Geographically Kashmir valley lies between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Mountain Ranges. It consists of four territories;
Jammu and Kashmir (Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh)
Azad Kashmir
Gilgit-Baltistan
Aksai Chin
Azad Kashmir means “The Free State” is an independent state between Pakistan and India. It was established in 1947 and its foundation day is celebrated on 24th October.
Azad Kashmir is the part of the greater Kashmir region and it shares the borders with Gilgit-Baltistan in the North, Punjab Province of Pakistan in South and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in the West and in the East, Azad Kashmir is separated from the Indian held Kashmir (IHK) by the Line of Control (LOC), the de-facto border between India and Pakistan. Total area of Azad Kashmir is 13,297 square kilometres (5,134 square miles).
Kashmir is a very beautiful country and it is referred a “heaven on the earth”. Its marvellous landscape and scenery is so eye-catching and charismatic that everyone feels spellbound to it. The lush green meadows, snow-capped sky-high mountain peaks and entwined springs, mighty River Jhelum and meandering River Neelum, thick forests with treasures of wild animal species, and sweetly singing waterfalls, enhance the mystic charm of the valley manifolds.
Although all the valley is worth visiting and worth watching, but the enchanting glimpses of the waterfalls are very captivating and spell bounding. Here is the brief description of the water falls in the valley:
Tilni Waterfall:
It is located in Baithak Baloch in Sudhnuti District of Azad Kashmir. Sudhnuti is 110 kilometres away from Islamabad. The waterfall is located is near High School and still unexplored.
Picture by Saqib Shafiq of Tilni Waterfall
Jamgar Water Fall:
Jamgar Water Fall is a magnificent waterfall in the Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir. It is surrounded by hills in the backdrop and abundant trees. The whole track is thickly forested and the scenery is awesome. It is the best tourist spot while visiting Neelum Valley.
jamgar waterfall ajk
Gulpur Waterfall:
Gulpur Waterfall is located in Gulpur town of Kotli District of Azad Kashmir. Kotli is 124 kilometres away from Islamabad. Gulpur water fall provides a very good summer retreat and it is a perfect picnic spot, especially with the family and friends.
Cham Waterfall:
Cham Waterfall is situated in Chinari, a beautiful village in Hattian Bala District of Azad Kashmir. Chinari is situated 51 kilometres (32 miles) from Muzaffarabad. It is connected through the metalled road, which is called Jhelum Valley Road or Muzaffarabad-Srinagar Road. Accommodation is available for the tourists.
Amra Sawan Waterfall:
Amra Sawan Waterfall is located between Sawan and Chinar, in Hattian Bala District. A metalled road leads there. Sawan is beautiful place in vicinity of Chinari, 6 miles (9.5 kilometres) away from Hattian Bala. Another unexplored waterfall is located 2 kilometres away from Chinari, at Jaskul.
Narh Waterfall:
It is located in a small village of Narh of District Haveli. Narh Waterfall is only 60 kilometers away from Islamabad. It takes much less time to access it and ideal for a day long picnic with family and friends, especially in summers.
ACTIVITIES FOR AWAY DAY FOR NEELUM VALLEY, SKARDU, HUNZA, SWAT, NARAN KAGHAN, KASHMIR.
Scavenger Hunt:
All the participants would be randomly divided into four/five groups. A color would be assigned to each team of which they would be wearing wrist ribbons of. The teams would decide their own names and slogans as-well.
After the teams are ready and pumped, they would be provided a list of 20 interesting team buildingactivities to do (according to the venue) of which the teams have to complete at-least 15 in 1 and a half hour. The first team to do at-least 15 wins. A lot of the activities in between are humorous, exciting and would leave the teams with a lot of memories to take back home. E.g taking a picture of the entire team’s shadow in the air (while jumping).
Minute-to-win-it:
Teams would gather together, in a competitive environment all the members would be gathered around the middle for 15 minute-to-win-it games. For each little competition one team member would step up while the rest of the team would be cheering and rooting for their player. For each little game the team would get one point. The team with most points by the end of the game wins. The activities are easy and interesting, e.g. Mummify a team mate with tissue roll in 1 minute, or Coke Monster.
