rates are very reasonable. Metro Cab Tel. No. 00-92-21-111-222-787 or within Karachi 111-222-787.

Once you get the hang of travelling in Karachi, it becomes a very entertaining experience. You meet new people and get to see really unexpected things. It's not very hard to find a mode of transportation and if you know what you are doing, very easy to get around.