“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
I and my family are frequent travelers, we have gone to numerous spots inside Pakistan, and also on various foreign tours. For the most part, we go to a new place each year, however infrequently we likewise revisit to the same area as well. This time, we plan to travel to the North End of Pakistan, Khunjerab Pass, the border area of Pakistan and China. Pakistan and China, the two friendly neighboring countries separated by the highest mountainous range of the world The Karakorum ranges. The only place connecting two countries together over this mountainous range is “The Khunjerab Pass”, at the height of 16,200 ft. Khunjerab Pass is the point where the Highest Paved international road “The Karakorum Highway” enters China, connecting Xinjiang Uyghur Region of China and Gilgit–Baltistan of Pakistan. For those who love natural beauty, lush green trees, snow covered mountains, glaciers and water streams this area worth a visit.
Following is a brief description of my visit:
•Family Members: Me, my wife and 2 Kids (a 13 years old son and 8 years old daughter)
•Transport Used: Train, Coaster, Hi-roof Van (Hiace), Private Car (Taxi)
•Dates: From 12 September 2015 till 3 October 2015
The voyage began on 12th of September 2015 from Karachi to Rawalpindi via Train. By traveling on Taeezgam, a perfect budget train with AC coaches, we reached Rawalpindi on 13th September 2015. We stay at my sister’s home in Pindi on 13th and 14th of September. Our real adventure begins on 15th September 2015 from Rawalpindi.
Pakistan is the country with multiple options for the travelers, there are places for the nature lovers like snow-covered mountains, beautiful lakes, forests, green plains and rivers or places for those who love history like ancient forts, shrines, or Mughal architecture. I and my family are nature admirer and we, for the most part, go to the places with mountains, streams and green fields. This time, we plan to travel to Hunza Valley, a 3,000KM route from The South end of Pakistan, Karachi to the North end of Pakistan, Khunjerab Pass (the Pak-China Boarder).
We travel from Karachi to Rawalpindi by train and reached Rawalpindi on 13th September 2015, Rawalpindi commonly known as Pindi among people of Pakistan is a city in Punjab adjacent to the capital Islamabad. It also acts as a center point for the travelers who wish to travel to Northern Area, Kashmir or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. There are numerous expensive as well as budget hotels and restaurants in Pindi so one can stay effectively in Pindi for whatever length of time that one wish, there are various places in Pindi that can also be visited. After staying for one day in Rawalpindi we begin our excursion toward Hunza on 15th September 2015.
At 9:00 AM we went to Pirwadhi from where Transport is available toward any part of Pakistan, Bus, Van or a Coaster, we opt to travel by Coaster till Mansehra. The coaster was air conditioned and very comfortable, and started its journey toward Mansehra at nearly 10:00 AM, there was a substantial traffic jam on G.T Road (N5) toward Peshawar and that squandered our part of time. In any case, in the wake of intersection at Tool Plaza, the movement got typical and our voyage began once more, we were getting a charge out of each snippet of it as well as every one of us are exceptionally amped up for this excursion. At Abbottabad Mor, our coaster took a right turn and now we are travelling on the Eighth Wonder of the World, “The Karakorum Highway (N35)”, we have read about this highway many times but this is the first time we were travelling on the highway. As of Wikipedia, The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is one of the highest paved international roads in the world. The 1,300 km (806 km in Pakistan) long highway, connects the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China and Gilgit–Baltistan of Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions in which it was constructed, it is referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World, and this is the Highway on which we will be travelling to our destination The Khunjerab Pass.
Since this part of Pakistan is mountainous, our coaster now started ascending up the hills and after crossing many small towns, rivers and travelling through green forests, we reached Abbottabad City at around 1:00 PM. Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province at an altitude of 4,134 ft. The city is bounded on all four sides by the Sarban hills, from which residents and tourists can see breathtaking views of the region and city. The location of the city and the hills allows Abbottabad to experience pleasant weather in the summer and cold winters. The Dor River flows south of Abbottabad through the town of Harnol, eventually reaching Tarbela Dam, situated west of Abbottabad.
Now, after a break of nearly 30 minutes, we again started travelling toward Mansehra city on KKH (Karakorum Highway) and in an hour we reached Mansehra city. Mansehra is a small city situated between the high mountains. It has a wonderful natural beauty and extraordinary surroundings. Mansehra serves as a hub that connects Naran, Kaghan, Shogran with Mansehra through Mansehra-Naran-Chillas Highway (N15) and Gilgit, Hunza, Khunjerab Pass, Kashgar (China) through KKH(N35). There are many hotels, guest houses, hostels and restaurants in Mansehra both Luxury and budget and one can stay as long he wishes with ease and comfort. There are many places to visit within and around Mansehra city.
Our today’s objective is to achieve Naran as right on time as could be expected under the circumstances, so we have no plans to stay in Mansehra. From Mansehra, we now have two choices to travel either by Hiace (Van) or rent-a-car (Taxi). We commonly consented to go by Taxi till Naran as this will give us the chance to stop at better places for photography and appreciate the surroundings and area. It was a small car, but comfortable after some bargain for the fare we hopped in and began going toward Naran.
The weather in Mansehra is pleasant, not as hot as in Pindi and Abbottabad. We are all exceptionally energized as this is our first excursion to Naran, after travelling a couple of kilometers we entered Balakot city, a small town near Mansehra, now the River Kunhar is going in parallel to our highway. Since it was lunch time we requested the driver to stop at some riverside restaurant. After travelling a little we stopped at a resturant by the name “River Park” at the bank of river Kunhar. It was a decent eatery and as it was off season so the cook let us know that it will take approx. 30 min to serve. By taking advantage of that time we sit along side the river bank. We uprooted our shoes and socks and plunged our feet into the water, the water was perfect yet all that much colder. Since we have travelled such a long journey it feels too great by sitting along the river bank and feeling the smoothness and peace of the environment. After 30 min the lunch was served, we chose to sit along the river bank and have our lunch there, it was instantly organized by the inn staff. The food was extremely delectable and after lunch we proceeded with our excursion toward Naran.
From Balakot, we have started travelling in Kaghan valley. Kaghan is 160 KM long valley in the Mansehra District of Hazara in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan, it is considered as one of the most beautiful valleys in Pakistan and is also most popular summer holiday spots for both Pakistanis as well as foreigners.
The Kunhar River with its crystal clear waters from the glaciers and the famous orange and pink trout fish pass through this valley and is consider the most prominent feature of this valley. The valley is also famous for its pine forests, alpine meadows, crystal clear lakes and cool mountain streams. Nestled along the banks of the river are the towns of Balakot, Paras, Mahandari, Kaghan and Naran.
There is a population some few kilometers from Balakot before Naran with beautiful houses, hotels and restaurants this area is also named as Kaghan. We stop at that place for a while, had the glass of cold and fresh water from the running stream, took some photographs and then continue toward Naran again.
As we are moving up hills the weather has started to get colder and colder. After stopping at some spots for photography, we reached Naran at nearly 8:00 AM, the weather at Naran was very cold. As we have booked the Usman Guest House in advance, the taxi driver dropped us right at the gate of the hotel and hotel staff that was waiting for us immediately moved us to our room. The room was big and comfortable, there was no heater, but they have provided us with sufficient blankets. As we have been on the road since morning and travelled long distance we were all very tired, we immediately hopped in our beds and after discussing the today’s journey and planned for the coming day, we all slept. And that was the end of Day 1.
Naran is a medium sized town in upper Kaghan Valley in Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the Pakistan. It is located 119 kilometers (74 mi) from Mansehra city at the altitude of 8,202 feet. By travelling on zig zag well-constructed and maintained road, with ups and downs due to mountainous region watching the scenic beauty and awesome mountain we reached last night to Naran.
