What's left is one of Asia's most interesting nations, which is mostly untapped as a tourist destination -- those who come are greeted with a warm culture and a tapestry of landscapes. The Karakoram highway runs across the Northwest Frontier all the way to China in the harsh north. Hire a car and drive north on this spectacular route, taking in the breathtaking vistas of the Hunza Valley, which is framed by the snow-capped summit of Nanga Parbat. Continue on to Gilgit-Baltistan Province, which is home to untamed rivers, massive glaciers, and soaring mountains, for even more breathtaking scenery. Only licensed mountaineers are allowed to climb K2, the world's second highest peak, but you may visit the K2 Museum in the isolated settlement of Skardu.