Desert Atlas: Beyond the Dunes of Cholistan
The second episode of The Great Pakistan Adventure explores Cholistan’s forgotten stories of resilience, revival, and survival
There are places in Pakistan where the landscape feels endless, where survival depends on resilience, and where stories go back in time just as the sands that make up the place. In these parts of the country, the desert does not simply shape the land, it shapes the people who learn to live within it. The second episode of The Great Pakistan Adventure – Desert Atlas, powered by BYD, journeys deep into the heart of Cholistan, uncovering a side of Pakistan rarely explored with such depth and emotion.
Towering dunes. Endless golden horizons. Roads that disappear beneath shifting sand. Bastions of Derawar standing tall and visible across miles. Music echoing across the silence of the desert. It is about endurance. It is about revival. It is about communities whose identity has been shaped by one of Pakistan’s harshest terrains. More than just a travel experience, Desert Atlas unfolds like a cinematic portrait of Cholistan’s history, people, and spirit.
Bilal Hassan, more popularly known as Mystapaki, is a content creator, writer, and photojournalist known for documenting travel, culture, and everyday life across Pakistan. His storytelling makes him a natural fit for this journey, as he uncovers the layers of life that exist within the deserts of Cholistan and Bahawalpur, communities and histories often overlooked beneath the vastness and harshness of the landscape. Through Bilal’s narrative, the desert transforms from an unforgiving terrain into a living archive of resilience, folklore, music, and deeply human stories, revealing a side of the region that few truly experience.
One of the episode’s most powerful moments highlights the revival of the black buck, once nearly extinct in Pakistan. Set against the vast landscapes of Lal Suhanra National Park, one of South Asia’s largest national parks, the story becomes a reminder that even the harshest landscapes can still protect life when communities refuse to give up on it.
“The Black Buck is a community animal that lives with its herd, marking its territory with its hoofs”, said Yaqoob Anwar, Assistant Director Wildlife, Chinkara and Black Buck Breeding Centre, Lalsuhanra, Bahawalpur. “Each herd has an alpha male, magnificent and proud, standing out with his posture. However, when another alpha enters their territory, there are fights and also injuries, all of which need to be documented and cared for to ensure healthy growth of these animals,” he added further.
And there is a lot more that the episode explores, most notably the iconic Cholistan Desert Rally, which has transformed the desert into one of Pakistan’s most recognised off-road destinations. Along the journey, Bilal is joined by professional rally driver Muhammad Marwat, whose years of experience navigating the annual rally have given him an instinctive understanding of the terrain. With remarkable precision and ease, Marwat maneuvers the BYD Shark 6 across the shifting sands, showcasing the vehicle’s capability, control, and adaptability in one of Pakistan’s most demanding off-road environments.
Throughout the episode, the BYD Shark 6 is tested across Cholistan’s unforgiving terrain, with its dedicated sand mode allowing the vehicle to maintain traction and stability across constantly shifting dunes and soft desert surfaces. As day turns to night, its powerful headlights cut through the darkness of Cholistan’s vast and isolated landscapes, while the pickup itself becomes an extension of the journey, enabling access to places far beyond conventional routes.
Among the episode’s most emotional stories is that of Maha Hussain, a young biker from Bahawalpur whose journey reflects resilience against social expectations and environmental hardship. Supported by her father’s encouragement, Maha pursued her passion despite the challenges around her. In a deeply personal moment, she helps Mystapaki fulfill his father’s wish, which feels even more special through the narrative that this is the first thing he has ever asked from his son, Bilal. Locating the prestigious school in Bahawalpur where he had studied as a gold medalist. Can he get in and fulfill his father’s wish? That’s for you to find out.
What makes Desert Atlas truly stand apart is the way it captures the soul of Cholistan through its people, music, and untold stories. The desert may be harsh, but its music carries warmth through every note. Featuring original sounds recorded within the local community and produced by Zohaib Kazi of Coke Studio fame, the soundtrack echoes stories of longing, love, and survival, becoming an emotional extension of the land and the people who call it home.
In a time where travel content is often reduced to fleeting reels and clickbait, The Great Pakistan Adventure offers something far more lasting – stories that stay with audiences long after the journey ends. Through breathtaking landscapes, deeply human experiences, and untold communities, the series invites viewers to rediscover the beauty, diversity, and spirit of Pakistan, leaving them with a renewed sense of connection to the country and its people.
The full episode of The Great Pakistan Adventure: Desert Atlas is now available to watch on YouTube at BYD Pakistan’s official channel.