As I needed to see the stars at Naran, I get up at 5:30 AM and went out, it was exceptionally dark outside, the darkness that I have never seen. The sky was brimming with stars and looks extremely excellent, but the night was too cold so I came back to my room and again hopped into the bed and hide under the blanket.
After an hour, I ask my family to wake up and begin preparation for seeing the most popular place in Naran Valley, the “Lake Saiful Muluk “. We have to press our clothes but due to a power failure, as a tree fallen on the power lines, we cannot do that at the hotel, so we went out to the market and asked a shopkeeper if there is a possibility that our clothes can be pressed and we were surprised to hear his reply in positive. He pointed us to a small shop opposite to the road where a person is sitting and awaiting for the customers. Wondering, how he will press the clothes without electricity we were excited to see that he hold an iron that can operate on Natural Gas. For nominal charges, he pressed all our clothes and we got back to our room.
Now, after dressing and preparing a backpack to bring with us to the lake, we again proceeded to the market for the breakfast. There was a real decent local restaurant along the opposite side of the road we went in and place an order for breakfast. As the waiter told us it will take a while for the breakfast to get ready, we started along the road to arrange for the jeep. At that place were many jeeps waiting outside, hence on that point was no issue in getting one, after some bargain we hired a jeep for a visit to Lake Saiful Muluk. As the jeep waits for us, we return back to the restaurant for the breakfast.
Naran is a town situated between the two mountains, the mountains covered with Pine Forest and the river Kunhar flowing in parallel to the town. You can feel the clean unpolluted air as soon as you enter the Naran town. The only street in the Naran is Mansehra-Naran-Babusar-Chillas highway that passes in the middle of the town and all the hotels, restaurant and houses are constructed along both sides of the road. The other street that is called “Naran Bypass” road is situated at the back side of the town and is only used during the rush hours on the main highway.
Later on receiving such a yummy breakfast of paratha’s, omelets and tea we ride in the jeep and began our journey toward Lake Saiful Muluk, on the principal highway. Toward the end of the town, there is a street going on the right side encompassed by pine trees and that street leads to the lake Saiful Muluk. The road began climbing upward on the mountain with the beautiful scenic views in front.
Because of frequent rains and running water from the mountains, the road to Saiful Muluk get destroyed every year, but now the government is constructing a concrete road till Saiful Muluk so that it can last longer. On one side of the road is the High Mountain range and the other side is the deep valley below, with the coursing river. We stopped at different locations to capture the scenic beauty of the area in our camera.
After going nearly 8 KM up on the mountain and for almost one and half hours, our jeep stopped at a spot where there are hotels and some small tuck shops beneath that slope, we can see the delightful lake. Our driver told us that from here we have to trek down till the lake as jeeps are not allowed to go near the lake. It was a 10 minutes trek and we have reached the most popular lake of Pakistan, the Saiful Muluk.
Situated at the height of 10,578 feet (3,224 meters) above sea level, Saiful Muluk is the most beautiful lake in the Kaghan Valley. Offering splendid views of the Peak of Malika Parbat (Mountain) this lake is a water source for River Kunhar, the river that is going along with us from the Mansehra district.
Hardly a little up the lake at that place is a grassy land so we decided to spread the sheet that we have taken with us on the grass and sit there. The children took off running and playing with the ball and we were enjoying the breathtaking panorama of the lake and the mountains and talking over the beauty of this place. The pleasant smell and the pollution free environment, make us feel that we are in some other world. The weather is sort of undefinable as the wind is cold and the areas where there are clouds and shade it feels very cold but at the area where the sun is shining it feels too hot. At the place where we were sitting it was shaded in the beginning, but after an hour the sun started shining on us and the weather was turning hot, then after having just about snacks and tea we decided to go and posture at the side of the lake. As we go to the side of the lake the children immediately remove their shoes and jump into the water. The water was cold, but we all were enjoying it very much. The water is too clear and reflection of nearby mountain seen in the lake is amazing, it feels like a huge mirror lying on the ground.
After spending nearly two hours at such a beautiful place, we decided to return to Naran. Climbing back up on the hill where our jeep is parked we bought some fries and the cold drink and ride on the jeep. The jeep started descending back toward the Naran on the same path along which we reached Saiful Muluk. With capturing some photographs and videos, we reached Naran in about an hour. The harsh and bumpy drive makes us a little tired then we determined to get back to our room and have some sleep.
In the evening, we again went out and this time, we decided to walk down the hill to river Kunhar. We asked some shopkeepers for the route and started walking toward the river. The route toward the river passes through the houses and small farms of the local people. There were some children playing in the fields, we ask the children about the route to the river and they offer us to guide us to the river. The route to the river was rough as there are many rocks on the way, following those children on that rough route we reached the river bank. We give some candies to the children and sit beside the river bank and hear the gratifying sound of the water that runs into the river.
After spending some time at the riverside, we walked back to the Naran Bazaar (Market). We decided to have a walk along the Naran Bazaar, the bazaar is on both sides of the main highway started from the beginning of the town. It was likewise a very good experience walking along the Naran Bazar, my wife and daughter started the shopping part and I and my son just enjoyed the surrounding. The sun started setting behind the mountains and then in a few hours the fascinating moonlight covers the area.
We accord to have dinner at a local restaurant. The dinner, Charga Nan and Kabuli Pulao, was served after a short wait and after dinner, we walked back to our room. Our next day destination is Lalazar, another attractive place in this Kaghan valley. We hopped into our beds and fell asleep, after such a superb and charming day. This is the conclusion of the 2nd day of our journey.
Yesterday we had a wonderful time at Sauful Muluk Lake and today our destination is Lalazar. At the height of 10,500 feet (3,200 meters), Lalazar is a green meadow situated 21 km from Naran. We wake up early in the morning and had the breakfast at the same restaurant where we had it yesterday. We have already booked the jeep for the Lalazar that is waiting for us on the road. As the surrounding areas of Naran are so beautiful we asked the driver to remove the leather roof that is covering the jeep so that we can fully enjoy the ride and the beauty of the surroundings. The drive started on the same Mansehra-Naran-Babusar-Chillas highway toward Babusar and crossed the Naran Town. The mesmerizing view of River Kunhar on the left and the mountain covered with Alpine Forest is unexplainable. We stopped for photography and video capturing at many stops and at stunning Waterfalls. Drink the fresh water from the fall, washed our face and hands and then continued our drive again. There are many waterfalls on the way toward Babusar, their source is up high on the mountain and falling into the river Kunhar after crossing the highway.
We were having a smooth and comfortable drive as the road is metalled and carpeted, but at Battakundi, our driver took a right turn and our jeep started climbing up on the mountain road, with hills on one side and a deep valley on the other side. This was a rough and dirt route and the only route going toward Lalazar. As we already have face masks with us in our backpacks, we immediately wore them to protect us from the dust. As said by Babs Hoffman “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” we continued our journey. As the zig zag road keeps on ascending the scenery started changing, at some place you can see the trees on one side and the river Kunhar below the valley on the other and at some places you can see corn and potato farms with the road passing in between the farms. After nearly a drive of 2 hours, we reached the most beautiful meadow of the Kaghan valley The Lalazar. We hopped out of the jeep pick our backpacks and moved toward the ground covered with grass and wildflowers. The Lalazar is surrounded by Fir and Pine Forest, the snow covered mountains and the River Kunhar flowing thousands of miles below in the valley.