Quiz-Up:
For this game, the teams will settle down in silence, and there will be a set of 30 questions which require humor, good IQ and a good memory of previous events to be answered correctly. It’ll be a classic competition where the fastest team to blow the whistle gets to answer first. Each question carries one point and the team with the most points by the end wins.
Tug-o-war:
A Tug of war tournament would be all about the team with strength and endurance. Swinging drastically out of the corporate culture this game may sound absurd but the adrenaline rush backed by intense competition makes it one of the most classic competitive team building battle of all time.
Karaoke Night:
A guitar player and a keyboard player will be playing music in the background and it’ll be a free-for-all activity for anyone to come on stage and sing their heart out to their favorite songs.
We can turn this into a competition as well and give it a funny name like “Local Idol”.
Music night:
Live music acts can be arranged for a relaxing evening of your favorite genre (e.g Sufi, bhangra, pop rock). We also have various known artists on our panel that can be arranged for a concert.
Tambola:
Tambola is another name for the game of Bingo. The rules are very simple in this game of chance and any number of people can play, making it a popular game for large gatherings where people get the chance to win various prizes.
Archery:
Conducting an archery event will be one of the unique activities we can bring to the people. It will include proper training for each individual, and then later we can commence into a tournament where each individual will get an equal chance to take part in the tournament. The winner will be rewarded with exotic prizes.
Parlour Games:
For every game round won by a team, the team wins one pendant. Team with most pendants in one hour wins prizes.
◦Dumb Charades: A game in which words and phrases are expressed by a player without saying anything. And their team mates are to guess the word. The word is randomly designated to each team. The team to guess the word in the shortest period wins.
◦Movie Trivia: The teams are given a few clues for every movie and the team to guess the most out of them wins.
◦20 Questions: One player is chosen to be the answerer. That person chooses a subject (object) but does not reveal this to opposite team. The opposite team players are questioners. They each take turns asking a question which can be answered with a simple “Yes“, “No or “Maybe”. If the team guesses the subject in 20 questions, they win.
– Small board and card games can also be included for the people in their idle time.
– Can also include sports items in case someone wants to play volleyball, football or cricket.
– If the venue allows, we can also build a large bonfire everyone can sit around and enjoy their meals, music or tea.
The arrival of Buddhism in Pakistan is a phenomenon of some 2,300 years ago, through the Mauryan King Ashoka, who was known as “greater than any other king or emperor”. Buddhism is deep rooted in Pakistan and remained under the Bactria, the Indo-Greek Kingdom, the Kushan Empire, the Mauryan Empire Ashoka, the Punjab Region and the Indus River Basin Civilization.
It is believed that the Buddhist scholar Padma-Sambhava has been born in a village near the town of Chak-Darra, located in the present day Lower Dir District (it was the part of Uddiyana State). Padma-Sambhava, known as Guru Rinpoche in Tibet, had introduced the Vajrayana, a branch of Buddhism in the Tibetan Region.
There are numerous of Buddhist monuments, like Stupas, Monasteries, Viharas, Settlements, Caves, Rock-Carvings and Inscriptions, scattered here and there in the Swat Valley. This is our own ancient cultural heritage and should be protected, preserved and renovated.
Fa-Hein, who came to Swat Valley in 4th century A.D, wrote about the 6000 Monasteries, found in the valley. Sung-Yun also visited the valley in the 6th century A.D and he reported 6000 images in the sacred Monastery of Talo (Butkara). A Chinese pilgrim, Hsuan-Tsang, who came in the valley in the 7th century A.D, wrote about 1400 monasteries in Swat, which clearly indicated of the remains of the Buddhist monuments. We could find ruins of over 400 Buddhist Stupas and monasteries in Swat even today. Let’s find out a few of them.
Butkara:
Butkara was a Buddhist holy place in Swat, ruins of a Monastery are still found here at Ta-Lo, which was mentioned by Sung Yun, who visited the area in 520 A.D. 9t was also described by the Buddhist pilgrims from China in the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries A.D. It lies in the East of Mingora, the ancient capital of Udyana. The main Stupa stands tall in the middle, surrounded by other Stupas, Viharas and columns. The main building is on its Northern side and inhabited area is in the North and West. The Great Stupa was renovated and extended for several times, from 3rd century B.C down to 10th century A.D.
