Pakistan Tourism: Information Desk

[Arsalan]

Hi all,
Good to have a dedicated section for Pakistan tourism. While there is lots of valuable information and breath taking images being shared i feel the need for this thread. The purpose of this is to ask any question related to you future tour plans. You are visiting some place and you need to know about what you need to take there, what are the road conditions, travel times, accommodations etc. Ask such questions about your required destinations.

Please refrain from post information about various tourists spots just because you like them. There is most probable a thread already running about that spot or you may go ahead and open one. Let us keep the discussion here to question answers and information required to plan your trips.

I request all the members who have the information about the spot someone asks for to please come up and share it. You will be helping someone.

Regards!

 

[Arsalan]

And now,, why i really felt the need for this thread. Actually i myself need some info. We are planning a trip to fairy meadows and need to know two main things:

1. What is the situation of accomodations there? Will be get tents or huts there without any problem or do we need to carry our own. I will prefer to rent a hut or tent there and do not carry my own
2. What about food? is food available there? I know there are no restaurants but still what can you get to eat up there?

Anyone with this information please help me out. I need this fast.

@WAJsal i need to tag you. I know you have not been there but can you please tag a few you know to have been to fairy meadows? May be then can help. Please do so if you can think of any and do try to think of someone for me

@ghazi52 you seem to be quite active in this section, any info? @pakistanipower ??

@Slav Defence @TaimiKhan

You were to first to visit this thread ma'am @Spring Onion , have any info?



Regards!

 

[WAJsal]

And now,, why i really felt the need for this thread. Actually i myself need some info. We are planning a trip to fairy meadows and need to know two main things:

1. What is the situation of accomodations there? Will be get tents or huts there without any problem or do we need to carry our own. I will prefer to rent a hut or tent there and do not carry my own
2. What about food? is food available there? I know there are no restaurants but still what can you get to eat up there?

Anyone with this information please help me out. I need this fast.

@WAJsal i need to tag you. I know you have not been there but can you please tag a few you know to have been to fairy meadows? May be then can help. Please do so if you can think of any and do try to think of someone for me

Regards!

There are cottages. Google search Fairy Meadow Cottages, other services available don't worry...
http://fairymeadowscottage.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Fairy-Meadows-Cottages-102201625530/

• What is the situation of accomodations there? Will be get tents or huts there without any problem or do we need to carry our own. I will prefer to rent a hut or tent there and do not carry my own

• What about food? is food available there? I know there are no restaurants but still what can you get to eat up there?

Arey bhia...It's a popular tourist site..
https://defence.pk/threads/aerial-view-of-northern-pakistan.434223/#post-8378724

@krash , can provide other necessary details if needed.

 

[Arsalan]

There are cottages. Google search Fairy Meadow Cottages, other services available don't worry...
http://fairymeadowscottage.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Fairy-Meadows-Cottages-102201625530/


Arey bhia...It's a popular tourist site..
https://defence.pk/threads/aerial-view-of-northern-pakistan.434223/#post-8378724

@krash , can provide other necessary details if needed.

I have studied the details but it is good to know the ground realities from someone who have visited the place in person. Various sites to give some details of the situation there but the authenticity can be judged that there is one site that gives the travel time from Mansehra to Chillas as 5 hours . It is easily much more than this via MNJC road. So i think it will be appropriate to ask someone how have "been there done that"
Otherwise i will be traveling with friends (not family) so will manage even if we do not get any such facility

@krash are you the person?

 

[krash]

What is the situation of accomodations there? Will be get tents or huts there without any problem or do we need to carry our own. I will prefer to rent a hut or tent there and do not carry my own

You won't find any four, five-star lodging there but it is not wild either. You can get huts and tents on rent depending on how you'd prefer to do it. Plenty of hut sites have been built there and all of them offer tents and tenting space for rent. Some huts are doable, others are not bad and they are all pretty cheap. Do try to book them in advance though, it's tourist season there. You'll also have a couple of khokas to buy snacks from; chips, biscuits, soft drinks, etc. These khokas also have satellite phones and provide phone services for nominal charges. Of course you can try taking a UPhone and a Telenor sim and try your luck with the signals at 'call point' but I always prefer the khoka near my hut rather than the 10-15 min walk to the call point (the view from there though is pretty spectacular).

