Bundal Island (also known as Bhundaar) is a small island located in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Bundal, pronounced Bhandar by local fishermen, is a twin island of Buddo and lies to its West.
The location of Bundal Island conveniently places it opposite to DHA Phase 8’s Do Darya, where high-end eateries serve some of the most scrumptious food available anywhere in Karachi.
Since a vast majority of people visit the area at night, due to the eateries’ operating hours, barely anyone has noticed the landmass present right across the channel. However, on a clear day, Bundal Island is visible from the shore.
The island is one of the twin islands in the area, with the other one being Buddo Island that lies to the west. When most people talk about one, they usually mean the other as well.
As of now, both these islands are mostly frequented by local fishermen only. However, since the tomb of a Muslim Sufi named Yusuf Shah is also located on Bundal Island, thousands of people flock to the island on the annual urs of the saint.
Bundal Island can be reached via a boat, and occasional tours are conducted of the island around the year based on special permits being granted.
It’s close proximity to DHA Phase 8 and the charm of enjoying quite a few water-based sports are some of the key factors that brought this island into the limelight.
There is a dispute between the provincial government of Sindh and Karachi Port Trust on the ownership rights of 12,000 acres (49 km²) of land in these Islands.
The first-ever step to develop the twin islands was taken by Emaar in 2006 when the EMAAR was given the go-ahead to develop two island resorts worth USD 43b over a period of 13 years. Due to EMAAR facing financial issue it was abandoned.
Later on, Bahria Town signed a joint venture with the companies of Thomas Kramer to develop Bodha Island City on Bundal and Buddo Islands with a cost of $20 Billion. Unfortunately, this project was also canned.