Walking some steps in the meadow, we spread out the sheet and sit there to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding. The unpolluted air, the refreshing smell from the surrounding, the quietness and the beauty of the place can make anyone fall in love with this place. While we were having some snacks and tea it starts drizzling, some people moved down the shelter, but my family decided to stay at our place and enjoy this sudden change in weather. At the time when we sit in this place, the sun was shining and the weather was less hot, but now this area is covered with clouds and the weather has become cold. On the nearby mountains we can see two different types of scene, on the mountains in front of us it was snowing and raining, we have seen the color of the rocks changing to white but on the mountains behind us, the sun was shining with full brightness. It was the first time in our life that we have seen such an amazing scene.
Lalazar is filled with attractiveness, not only it has green plains and valleys, but this place also has a forest, so we decided to move and sit some place near the forest. The forest is packed with pine trees, we sit near the forest and children started flowing the butterflies, smelling the flowers and running all around. It’s been more the 3 hours here, but the feel of the fresh air and the smell of the forest making us not to leave this place but we have to go.
We sit back into our jeep again and our journey back to Naran started again on the same rough and dusty road, but we didn’t care about the dust just wore our face masks and started enjoying the beauty of the farms, the plains, the valley and the river and reached the main highway leading us toward Naran, The Mansehra-Naran-Babusar-Chillas highway. There is also a fascinating place “Batakundi” on the way to Naran, we stop there for a while, have some photographs, and then started moving toward Naran.
Before the beginning of the Naran city, there is a spot on the right side of the road where one can do Trout fishing activity along the Kunhar river bank. Fishing for brown and rainbow trout in the crystal clear water of the Kunhar River is the favorite pastime for locals and tourists. But a fishing permit is required that can be obtained easily from the nearby fisheries department and one can also rent the fishing equipment from the shops in Naran Bazaar.
After six hours of an enthralling trip, we reached Naran and went to our room to take some rest. After a couple of hours, we went out to the Naran Bazaar again. My wife and daughter doing the shopping and me and my son having a chat with shopkeepers and locals. While talking with locals, we come to know that the surrounding mountains have different animals, one of which is a Markhoor that belongs to goat family and another animal that exists on these mountains is Leopard (Cheeta) but due to the population they live up high on the mountains and only come down during the winter season when these mountains get covered with snow.
We have been in Naran for two days and we have to leave for Gilgit tomorrow as our main objective of this trip is to reach the Khunjerab Pass (The Pakistan-China Border Crossing). After discussing with the locals and arranging for the jeep for tomorrow, we had dinner (Tikka & Naan) at the local restaurant. After this delectable dinner, we came back to our room, packed our bags for tomorrow’s journey and went to sleep.
After spending two wonderful days at Naran, during which we visited Saiful Muluk Lake, Lalazar, Batakundi, and Kunhar River also roamed in Naran Bazar, now is the time to move toward Gilgit. Gilgit is the Capital city, of the most spectacular part of Pakistan in terms of its geography and scenic beauty, the Gilgit-Baltistan. It is at a distance of 250 KM from Naran and it is the region where world’s three mightiest mountain ranges: the Karakoram, the Hindukush and the Himalayas – meets. Godwin Austen or K-2 (world’s second heights, peak) along with five out of the fourteen highest mountains are located in Gilgit-Baltistan region. Some of the largest glaciers outside Polar Regions are also part of this region. This area is filled with the Beautiful landscape, unique cultural heritage, and rich biological diversity and also holds a deep cultural heritage and a diversity of rare fauna and vegetation.
The 8-hour journey took off on the same road that leads toward Batakundi, the same place from where a road goes to Lalazar. The road is metalled and well-constructed, there were waterfalls, steel & wooden bridges, shops and houses on the route. After crossing Batakundi we spotted a remaining part of Glacier, this glacier is formed during the winter season, but as this is the end of summer season only small part of this glacier remain. This is the first time in our life that we took in a glacier. We went along after taking some photos at this place.
We were having an awesome drive along the beautiful valley and after almost an hour of drive, our jeep stops at a spot called Jalkhad. It is an area where at one side of the road is High Mountain and on the other side is Kunhar River, with its fresh and clear water flowing toward Naran. We were told by our jeep driver that we will stop here for 10 to 15 minutes as he requires to hold teatime. We also resolved to deliver tea to such marvelous spot.
After having tea and using up some photographs our journey once more started toward Chillas, Chillas is a town between Naran and Gilgit. It is a point at which the Mansehra-Naran-Chillas highway connects with Karakorum Highway, with hotels, restaurant, and marketplace this town serves as the short-term stop or even for a night stay for those travelling on Karakorum Highway.
In this area, there are many lakes and the two most popular lakes, the Payala (Bowl) lake because of its appearance that resembles a bowl and the Lulusar Lake, passes along the itinerary we are travelling along. After a 2 km drive we stop to view the Payala Lake, the lake is deep down from the road but it can be seen. Another lake that rests on this route is Lulusar Lake. Lulusar is a group of mountain peaks and a lake in the Kaghan Valley. At 11,190 ft. it is the primary headwaters of Kunhar River, and is some 48 kilometers from Naran, on the road ascending toward Babusar. With mirror-like water reflecting the surrounding snowcapped Lulusar Mountains, it is believed the biggest lake in the Kaghan Valley.
The road to Chillas goes above the mountains and passes through the highest point in Kaghan Valley, the Babusar Pass, which is the highest peak in the Kaghan Valley (13,700 ft.). Equally, we were going upward on the mountain the weather is getting colder & colder. Riding for almost 5 hours, we reached the Babusar Pass. We were told by our jeep driver that this place has frequent snowfall and rain all around the year, except for winter when it is completely blocked. At the time when we were on that point, the weather was sunny but windy and the temperature was very low making us feel really cold.
We are at the highest peak of this route, now the road toward Chillas started ascending. Our journey along the beautiful route continued until we reached ‘Dalain’ and we settled to end there for tea. Having tea and snacks at the river bank in this cold weather makes us feel so fresh. The place is amazing and the surrounding was breathtaking.
Running up & down, left & right, crossing bridges & water flowing along the road from the mountains, mesmerizing the green plains, the trees and the potato & corn crops harvested by the locals we reach Chillas in 6 hours. We have turned over half way of our journey and stop for a lunch in a local eatery. We stay there for an hour and had Biryani for the lunch. Our jeep driver took the jeep to a nearby shop for some maintenance and we stretched our legs in the hall of the motel. Chillas is a town serving as the lodging and resting area for those travelling on Karakorum Highway, the Highway is connecting Pakistan and China. The weather at Chillas was too hot, but we were prosperous as the motel hall was air conditioned.
There are many wonders along the road we were traveling toward Gilgit. The first one is just outside Chillas, called Tata Pani. These are a series of hot water streams running from the mountains. The water is so hot that steam can be seen evaporating along the main road. For a moment, we looked into the water and go on toward Gilgit.
Smoothly and comfortably traveling on the route, we get to an awesome place in Thalichi area, the Nanga Parbat Viewpoint. From this spot on a clear day, one can view the Peak of Nanga Parbat Mountain. Nanga Parbat at the height of 26,660 ft. above sea level is the ninth highest mountain in the world. It is the western anchor of the Himalayas around which the Indus River skirts into the plains of Pakistan. The impression after looking at the mighty Nanga Parbat is unexplainable. We simply stand on that point and keep on staring at it for a long time.
Except for some patches the Karakorum Highway is marvelously constructed. We have been going for about 9 hours starting from Naran, and 4 Hours from Chillas. After stopping at Nanga Parbat View Point and the famous Rai Kot Bridge, the road that leads to Nanga Parbat Base Camp, Fairy Meadows, we arrived at our next stay at the Confluence of Indus and Gilgit Rivers. At this point, the Indus River meets the Gilgit River. The Indus is 3,200 km long, making it the 3rd longest river in Asia and the 21st longest in the world. It enters Pakistan flowing northwestwards in Baltistan, having already travelled nearly a 1,000 km from its source near Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailas in Tibet, China passes through Ladakh along the path.
Gilgit is the river that originates from the Shandur Lake at a height of approximately 12,000 foot. This river is a tributary of the Indus River and flows past the town of Gilgit. Gilgit River is also referred to as the Ghizar River.
Another wonder that also exists at this place is where the three mightiest mountain ranges of the world converge. The Karakoram, the Hindukush and the Himalayan ranges meet here at the confluence of the Indus and Gilgit rivers. East across the Indus is the Himalaya; the Karakoram in the North and in the West the Hindukush.
The Himalaya, is about 2,400 km long, runs through Pakistan, India, China, Bhutan and Nepal. The Karakoram, 500 km long, lies mostly in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The 966 km long Hindukush range straddles both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
After spending about 10 hours on the road, we arrived at our today’s destination Gilgit. Gilgit is a big city and there was lots of traffic. There are many Hotels and Restaurants in Gilgit both budget and high class. We prefer to stay at Jamal Hotel on Airport Road. It is a good budget hotel with courteous and caring staff. The room was neat and comfortable too and also has free internet connection. In that respect is beside a local market near the hotel where we roamed around after checking-in at the hotel. We had dinner at a local restaurant in the marketplace before arriving back to the hotel to catch some Z’s.
Agreeing to our itinerary, we only hold a night stay at Gilgit, but will be persisting for long on our return from Hunza. Today we have to reach Karimabad, a very beautiful town of Hunza. After having a hot bath, we went to the hotel restaurant for Breakfast. One thing to remember for the travelers is that in these budget hotels hot water is only available from 7 A.M. till 9 A.M. so wake up early to have a hot bath. The view of nearby mountains, especially from the roof of the hotel was awesome, you can also have this view from the balconies of the first floor.
To travel to our destination of Hunza, we went to a Bus Stand in Gilgit. The Bus Stand in Gilgit is on the outskirt of the city to protect the city from pollution, noise and traffic. From this Bus Stand transport for many cities of Pakistan is available, including Hunza, Skardu, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and even to Karachi. We decided to travel to Karimabad City (Hunza Valley) via Van. These vans travel seat by seat and move after all seats are occupied, hence we have to wait for some time before our journey starts toward Karimabad, Hunza.
We were traveling on Karakoram Highway toward Karimabad, Hunza. Since we are 4 people we have been allotted a complete seat of the van so we all sit together. In the front seats, there are all ladies sitting and behind us there are all gents. They are all local people in the van only we are from outside this neighborhood and can be clearly identified because of our look and speech. People in the region are very nice and friendly and they are treating us very nicely.
We are in the Kingdom of Himalaya and Karakoram with K2 (Godwin Austen), Nanga Parbat and other world’s highest mountains nearby, along both sides of Karakoram Highway there are green plains and valley surrounded by mountains with their summit covered with snow, these mountains are part of the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges.
Considering the marvelous scenery and passing different cities like Sultan Abad, Rahim Abad, Chalt Valley, this valley is extremely beautiful and can be seen from the Karakoram Highway on the other side of the river, we were moving toward Karimabad. Crossing many cities, and also stopping at some cities to pick and drop passengers, we also crossed a point known as Rakaposhi View Point. This is the base of Rakaposhi Mountian and complete view of the mountain, along with its peak is clearly visible from this place. Since we were journeying on a public van we can’t reveal here, but we possess a plan for breaking off here on our return journey toward Gilgit.
Traveling on this beautiful route we reached Aliabad. Aliabad is a main & a business city in Hunza Valley with Banks, Hotels, Restaurant and Market. People belonging to Hunza have Business in this city and they also visit this city for monthly shopping. We stop there for 15 to 20 minutes as some of the passengers need to buy just about fruits from the store before proceeding to their home in Hunza Valley. Subsequently a couple of kilometers from Aliabad we left Karakoram Highway and struck a left turn on an ascending road, the road sign informs us that this road is leading to Karimabad City.
Hunza Valley is situated at an elevation of 2,438 meters and is one of the most exotic places in Pakistan. It is surrounded by several high peaks rise above 6,000m. Hunza Valley is divided into three regions, Upper Hunza, Centre Hunza and Lower Hunza. Karimabad is the capital of Hunza Valley and lay in Centre Hunza region. It is named after Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Aga Khan Community. The valley provides spectacular views of some of the most beautiful and magnificent mountains of the world which include: Rakaposhi 7,788 m (25,551 ft), Ultar Sar 7,388 m (24,239 ft), Bojahagur Duanasir II 7,329 m (24,045 ft), Ghenta Peak 7,090 m (15,631 ft), Hunza Peak 6,270 m (20,571 ft), Darmyani Peak 6,090 m (19,980 ft), and Bublimating (Ladyfinger Peak) 6,000 m (19,685 ft).
Dropping some passengers at different locations, our van driver told us that we are now in Karimabad and must mention a place where he can drop us. We need him to drop us at some nearby hotel. We didn’t have any advance reservation for a hotel so we have to look for the hotel. Thither are many hotels in Karimabad, infect there are all hotels along the main road of Karimabad since Karimabad is a tourist place. All around the year there is a number of tourists visiting this area, particularly in the summer season. In that respect are both luxury and budget hotels in Karimabad. After visiting different hotels, we decided to stay at Hotel Blue Moon situated near the main market in Karimabad city. On the ground level are the shops and climbing some steps is the reception and food court of the hotel. Rooms start from the foremost floor. The hotel is at an awesome location, in front there is the beautiful valley of Hunza, with the view of Rakaposhi Mountain and behind is the snow covered mountains of the Ultar Sar Peak and Ladyfinger Peak.
Ultar Sar is the southeastern most major peak of the Batura Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram range. It lies about 10km northeast of the Karimabad city and rises over 7,388m (24,239ft). The adjacent peaks are Shispare, Bojohagur Duanasir, Hunza Peak and Bablimotin.
Another popular peak at Karimabad is the Ladyfinger peak. It rests on the southwest ridge of the Ultar Sar massif, the most southeasterly of the major groups of the Batura Muztagh. The whole massif rises precipitously above the Hunza Valley to the southeast. The weather was cold and the sun was shining, the amazing thing is that if in this cold winter you stand in the sun you will start feeling hot.
Settling ourselves at the hotel after this 4 hours of journey from Gilgit we decided to get some rest and extended into our room to have some nap. We wake up at evening, in front of our room, there is a large balcony with table and chairs positioned around for sitting. We sit in the balcony and placed an order for tea, in front of us is the most hypnotizing scenic view we ever witnessed in our life, The Hunza Valley. The valley in front of us is lush green with countless trees of Apple, Apricot, Walnut and many more, below in the valley we can abide the Hunza River flows in between these trees. Either you look in front, at the left, right or back there are trees all around surrounded by snow covered mountains.
While we were having tasty tea the staff boy at the hotel told us that we will experience a marvelous view of the valley if we climb to the rooftop. Concluding the tea we move upward to the rooftop from where we discovered the valley behind the hotel. The view was alluring, from here we can see the valley of the Altit and Duikar. The green plains, the woods, the sights and the waterfall on the Altit side is magnificent, the historic Altit Fort and the Eagle’s Nest in Duikar can also be observed at a distance. There are apple trees, Walnut trees and grapes branches on the roof top of the hotel too, we picked more or less apples to try them and found them mouthwatering. All of my family members are too much happy on visiting such a heavenly place. The spectacular view makes us feels like we are on the roof of the world, surrounded by snow covered mountains. No wonder this place is called as the “Heaven on Earth”.
