Autumn in Hunza

Autumn in Hunza.

 Hunza is known to be the most enchanting valley in the world. It is sometime referred to as the “Shangri – La of the Lost Horizon”.

 The beautiful valley with neat, sleepy villages, whispering streams, colorful orchards and vast glacier are surrounded on all sides by some of the greatest mountains in the world. The ancient villages of Hunza valley known as Altit & Baltit or Karimabad are situated on the slope of the magnificent 7400 m high Ultar Peak.

 Autumn in Northern Areas of Pakistan is something to be hold. This is the time of year when the trees of poplar, apricot, mulberry, peach, apple and plum burst forth into a riot of color with hues of orange, rust and red.

 There is saying in Persian, “if there is heaven on the earth it is only here, only here and only here”.

Taobut, Neelam Valley

Taobut, Neelam Valley.

 Excellent scenic beauty, towering hills on both sides of the noisy Neelum river, lush green forests, enchanting streams, high altitude lakes and attractive surroundings make the valley a dream come true.

 The last station of Neelum Valley is Taobut and end point of Pakistani beauty in Kashmir. The swaying lush green forests, snow capped mountains, streams singing songs of joy, and fast flowing river Neelum, all go together to make it naturalist’s wonderland.

Shangla

Shangla, KPK Province.

 It is a historical place in South Asia: home to several Buddhist hermits, as well as a small but thriving Hindu community in the Chakesar region.

 It is said that the region known as Ghorband in the north west of Shangla was visited by Alexander the Great's Army in 326 B.C. where it fought a battle with the locals at the mount Pir Sar. Later on in the 15th century Shangla witnessed a population shift from neighbouring Afghanistan [Pakhtun tribe Yousafzais] with locals migrating into Hazara.

Hamning Birds

world Smallest Bird

The Beauty of Phander Valley, Gilgit.

The Beauty of Phander Valley, Gilgit.

 One of the most beautiful valley of the world. Gilgit is flourishing wonderfully since the Karakoram Highway (KKH) was constructed back in 1978, connecting Gilgit with the rest of Pakistan and China.

 Picture Credit: Unknown.

The City of Natural Caves - Cave City near Bela, Balochistan.

The City of Natural Caves - Cave City near Bela, Balochistan.

Ramkot Fort, Mirpur

Ramkot Fort, Mirpur.

 Picturesquely located on the summit of a hill, Ramkot Fort is built over the site of and old Hindu Shiva Temple. 3 sides of this hill top are surrounded by River Jhelum [ancient “Vitasta”].

 Excavations relics of the 5th and 9th century AD have been discovered near one of the temples. In the 16th 17th century AD “the Muslim rulers of Kashmir while safe guarding their boundaries built numerous forts. Ramkot, sitting atop at the confluence of the river Jhelum & Poonch is one of them. The Sikh Maharaja of Kashmir further fortified Ramkot. Ramkot Fort is located on the opposite side of the Mirpur Town and one has to cross Mangla Lake on boat to reach there.

 A 10 minutes travel by road from Mirpur leads to Sukhian and nearby Arm water Sports Club from where boats are available for access to Ramkot Fort. It takes 45 minutes to reach there.

Gondrani

Gondrani.

 Unique place in Balochistan where traces of ancient cave civilizations exist!

 It is popular with the name of Shehr-e-Roghan. This place is indeed a real archaeological treasure which is unfortunately hidden from the world. There is no exact information that who constructed these mysterious cave dwellings but one thing is for sure that this place is extremely fabulous.

 Some historians relate Shehr-e-Roghan with the Buddists of 7th century AD. Shehr-e-Roghan of Gondrani is located at 18 KM north west of Bela which was previously known as Lasbela.

 Now what is so unique about Shehr-e-Roghan of Bela ? This marvelous ancient cave city is spread over an area of 2-3 KM. Thousands of these cave houses are multi storey and are inter connected with each other through walkways. Almost every cave house consists of a single room and some of them have a veranda in front of them. Many myths are attributed to this mysterious place.

Some locals believe Shehr-e-Roghan to be the city of jins. Some people also link this place with the thousands years old legend of Saiful Malook and Badiul Jamal.

Khewra Salt Mine, Pakistan

Khewra Salt Mine, Pakistan.

 Geologist believe that the rock salt in Khewra is from the Precambrian period i.e. around 600 million years old. These mines contain an estimated 220 million tonnes of salt. The area containing the salt is about 110 sq km.

 Since 1870, miners have created 19 floors with tunneling with the total length of the tunnels more than 40 kilometers.

 After the long walk or a ride by train, you would be delighted to see several natural and man-made marvels.

 - A mosque built from salt
 - Minar-e-Pakistan: Pakistan tower built from salt
 - Shish Mahal: Palace of Mirrors, in this case salt instead of mirrors
 - Assembly Hall
 - Brine Chambers
 - Salt ponds illuminated with fancy lights
 - A tree root that does not catch fire
 - Pul-Saraat: 25 feet bridge without pillars. Its is suspended on salt-water

- Pakistan Post Office, Khewra Salt Mine. Postal Code 48530, built from salt
 - Salt crystal formations
 - Old mining machinery
 and so much more ...

 Salt is transparent, white, pink, and reddish. The tourist resort displays clever use of salt and light to produce breathtaking scenery.

 You can buy refreshments, dine, and buy souvenirs inside and outside the mine. Tourist guides are also readily available.

Drawar Fort Pakistan

An outstanding aerial view of Drawar Fort, Pakistan.

 Pakistan is home to many dynasties, kingdoms and civilizations, which once thrived in every nook and corner of its landscape. Moving up from the Indus valley ruins, one should not forget to visit Rahim Yar Khan and then the nearby Cholistan desert, where remains of a huge Drawar Fort still attract visitors from all over the world.

Camel in Desert