What about food? is food available there? I know there are no restaurants but still what can you get to eat up there?
Anyone with this information please help me out. I need this fast.

Of course. Every hut site has its cooks, kitchen and dinning room; tea, meals, snacks, etc. available almost round the clock. However, the food is not great and pretty expensive (that's how they make money) but it's easily doable, especially when your group is just friends. You even get food at the Base Camp View Point, albeit a plate of mash ki daal will cost you around Rs.600.

I have studied the details but it is good to know the ground realities from someone who have visited the place in person. Various sites to give some details of the situation there but the authenticity can be judged that there is one site that gives the travel time from Mansehra to Chillas as 5 hours . It is easily much more than this via MNJC road. So i think it will be appropriate to ask someone how have "been there done that"
Otherwise i will be traveling with friends (not family) so will manage even if we do not get any such facility

@krash are you the person?

You know it.


I'll give you some pointers off the top of my head.

Chillas and Diamir (unbeknownst to many) are EXTREMELY hot during this time of the year. Unless it's overcast it'll be pretty unbearable, do not take this lightly. So take a car with good air conditioning. I'm assuming you'll take the Naran route over the Babusar Pass? If not, then do so. This way you'll have good weather and temps from Mansehra till Babusar and then only 2-3 hours of travel time from Babusar to Raikot, through Chillas and Diamir's heat. You'll need this bearable drive because you'll be trekking pretty soon.

Next, try to reach Raikot early in the morning, there are multiple reasons for this. Firstly, the drive, due to reasons mentioned above, becomes tolerable. There is just one hotel at the bridge ("Shangrila Hotel & Restaurant", original no?) and it does not have electricity very often, so usually no cold water or reprieve from the heat there either. You should have a hearty breakfast/brunch here because the trek ahead is 4-6 hrs long (depending on how good you are) and will not offer any food (except at one shabby little khoka, but I'll get to it later). Do not listen to the guides and locals when they say that the trek is only an hour and a half long. Since you wouldn't have had any phone signals since leaving Naran, it would also be a good idea to call your hut guy from this hotel to confirm your arrival and rendezvous. Since it's your first time, I'd advise asking the hut guy before hand to arrange a guide (and porters if need be) to accompany you guys on the trek, from jeep point onwards at least (although the trek is very straightforward, non-technical and easy). You'll hire a jeep from the Hotel's parking lot which will take you up till the Jeep Point. The jeeps usually don't run mid-day during this season because you just can't begin your trek in that heat. So again either you arrive early in the morning or wait till around 3-4pm to leave the hotel. I'd again advise choosing the early morning window because you do not want to be trekking in the dark. You also cannot trek on empty stomachs and if you don't get a chance to eat at the Shangrila Hotel then there is a khoka sort of a restaurant 15, 20min after you get off your jeep, but this will be your last chance since there is nothing for another 4-5 hours until you reach Fairy Meadows. So arrive early at Raikot, have a good breakfast, take the 1.5 hr long jeep ride to Jeep Point, start your trek and climb up into cooler climate before mid-day.

Lastly, the local jeep and hut operators can be a bit iffy at times (recent commercialisation in a historically downtrodden area and what not), so try not to depend too much on them and verbally confirm all arrangements exactly beforehand, e.g. rent, food prices, etc., etc. Do make the 1.5-2 hr trek to the base camp view point, it's pretty cool. Apart from that have fun, it's not some extreme trip, it's pretty tame. Lemme know if you have any other questions.

 

[Arsalan]

Well that was very detailed, thanks a lot.

I will try and share all the plan with you so perhaps you can help me iron it out.

You won't find any four, five-star lodging there but it is not wild either. You can get huts and tents on rent depending on how you'd prefer to do it. Plenty of hut sites have been built there and all of them offer tents and tenting space for rent. Some huts are doable, others are not bad and they are all pretty cheap. Do try to book them in advance though, it's tourist season there. You'll also have a couple of khokas to buy snacks from; chips, biscuits, soft drinks, etc. These khokas also have satellite phones and provide phone services for nominal charges. Of course you can try taking a UPhone and a Telenor sim and try your luck with the signals at 'call point' but I always prefer the khoka near my hut rather than the 10-15 min walk to the call point (the view from there though is pretty spectacular).

