Description

This is a travel account of European countries by Sindhi traveloguer and Marine Engineer Altaf Shaikh.

Altaf Shaikh (Sindhi/Urdu: الطاف شيخ) is a famous Sindhi scholar from Pakistan . Altaf Shaikh is a travel writer and well known traveler. He was born in the house of Gul Muhammad Shaikh on November 14, 1944 in New Hala District, Hyderabad (now Matiari District).

Altaf Shaikh got his early education from Hala, then from Cadet College Petaro. He studied marine engineering at Marine Academy Chittagong, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh ) and did post graduation from World Maritime University , Malmo , Sweden . He was qualified as a ship engineer and after sailing as Chief Engineer on various types of ships for some 12 years he served Malaysian Naval Academy and Pakistan Marine Academy as Head of Marine Engineering Dept. for 8 and 12 years respectively.

Altaf Shaikh started writing regularly at the age of 18, when he was in Chittagong . His first story book was Anamika (the Bengali word for "unknown") was published in 1966.

He can speak Bengali, Japanese and Malay fluently.

His first book on travel was Munhnjo Saagar Munhnjo Sahil, which was published in 1971, and won the Pakistan Writers Guild Award. Mr. Shaikh has written over 67 books, mostly travelogues. Recently he is awarded ‘Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’ award year 2008, for his recent book ‘From New Hala to New York’, by Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad.