Islamabad is the face of modern Pakistan and evidently, owns the largest population of expats within the whole country. Known for its state of the art infrastructure, commercial hub, entertainment zones, first-class cityscape and fine food scene, Islamabad is a place every new-comer would find convenient and a seamless fit. No doubt, the South Asian culture would give you surprises each day, however, Islamabad’s accommodating ethos are one of its biggest appeal to culture-aficionados especially, and expats in general. If you have a thing for Urdu, then Islamabad might leave you completely engrossed and flattered. Combined with a modern tweak of English, the cultural assimilation within the city is clearly visible.
What makes Islamabad so great is both its trailblazing urban planning as well as touch with medieval practices. Almost 14 kms of Rawalpindi, Islamabad has been in good hands since ancient times and several legendary personalities like Konstantinos, Edward Durell Stone and Gio Ponti, have been associated, ever since it was the interim capital of Pakistan. Home to important administrative buildings like the Secretariat, Pakistan House, National Assembly Building, Grand National Mosque, President’s House and government official quarters, Islamabad’s declaration as a capital city was surely written in the stars. It’s true that some cities are simply beautiful due to a break with tradition and contemporary metamorphosis, however, when talking about Islamabad, one cannot fail to acknowledge the natural beauty within which the city hides.
Perched on the Pothohar Plateu, which chronicles the history of the first Asian settlement, Islamabad, makes Islamabad an exceptionally valuable archaeological location. Moreover, the Indus valley civilisation and Aryans have been said to have inhabited the city in pre-historic times. There has also been clear evidence that Islamabad served as a strategic location for several conquerors like Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. The landscape of this spectacular capital city is rich with historical artefacts, cultural heritage and enormous investigation scope.
Just like other South Asian destinations, Islamabad has 5 staple climates, namely, summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. Precisely exhibiting subtropical weather, Islamabad, has both rainy winters and rainy summers. The hottest month, June, raises the temperatures uptil 38 degrees. On the other hand, the coldest month, January, sees a dip with temperatures going as low as 4 degrees. Monsoons in Islamabad are hot and humid with temperatures sometimes nearing the highest records of June on some days. Nearby hills like Murree and NathiaGali experience snowfall during the winter months, thus, offering a little change from the subtropical weather conditions.
As far as places of touristy interest are concerned, the Pakistan Monument is something you can’t afford to miss and guess what it is right in the city centre! So, that’s one thing you can check-off your list. Up next on this list, is Islamabad’s biggest revolutionary, Centaurus Mall. A mall isn’t that big of a deal, one might say, however, it is! And that is for you to experience first-hand. Apart from these, the Faisal Mosque, Daman – E – Koh and others, are points of attraction that make living here fascinating and worthwhile. Overall, Islamabad has all shades on the cosmopolitan spectrum, making it an expat-friendly location, especially the ones who want more than just simple existence.
What’s the draw:
- An incredible ethnic geography which is far more intriguiging to experience than just talk about
- A cost of living which makes it easy for expats to have a supreme standard of living
- Culinary crowd-pullers that make living in Pakistan a worthwhile affair
Living There
It’s no secret that expats find Islamabad to be the closest fit to modern standards, in Pakistan. Being the third-cheapest country, living in Islamabad guarantees the best of both worlds, for people wanting both a metropolitan city and decent cost of living. However, what most of them face difficulty adjusting with is its weather. Additionally, a conservative lifestyle can be the second factor that expats might find difficult to deal with. However, some form of cultural assimilation would help you figure out the trick behind leading a happy life in the city. This guide covers several hot topics that would be of great help to expats, who are both in the process of relocation or have relocated.
- This expat info guide on Islamabad and Pakistan can prove to be instrumental, when stuck on questions like where to live, what to eat, how to commute and several others
- Covering best residential areas in Islamabad, this guide gives a general idea about accomodation range and budgets
- To ease into the culture, this guide will help you understand fundamentals of Pakistani customs
- In short, this expat’s guide on Islamabad can work like a manual for a smooth transition, so do give it a read.