Of course. Every hut site has its cooks, kitchen and dinning room; tea, meals, snacks, etc. available almost round the clock. However, the food is not great and pretty expensive (that's how they make money) but it's easily doable, especially when your group is just friends. You even get food at the Base Camp View Point, albeit a plate of mash ki daal will cost you around Rs.600.

Yup i just checked the details shared by @WAJsal as well. I already knew that the huts and permanent camps but was not sure how easy will it be to get some space available. Now checked some contacts on the internet and will ring them tomorrow try to get advance booking. If you have been there a there is someone you deal with let me know and i can ask him to book space for us. Surely we wont be looking for 4 or 5 stars,, as told, it is a group of friends and we are ok with whatever we can manage to get there. ONLY FOOD was concern but good to know that some help will be available. Plus we may also take a stove with us and try some cooking as well.

You know it.

I'll give you some pointers off the top of my head.

Chillas and Diamir (unbeknownst to many) are EXTREMELY hot during this time of the year. Unless it's overcast it'll be pretty unbearable, do not take this lightly. So take a car with good air conditioning. I'm assuming you'll take the Naran route over the Babusar Pass? If not, then do so. This way you'll have good weather and temps from Mansehra till Babusar and then only 2-3 hours of travel time from Babusar to Raikot, through Chillas and Diamir's heat. You'll need this bearable drive because you'll be trekking pretty soon.

Yup the idea is to take the Babusar route. The only problem that may make us change our minds is the traffic situation up ahead. Well have a final check when we reach Mansehra. If roods are open in the Eid rush time we wil surely opt for MNJC.

Next, try to reach Raikot early in the morning, there are multiple reasons for this. Firstly, the drive, due to reasons mentioned above, becomes tolerable. There is just one hotel at the bridge ("Shangrila Hotel & Restaurant", original no?) and it does not have electricity very often, so usually no cold water or reprieve from the heat there either. You should have a hearty breakfast/brunch here because the trek ahead is 4-6 hrs long (depending on how good you are) and will not offer any food (except at one shabby little khoka, but I'll get to it later). Do not listen to the guides and locals when they say that the trek is only an hour and a half long. Since you wouldn't have had any phone signals since leaving Naran, it would also be a good idea to call your hut guy from this hotel to confirm your arrival and rendezvous. Since it's your first time, I'd advise asking the hut guy before hand to arrange a guide (and porters if need be) to accompany you guys on the trek, from jeep point onwards at least (although the trek is very straightforward, non-technical and easy). You'll hire a jeep from the Hotel's parking lot which will take you up till the Jeep Point. The jeeps usually don't run mid-day during this season because you just can't begin your trek in that heat. So again either you arrive early in the morning or wait till around 3-4pm to leave the hotel. I'd again advise choosing the early morning window because you do not want to be trekking in the dark. You also cannot trek on empty stomachs and if you don't get a chance to eat at the Shangrila Hotel then there is a khoka sort of a restaurant 15, 20min after you get off your jeep, but this will be your last chance since there is nothing for another 4-5 hours until you reach Fairy Meadows. So arrive early at Raikot, have a good breakfast, take the 1.5 hr long jeep ride to Jeep Point, start your trek and climb up into cooler climate before mid-day.

Well noted. The idea is to spend a nigh in Chilas or Raikot and travel to Fairy Meadows early in the morning. Reason is that we will be traveling from Lahore and Faisalabad so it suites us to start at night, reach Mansehra early morning, get to Chilas in the afternoon and Raikot by evening, spend the night and leave for fairy meadows early morning. Makes sense right?

Lastly, the local jeep and hut operators can be a bit iffy at times (recent commercialisation in a historically downtrodden area and what not), so try not to depend too much on them and verbally confirm all arrangements exactly beforehand, e.g. rent, food prices, etc., etc. Do make the 1.5-2 hr trek to the base camp view point, it's pretty cool. Apart from that have fun, it's not some extreme trip, it's pretty tame. Lemme know if you have any other questions.
.

Yeah i know that. Have had plenty of experience with them It is just Fairy Meadows is a first time else have not left much spots to explore in Kaghan Valley. It is only after finishing Kaghan valley that we decided to move to the next one Jeep and porters wont be a problem and will manage that. There are certain things that you do right and they will be your best friends in the area

Again, if there is a confirmed contact in that area for booking please do share here.

