Explore the cave city of Pakistan – Gondrani

As an underground natural chamber on the side of a hill or cliff formed due to erosion and dissolution of rocks, cave tends to carry an aura of mystery. From serving as a shelter and food storage to being used as a prayer site, these shadowy openings have a history that dates way before the inception of humans.

The alluring nature of these caves attracts humans because they like mysterious things. Throughout the various taciturn of history, man has tried to discover and explore these alluring gifts of nature. This is one reason why caves have emerged as one of the leading tourist destinations among extreme adventure lovers.

If caves are what allure you then imagine a city which is full of caves. You must be thinking that we are out of our mind, but hold your horses. Keep calm and read this exclusive article by Jovago Pakistan to know all about this mysterious yet actual cave city in Pakistan which has emerged as one of the tourist destinations.

Location

Near the Bela city in Balochistan, which is the largest province of Pakistan, lies the mountainous region of Gondrani. It is located at a distance of 200 km from Karachi and is basically an archeological site. In order to reach this tourist site, one has to travel through a gravel road from Bela city which heads towards a small stream that is surrounded by caves of Shehr-e-Roghan.

History

The caves of Gondrani date back to the 7th century A.D. However, archeologists are still not able to find the origin of these mysterious caves, due to several different myths revolving around it. Many people believe that the caves of Gondrani were carved by the Buddhists who ruled over the area at that time.

Popular names

Gondrani is also known as Shehr-e-Roghan, Cave City of Lasbella, Cave Dwellings of Gondrani, House of the Spirits; its nickname being the cave city of Pakistan.

Description

The Gondrani caves are small in size and therefore, visitors can easily touch their ceilings. They are carved on the inner sides of the mountains, which contain pebble type rocks. Due to the surrounding streams flowing by, some of the caves are so high on the water content that they have water plants that are actually hanging.

ACCA and SECP MoU signing on Investor Education and Awareness

Lahore, 3^rd March 2017: ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) recently signed an MoU with Securities and Exchange Commission Pakistan (SECP) as both ACCA and SECP share a common vision of advancing public interest and are committed towards the promotion of investor education and awareness.

The attendees at the signing ceremony included Ayla Majid and Phoebe Hao You, ACCA Council Members, Helen Brand, Chief Executive ACCA and Sajjeed Aslam, Head of ACCA Pakistan. The senior management from SECP included Akif Saeed, Commissioner SECP and Khalida Habib, Director, Investor Education SECP.

                     

The MOU is expected to be a starting point of the relationship between the two entities and will be moving on to broader matters concerning general financial literacy in Pakistan. Under this MoU the organizations will jointly organize ‘Investor Awareness Seminar’ series throughout Pakistan as well as hosting local and global conferences which shall contribute to the investor education campaign.

The Potential of Improving the Religious Tourism in Pakistan

A society is made up of various facets that are woven together to form the norms and values. These different facets of the society, including religion, education and language act as the building blocks for the norms and values that are expected to be followed by all members of the society.

When different societies are knitted together, a beautiful mosaic in the form of a national society which represents a country emerges. Pakistan is one such country that is made up of various different societies and therefore possesses a rich culture. This culture, along with the mighty heritage makes Pakistan a must-visit destination! It is on the bucket list of travelers belonging to various faiths including Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Be it the Sikhs’ Gurdwaras of Hassan Abdal and Nankana Sahib or the Hindus Mandirs of Shri Swaminarayan and Katasraj, the Buddhists sites of Takht Bahi and Taxila or the Muslim’s necropolis city of Thatta and the various Sufi shrines, Pakistan has got it all.

Every year, people belonging to various religions travel to Pakistan, alone or in the form of a group, to perform pilgrimage of their respective Holy places. These homages have resulted in the development of a niche in the form of religious tourism which in turn expanded the overall tourism industry. Thereby, it won’t be wrong to say that Pakistan can benefit from this increase in the tourism industry and turn into a major revenue generating sector.

There are several reasons as to support this claim. Firstly, the ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will result in infrastructure development particularly in transportation, telecommunication and energy which will make traveling for pilgrims immensely convenient. For example, Buddhists from countries like China, Korea and Japan will be able to travel by road, due to the construction of Karakoram Highway and other motorways, to various Buddhists sites that are spread all over the country.

Secondly, seeing the potential that Pakistan’s economy possesses, foreign direct investments have also increased in the country. One example of such investment done in the country is that of the World Bank which plans to invest $50 million in order to promote religious tourism in Pakistan. This investment’s primary focus is to help develop the heritage sites related to Sikhism as Pakistan is home to five of the Sikhs’ most important religious sites.

