The International Schools Review Forum

I am headed to Pakistan in July and just want to hear some experiences from others who have lived and taught there. I am very excited for the opportunity and ready to embrace the new change. I am sure there are mixed feelings, but any personal experience is much appreciated!

I lived there for two years prior two 911. I loved it. The people, the food, the weather, travel opportunities. It may have changed and I'm sure it has as has the rest of the world. I found that the News made Pakistan look unsafe for Westerners when I lived there. Maybe it was? We traveled all over the country and never a problem. A lot depends on where you will be. What city is the school in. Karachi is a world different than Lahore.

Michelle,

I am sure it has changed drastically since then. I will be in Islamabad. From my research and the the people I have talked to at the school, it seems to be a pretty safe city assuming not doing incompetent things. I am looking forward to climbing the foothills of the himalayas. What experience or knowledge do you have for Islamabad?

Also, any recommendations on travel within Pakistan that you found interesting? I really appreciate your feedback.

Had an ex-colleague who had come over from there (the main school in Islamabad, I forget the name). He had good things to say, and the savings potential is apparently huge.

I travelled from Islamabad up the Karakoram highway into China in 1997, so my info is totally out of date. I'm not even sure you can do that anymore. What I can tell is that area of the world has the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen, and that's comparing it with multiple trips to Nepal, Northern India, and Tibet. The scale of the landscape is absolutely staggering. Beautiful area. The other side of the border (XInjiang) is equally as fascinating, with a diverse range of Central Asian ethnic groups. If you want some history on the area take a look at some of Peter Hopkirk's books, particularly 'The Great Game.' http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Hopkirk/e/B ... 932&sr=1-1

Lahore and Islamabad are beautiful places and fairly safe. Travel to Karachi is not recommended, but you can easily travel to places like Skardu and Swat Valley. The savings potential in Pakistan is hard (perhaps impossible?) to beat.

What kind of savings are we talking? I have been interested in the idea of Pakistan for a while, but assumed that pay would be average to low... and saving, unfortunately, has to be fairly high on my list of priorities. Can anyone offer any insight into the kind of salaries on offer? Thanks

The salary is 40,000 - 65,000 including bonuses and retirement pay. Re-signing bonuses can add a considerable amount to the top of that, depending on the school. On top of that, the cost of living is incredibly inexpensive, so your monthly expenses will be minimal even if you want a cook or housekeeper. I save $30,000 a year by myself with lots of international travel.

Thanks for all the tips and information! I really appreciate the help.

@marieh: How would you recommend going about getting a cook and housekeeper? What is a ballpark figure for monthly expenses? Are there lots of activities to do around town to fight the potential boredom?

bendetwile2 wrote:
> Thanks for all the tips and information! I really appreciate the help.
>
> @marieh: How would you recommend going about getting a cook and
> housekeeper? What is a ballpark figure for monthly expenses? Are there lots
> of activities to do around town to fight the potential boredom?

Your school should be able to help you find staff. My total expenses, including a full time housekeeper, average about $500 a month. The majority of that is spent on Western groceries. Alcohol is easy to get, as there is a Pakistani brewery named Murree's.

For things to do, check out http://www.islamabadsnob.com/. I personally spend too much of my time working (by choice) to do much sightseeing, but there are lots of archeological sites you can visit up there. My neighborhood also has fitness groups, cycling groups, etc that meet regularly. I'd PM you specifics, but that function doesn't seem to be working.

@marieh: please send me an email (bendetwile2@yahoo.com) so we can talk more.

*bump*
I'm interested in any updated info on living in Pakistan, particularly Lahore
Thanks

Life in Lahore is fine. There's not much to do, but the city is safe. I know this is the free side of the site, so I can't say much, but I HIGHLY recommend that you talk to current teachers of LAS. There have been changes in recent years.