Thanks again for the detailed reply. That was very helpful.

 

[krash]

Well that was very detailed, thanks a lot.

I will try and share all the plan with you so perhaps you can help me iron it out.

Of course, let me know.

Yup i just checked the details shared by @WAJsal as well. I already knew that the huts and permanent camps but was not sure how easy will it be to get some space available. Now checked some contacts on the internet and will ring them tomorrow try to get advance booking. If you have been there a there is someone you deal with let me know and i can ask him to book space for us. Surely we wont be looking for 4 or 5 stars,, as told, it is a group of friends and we are ok with whatever we can manage to get there. ONLY FOOD was concern but good to know that some help will be available. Plus we may also take a stove with us and try some cooking as well.

Not a lot of people there whom I'd wanna recommend. My guy left Fairy Meadows a year before, sorry :/

Yup the idea is to take the Babusar route. The only problem that may make us change our minds is the traffic situation up ahead. Well have a final check when we reach Mansehra. If roods are open in the Eid rush time we wil surely opt for MNJC.

Perfect. The traffic won't be a problem except at Naran. Mansehra to Naran should be event-less if you cover this stretch in the first quarter of the day. Although they've built a bypass specifically for this but Naran is still a headache to pass through due to EVERYONE coming to the valley staying there.....expect to waste an hour or two crossing it.The road after Naran is heaven and not a lot of people take it so no problems there. I'm sure you've already seen it all before.

Well noted. The idea is to spend a nigh in Chilas or Raikot and travel to Fairy Meadows early in the morning. Reason is that we will be traveling from Lahore and Faisalabad so it suites us to start at night, reach Mansehra early morning, get to Chilas in the afternoon and Raikot by evening, spend the night and leave for fairy meadows early morning. Makes sense right?

Perfect.

Yeah i know that. Have had plenty of experience with them It is just Fairy Meadows is a first time else have not left much spots to explore in Kaghan Valley. It is only after finishing Kaghan valley that we decided to move to the next one Jeep and porters wont be a problem and will manage that. There are certain things that you do right and they will be your best friends in the area

These guys are a notch above. I believe it's because you're not as helpless or as dependant on them anywhere in the Kaghan Valley as you are in Fairy Meadows. But I hope your experience will be awesome.

Again, if there is a confirmed contact in that area for booking please do share here.

I apologize again. I've just had way too many problems with the people I know there and I wouldn't want to hand you over to any of them.

But if you still want the numbers,

Fairy Meadows Lodges: 0300 5772942

Raikot Sarai: 0300 5065407

Fairy Meadows Cottages:

0301 4493725 (Rehmat Ullah)

0300 5053507 (Mir Gul)

0312 4493725 (Farman Ali)

Shangrila Resort at Raikot Bridge,

+(92) 5811 485050
+(92) 5811 485507

The Shangrila guy isn't that bad.

Thanks again for the detailed reply. That was very helpful.

Anytime.

And to spur you on, took this from the signal point. Notice the two different colours of the sky,

ps: I'm sorry for the delayed response, was out of town. Hope it wasn't too late.

 

[I.R.A]

@Arsalan So did you go there? I went upto Babusar after Eid holidays with all my kids, it was fun they enjoyed it.

I have questions about my next dream Kashmir if anyone could help me with that I would be grateful

• Would car do or do I need Jeep, surf etc etc
• How many days should suffice so that we feel yes we have explored this area
• Which places are best to visit with your growing kids, they enjoy going into water, rafting, hiking and greenery
• Condition and cost of hotels and restaurants
• What not do when you are there so it does not offend the locals and does not disturb the surroundings.

Though this thread is meant to be asking questions but I would take the liberty to make request that please "When we visit these places, we should take care of whatever little trash we spread there. Actually at most of the spots facilities to remove garbage are not available."

And I would also like to tag another expert @Sulman Badshah who I believe could help answer many questions here.

 

[Arsalan]

@Arsalan So did you go there? I went upto Babusar after Eid holidays with all my kids, it was fun they enjoyed it.