After spending some precious time on the rooftop, we went down stair on the main road, to visit the Karimabad city. Along both sides of the main road, there are stores and hotel constructions, the residential houses are either below in the valley or just little up on the mountain. We roam around the road for an hour or so, bought the Biryani for dinner and return back to our room. One thing to remember is that in these areas all stores and markets shuts down as soon as the sun sets. We had dinner in the beautiful ambiance of the balcony and sat there having chit-chat before going to bed. For tomorrow, we have plans to explore the Karimabad city and my wife had plans for lots of shopping. The night was too cold, but we were provided with sufficient blankets to keep ourselves warm, discussing our journey we all fell asleep.
Yesterday we arrived at the most beautiful spot on the earth, Hunza Valley, “The Heaven on Earth”, and stay at its capital city ‘Karimabad’. Today we will be exploring this city. This city is built along the border of the mountain and is sloped upward to Ultar Sar starting from Karakoram Highway. The hotel at which we are staying is at the start of the market, after a hot bath and dressing up we moved downstairs to the main route and started proceed toward the marketplace. There are many shops along both positions of the main road, we went into the first shop that is on the left-hand side of the road directly after our hotel. This shop sells gems and jewelry and is led by local women. From the time we arrive in this area we found its people courteous and soft spoken, they steer us at every spot and quick to offer any sort of assistance. After visiting this shop we move toward another shop on the road this shop sells handmade rugs and carpets. These carpets are extremely beautiful and nicely woven by the local workers, there are also handmade jackets and shawls, and since my wife loves shopping she immediately started bargain and pick from the items.
The Hunza valley is popular for Camping, Swimming, Hunting, Hiking and Trekking, Mountaineering, Mountain Biking, Horse riding, Eco tours, Skiing, Safari tours, Fishing, Gliding and many other activities, for that there are many shops in Karimabad that sell equipment required for these activities. The equipment can either be bought or can be rented from these stores. Paper maps of these areas are also available in nearly every shop and one can also hire a local tour guide for hiking and trekking.
Going forward, there is a link road leading upward toward Baltit Fort this is a 700 year old fort and belongs to Mir of Hunza (but it is vacated by them in 1945) and is now considered as World Heritage by UNESCO. We have a program to visit Baltit Fort in the evening but not now, at this time we remain in Karimabad. Near this junction we found a small tea shop, it’s named as “Hunza Snack Bar”. It is a small local tea shop that server’s tea, coffee, omelet and a local bread called “Arzooq”. Originated from the Baltit, Arzooq is made with flour, eggs, butter and milk and finally cooked in oil, it is one of the most famous bread of Hunza. As shortly as we sat in the shop we placed an order for tea, my daughter spotted this bread and ask the shopkeeper regarding this bread, and after his explanation about the bread, we add this to our order. The shop owner is a very well-spoken and friendly person and we have a long chit-chat with him while waiting for our breakfast. After the food was served and we taste the Arzooq, we found it very delicious and from that day till we stay in Karimabad, we daily have our breakfast at “Hunza Snack Bar” with Arzooq also a part of it.
Finishing the breakfast we again proceed on the main route, travelled to different shops and take in the beauty of the area all around us, also surprise to catch the name of the shop as “Best Buy Family Shop”, the shop sells cosmetics, children products, ladies products, decoration and gift items, same as sell by the “BestBuy” in the United States.
Enjoying the beautiful and long walk we settled to revert back to our hotel where we are sticking around. At a lower place in the valley there is a large number of Apple, Apricot, Walnut, and Fig and different other types of fruit trees, last night while having a chat with a local guy we were informed that there are no limitations on visiting their gardens and can deplete the fruit from these trees as much as we like, merely not to harm them. So today we have decided to hold a picnic in these gardens, we went down the valley and spread a sheet to sit among the trees, and the kids were thus happy and began running just about. Later on having tea that we purchased from the “Hunza Snack Bar” we began picking some apples, apricot, and walnuts from the tree. In that location there were some local kids also playing and picking walnuts, my kids wants to talk to them but due to language difference they were unsuccessful, but those children were so courteous that they gave the bag full of almond, grapes and apricot to my kids. We also collected a small bag full of apple and walnut and after spending such a splendid time at that place we started climbing back toward our hotel. On the way back my wife meets a local woman she was the mother of those kids playing in the woods when the woman learn that we are interested in eating walnut she assured my wife that she will arrange for the walnuts. The lady not only arranges for the walnuts but also send a bag full of walnuts for us to Gilgit city after we left Karimabad. We return back to our room and passed sometimes in the room as it was afternoon and the sun was shining too bright.
In the evening, our schedule includes a tour of “Baltit Fort”. Baltit is a 700 year old fort and belongs to Mir of Hunza and is counted as World Heritage by UNESCO. Fort is situated at the tip of a cliff and one need to climb up to the emplacement. The walkway to the fort was amazing itself, on the way we were greeted by the residents of ‘Baltit’ who were sitting alongside the street holding their daily tea and discussion. Many stores and houses exist on both sides of the route with people engaged in their everyday chores. Enjoying the walk we reached the Baltit Fort, we enter the Fort by paying a nominal fee, the well-trained and knowledgeable team of guides give us a well-planned tour of the facility. Built with bricks, mud and wood painted in red, the fort is also a museum that holds items belonging to the Mir of Hunza. The bird’s eye view of Hunza Valley and the spectacular view of Rakaposhi Peak can be observed in front of the Fort and the Lady Finger and Ultar Sar peak at the back. After having a circuit of the fort we started settling down toward the main Karimabad.
Hunza valley is rich in gems and precious stone there are many stores in Karimabad from where one can purchase these stones, suited according to their birth sign. Thither are many types of gems and stones available in Karimabad, some of them are stones like Ruby, Emerald, Aqua Marine, Sapphire, Tiger Eye, Quartz, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Carnelian (Aqiq), Tourmaline and many others. On the route of Baltit, there is a store by the name “Mountain Art & Gems Gallery”, it is a store with the enormous collection of gems and stones, this shop’s proprietor is a respectful person with tons of knowledge related to gemstones. We purchased many different gemstones from that store, there were also wooden handicrafts in the store that we also bought on a succeeding day. Many statues of “Gautama Buddha” were also there in the store, but they are not for sale and are the collection of the shopkeeper, these are the statues set up during different expedition performed by the shopkeeper in search of the precious gemstones in the nearby mountains.
There were number foreign visitors around this place, they are from China, Korea, Britain, Germany, USA and many other countries. Roaming and shopping around the city and meeting different foreigners we arrive back to our room. We placed an order for the dinner that is of “White Lentils (Daal Mash)” and bread (Chapati) and watched television while waiting at the food court for the dinner to serve. After dinner, we return back to our room and fell asleep after such a fabulous day, with a plan in hand for the coming day.
Today is our 3rd day in the most beautiful valley on earth the Hunza Valley, for the last 2 days, we were exploring Karimabad, the capital of Hunza. We traveled to the marketplace, the Apple, Apricot and Walnut forest, the Baltit locality and the Baltit Fort, also tasted the local bread “Arzooq”. This area is extremely wonderful one can ramble here for hours or can merely sit and savor the beauty of its surrounding. My spouse even visited the local houses in the surrounding and made acquaintances with them and learn about their lives.
