Pakistan Tourism: Information Desk

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Lucky Breeze said:

Islamabad

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Well then what we have told you so far is ok. You will be traveling from Islamabad so as we suggested it is best you take the Naran-Babusar route. However if you really cannot spare those 5 6 days and need to save a day or two, you can drop the stay in Naran. Leave early morning from Islamabad and you can reach Gilgit by evening/night. I would be a bit hectic but then you can leave for Naltar early morning and spend more time there.
One thing you should keep in mind is the monsoon! The rain season is in full swing and there will be landslides. The best time is End April/May to Mid July as far as i am concerned.

Mudassar Jalil said:

I would love to tell you guys please stop visiting murree
as it is too much expensive than other area like swat valley or Naran Kaghan and more over it is less beautiful than other areas
people visiting Murree should avoid this famous hill station, Murree's people are very dirty minded and quarrel loving guys and I have seen too many incidents, even I have seen incident with families where murree's local gather and beat tourists.

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Murree is full of excellent spots if one knows where to look and how to get there. However the people chose Murree more because of the ease of access than for beauty. It is difficult to plan a day trip or a one night trip to Swat or Naran but you can do so for Murree.

However i do agree that it is not worth visiting that place anymore (especially if you are not aware of some of the relatively peaceful spots) as there is so much public and pollution there now. It is not because it lack in natural beauty but because we humans have spoiled it. Also you are right in saying that it is quite expensive compered to some of those other places.

Arsalan said:

The rain season is in full swing and there will be landslides. The best time is End April/May to Mid July as far as i am concerned.

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We experienced it on our way back and believe me its not nice, rocks falling from above and you counting on your luck to escape them.

Lucky Breeze said:

Please some info about Naltar valley.

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Arsalan said:

I have never been there personally.
@krash @Sulman Badshah Can you help our friend here?

I will just suggest one thing that if you are going from Punjab etc you need to plan at least a 5 to 6 days trip to properly explore the area. I mean, Naltar is some 40-50 Km from Gilgit which itself is a LONG journey (unless you plan to reach Gilgit by air and get the jeep to Naltar, I wont suggest you do so)
As far as i know, the best approach will be to take the MNJC to Naran, stay there for one night (i am assuming you are traveling somewhere from Punjab).
Early morning take to jeep via Babusar to Chilas and do not stop there rather keep traveling all the way to Gilgit (Stay is Chilas is no fun). Stay for the night. Next morning take the jeep to Naltar.

The guys i tagged would hopefully be in better position to guide about Naltar in more details.

NOTE: FRIENDS! IT WILL BE BETTER IF YOU CAN MENTIONED THE AREA YOU ARE FROM/WHERE YOU WILL BE STARTING YOUR JOURNEY FROM. That way we can see how much time is required and the best routes!

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Naltar; an alpine oasis in the middle of desolate, barren, rugged and downright terrifying Northern Pakistan. It's also pretty straightforward to visit. First phase is getting till Gilgit; you'll take a flight, drive yourself, hire a Gilgit taxi or take a NATCO bus. If this'll be your first time in Gilgit Baltistan then I seriously recommend hiring the taxi from Pindi. It will cost you anywhere from 16k to 36k one-way, depending on the size of the vehicle and your haggling skills. From Gilgit you'll hire a jeep to take you on the 2 hr ride to Naltar. The air force has it's skiing school there, so if you have contacts withing the military get your self set up in the officers' mess. If not, then you'll have two hotel options and like 3-4 guest house options. The hotels and guest houses aren't spectacular but they are doable and so is the food.

There's a bunch of trekking and medium to medium-high climbing opportunities in the valley. Depending on what sort of a trip you're planning e.g., family, friends, solo, etc., I could recommend you a bunch of worthy spots to visit there. For example, for a medium-ish intensity visit, I'd suggest at least a 4 day stay at the valley with day treks to and night camping at Naltar Lake, Naltar Base Camp, Pakora and Koribort. I'd also suggest adding two extra days in the trip to visit Hunzah, since you'll already be spitting distance from it. One great time to visit the valley is during the winter skiing championships, it's like a festival.

Let me know what specific questions you have for the trip and what sort of a trip you're planning. I'll be better set to help you then.

User said:

We experienced it on our way back and believe me its not nice, rocks falling from above and you counting on your luck to escape them.

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I've lost two windscreens to falling rocks. The second time it was late December You get used to it.