I have questions about my next dream Kashmir if anyone could help me with that I would be grateful

• Would car do or do I need Jeep, surf etc etc
• How many days should suffice so that we feel yes we have explored this area
• Which places are best to visit with your growing kids, they enjoy going into water, rafting, hiking and greenery
• Condition and cost of hotels and restaurants
• What not do when you are there so it does not offend the locals and does not disturb the surroundings.

Though this thread is meant to be asking questions but I would take the liberty to make request that please "When we visit these places, we should take care of whatever little trash we spread there. Actually at most of the spots facilities to remove garbage are not available."

And I would also like to tag another expert @Sulman Badshah who I believe could help answer many questions here.

NO, it all fell apart
Eid vacations, some friends involved were those who got married this year Pahly tu josh mein sb maan gy but when time came they all ditched us. IN the end it was me and two other friends who were left and we though it wont be much fun if it is just three of us so dropped the plan for some other time. Have gone to babusar top twice and the journey to that point itself is a great experience.

For Kashmir, it depends which part are you planning to visit? I will suggest that you divide your Kashmir exploration in at least three parts and do it one at a time. It is like exploring Kashmir in three visits at least, each one based on a major spot and spending 4 5 days in that area exploring the lakes and tracks and spots in that zone. Plan for the other part for next year. I have not explored that area yet so i wont be able to give you a detailed plan but it was wise of you to tag Sulman, lets see what he comes up with.

P.S. I am looking for the summers to pass and will then focus on some area in Punjab, a day or two day trips to spots that we never care about and in most cases, do not even know about. There are many such places which are
a few hours drive from your place and still we never visit them. Kaghan, Kashmir and Swat are sort of the only spots one thinks about when planning a vacation but i am looking to point out a few places close by which you can think of visiting on a weekend.

 

[I.R.A]

NO, it all fell apart
Eid vacations, some friends involved were those who got married this year Pahly tu josh mein sb maan gy but when time came they all ditched us. IN the end it was me and two other friends who were left and we though it wont be much fun if it is just three of us so dropped the plan for some other time. Have gone to babusar top twice and the journey to that point itself is a great experience.

Jin ki shadi ho gai hay unhay to bhool he jao . Enjoy these days with your non married friends as much as you can then it would be more of doing it for others, chunnu kay pamper rakh liay, munnu ka doodh rakh lia, wahan to sardi ho gi in sab ki jackets rakh lo, and when it comes to the fun part you will be left with chunnu in your arms because he is too small to do that and obviously you have to take care of him while all others enjoy .

For Kashmir, it depends which part are you planning to visit? I will suggest that you divide your Kashmir exploration in at least three parts and do it one at a time. It is like exploring Kashmir in three visits at least, each one based on a major spot and spending 4 5 days in that area exploring the lakes and tracks and spots in that zone. Plan for the other part for next year. I have not explored that area yet so i wont be able to give you a detailed plan but it was wise of you to tag Sulman, lets see what he comes up with.

I have not decided the places yet, my Kashmiri colleagues suggest Neelam valley, and someone else suggested Toli Peer etc, but I will have to research a bit more and you are right that surely would be covered in more than one trip.

P.S. I am looking for the summers to pass and will then focus on some area in Punjab, a day or two day trips to spots that we never care about and in most cases, do not even know about. There are many such places which are
a few hours drive from your place and still we never visit them. Kaghan, Kashmir and Swat are sort of the only spots one thinks about when planning a vacation but i am looking to point out a few places close by which you can think of visiting on a weekend.

Yep rightly said, some pictures that Mughal Jee posts here of Punjab are superb really those open fields, mud houses, big trees, tube wells just makes you feel the peace and simplicity those places and residents may hold there.

 

[Arsalan]

Jin ki shadi ho gai hay unhay to bhool he jao . Enjoy these days with your non married friends as much as you can then it would be more of doing it for others, chunnu kay pamper rakh liay, munnu ka doodh rakh lia, wahan to sardi ho gi in sab ki jackets rakh lo, and when it comes to the fun part you will be left with chunnu in your arms because he is too small to do that and obviously you have to take care of him while all others enjoy . .

Lolz,
well the married ones do manage some time every year but expecting the ones married in March or May was a bit rude of us as well Bhabhion na he sari umer dil mein rakhni the baat!!
May be next year but by that time it will be me tied in those chains,, lets see!

