OnTheRoad

Rawalpindi hasn't got a hell of a lot oging for it either, but it's cleaner than most placesr around and you can find tasty mango shakes lurking here and there.

The Al Azam Hotel is OK at 280 for a double, but badly needs cleaning and maintenance work. It's a shame, it could be quite good; great location, balconies, rooftop terrace, but it just isn't done properly. Still, friendly staff make it worth it over all.

Taxila, nearby, has a collection of old sites, mainly Bhuddist towns and monastaries. Catch a minivan out there for 18 rupees and hire a qingqi to show you around. We paid 300 for visits to five sites, which wasn't too bad as it took us four hours or so all up.