Mudassar Jalil said:

I would love to tell you guys please stop visiting murree
as it is too much expensive than other area like swat valley or Naran Kaghan and more over it is less beautiful than other areas
people visiting Murree should avoid this famous hill station, Murree's people are very dirty minded and quarrel loving guys and I have seen too many incidents, even I have seen incident with families where murree's local gather and beat tourists.

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Murree is a good thing for the rest of the areas. It works as mosquito trap, keeps the other areas safe and clean.

haris.ahmed said:

Hi guys, long time reader and viewer. First time poster. Salam everyone!

Guys, I've lived in Lahore almost my entire life. My mother, however, spent her childhood in Balochistan and her stories about it have always made it seem like a land of beauty and mystery. Based on what I've witnessed here on this forum, that seems to be true. I yearn to visit Balochistan but am a little unsure about how safe it is etc. etc. I'd greatly appreciate any pointers I could get from you guys. Thanks.

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Welcome mate! Hope you keep us company here for a long time to come.

I have a lot of family in Quetta but have only driven from Karachi till Gawadar while old enough to remember it, and boy do I remember it! Balochistan is awe inspiring, to say the least.

Most of my family left Quetta to settle in Karachi and Lahore when things got rough there. This also being the reason why I haven't yet been able to travel Balochistan the way I want to. Anyway, my impression is that it's not yet the time to visit there but I'm no authority on Balochistan.

User said:

@Arsalan

Thanks a lot that information would be really helpful, let's see if we could make it on this coming Sunday INSHALLAH.

And your bhabi already bought this from there , I told you sir I enjoy travelling on that road while going to Abbottabad it is comparatively peaceful and has better views to offer at least for me .

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Oh then you know the road well. Getting to the two places wont be a problem for you at all.

The other site to visit when i said three sites in my initial post was Jaulian. The route to this is a little bit difficult to the first two sites and it is some 30 minutes drive from Museum as well so i am not sure if you will be very interested in visit that. It an ancient Buddhist monastery, a two story building though the second story is no where to be seen anymore. This is an important site when you are out to visit the archeology but since i think you will be on family tour for fun the first two will be good enough for you. Plus Jaulian sits on top of a hill and there are quite a few stairs you have to climb to reach the monastery. You will find plenty of reference to this when you are in Museum (many artifacts there were recovered from Jaulian)

For you the best trip would be Museum/Sirkap and Dharmarajika. I would recommend another trip to Khanpur some day and on that you can check Jaulian as well (it is close to Khanpur). Since you mentioned traveling to Abbotabad via this road, i am sure you are well familiar of Khanpur but just to rekindle a desire to visit that again:





When/If you have already been to Khanpur tell me this, did you visited this mosque/havalie
It is a pity they demolished a major part of it a few years back (the owners did) and it was a place worth visiting. I am not sure if you have seen the Pakistan air force related drama serial on PTV called Shahpar, some of the scenes were filmed here and the main character of the drama, the PAF pilot brings her girl to show his place and this was THE PLACE. The road leading to this is underwater for most part of the year and that is what they showed in that episode as well where he says that they will have to swim to his home.
Anyway, the point is, the havalie was great. A bit difficult to find as it is on the other side of the lake and not many people know about it but still. Plus that side is also very peaceful with not many visitors. Ideal place to be with you family and the HUGE grounds on side of the lake are a perfect place to let the kids enjoy themselves.
NOTE:
NEVER LET THEM GO INTO THE LAKE NOT EVEN TO DIP THERE FEET. It is a natural lakes and just like the terrain you see above water (steep highs and immediate drops) the land under water is the same. You are standing in one feet of water and one step forward you may be in that drop which leaves you in 30 40 feet deep water. Quote dangerous.

Arsalan said:

I would recommend another trip to Khanpur some day and on that you can check Jaulian as well (it is close to Khanpur). Since you mentioned traveling to Abbotabad via this road, i am sure you are well familiar of Khanpur but just to rekindle a desire to visit that again:
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When/If you have already been to Khanpur tell me this, did you visited this mosque/havalie
It is a pity they demolished a major part of it a few years back (the owners did) and it was a place worth visiting. I am not sure if you have seen the Pakistan air force related drama serial on PTV called Shahpar, some of the scenes were filmed here and the main character of the drama, the PAF pilot brings her girl to show his place and this was THE PLACE. The road leading to this is underwater for most part of the year and that is what they showed in that episode as well where he says that they will have to swim to his home.
Anyway, the point is, the havalie was great. A bit difficult to find as it is on the other side of the lake and not many people know about it but still. Plus that side is also very peaceful with not many visitors. Ideal place to be with you family and the HUGE grounds on side of the lake are a perfect place to let the kids enjoy themselves.

