Written by: Amna Naseem
Posted on: November 05, 2020 | 
| 中文
The View of Kund Malir
Many people in Pakistan often hear about the natural beauty of Balochistan, but rarely do they get to visit. With the largest land mass and the least population, Balochistan has a desert, some of the most beautiful and untouched beaches, and various mountains like Kirthar, Kush, Koh-i-Murdar and Koh-i-Sultan. Now, tourists from Sindh and particularly Karachi venture to the province for long drives and sandy beaches. One of the more underrated places is the secluded waterfall in Khuzdar district called Chaaro Machi, that has been a popular spot to visit of late. However, nothing beats driving along the gorgeous coastline and entering the unknown.
Chaaro Machi Waterfall
Beaches in Balochistan stretch across the coastline along the Arabian Sea, all the way to Pakistan’s border with Iran. The more popular ones include Gaddani, Pasni, Somniani and Ormara beaches, while the coastal city of Gwadar is slowly becoming a business hub due to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). These beaches were initially exclusively for fishing, which involved up to 70% of the coastline’s population. However, now beaches are being used for tourism and recreational purposes.
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the pristine and peaceful Kund Malir Beach with my family. Kund Malir, situated near Hingol National Park, has been dubbed one of the most beautiful undiscovered beaches of the world. It is famous for its diverse landscape that changes from a desert to a mountain range, to deep blue ocean. Kund Malir is an attraction for those who are fascinated by rugged landscapes and attracted by adventurous travel. Without any preparations, we began our journey from Karachi to the town of Hub, which comes after the ‘Bab-e-Balochistan’ (Door to Balochistan).
Makran Coastal Highway
The distance from Karachi to Zero Point, from where the Makran Coastal Highway starts, is 137 KM, which is roughly a two-hour car ride. Inaugurated in 2002, this highway is extremely smooth and easy to navigate, extending to Pasni, Ormara and Gwadar. One can cross through smaller villages like Winder and Ambagh, that lie between Hub City and the Makran Coastal Highway toll plaza. However, one is advised to buy snacks and fill up on petrol as early as possible, as there are very few pit stops or villages ahead of Zero Point.
We were lucky enough to see the vast and breathtaking sunrise on the highway, and the view ahead drastically changed as we proceeded. From a single road with miles and miles of white sand and small bushes of varying color on both sides, the mountains started to appear, standing in all their glory. The dawn and the clouds at the level of the mountain peaks looked mesmerizing.
Rocky Formations at Kund Malir
Even the mountains changed color after a while, from brown to dark brown, to white and ash grey. In this desolate area, some people wearing their traditional outfit on the roadside walking their camels. Another famous tourist site along the road is the Nani Mandir, a.k.a Hinglaj Devi Mata Mandir, a sacred spot for the local Hindu population. It is located in the center of Hingol National park in the Lasebla district, and in order to visit this temple, one has to take a detour off the highway.
The Platform at the Hinglaj Mandir
The name ‘Hinglaj’ possibly comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Hingula’, which means ‘vermillion’. The temple has the largest Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan, which is the Hinglaj Yatra. The Hinglaj Mata is a powerful deity of great importance, known for bringing good to her devotees. The shrine is located inside a natural cave, where a shapeless stone is placed on a mud altar, as the symbolic representation of the Hinglaj deity.
Kund Malir is thirty minutes away from the temple, close enough for one to hear the crashing waves and coastal birds. The beach itself is exceptionally clean, with a clear blue ocean and tall, rugged mountains around it. The water is clean, about as deep as in the beaches of Karachi, and there are very few people to disturb the peace or litter it. There also is an accessible spot on the top of one mountain, from where one can see a panoramic view of the beach and ocean.
Kund Malir Beach Point
Due to the increasing popularity of trips from Karachi to Kund Malir, basic facilities have been provided for tourists for overnight stay, but they have to make additional arrangements, like equipping themselves with a strong flashlight and their own supply of water. However, the beach is also the perfect place for a picnic, and a local hotel also prepares food for visiting tourists.
If someone would still like to see more sites around the beach, the famous rock formations of Hingol National Park are located about 25km away from Kund Malir. ‘The Princess of Hope’ rock formation is perhaps the most popular attraction, named as such by the Hollywood Actress Angelina Jolie during her 2002 visit to Pakistan. Another equally popular and fascinating formation in the same area is that of Balochistan’s great Sphinx, which very closely resembles the mythological creature in Cairo, but this Sphinx guards the treasures of Kund Malir and Hingol National Park.
The Princess of Hope and The Sphinx
There are still many unchartered regions in this province of hidden beauty, and people in Pakistan are only beginning to realize Balochistan’s potential as an adventure or tourist destination. Its wonderful sights attract more people with each new season, fulfilling their desire to experience its long scenic drives and breathtaking natural beauty. However, tourist initiatives and travel companies must ensure that the beaches of Balochistan remain clean and quiet, and that locals must be included in future tourism efforts.
Huts at Kund Malir
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