The southernmost province of Pakistan takes its name from Sindhu, a Sanskrit name for the Indus River, which bisects the province and brings it life. Until the completion of a huge dam at Sukkur in 1932 most of Sind (or Sindh) was barren desert, but irrigation has restored a wide swath through the lower Indus flood plain.

Sind was called the 'Unhappy Valley' or the 'Land of Uncertainties' by ancient travellers who marched through the scorching deserts of Persia and Baluchistan for long, wearying weeks towards the Indus - only to find its valley depressingly and and barren. It's also a land of sheesharn and pipal trees, darting parrots, bright kingfishers that flash along the river banks, and white herons perched on the backs of water buffaloes.

In the hot season the landscape shimmers and its greys, browns and reds turn creamy-white. Wind-driven dust and sand create a haze which can turn the sun red or blot it out. Along the coast this is the time when fishing ceases and marriages take place, when at the full moon villagers, fakirs, snake charmers and musicians climb to mountain shrines for all-night feasts. In autumn the coastline is suffused with colour, the sky and sea tinted with crimson.

Climate
Pakistan has well defined seasons; Winter (December - February), Spring (March - April), Summer (May - September) and Autumn (October - November). During summer in plains, the temperature may go as high as 45C. Between July and August, the monsson brings an average 38 to 51 cm of rain to plains and 152 to 203 cm in tower Himalayan valleys of Murree. Average temperatures of some of the main cities and tourist places are as under.

Attractions

Karachi
Karachi offers a variety of pleasant attractions: wide sunny beaches, deep-sea fishing, yachting, golf and horse racing all-year round. Its restaurants provide a wide choice of Pakistani and Western cuisine. Its markets and bazaar offer and endless variety of exciting shopping including indigenous handicrafts, rugs and carpets of rare design and beauty.

Hyderabad
The tomb of Ghulam Shah Kalhora is one of the finest, although its dome collapsed and has now been replaced by a flat roof. Also worth a visit is the Institute of Sindhology's museum at the University of Sind. It has displays on all aspects of Sindhi history, music and culture depicting the lifestyles of the desert tribes. Infrequent GTS buses go to the campus, otherwise take a miniwagon to Jumshero, across the river from Hyderabad, and walk the 1-1/2 km to the university.

Chaukundi
Located on the National Highway, 27kms from Karachi, Chaukundi tombs comprise of innumerable sandstone graves with strangely-carved motifs, date back to 16th-18th centuries in Sind. The Chaukundi Tombs are archaeologically interesting. The tombs are constructed out of slabs of rocks stacked into elongated pyramids of cubical stones and carved with exquisite designs, the origin of which remains a mystery.

Haleji Lake
Situated 70 kms (about 52 miles) from Karachi. Haleji Lake is considered to be largest water fall sanctuary in Asia, and is the main reservoir for Karachi. Its 1-1/2 km off the Thatta road from the village of Gujjo. Thousands of birds of over seventy species migrate here in winter from Siberia and stay through January and February. The birds include flamingos, pelicans, pheasant-tailed jacanas, herons, ducks, partridges and agrets. It is a paradise for those who love birds.

Kirthar National Park
This park may be visited for recreation education or research but shooting is forbidden. A four hour drive north-east from Karachi, of the Super Highway (for 4WD vehicles only) takes the visitor deep into the heart of Kirthar National Park, again preserve measuring over 3,000 square kilometres in the Kirthar hills and a good destination for 3 day trip if the bandits are brought under control. October to February is the most comfortable...that is, coolest...time to go but the flowers bloom during the (relatively) wet monsoon in August. They are bookable through the Sind Wildlife Management Board, which also hires out tents to those wish to camp. Some food is available if ordered well in advance, but it is better to take your own food, drink and bedding. Jungle cats, desert cats and even the occasional leopard or desert wolf also prowl the park, but you would be extreme lucky to see them. Pangolins (scaly anteaters), porcupines and monitor lizards are more in evidence. Other attractions in the park are 18th century Chaukundi style tombs at Taung and prehistoric archaeological remains at Koh Tarash. The enormous Rani Kot Fort is also within the park, two hours by jeep from Karchat. Rani Kot is about four hours from Karachi via the Super Highway and Indus Highway.

Moenjodaro
At Moenjodaro (Mound of dead) in the west bank of the Indus in Sind have been found the remains of one of the earliest and a most developed urban civilisations of the ancient world. The most imposing remains are those of the great bath which consisted of an open quadrangle with verandahs on four sides, galleries and rooms at the back, a group of halls on the north and a large bathing pool. It was probably used for religious or ceremonial bathing.

Kot Diji
Kot Diji site is 25kms (15 miles) south of Khairpur town in the Khairpur District of Sind. Archaeologists say that the discovery of this prehistoric site has furnished information of high significance since it pushed back the pre-history of Pakistan by at least an other 300 years from about 2,500 BC to 2,800 BC. Kot Diji situated between Ranipur and Khairpur on the highway from Hyderabad, on the east bank of the Indus close to Rohri. Worth taking a trip to see.

Sukkur
Sukkur is a sprawling town, with beautiful mosques, gardens, shrines and madrazhis (Muslim religious schools). A desert oasis town, similar to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, it also boasts many havelis, however, unlike those of Jaisalmer, the Sukkur variety are decorated with geometric, floral designs and painted in a variety of bright, contrasting colours.Just across the Indus is Rohri, also fairly prosperous and an important rail and road junction.
The two towns, 5 km apart and 544 km north of Karachi are linked by the Landsdowne and Ayub bridges, which are extremely beautiful. There is a medieval mosque with porcelain-tiled walls, and 8km's away are remains of the ancient city of Aror where Alexander the Great is said to have camped.