Nemogram Stupa and Monastery:
The place of archaeological importance, Nemogram is in the Shamozai Valley of Swat, which is located about 45 kilometres in the West of Saidu Sharif and 22 kilometres from Birkot, on the right bank of Swat river. It was discovered in 1966.
It consists of three main Stupas in a row, from North to South. There is a courtyard with 56 consecrated Stupas and a Monastery, adjacent to the West of the main Stupas. The definite history of Nemogram Stupas could not be revealed till date yet the coins found there, indicating towards the period of Kushana, dated back to the 2nd or 3rd century A.D. Besides the coins and pottery of Scytho-Parthian period, there are a large number of stone-carving and Stucco sculptures, which illustrates the Buddhist Mythology. These sculptures are now exhibited in the Swat Museum.
Elephant Paw:
The place where one can examine the Elephant Paw is Shahkot Pass, which exists between Mura Pass in the East and Malakand Pass in the West. There are vast plains and a small Hamlet (Shahkot Banda) in the North-East of this beautiful valley. In the South-West of the valley, there lies the famous Hathi Darra (the Elephant Paw) near the village Zalam Kot. It is at the distance of about 10 miles from the village Thanra.
It is called Hathi Darra because of 20 feet wide and 6 miles long road which joins both the sides of the Pass. It was constructed for the caravans of elephants, during the Kushan Empire and became popular as “The Elephant Paw”. The “Queen’s Throne” is also located there, on the top of a hill near Hathi Darra.
Statue of Buddha Ghaligay Swat:
This colossal statue of Buddha is found near the village of Ghaligay, at the distance of 18 kilometres from Mingora, on its left side a main road leads to Mardan. The Buddha Statue is situated about a kilometres away from the left bank of the River Swat.
Gumbatuna Stupa:
Gumbatuna (singular: Gumbat) is a Pashto word for “dome”. This is a Buddhist establishment, located on the right bank of the Swat River, 6 kilometres away in the West of Barikot village, along the metalled road leading to Nimogram Valley. The sites of archaeological interest are scattered on a large area of 1500 metres from North to South and 1000 metres from East to West and known as Shamozai Range.
Amlok Darra Stupa:
The track to the Stupa of Amlok Darra is situated a couple of kilometres away, in the North of Nawagai village, a beautiful small valley of Amlok Darra, near Buner.
Tokar Darra (Najigram) Stupa and Monastery:
The Buddhist site of Tokar Darra is situated near Karakat Pass, about 5 kilometres away in the South of Barikot. It lies on the side of a small picturesque valley, which is about a kilometer away from the present day village of Najigram.
The site consists of a large Stupa, which is attached with a Monastery, Quarters, Assembly Hall, and an Aqueduct Cave.
Janabad Seated Buddha:
It is a high rock-carving, the image of the seated Buddha. It is a reddish-brown coloured cliff that rises on the hillside to the South-West of Janabad (Shakhorai) village. It is at a distance of 5 kilometres from Manglawar. This huge illustration of the Buddha can be seen from the road, on the way to Malam Jabba.
We are offering booking of Jeeps for Mahodand Lake, On Planning your trip to Swat , if you are required jeeps/rent a car/hotel/tour plan then contact at 03005772942 for bookings of your tour plan.
Neelum Valley is a land of forests, rivers, fountains, springs, waterfalls, high-lands, snow-capped mountain peaks and wild life treasure, hidden assets of precious gem-stones and minerals and plants. Neelum Valley is a 90 miles long bow-shaped valley, loaded with pine, fir and deodar trees. It lies in the North-South of Muzaffarabad (the capital of Azad Kashmir). It is elevated at the height of 8,000 feet approximately. The valley is connected from the Kaghan Valley; linked via the Nuri-Nar Pass, the Ratti Gali Pass and many other minor Passes. From Dowarian it takes two days for hiking/riding with a night stay at Dharian (elevation: 12,000 feet) above sea level. The alternative route is from Muzaffarabad, at the distance of 65 miles (105 kilometres), accessible only in the tourist season. The valley starts from Nouseri, next to Patika 24 miles ahead of Muzaffarabad. The Chilhana Crossing Point (height: 3,200 feet), Barian, Salkhala, Kundal Shahi and Athmuqam, Sharda and Kel can be reached through the same route. There are a few places of the Neelum Valley, which are accessible through rough and difficult routes only. Let’s try to explore these places.
