Tour to Kaghan valley

Category: Entertainment
Written by: peregrine ...... (on July 19, 2008 - 11:23 PM)

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I 've always loved to wander around in the Northern areas of Pakistan and somehow i 've been successful in this wish. This summer i planned my 4th tour to Kaghan valley. Kaghan valley to me is heaven on earth and every one who 've visited it will confirm it. As the situation is quite gloomy in other parts of Northern areas , kaghan valley provides tourist a safe place to visit and quinch their thirst for beauty of nature. you can reach to kaghan valley by train or by bus. By train you will have to catch a train from pindi that will take you to Haripur. from there on you can take the route of bus. The direct bus service of PTDC can also take you directly to Naran. The other indirect approach is by bus that will take you to Mansehra and from there you can take a van to Naran. Till mansehra bus service will charge you around 500 Rs and the van from mansehra will charge you 180 Rs. from Lahore to mansehra it is 6 and half hour journy while from mansehra to Naran (which is the heart of the kagha valley) will take about 6 hours due to the construction going on through out MNJ (mansehra-naran junction road). This distance was previously been covered in only 3 and half hour before the 8th october earthquake. Naran is located 123 km from mansehra. Mansehra district covers this whole area uptil babusar pass. From mansehra upto Balakot it is somewhat plain area. From balakot onwards you will have river kunhar on yourleft side running along the road uptil Naran. The valley is quite narrow and it broadens near Naran. There is a place called kiwai on this road from here you can hire a jeep to visit Shogran and siri paay. Shogran from kiwai is about 17 km. There is sheeno and jareed fish hachery and here you can also enjoy fishing of fresh river water Trout. Paras is situated just midway between mansehra and Naran. So vans do stop here for refreshment. Kaghan is a small town on the road and before the Naran prospered into a town tourist had their stay in Kghan town. After 6 hours journy you will reach to the beautiful and gorgeous place called Naran. Around few years ago there were only 4 to 5 hotels in Naran which, now, have increased in numbers upto over hundred. Here you can find 3 to 4 star hotels and some economical ones as well. Even you can find tent if you are adventure lover. Tent villages are spreading these days as they are located just at the bank of river Kunhar. Hotel lenox and PTDC motel and Hotel gateway and someother hotels do offer you a great services.you can find an economical room in about 700 Rs /night to luxurious one in 3000 Rs/night.

The first attraction in Naran is fairy tale lake saful malook. It is a beautiful and splendid lake having green color water and with shadow of Mlaika e Parbat in its water. You can hire a jeep in 1000 - 800 (depending upon your bargaining) from Naran to lake. Jeep will only give you 2 hours at maximum to visit lake and after that you will have to go back otherwise jeep won't wait for you. So it is better and advisable , if you are robust strong and young, to go hike the 8 km journy of lake saiful malook.hiking will take only 3 hours to reach to lake and will give you plenty of time to wander around the lake and have a complete round trip of the lake which most people don't cover. There are perrenial glaciers on which you can slide and enjoy . There are also tents available or you can take your own tents to stay there overnight. Lake saiful malook is associated to a folk tale of prince saiful maloon and a fairy badar jamal. God knows how much its true. This lake is aided by waters coming from the glaciers which cover Malika parbat peak and someother peaks that are about 8000m high. water from lake is shed into the river kunhar through a Nala near Naran it joins with river Kunhar. Lake is quite deep and you can also enjoy boating facility now given to tourists. It is really a place worth visiting. (to be continued......) 

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