Today we hold a plan to explore the other nearby places, including Attabad Lake, Hopper Glacier, Nagar Valley, Confluence of River Hunza and Nagar, Rock Caving by Alexander the Great, Ganish Village and Altit Fort. Since this area is a pollution free with clean and fresh air all around, we always wake up early in the morning. The rising sun creates the surrounding mountains and the area the most spectacle place on land. After a hot bath, we packed our backpacks and went down for the breakfast. After the first experience, we consistently have our breakfast at “Hunza Snack Bar” with ‘Arzooq’ being the part of it. The Hunza Snack Bar is along the main road and the valley can be distinctly viewed from inside the snack bar, there were people walking toward their work on the main road and students to their school and colleges. People here have to walk long distances to reach their destinations as there is less and limited public transport in this area. And we were also walking too much from the time we are here, as we don’t have any sort of conveyance, but the thing we learn from walking is that you can view and observe more and can feel the surrounding and become part of it.
We roamed around for a couple of hours and then went to “Mountain Art & Gems Gallery”, as from there we have the plan to go on a trip around Hunza on the Jeep owned by the shopkeeper. We waited in the shop, the shop is loaded with precious gemstones, handmade wooden items, carpets, apparel and other handicraft items. As shortly as the shopkeeper handed over the shop to his brother we ride on the jeep and our journey toward our first spot the “Attabad Lake” has begun. After driving down from Karimabad we are now traveling on the Karakorum Highway toward China.
Driving a couple of kilometers we reached Ganish. Ganish is the oldest village in Hunza, with 800-year-old mosques, and is considered the first settlement along the ancient Silk Road. Situated approximately 6 kilometers from Aliabad it has been awarded the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage. Ganish consists of sub-villages including Garelth, Chaboikushal, Shukunoshal, Khaii, Buldas and Chillganish. One of the most iconic things of Ganish is it Shikaris (watchtowers) made of wood and stone these towers were utilize in old times to keep watch on enemies.
After passing a little time at Ganish we again embarked on our journey toward “Attabad Lake”. “Attabad Lake”, in the valley of Gojal, is created because of water blockage of river Hunza caused by massive land sliding in January 2010. More than 20 people were killed and part of Karakorum Highway was submerged due to this landslide and 6,000 people are displaced from upstream villages. The lake created in this result it is 24 km long, 100meters deep and is at an altitude of 2700 meters, surrounded on all sides by 6000-7000 meter high peaks and glaciers.
We were traveling on the well-built and well maintained Karakorum Highway with warning signs for expected land sliding at some places. Karakorum Highway is constructed in such a terrain that there are mountains on one side and deep valleys on the other side of the road and due to its high elevation and difficult conditions in which it was constructed, no wonder it is regarded as the Eighth Wonder of the World. And these mountains frequently cause land sliding and damaging the highway at different locations, but this highway is constantly monitored and is reconstructed on an immediate basis. Watching scenic views with Hunza River flowing in parallel along the left-side of the highway we reached Attabad Lake in nearly one and half hours.
After traveling about 20 KM from Karimabad, on the left side of Karakorum Highway before the Attabad Tunnel, there is a rough and dirt road going down to the lake. Driving half a kilometer along this route we hit a terrific place with a vast lake filled with stunning blue color water, the color we have never witnessed in our life and mighty mountains surrounding the lake. We jumped out of the jeep and sit along the bank of lake dipping our hands and foot in the clear and cold water. The semblance of water is amazingly beautiful, the blue color of water we have never seen before, and so clear that for some distances the bed of the lake is clearly visible, this smoothness of water make it appear like a big mirror in which one can clearly see the reflection of the surrounding mountains.
The calmness of the surrounding creates such a spiritual phenomenon that one will find his body so light that makes you feels like being adrift in the air. There were few boats moored up at the lakeside, these boats were used to transport goods and passengers from one side of the lake to the other side before the Attabad Tunnel was constructed few months back. We chose to have a ride on the boat and tour the lake. The boat was motor driven and the sailor was the expert, the tour began and our boat started moving toward Gulmit on the other side of the lake. We were completely excited and enjoying the ride, our boat was sailing along a most exquisite water and fenced by mighty mountains. At a distance we can see part of the Attabad tunnel up high on the mountain, some construction work was still going on in the tunnel and the huge machinery can be seen engaged.
After a spectacular boat ride of half an hour, we return back to the bank of the lake. Capturing the stunning vista of the area in our camera, we hopped back again into our jeep and started our journey toward our next destination “The Hoper Glacier”.
Hoper Valley is a part of Nagar Valley and is at nearly 10 KM from Nagar Khas, the capital of Nagar Valley. Nagar Valley is situated at an altitude of about 8000 feet (2,438m) and is also one of the most beautiful and scenic valleys of this region. Hopar Valley is the site of the Rush Lake, Bwaltar Peak, Kapldongs, Shaltar Peak, Hispar Muztagh, Spantik, Barpu, Bualtar and Hopar (Hopper) glaciers.
Driving on Karakorum Highway toward the direction of Karimabad, we stopped at the point to see the famous Rock Carving by the Brigade of Alexzander the Great when they traveled on the Silk Route for entering China. There are more than 50,000 pieces of rock art (petroglyphs) and inscriptions all along the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan, concentrated at ten major sites between Hunza and Shatial. These inscriptions, mostly belong to the time when this area served as a connecting route between Gandhara and the Tarim Basin, especially under the great Kushans (2nd Century AD and later). These carving shows single animals, triangular men and hunting scenes in which the animals are larger than the hunters. These carvings were pecked into the rock with stone tools and are covered with a thick patina that proves their age.
Before reaching the Hunza Bridge on left-side of Karakorum Highway there is another road going toward Nagar Valley. Now our drive is toward Nagar Valley with Hunza River flowing in parallel to the right side of the road. After a couple of kilometers, there is a spot where the Nagar River merges with Hunza River, we did not stop at this spot as we have to reach the Hoper as early as possible. The surrounding panorama of this route is magnificent, on one side is beautiful villages of Nagar and on the other side is the deep valley and snow-covered mountains can be seen at some distance.
Stopping at Nagar Khas for a couple of minutes, we reached Hoper in 2 Hours. Hoper is a village with lush green plain surrounded by snow covered mountains. We stop at “The Hopar Hilton” hotel and restaurant and the Hoper Glacier can be seen below in a shape of slop coming down from the mountain. We have seen a little portion of a glacier in Naran, but this glacier is so huge. Only solid snow mixed with mud can be seen till miles, this glacier is far below in the valley from where we are sitting. Our jeep driver informed us that it will be of about one and half hour of trek if we wish to get to the glacier, but we choose not to chase down because it seems really tough and exhausting. Thus, we remain at the glacier view point and admire the beauty of the area. The glacier at the place we are sitting is mixed with mud and snow, therefore, look black but the part of the glacier that can be viewed on the mountain is white and neat.
At that place were many foreign tourists from Germany, USA, Australia, China, Korea and other countries who come to this place either to summit the highest peaks, reach the glaciers coming down from the mountains or to camp on the lush green plains along the beautiful lakes. The lakes that exist in between these mountains, like the famous Rush Lake, situated at an altitude of 4,694 meters, it is one of the highest alpine lakes in the world.
We have placed the order for the lunch as soon as we arrived here since we know it will take some time for food to be prepared. Spending about one hour at the glacier view point we return back to the restaurant, the restaurant itself is very beautiful with loads of trees and flowers. After finishing the lunch we simply sit there for half an hour more to admire the beauty of the spot and then began our journey back toward Karimabad.