I have not decided the places yet, my Kashmiri colleagues suggest Neelam valley, and someone else suggested Toli Peer etc, but I will have to research a bit more and you are right that surely would be covered in more than one trip.

Sure, do it in multiple trips. Start with a trip to Neelum valley and cover all the spots in that area or try to cover as much as possible.

One trip i can recommend in Kashmir will be a trip to Kotli in Azad Kashmir. It is close the border and there are some epic sites to visit in that area. Tatta pani being one of them, I loved it. Plus the river,, it is simply WOW! I have not seen water of such color ANYWHERE! If you have some relative in army that could be great help as you may get decent accommodation in Kotli and also someone who can guide you to surrounding area!! It is a great place to be in.

Yep rightly said, some pictures that Mughal Jee posts here of Punjab are superb really those open fields, mud houses, big trees, tube wells just makes you feel the peace and simplicity those places and residents may hold there

There are so many sites to visit as well apart from those fields (they usually look good on camera only )
Like Kalarkahar, Salt mines, Raj Katas Palace, For Munro, Soon Skasar valley, Cholistan and Fort Darawar! They are mostly a one or two night trip and are worth visiting at least once in you life. After all, it is your country, you should be able to say that you have been there even if it is not that awesome of a place.

Jin ki shadi ho gai hay unhay to bhool he jao . Enjoy these days with your non married friends as much as you can then it would be more of doing it for others, chunnu kay pamper rakh liay, munnu ka doodh rakh lia, wahan to sardi ho gi in sab ki jackets rakh lo, and when it comes to the fun part you will be left with chunnu in your arms because he is too small to do that and obviously you have to take care of him while all others enjoy . .

Lolz,
well the married ones do manage some time every year but expecting the ones married in March or May was a bit rude of us as well Bhabhion na he sari umer dil mein rakhni the baat!!
May be next year but by that time it will be me tied in those chains,, lets see!

I have not decided the places yet, my Kashmiri colleagues suggest Neelam valley, and someone else suggested Toli Peer etc, but I will have to research a bit more and you are right that surely would be covered in more than one trip.

Sure, do it in multiple trips. Start with a trip to Neelum valley and cover all the spots in that area or try to cover as much as possible.

One trip i can recommend in Kashmir will be a trip to Kotli in Azad Kashmir. It is close the border and there are some epic sites to visit in that area. Tatta pani being one of them, I loved it. Plus the river,, it is simply WOW! I have not seen water of such color ANYWHERE! If you have some relative in army that could be great help as you may get decent accommodation in Kotli and also someone who can guide you to surrounding area!! It is a great place to be in.

Yep rightly said, some pictures that Mughal Jee posts here of Punjab are superb really those open fields, mud houses, big trees, tube wells just makes you feel the peace and simplicity those places and residents may hold there

There are so many sites to visit as well apart from those fields (they usually look good on camera only )
Like Kalarkahar, Salt mines, Raj Katas Palace, For Munro, Soon Skasar valley, Cholistan and Fort Darawar! They are mostly a one or two night trip and are worth visiting at least once in you life. After all, it is your country, you should be able to say that you have been there even if it is not that awesome of a place.

 

[I.R.A]

Lolz,
well the married ones do manage some time every year but expecting the ones married in March or May was a bit rude of us as well Bhabhion na he sari umer dil mein rakhni the baat!!
May be next year but by that time it will be me tied in those chains,, lets see!

Those chains make it totally different by the way, you will experience it eventually INSHALLAH

Sure, do it in multiple trips. Start with a trip to Neelum valley and cover all the spots in that area or try to cover as much as possible.

One trip i can recommend in Kashmir will be a trip to Kotli in Azad Kashmir. It is close the border and there are some epic sites to visit in that area. Tatta pani being one of them, I loved it. Plus the river,, it is simply WOW! I have not seen water of such color ANYWHERE! If you have some relative in army that could be great help as you may get decent accommodation in Kotli and also someone who can guide you to surrounding area!! It is a great place to be in.

I will check with my brother if he could help a civilian like me.