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TBH, I found Khanpur pretty ordinary......except for the cliff-diving. But I guess, as you suggested, it's a nice camping spot for families looking for a leisurely retreat. The rock climbing, jet-skiing, flying boat and cave exploration will keep you busy.

Is that havalie the one in the picture? I thought it was a mosque.....wondered why it was all the way there, far from the settlement. It's on a peninsula of sorts which is a little raised from the banks, correct?

Arsalan said:

NOTE:
NEVER LET THEM GO INTO THE LAKE NOT EVEN TO DIP THERE FEET. It is a natural lakes and just like the terrain you see above water (steep highs and immediate drops) the land under water is the same. You are standing in one feet of water and one step forward you may be in that drop which leaves you in 30 40 feet deep water. Quote dangerous.
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Instead take them cliff-diving! 65 feet straight into the bottomless, cold, dark waters! Kidding aside, I would seriously recommend this to anyone visiting the place. Have you tried it?

krash said:

TBH, I found Khanpur pretty ordinary......except for the cliff-diving. But I guess, as you suggested, it's a nice camping spot for families looking for a leisurely retreat. The rock climbing, jet-skiing, flying boat and cave exploration will keep you busy.

Is that havalie the one in the picture? I thought it was a mosque.....wondered why it was all the way there, far from the settlement. It's on a peninsula of sorts which is a little raised from the banks, correct?

Instead take them cliff-diving! 65 feet straight into the bottomless, cold, dark waters! Kidding aside, I would seriously recommend this to anyone visiting the place. Have you tried it?

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Well surely it is not something out of the world but as you guessed, it is an ideal picnic spot for families. The landscape is great, the lake is OK and the peace and calm is right up there with the very best of places. Especially if you really know how to get to those spots. The huge grounds are ideal for kids, cricket and bar bq,, especially bar bq. I have enjoyed some of my life's best bonfire and bar bq's on those banks of the lake/dam. Plus there are some places near buy worth visiting if you know where to look for them, I mean, there is one where you drive for about half an hour or so and reach the very start of lake/dame, the area where you can actually make out the river as well. That is great spot, specially if one is into hunting and fishing

For cliff diving, that is not ON dam/lake but on the spillway side

This is this big pond made here because when spillway are open water hits this spot with quite some force. It is quite deep and not advised of unless you are a good swimmer.
About having tried that, how does almost every Sunday of summer sounds
(I am not a good swimmer AT ALL)
We used to go here for fishing or smoking

Oh and the havalie,
well only part of havalie remains now (at that too was some 3 years ago) Both mosque and Havalie were together and had a common wall. The building you see in the picture is mostly Mosque. Still, getting there is fun itself (when the road is underwater )
And yes you are correct about the location. To get there you have to keep going on the Khanpur road, go past the dam and the lake and some 2 KM ahead there is this small village road to you left. Take that, go through the village (no problem) and you will end up on the northern bank of the dam. The green grounds in the pictures i shared are that side. You can see the mosque/havalie at some distance.

Also Khanpur these days offer lots of activities like you mentioned. Like boating,, jet ski, para gliding, rock climbing etc. (para gliding is under Pakistan adventure Sports Club and is not running all the time, it is just twice a year i think but not sure)

@User you may choose to visit this (the Khanpur dam/lake) when in the area for the weekend trip. If possible, plan a Bar B Q! You wont forget that ever! (Keeping in mind the weather, do opt for this option only if it is cloudy and airy/cool)


The yellow one is the Khanpur Road. The Orange is the village road that gets you to far end of the lake. Normally people do not go there so it is a really peaceful place. Mostly people visit the area right next to the Khanpur road in this above image.

Arsalan said:

Well then what we have told you so far is ok. You will be traveling from Islamabad so as we suggested it is best you take the Naran-Babusar route. However if you really cannot spare those 5 6 days and need to save a day or two, you can drop the stay in Naran. Leave early morning from Islamabad and you can reach Gilgit by evening/night. I would be a bit hectic but then you can leave for Naltar early morning and spend more time there.
One thing you should keep in mind is the monsoon! The rain season is in full swing and there will be landslides. The best time is End April/May to Mid July as far as i am concerned.