Going along the same route via Nagar by which we reached Hoper and taking some snaps on the way we again turn over at the “Confluence of Hunza & Nagar River” and this time, we stop at this spot to get some pictures. The Hunza is the only river to slice through the western Karakoram Range. It was there before the mountains and has maintained its flow through a cluster of 7,000m peaks to meet Nagar (Hispar) river at this point. Major tributaries of Hunza River up to this point are Khunjerab, Misgar, Chapursan and Shimshal. Nagar River is also known as the Hispar, originating as it does from Hispar glacier and Chalt River.
Joining back on Karakorum Highway and crossing the Hunza Bridge our next destination is Altit Fort. Altit Fort is an 1100-year-old Fort built and ruled by then Mir of Hunza in the town of Altit, later they moved to nearby Baltit Fort. Altit means “this side down” and the town is considered to be inhabited by Huns from the Persian Empire around 47 A.D. The fort is built on top of a high cliff and is over 1,000 feet above the Hunza River. The fort is at some 30 minutes’ walk or a 15 minutes’ drive from Karimabad city and is surround by the friendly and courteous population of Altit.
Riding up in the mountains we reach the Altit village in about 45 minutes. At the start of the Altit village, there is a small office where you can buy the ticket to enter the Altit Fort. From that point, we were assisted by a well-trained and knowledgeable guide who provide us the complete tour of the Altit Fort. Walking toward the fort there are many local houses and shops where the local population is busy in their daily tasks. At the entrance of the fort, there is a workshop run totally by the women of the Altit, where they craft and sell handicraft items made with wood. Outside the workshop is a large garden in front of the fort, that garden is planted with grass, pine trees, peach trees and many other types of trees that constitute the environment of the garden a marvelous spot to sit and enjoy the surroundings.
Crossing the garden we entered the fort made of rock, clay, and wood. The fort is well maintained by the Agha Khan Foundation and represents as a museum as well. The guide gives us the tour of every piece of the fort and explains in detail about the history and items present in the fort. The views of Hunza Valley, Karakorum Highway, Hunza River, snow covered mountains and of the other areas seen from the fort is extremely magnificent and breathtaking.
At Altit Fort there were many local and foreign tourists, in them there was a Japanese lady and she asked us to have a group photo with us. After touring the fort we came back to the garden of the fort, in the garden, there is a café that is also run by some really nice local ladies.
After today’s long and marvelous tour we return back to Karimabad. On the way back we bought some bakery items from a nearby bakery by the name “Café de Hunza”. It is a well maintained and nice restaurant in the area, serving a variety of cakes, coffee, and other bakery items. Their specialty Walnut Cake is excellent and must to eat. Very nice atmosphere and friendly staff.
One other fascinating thing in Karimabad is the availability of Pure Mineral Water everywhere. When asked from the locals we were told that this water is coming directly from the Ultar Sar Glacier and is distributed all over Karimabad through pipelines and is used as everyday tap water. The water is icy cold and extremely refreshing. We spend our rest of the day roaming around Karimabad before we got back to our room for dinner and the night’s sleep.
VIDEOs:
Attabad LakeNagar Valley & Hopper GlacierView of Hunza Valley from Altit Fort
Duikar a village at an altitude of 9043.3 feet (2850 m) is the highest village in Hunza Valley and is above Altit village. It’s at a distance of nearly 11km from Karimabad, about 25 minutes’ drive by jeep or two and half hour walk. Situated in Duikar is famous Hotel & Restaurant by the name Eagle’s Nest and this is our today’s destination.
We wake up and went out for the breakfast at “Hunza Snack Bar”, last evening we also had a soup from this restaurant. It was Chicken Soup and was very delicious filled with chicken pieces and egg. We totally enjoy that soup, but in the breakfast, we eat Arzooq, tea, and omelet. The weather was excellent today as the valley is shrouded in clouds and it was dazzling since night. Since we own a rain cover with us, therefore, we didn’t suffer any problem roaming around in the city.
Traveling to different shops talking with the locals, we stop at a store where a carpenter is busy in designing a beautiful door, that door is made of walnut wood and crafting on the door is excellent. Letting the cat out of the bag with the carpenter we come to recognize that all the products placed in his shop, including door, wardrobe, chair, table and all other furniture items are constructed of virgin forest. Going forward, we entered another store by the name “Hunzo-e-Hayan” and this is also a wood craft shop where there are many decoration items as well as daily household use items made of Walnut and Apricot wood. There were also Taxidermy local animals in that store, we purchased some wooden items and proceed onward.
We have seen many different sorts of birds since we came here in Hunza, but the most special and a beautiful bird that we have seen for the first time is “Blue Whistling Thrush”. This bird is big in size with a fascinating blue color. At that place were many flocks of birds sitting all around, we got photographs of those before going along our walk about the city. In that location were also cows, goats, and sheep owned by the locals there, but most peculiar are the Yaks. The yak is a long-haired bull-like animal found throughout the Himalaya region of Southern Central Asia. People of Hunza bread these yaks for milk and essence.
Walking about on feet is the best way to explore the beauty of this region. After having a walk around in this area, we return back to our room. Since today is our last day in Karimabad, after three wonderful days, we packed all our luggage and make ourselves get up for another journey to Duikar, where we will be staying at the Eagle’s Nest Hotel. We already have booked a room at Eagle’s Nest in advance and Mr. Rehman from “Mountain Art & Gems Gallery” will drop us off at Eagle’s Nest in his jeep. After checking out at Hotel Blue Moon we shift all our luggage in the jeep and started our journey to Duikar.
The route to Duikar is very beautiful with trees and water streams on the way and since it was still raining the surrounding looks marvelous. The road passes through the Altit village and is ascending up on the mountain. After about 30 minutes of a drive, we reached the Duikar village at 9043.3 feet above sea level. Our jeep stop at the entrance of the Eagle’s Nest Hotel and we immediately run into the hotel as it has started raining heavily. The hotel staff brought our luggage into the reception, the reception was a large well decorated and carpeted hall. The guy at reception asked us about our booking and handed over the keys to the room, he told us to wait in the hall until the rain ends and have a welcome tea. We decided to sit at the corner of the hall from where we can have the marvelous sight of the whole Hunza Valley below and the surrounding mountains above. The tea was tasty and the panorama of the valley was mesmerizing.
While waiting for the rain to stop, we roamed around the hotel hall and visited different rooms. Adjacent to the reception in the lobby is also store that sells different decoration items, handicraft products, and precious gemstones. We were experiencing a good time, then a staff boy handed us two umbrellas and ask us if we like to go into our room so that our luggage can be shifted. Unfortunately, they only have two umbrellas, but we have coped with it, so if anyone is traveling in a rainy season remember to carry an umbrella with them. We decided to go to the room and freshen up and get changed. The rooms we have booked are on Rakaposhi block, this block is in a marvelous location it is near the edge and there is a beautiful garden in front of the block from where the whole Hunza valley can be sighted below and the mighty mountains surrounding us.
After settling up in our room we came out in the garden that is in front of our room. We can see the Hunza valley below covered with clouds and the Golden Peak, Lady Finger, Rakaposhi and other mountains covered with snow surrounding the valley. The air was fresh but cold, it is still dazzling and we were enjoying every moment of it. Whenever the rain starts heavy we return back to our block under the ceiling and see the stunning surrounding from inside and when it gets low we come out. The time just flies and after the stunning sunset, the surrounding area became dark, the mountains also hide in the dark, and from above here the lights in the Hunza valley can be seen at different places.