There are so many sites to visit as well apart from those fields (they usually look good on camera only )
Like Kalarkahar, Salt mines, Raj Katas Palace, For Munro, Soon Skasar valley, Cholistan and Fort Darawar! They are mostly a one or two night trip and are worth visiting at least once in you life. After all, it is your country, you should be able to say that you have been there even if it is not that awesome of a place.

Been to Kalarkahar, Salt mines, Raj Katas, Choa Saidan Shah. By the way I had always enjoyed travelling on road to Chakwal from Mandra's side, it always felt so peaceful. That road I think is under construction now and they have cut down those very old the trees that were there on the sides of the road.

The other road that I enjoy travelling on is road to Haripur via Khanpur. Balochistan also holds a different set of beautiful places.

 

[Arsalan]

Those chains make it totally different by the way, you will experience it eventually INSHALLAH



I will check with my brother if he could help a civilian like me.



Been to Kalarkahar, Salt mines, Raj Katas, Choa Saidan Shah. By the way I had always enjoyed travelling on road to Chakwal from Mandra's side, it always felt so peaceful. That road I think is under construction now and they have cut down those very old the trees that were there on the sides of the road.

The other road that I enjoy travelling on is road to Haripur via Khanpur. Balochistan also holds a different set of beautiful places.

Well sir, we must meet sometime I love traveling through that area. Even on motorway from Kalarkahar to Islamabad the landscape is worth watching! Same for traveling on GT Road from Rawalpindi to Jehlum! If you leave the big road and take a smaller one, i am sure it will be that much more fun. Actually, it is the Potohar region and the landscape here is epic! Some thing like those Australian wallpaper images!!

Will need some time (months) but will surely share some worth visiting places with our members here which they can travel to on weekend trips!

 

[I.R.A]

Well sir, we must meet sometime I love traveling through that area. Even on motorway from Kalarkahar to Islamabad the landscape is worth watching! Same for traveling on GT Road from Rawalpindi to Jehlum! If you leave the big road and take a smaller one, i am sure it will be that much more fun. Actually, it is the Potohar region and the landscape here is epic! Some thing like those Australian wallpaper images!!

Will need some time (months) but will surely share some worth visiting places with our members here which they can travel to on weekend trips!

Sure sir if the fate allows we may meet someday . Another similar journey full of such site seeing would be from Lahore to Rawalpindi in a train.

Best of luck with the search, trips and tips

 

[krash]

I have not decided the places yet, my Kashmiri colleagues suggest Neelam valley, and someone else suggested Toli Peer etc, but I will have to research a bit more and you are right that surely would be covered in more than one trip.

Neelum is the place to go, it is the jewel in all of Kashmir. Bagh, Leepa, Kotli, etc. can always come later on.

@Arsalan So did you go there? I went upto Babusar after Eid holidays with all my kids, it was fun they enjoyed it.

I have questions about my next dream Kashmir if anyone could help me with that I would be grateful

• Would car do or do I need Jeep, surf etc etc
• How many days should suffice so that we feel yes we have explored this area
• Which places are best to visit with your growing kids, they enjoy going into water, rafting, hiking and greenery
• Condition and cost of hotels and restaurants
• What not do when you are there so it does not offend the locals and does not disturb the surroundings.

Though this thread is meant to be asking questions but I would take the liberty to make request that please "When we visit these places, we should take care of whatever little trash we spread there. Actually at most of the spots facilities to remove garbage are not available."

And I would also like to tag another expert @Sulman Badshah who I believe could help answer many questions here.

I've posted before on Neelum. If you have questions which I didn't cover in the two posts below, let me know.

https://defence.pk/threads/18-reaso...-least-once-in-your-life.430859/#post-8316434

https://defence.pk/threads/18-reaso...-least-once-in-your-life.430859/#post-8417343

NO, it all fell apart
Eid vacations, some friends involved were those who got married this year Pahly tu josh mein sb maan gy but when time came they all ditched us. IN the end it was me and two other friends who were left and we though it wont be much fun if it is just three of us so dropped the plan for some other time. Have gone to babusar top twice and the journey to that point itself is a great experience.

That sucks but you should've still gone, IMO. Too many times have I faced the same and never have I backed out of a trip, never have I regretted doing so either. Quite a few times I've even ended up going alone, which has always been awesome.

ps: You just need to marry a travel-nut like yourself, trust me.