“Rafting down the Hunza Valley”

Jonathan Rider and Edmund Le Brun gave an illustrated talk about their travel to beautiful Hunza Valley of Pakistan at the High Commission on 18 December 2019. On this occasion, a short film entitled “Rafting down the Hunza Valley” was also screened. The talk was jointly organized by The Pakistan Society and the High Commission and was attended by a large number of travel enthusiasts from the UK.

Jonathan Rider and Edmund Le Brun travelled down the Hunza Valley by raft and foot to see how the Karakoram Highway is changing the region. Taking in some of the most spectacular scenery Pakistan has to offer, they passed through landscapes rich in culture and history. By taking the less travelled route along this world famous highway, they saw another side to this region. Terming it to be one of the best tourist destinations of the world, they said Hunza Valley is unchartered waters.

Jonathan and Edmund are the pioneers of travelling down the Hunza River in a raft. They shared their Hunza adventures while noting how the Karakoram Highway is changing the landscape. Passing along the same course as its ancient forebear – the Silk Road – the new Karakoram Highway promises to bring economic development and growth to the region as well as other changes and developments, they added.

It is pertinent to mention that world’s leading travel and tourism publications are ranking Pakistan as the top tourist destination of the world. Every year the number of domestic and international tourists in Pakistan is multiplying. This also offers numerous investment opportunities for tourism related infrastructure development in the country. Earlier in the year, the Government of Pakistan significantly simplified its visa regime for the tourists.

Jonathan runs specialises in overseas development and humanitarian aid. A Fellow of the RGS, Jonathan trained as an archaeologist at the Universities of Nottingham and Oxford before working in public affairs in Westminster.

Edmund is an Oxford graduate and a Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneur. He runs his business, delivers adventure talks and speaks on social entrepreneurship.