Thereby, it won’t be wrong to say that Pakistan is the Mecca of Sikhs, as a result of which Sikhs from all over the world consider it their religious duty to travel to various shrines in Pakistan. Seeing this potential, it seems like the government plansto attract more and more Sikhs pilgrims. To help smoothen their journey, the government will construct a three-star hotel and a 220 room guest house at Nankana Sahib.

In addition to this, the thriving e-commerce industry in Pakistan serves as a major boost to the tourism industry in Pakistan. This can be proved by the Rocket Internet group’s investments in various startup ventures including Jovago Pakistan, which is the leading hotel booking website of the country. All of these are working towards smoothing the travel experience of the tourists. These startups have already helped in increasing both the local and foreign tourists.

All of these reasons point in one direction; Pakistan has huge potential to turn the long forgotten, faith tourism sector into a thriving sector which will serve as a major boost to the overall economy. This is because, it will attract millions of people belonging to various religions to pay homage and strengthen their beliefs. This will be only possible if all stakeholders play their roles in igniting the prosperity of this particular sector.

International Startups That Have Been Successful in Pakistan

Small and Medium sized businesses are said to be the backbone of the economy because they not only provide employment to the local people but they are also an important source of generating revenue for the GDP. Seeing the potential that these small and medium businesses possess, many new startups have found their way into the market.

These startup businesses have gained popularity because of their unique ideas and their adoption of new marketing techniques such as digital marketing. Following the global footsteps, the Pakistani economy is seeing a similar trend as new startups have emerged in various different sectors. Seeing the potential of the Pakistani economy, many international startups have started their operations in the South Asian country.

Jovago Pakistan has compiled a list of international e-commerce businesses that have launched their ventures in Pakistan.

Uber
The world’s largest online transportation service provider is finally here in Karachi! It is said that in its Middle Eastern Market, Uber got the most phenomenal response from its launch in Karachi. In the month of March, Uber entered the Pakistani market by providing transportation services in the city which is considered to be the heart of Pakistan. Unlike its operations in other countries, the Pakistani cities are among the few global cities where users are allowed to make a cash payment for taxi fares.

Jovago Pakistan
Pakistan’s best hotel booking website is part of the Rocket Internet Group and has its operations in more than 13 countries around the world. Jovago started its operations in Pakistan in March 2015. It has an inventory of more than 2000 hotels in Pakistan and 225,000 hotels around the world. The e-commerce venture competes on three features: best price, 24/7 customer service and the largest hotel inventory in Pakistan.

Careem
Careem International provides transport solutions to Middle Eastern countries. It extended its operations in Pakistan in 2012 and it provides rides to people in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. It is the pioneer of e-based transport solutions provider in Pakistan. The startup business allows customers to pay at their own convenience.

Foodpanda
Another successful venture of Rocket Internet Group, Foodpanda is operating in 500 cities around the globe. It is basically a takeaway food ordering website which not only provides a platform to restaurants and cafes where they can promote their businesses through digital marketing but also provides customers with a wide range of gastronomic range to choose from.

These startup businesses have provided a major boost to the Pakistani economy. It is predicted that the South Asian economy will be among those 10 nations that will inject approximately $4.3 billion to the global GDP in the next ten years. We hope that further startup ventures emerge in various sectors of the economy and play their roles in both the local and international arena. We wish them all the best for their endeavors.

Social Media and Its Impact on Pakistan’s Tourism Industry

Technology has enabled people from all over the world to stay connected with others, irrespective of the distance. The communication barrier between people has between removed to a great extent by the introduction of various innovation including smartphones and social media.

The revolution brought about by technology is phenomenal. It has literally breathe life into the word ‘convenience’ by letting it seep into our lives through various inventions. This can be seen through the various platforms that the technology has provided to people so that they are better able to connect and remain in touch.

One such platform is the social media which in its literal sense means the use of technology to create and share information, ideas and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. Popular social media platforms include Facebook, twitter, youtube, Instagram etc.

Not only people are using these platforms to connect with other people but businesses too are using the opportunity to their benefit. They are using this platform to reach customers beyond the geographical boundaries and to connect and sell their products. They are doing this by offering customers the opportunity to shop online.

Apart from the brick and mortar stores, online shopping has emerged as an important platform for businesses to connect and engage with their customers by going beyond the geographical boundaries by creating a virtual market.

As the wings of technology spreads are spread in Pakistan, the country seems to go through a revolution. This technological advancement has opened the world of social media to the large Pakistani market, comprising of 210 million people. With more and more people joining social media platforms each day, the platform has emerged as an important tool that can be used by businesses to their advantage.