Salkhala
It is another difficult place to access and situated at 3 kilometres away from Kundal Shahi, across the river Neelum. A Trout fish-hatchery has been established by the Fisheries Department of Government of Azad Kashmir. Accommodation facility is available here.
Neelum
Neelum Village lies on a difficult track though situated merely 9 kilometres ahead of Athmuqam, on the right hand side, on the bank of River Neelum, opposite to the Keran village in IHK (Indian Held Kashmir). Neelum Village is located at the altitude of 1,524 metres (5,000 feet) above sea level.
Sharda:
Sharda is located at a distance of 136 kilometres from Muzaffarabad and 30 kilometres from Dowarian. It is a serene and picturesque tourist spot. The place attractive and marvellous yet the road condition often remains deteriorating, due to weather, rain and land-sliding. The remains of Sharda University and other monuments of Buddha/Hindu eras are also found there. The historical background of the relics, provide a unique learning experience to the people, who are interested in Archaeology and History.
Kel:
Kel is 19 kilometers away from Sharda and this small valley is located at the height of 2,097 meters. Kel is located on the confluence of the Shounter Nullah and River Neelum. A track from Kel leads to Gilgit Region via Shounter Pass (4,420 metres) and it is also a base camp of mountaineering activities to the Sarwali Peak (6,326 metres) above sea level and Sarwali Glacier, which are said to be the highest peak and biggest glacier of Azad Kashmir. It is suggested to the tourists to hire a jeep from Athmuqam for their convenience. Horses and mules can also be hired, for travelling to the narrower tracks of the Neelum Valley. There is a small and beautiful tourist resort, Arrang Kel, which is difficult to access and reachable through trekking or a lift.
Halmet:
It is a bordering village and located at a distance of 38 kilometres from Kel. Janawai and Sardari are the most beautiful places but they can be reached through rough tracks. Accommodation facilities are available for the tourists and visitors (to be continued)
Naukot is an alluring and beautiful valley in Leepa Valley, which lies at an elevation of 2,133 metres (6,998 feet). It is the ancestral home-town of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Prime Minister of Pakistan). It is accessible through Reshian and Dao Khan. It is 105 kilometres (65 miles) away from Muzaffarabad (the capital of Azad Kashmir) and it is located along the Line of Control (LOC). It is 8 kilometres away from main bazar of Leepa and it remains snow-stricken throughout the winter season. The tourist season starts from May till November.
Leepa Valley is a former Princely State of Azad Kashmir and it is connected to Muzaffarabad through Naili, Reshian Gali (elevation: 3,200 metres) and up to Dao Khan where downward journey gets started towards the Leepa Valley (elevation: 1,677 metres).
Naukot is very fertile and rich Valley and its real charm lies in its rice fields which are real summer treat. The variety of its rice especially the “red” rice is its specialty. Its tasty, mouth-watering and aromatic fruits especially Cherry and Apple are all time favorite. The wooden structure of the houses in the valley is the master-piece of the typical Kashmiri architecture. The Walnut of Leepa is widely appreciated everywhere and is even exported to the various countries of the world. Every family of Naukot has an asset of walnut trees in its possession and they earn a handsome profit from its export. Their living standard is significantly higher than that of the people of other areas of the Valley. Besides its Walnut, Cheery and Apple, the valley produces best quality honey.
Majority of the people (up to 90%) in Naukot area are Kashmiri speaking; Hindko is spoken here as well. However Urdu is spoken and understood widely. The population of the valley consists of 75,000 inhabitants and their earning source rely on farming, cattle rearing, business and marketing (walnut, fruits, honey) and tourists services. They are mainly self-employment.
There is a small hydro-electric project in the Leepa Valley and it is producing 2MW electricity. The electricity, generated here, is supplied to the local population.
The highest peak is of the Leepa Valley is Shamsa Bari, which remains snow-capped all the year round.
