Experience the best of Karachi

Karachi spreads along the Arabian Sea coast of Sindh in southern Pakistan and is the country's largest city and main port. It was Pakistan's first capital, and its centre holds Gothic Revival and Mughal-style buildings from the British period: Frere Hall, a library and gallery in a garden, the Empress Market, a Gothic Revival market hall, and Mohatta Palace, a pink-and-yellow stone mansion of 1927, now a museum. The Mazar-e-Quaid, a white marble mausoleum, holds the tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

Clifton Beach and the seafront are popular for evening walks. Manora Island, at the harbour mouth, has a lighthouse and a beach, and green turtles nest on the sands of Hawke's Bay and Sandspit. The Chaukhandi Tombs, a medieval cemetery of finely carved sandstone, lie about 30 kilometres east, and the Makli Necropolis near Thatta, listed by UNESCO, is further along the road.

Food is central to life here: biryani, nihari, haleem, spiced kebab rolls and fried fish are sold from restaurants and roadside stalls, and Burns Road is known for its street food. Falooda, a cold dessert drink, cools the evenings. The weather is hot and humid, sea breezes help, and November to February is the pleasant season.