Now is the time for dinner so we went to the reception area and ordered the dinner, the cook told us that it will take some 20 minutes for the dinner to be served. So we sit in the lobby and surf the web, updating our Facebook and checking email. One thing to mention is that there is free Wi-Fi in nearly every hotel, you just have to ask for the password at the reception. At Eagle’s Nest there was some Japanese tourist too, and for them, the hotel offered the special seating arrangement along the floor with little tables for food.
After nearly 20 minutes the food was dished up in the dining area, it was ‘Chicken Karhai’ and ‘Naan’. The food was savored and we all liked it a lot. After dinner, we decided to return back to our room, but there was one problem that there were no lights on walkways between blocks and reception and it was still raining. But we have already prepared for such kind of situation and had a torch light with us that helps us while moving around the area.
We return back to our room the bed was very comfortable, but the night was really frigid. While we were at the reception we asked the staff if they can supply a heater for us, but we were surprised to know that they only have one heater in the hotel and it is already provided to the guests in another room. But they have provided us with sufficient blankets and comforters so that we can sleep with comfort. After discussing the today’s fabulous day and plan for tomorrow we all fell asleep.
Date: 23rd September 2015
The morning at Eagle’s Nest Duikar was really frigid and it was raining outside. It was continuously raining since we got here in Duaikar and today is our 2nd day at Duikar. The outside view of the expanse from the window of our room was stunning. From there we can distinctly visualize the beautiful valley below in front and the mighty mountains in the skirting. It was the early morning with little sunlight spreading around the area. We got out to enjoy the beauty, fell the fascinating smell and inhale the sweet breeze. The area is surrounded by the clouds and the Hunza valley below is also covered by the clouds.
Spending some time outside and wandering around in the garden we went back to our room for a shower. After a shower and dressing up we went to the main hall at the reception area for the breakfast. Our today’s breakfast is “on the house” and needs to be provided by the hotel, but we were surprised to see that there was no one at the reception nor in the kitchen. We knocked at the door adjacent to the reception and also at the kitchen, but there was no answer, so we decided to sit in the lobby and waited for someone to come. After a while, another guest came out of his room and we started to have a conversation. He told us that he lives in Islamabad and frequently visit this place to admire the beauty and weather of this area. After experiencing that we are waiting for the breakfast, he went to the reception and banged on the door and called the receptionist with a loud voice, and to our surprise, a guy immediately came out of the room. He told the guy at the reception that we are waiting for breakfast and they should immediately serve us the breakfast. He told us that he is a regular visitor to this hotel and knows how to handle these type of situations.
The breakfast was served after nearly 30 minutes, it was an excellent breakfast, it consists of omelet, paratha (a type of South Asian flat bread that is fried in a pan), and half fried eggs, bread slice, locally made butter and locally made apricot jam. The breakfast also included a delicious tea for all four of us. After this savor breakfast, we decided to go outside and visit the surroundings of Duikar. It is still raining and the surrounding was stunningly beautiful. One of the main attractions of Duikar is the viewpoint (2900 m) which is a 5-minute climb up behind the Eagle’s Nest Hotel, from here one can have the best views during sunrise and sunset but because of continuous rain we were unable to view this magnificent sunrise and sunset. We again try to go to the viewpoint, but the path was slippery and the visibility was very low too, so we just roamed around the village, enjoyed the beauty of the surround of the area and then return back to the hotel’s lobby.
I have read many bad things about the manager and the staff of the Eagle’s Nest on different blogs but we have a very good experience here, it is situated in an ideal location from where one can view the whole Hunza Valley below and the surrounding mountains, the Golden Peak, Lady Finger, Rakaposhi and other mountains covered with snow above. The sunset and sunrise are breathtaking. When we reached here it was raining and the hotel offered us with umbrellas but unfortunately, they only have two umbrellas and we are four, so if anyone is traveling in a rainy season do remember to bring an umbrella with him. They also have only one heater in this big hotel, but they have provided us with blankets so we sleep with comfort. One more problem that we face at Eagle’s Nest and the Eagle’s Nest management need to address it is that there were no lights on walkways between blocks and reception, which is making it very difficult to move around in the night. But luckily we have already prepared for such kind of situation and bear a torch with us that helps us while moving in the area. The breakfast and dinner were excellent and at a reasonable price. The staff is very courteous and cooperative, they even helped us to take our luggage to our room and back to the car. Our overall experience is very good, we enjoyed here a lot and my whole family was very happy by visiting this place and will be visiting here again in near future. I recommend everyone visiting Hunza valley to stay at least one night at Eagle’s Nest Hotel especially to catch the sunset.
As per our itinerary, we have to stay one more day at the Eagle’s Nest but because of the continuous rain and extremely cold weather we decided to move to Aliabad, a town near Karimabad. We asked the Eagle’s Nest management to arrange a transport for us so that we can go to Aliabad. In the meantime, we return back to our room and packed our luggage. At nearly 15 minutes our car arrived, we checked out of the hotel and started our journey toward Aliabad.
Travelling on the same beautiful road surrounded with trees and mountains we reached Aliabad in about 30 minutes. The weather in Aliabad is cloudy and pleasant, but it was not raining. We checked in at the hotel in Aliabad, we have a one day stay at Aliabad before we go to our desired endpoint of Khunjerab pass.
Aliabad is situated on the main Karakoram Highway and is a business and commercial hub of this area. There are many hotels, restaurant, shops, banks and markets in Aliabad. Being on the Karakoram Highway this city is very busy and somewhat more crowded than the other towns in this area. People travelling toward Passu, Gulmit, Gojal, Sust, Khujerab and China mostly break their journey at Aliabad for a rest and night stay. There are many transport companies operating in Aliabad. Many different types of transport like Buses, Coasters, Van and Taxies are easily available here to go to different places in Gilgit-Baltistan and even to Rawalpindi.
The hotel where we were staying is in the main market and we have whole day today to explore Aliabad. I and my son stay in the room for some rest but my wife and daughter immediately went out to the market for shopping. In the afternoon, we had Biryani from the local.
In the evening, we held our tea on the roof of the hotel and the vista of the area from there was marvelous with lush green valley and snow covered mountains surrounding the city and the busy Karakoram Highway below. The environment is not that much calm as in Karimabad and Duikar, cars and coaches moving along the road, people busy in their everyday chores, but it feels so wonderful by sitting on the roof watching the glorious sights and breathing the brisk air from the surrounding.
Finishing the tea we went down to explore the Aliabad city. Aliabad city is along both sides of the Karakorum Highway, adjacent the highway is shops, hotels and bus stops and the residential area is behind the market. Coming from Rawalpindi, we mostly tripped on the Karakoram Highway by jeeps, cars or buses but this is the first time we were walking on the magnificent Karakorum highway.
There was one problem in Aliabad, because of some failure, there was no power supply in the city but our hotel is providing the electricity with generators from 7 PM till 12 AM and we can charge our gadgets during this time. After dinner, we return back to our room and charged all our gadgets and packed our luggage for the big day tomorrow before going to sleep.
While waiting for the rain to stop, we roamed around the hotel hall and visited different rooms. Adjacent to the reception in the lobby is also store that sells different decoration items, handicraft products, and precious gemstones. We were experiencing a good time, then a staff boy handed us two umbrellas and ask us if we like to go into our room so that our luggage can be shifted. Unfortunately, they only have two umbrellas, but we have coped with it, so if anyone is traveling in a rainy season remember to carry an umbrella with them. We decided to go to the room and freshen up and get changed. The rooms we have booked are on Rakaposhi block, this block is in a marvelous location it is near the edge and there is a beautiful garden in front of the block from where the whole Hunza valley can be sighted below and the mighty mountains surrounding us.
Karachi to Khunjerab 