Murree is full of excellent spots if one knows where to look and how to get there. However the people chose Murree more because of the ease of access than for beauty. It is difficult to plan a day trip or a one night trip to Swat or Naran but you can do so for Murree.

However i do agree that it is not worth visiting that place anymore (especially if you are not aware of some of the relatively peaceful spots) as there is so much public and pollution there now. It is not because it lack in natural beauty but because we humans have spoiled it. Also you are right in saying that it is quite expensive compered to some of those other places.

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if someone is coming from Pindi or Islamabad then tourists can visit murree in one day but if someone is coming from Punjab like Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar khan, Lahore Multan or Faislabad then tourist have stay at least 2 day to cover all place like ayubia, new murree etc
Murree is my Pakistan and other places are also my Pakistan but Local behaviour comparing to other areas murree is worst

Arsalan said:

For cliff diving, that is not ON dam/lake but on the spillway side

This is this big pond made here because when spillway are open water hits this spot with quite some force. It is quite deep and not advised of unless you are a good swimmer.
About having tried that, how does almost every Sunday of summer sounds
(I am not a good swimmer AT ALL)
We used to go here for fishing or smoking

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We didn't dive there. It was in the lake, had to take a boat from the grassy area to get there. This is exactly where we dove,

Mudassar Jalil said:

if someone is coming from Pindi or Islamabad then tourists can visit murree in one day but if someone is coming from Punjab like Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar khan, Lahore Multan or Faislabad then tourist have stay at least 2 day to cover all place like ayubia, new murree etc
Murree is my Pakistan and other places are also my Pakistan but Local behaviour comparing to other areas murree is worst

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You are right about the attitude of people not being the same as the hospitality you are showered with in, lets say, Swat or even Naran. If i put myself in there shoes, i would say it is because the tens of thousands of tourists coming there have literally destroyed the area. However on the other hand, these same tens of thousands of people are responsibility of virtually all business activity and job/earning in the area as well. It is best to keep a balance between things but it is not always easy and that is the case here as well. Traffic jams and congestion is a common happening on the route now.

As for the tour to Murree, many people from Faisalabad and Lahore do go for a one day trip or may be stay there for one night. They are surely not able to cover all those areas you mentioned but one spot is usually covered. It is usually people with limited earning (sorry for saying this) who cannot afford a long stay but yes, i understand what you are trying to say that it is best for people coming from areas other then Isb/Rwp to at least plan one night stay and many do that as well.

krash said:

We didn't dive there. It was in the lake, had to take a boat from the grassy area to get there. This is exactly where we dove,

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OH this,, yes this is actually where the lake begins, you can say, the far end of the dam/lake. Usually people go there by boat and then there is that one route i mentioned earlier which takes to the place where the lake starts forming from the river. I have been there but never tried THIS Not here at least!!

P.S. look at the color of the water here and you say Khanpur is no fun!!! I love this place even though i have been there countless times. As a ref. just to tell you, i moved away from that area and came to Faisalabad permanently some 3 years back but i was in Taxila last December to visit some friends. Still, the was one place we visited twice in my 3 day trip

krash said:

I've lost two windscreens to falling rocks. The second time it was late December You get used to it.

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You may avoid it if you are expert driver for that area but not all the times ................... you must be expert driver with the heart to budget for such losses . I have seen many cars with dents on their front and side doors pity them but again they are normally not used to driving in hilly area.

Arsalan said:

When/If you have already been to Khanpur tell me this, did you visited this mosque/havalie
It is a pity they demolished a major part of it a few years back (the owners did) and it was a place worth visiting. I am not sure if you have seen the Pakistan air force related drama serial on PTV called Shahpar, some of the scenes were filmed here and the main character of the drama, the PAF pilot brings her girl to show his place and this was THE PLACE.

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No I just saw it from the other end only. And yes I remember little bit of Tv drama Shahpar . Thanks for the information it would really help exploring Khan pur better.

Arsalan said:

NEVER LET THEM GO INTO THE LAKE NOT EVEN TO DIP THERE FEET.

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Safety always comes first. Thanks for the reminder we have seen too many unfortunate incidents with water taking people's life.