A metaled road along the right bank of River Jhelum leads to Reshian through Muzaffarabad, Garhi Dupatta, Dhanni Baqalan, Hattian Bala, Neili and Saien Bagh, Reshian, Dao Khan and finally the Leepa Valley. From here, Naukot is only 8 kilometres away to the main bazar of the Leepa Valley.
From Reshian, the gateway to the valley, there are three different routes which reach to Leepa;
The Defence Road, which connects with the valley at Hanjna.
Barthwar Gali.
Bali Camp.
Accommodation:
A Tourist Rest House and the Forest Rest House are providing accommodation facilities to the tourists. But their number increase manifolds, Tourism Department of AJK provides them with Tent Service as a substitute.
Hunza Valley is a former Princely State, bordering with Uyghurstan (Xinjiang) in North-East, to Pamir (roof of the world) in the North-West, to Gilgit Agency in the South and to Nagar Valley in the East. The capital of the State was Baltit but now it’s Karimabad. Attabad Lake is the wonder of today’s world, which is created in January 2010 as a result of a landslide in the valley.
The basic purpose of an itinerary plan to any place is to enjoy the tour with energetic and adventurous journeying around. The three basic rules are to be followed for an excellent, exploring and soulful tour planning are:
Discover
Plan
Once you have decided your utmost destination (in this case, the Hunza Valley), it’s time to make all the fiscal arrangements and a befitting packing plan. Let me try to chalk out all the pre-requisites for the tour to the Hunza Valley, Pakistan.
Suppose it is a six-day visit to the Valley that would be full of adventures, spontaneous events and exploring the nature. In this context you must have well-scheduled information under your belt regarding the tourist season, accommodation facilities, climate, weather forecasts (the tourist season starts from May to October) and last but not the least about the most suitable clothing. It is suggested to you to consult a competent tour-planner because he would make all the arrangements according to your budget, with his best expertise and better amenities.
The Budget:
Since it is a six-day tour plan to the Hunza valley, you will need a well-organized budget; which must include all the essential expenditures:
Total Expenditure: (in PKR/duration)
Hotel/Accommodation: (Prior booking of Three-Nights)
Transportation Fares
Eating Out Charges
Sight-Seeing/Ticketing Charges
Camping Apparatus Expenditure
Miscellaneous Expenses
The Luggage:
Casual Shirts
Casual Pants
Shoes: (for trekking, with durable rubber sole)
Sandals: (for walking during camping)
Water Proof Jacket & Trousers
Pairs of Trousers & full Sleeves Shirts
Pairs of Socks: (Woolen Stuff)
Woolen Hat/Cap:
Sandals: (for walk)
Water Proof Jacket & Trousers
Sleeping Suit
Pairs of Socks: (Woolen Stuff)
Pair of Gloves: (Woolen/Water-Proof)
Toiletries
Walking Stick
Water Bottles
Emergency Light
Pocket Knife
Map and Compass
Binoculars
Camera
Some Extra Suggestions:
Luggage Bags: Back-packs are ideal. Do not carry fancy bags (these are inappropriate for the hilly areas).
Clothing/Shoes: Hiking-shoes and sneakers are strongly recommended.
Umbrella: the weather of these areas is always unpredictable.
Sun Glasses: (the sun is often glittery).
Sweaters, Cardigans and Jackets: (the weather gets harsh).
Medicines: tourists are advised to bring all the necessary medicines because these could seldom available there.
Miscellaneous: all toiletries especially the sun-block cream.
The Medication:
Allergy Medicine
Eye Drops
Aspirin & Pain-Killers
Band-Aids
Sickness Medicines
Tranquillizers
The Places:
Aliabad
Gulmit
Ganish Village (oldest village with 800 year old mosque. It was honored by UNESCO in 2002 and 2009)
The Valley: Kashmir is called the Paradise on Earth and Neelum Valley is the jewel of the heaven. It is one of the most beautiful places in Azad Kashmir. Neelum Valley is located in the North and North Eastern side of Muzaffarabad because of its bow-like shape and it lies parallel to the LOC. It is connected to Kaghan Valley from the other side. It is a high-altitude valley and its elevation is over 4000 metres (13,123 feet) above sea level. It consists of 370 villages in total. The valley comprises of thick forest, clear water streams, rivers, treasure of gem-stones and minerals.