Seeing the potential that the large online market provides, many startup businesses have already made their launches in Pakistan in various sectors of the economy. In the travel and tourism sector, many startup ventures including Jovago Pakistan, Uber and Careem have already launched their successful operations. These startups have revolutionized the tourism industry in a better way.

By the introduction of these startups traveling has been made very easy. Gone are the days when people had to spent a large time planning their trip and then spending huge sums of money to ensure a safe trip is made. People nowadays are able to make quicker and cheaper travel plans including online hotel booking.

Moreover, with the emergence of social media platform people are more aware of everything that is going around them. For instance, when it comes to traveling, people are more aware of the new tourist spots that have been discovered in the country. With blogs, they get hold of the information about a place, which otherwise would have been difficult for them.

The social media has transformed the tourism sector for the better, and the changes brought by it in this sector are phenomenal. We hope that this transformation helps in boosting of the overall Pakistani economy.

Jovago provides an article about freedom to choose your best holiday dates

Ever had an experience where the place of your visit was already brimming with tourists which resulted in you not enjoying your trip because you could not explore the area properly? If your answer is in the affirmative, then you may already know the importance of vacation timing.

If you have not come across this negative aura, then read this article by Jovago Pakistan to ensure that you remain safe from this evil.

The reason why the timing of your trip matter is because it is one factor which can make the difference between a great vacation and a potential disaster. Although not everyone gets the opportunity to decide when to go on a trip, there are a few things which you should ponder upon while planning your vacation.

Peak travel season
Traveling during the peak season will most likely end up putting a dent in your bank account because of the skyrocketing prices of air fares and other traveling expenses. Moreover, peak season means the tourist destination getting over crowded which can result in you not enjoying your trip. Therefore, our advice will be to avoid traveling in the peak season.

Local Holidays
While planning the trip, many people forget to check the local holidays at the place of their visit. One should check these holidays as they might mean closed businesses and non-availability of other facilities. You go about on a vacation to explore the local area and not to get stuck at your resort because the entire area is closed down. Therefore, it will be better if you take the help of our Google friend.

Travel deals
With the emergence of e-commerce businesses in the hotel industry, the dynamics of this industry have changed. Gone are the days when you has to sulk around in order to book a hotel room. Nowadays, you have the ease of searching and reserving a hotel room from anywhere to everywhere by simply taking the aid of the travel websites such as Jovago Pakistan which is the no 1 hotel booking website in Pakistan. Not only do these travel websites take your specific requirements such as price, hotel type etc into consideration and provide you with the best hotels, they also provide crazy deals which help you in saving money.

If you have any other way as to how you can ensure that you have a great trip by focusing on perfecting your travel timings, then do share it with us in the comments section below.

Best Accommodation is on your finger-tips because of technology

Are you planning to go on trip to somewhere but cringe at the thought of making all those hectic arrangements for it? If yes, then you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

With the introduction of technology, the element of worry has been removed from the planning aspect of traveling. The advent of internet and smartphones have opened the gates to a new yet convenient world where people have the power to do anything from anywhere to everywhere.

Be it the ordering of the new jacket for your upcoming trip or even reserving a hotel room at your prospective destination, the digital world is your new best friend.

Gone are the days when people would sulk on the thought of wandering about in the new place in search of a decent hotel room. As technology spreading its wings everywhere, booking a hotel is just a click away. Oh wait, did we say ‘a click away’? Oh yes!

Our friend technology has enabled many businesses to use the digital platform to expand their operations and to increase customer awareness. In the hotel industry, several travel websites such as Jovago Pakistan, which is the no 1 hotel booking website in Pakistan, have emerged on the digital platform. These website offer various travel related service including hotel booking.

The emergence of travel websites has changed the landscape of the hotel industry. This is because they offer a customized search engine which filters out hotels according to the customer’s criteria. By mentioning your preference in terms of location, hotel type and price range, you can get the perfect hotel that fits your requirements. Thereby enabling you to reserve the perfect accommodation even before you head out for your vacations.

Moreover, you can avail the crazy discounts offered by these hotel websites which will serve as the cherry on the cake. You can save money through these discounts, which you can then spend on purchasing souvenirs which will serve as the perfect reminder of the great time you had.

To further increase the convenience offered to travelers, travel websites have introduced their smartphone applications. This has in turn enabled users to search, compare and reserve the best hotel room from the convenience of their smartphone only.

What are you waiting for? Get hold of the best hotel room for the trip that you have been planning for by just using your smartphone. Hotel booking has never been easier. Hail Technology!

Do not forget to share your booking experience with us in the comments section below.