Arsalan said:

@User you may choose to visit this (the Khanpur dam/lake) when in the area for the weekend trip. If possible, plan a Bar B Q! You wont forget that ever! (Keeping in mind the weather, do opt for this option only if it is cloudy and airy/cool)

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Winters would be the best time to do this I guess.

Arsalan said:

OH this,, yes this is actually where the lake begins, you can say, the far end of the dam/lake. Usually people go there by boat and then there is that one route i mentioned earlier which takes to the place where the lake starts forming from the river. I have been there but never tried THIS Not here at least!!

P.S. look at the color of the water here and you say Khanpur is no fun!!! I love this place even though i have been there countless times. As a ref. just to tell you, i moved away from that area and came to Faisalabad permanently some 3 years back but i was in Taxila last December to visit some friends. Still, the was one place we visited twice in my 3 day trip

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Hehe, to tell you the truth, the photographer has played with the contrast in that picture It was a very murky and pale March day. I was there. Two of the girls panicked during the dive and landed incorrectly, one bruised her lowest vertebrate and the other came out with a blood purple thigh. But yes, it is a lot of fun with the activities there. I just meant that the scenery is kinda ordinary. I'm an addict of bigger fixes

And you must try it! It's a great rush.

User said:

You may avoid it if you are expert driver for that area but not all the times ................... you must be expert driver with the heart to budget for such losses . I have seen many cars with dents on their front and side doors pity them but again they are normally not used to driving in hilly area.

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Oh no bro, all you can do is not think about it and when you do get hit just thank the heavens that it wasn't bigger. It's an occupational hazard, tbh. Rarely do you ever see an incoming rock in time.

User said:

Winters would be the best time to do this I guess.

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Try April. The hills will be greener and the waters warmer.

User said:

No I just saw it from the other end only. And yes I remember little bit of Tv drama Shahpar . Thanks for the information it would really help exploring Khan pur better.

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Sure, you will have good time. Let me know if there is any other info required.

Safety always comes first. Thanks for the reminder we have seen too many unfortunate incidents with water taking people's life.

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Yup!

Winters would be the best time to do this I guess.

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It will be good from September and after that.
Even these days are nice if it is cloudy. It is an open area breeze is almost a constant. I am mentioning all this because you said that you planed to visit the archeological sites and museum soon, those places will keep you occupied for 3 4 hours max so if you want to spend more time in that area you may consider Khanpur.


Have you ever been to Wah gardens?
If you do not mind, who old are your kids? (you may choose to reply in private)

krash said:

Hehe, to tell you the truth, the photographer has played with the contrast in that picture It was a very murky and pale March day. I was there. Two of the girls panicked during the dive and landed incorrectly, one bruised her lowest vertebrate and the other came out with a blood purple thigh. But yes, it is a lot of fun with the activities there. I just meant that the scenery is kinda ordinary. I'm an addict of bigger fixes

And you must try it! It's a great rush..

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I did enjoyed this but never in this spot. For us the Spillway was much easier to get to and since we did it like almost every week so never bothered going all the distance for this end. Yes, it sure is fun. I am not sure about this spot but at the spillway the extra thing was the two huge boulders underneath the water and you have to land between them which was about 4-5m area. Thankfully we never had any accident at all.

As for the bigger fixes, sure i am not comparing Khanpur to Lulusar lake It is just this is something in your backyard, that counts for something.

Oh no bro, all you can do is not think about it and when you do get hit just thank the heavens that it wasn't bigger. It's an occupational hazard, tbh. Rarely do you ever see an incoming rock in time.

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Occupational hazard? What line of work are you in bro? Again, you may chose to share the details in private but i am quite interested in it now.

Try April. The hills will be greener and the waters warmer

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Lolz,
I said September (after monsoon) for the same reason. Plus the added advantage in September is that the lake is full. In April (specially if you get a dry winter) usually the water levels are low.

Arsalan said:

If you do not mind, who old are your kids? (you may choose to reply in private)

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The youngest is two years, middle one is four and the eldest is 7 years .

User said:

The youngest is two years, middle one is four and the eldest is 7 years .

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Hmm, so perhaps you should wait for a couple of years and take them to Wah gardens. The fish ponds there are fascinating for the kids but i am not is a 4 year old will enjoy it that much,



The ponds are so FULL of fish you can just see hundreds of them swimming around. Put some bread on your hand and they will feed from your hand. It is usually fun as far as the kids are concerned.