District Neelum is situated 43 kilometres away from Muzaffarabad and the area is famous for its minerals & gem-stone treasures, fertile land, fruits like Apples, Apricots, Cherry, Walnuts and Plums are famous for their different taste and aroma.
The Sarwali Peak (elevation: 6,326 metres/20,755 feet) is considered the highest mountain-peak in Azad Kashmir. Some of the famous places of the Valley are; Shounter Pass, Chitta Katha Lake, Ratti Gali Lake, Baboon, Nuri-Top, Sharda, Kutton-Jagran, Kundal Shahi, Athmuqam, Kel, Arrang Kel, Surgan, Tao Butt etc.
The Plan: The basic purpose of itinerary plan for visiting any place is to enjoy the trip with a relaxed mind; healthful and soulful journeying around. There are three basic rules for an excellent end-to-end pleasant tour;
Discover
Plan
Enjoy
Once you have discovered your destination, it’s time for making arrangements for the finances and a well-organized packing plan of some specific duration (3/4/5/6/7 Day packages are available). Let me try to sort out each and every detail for your trip to the picturesque and breathtaking Neelum Valley.
Suppose it is a three-day visit to the valley that would be full of adventures, trekking, hiking, fishing, hunting, spontaneous events and exploration. The schedule must be over-viewed with all the possibilities to keep in mind. In the tourist season, there must be a scarcity of accommodation availability but there should be a Plan-B under your belt, that is camping and you need to address it with extra-preparedness.
Ample research is also mandatory before your journey has started. Check out the detailed information of climate of the valley (usually it remains cool even in the summers). Search out the weather forecasts/updates and put the clothing accordingly, road condition of the valley. It is better to consult a tour-planner, who will arrange the the tour with best of his expertise and amenities.
The Budget:
A three-day tour to Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir might include;
Total Expenditure: (in PKR/per package)
Hotel Expenses: (Prior booking of Three-Nights)
Transportation Fares
Eating Out Charges
Sight-Seeing Ticketing Charges
Camping Apparatus Expenditure
Miscellaneous Expenses
The Luggage:
(for camping & trekking)
A large Rucksack: (to carry all the trekking apparatus)
Sleeping Bag: (for the protection, in harsh weather)
A folding mattress
Shoes: (for trekking, with durable rubber sole)
Sandals: (for walking during camping)
Water Proof Jacket & Trousers
Pairs of Trousers & full Sleeves Shirts
Pairs of Socks: (Woolen Stuff)
Sun Hat & Woollen Cap
Pair of Gloves: (Woolen & water-proof)
Walking Stick
Water Bottles
Emergency Light
Pocket Knife
Other Items (optional):
A light-weight water-proof Tent
Small Stove with Fuel
Plastic Cane of Water
Cooking Utensils
Food Stuff: (per-head menu/trip duration)
Match Box
Map and Compass
Binoculars
Camera
Some Extra Suggestions:
Luggage Bags: Back-packs are ideal. Do not carry fancy bags (these are inappropriate for the hilly areas).
Clothing/Shoes: Hiking-shoes and sneakers are strongly recommended.
Umbrella: the weather of these areas is always unpredictable.
Sun Glasses: (the sun is often glittery).
Sweaters, Cardigans and Jackets: (the weather gets harsh).
Medicines: tourists are advised to bring all the necessary medicines because these could seldom available there.
Miscellaneous: all toiletries especially the sun-block cream.
Medication:
Allergy Medicine
Eye Drops
Aspirin & Pain-Killers
Band-Aids
Sickness Medicines
Tranquillizers
The Plan:
Some of the places of the Valley are really worth-mentioning to visit to, such as Shounter Pass, Chitta Katha Lake, Ratti Gali Lake, Baboon, Nuri-Top, Sharda, Kutton, Jagran, Kundal Shahi, Athmuqam, Kel, Surgan, Tao Butt etc.
Itinerary Packages for Neelum Valley Trip
Day 1
Journey starts at Islamabad, in a vehicle of the company from the Airport/Hotel/Home on the given time.
Sightseeing: Murree, Kohala, Kashmir Waterfall and finally Pearl Continental Hotel, Muzaffarabad.
Day 2
Beginning of a joyous journey to Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir, from PC Hotel Muzaffarabad.
