Scenic Pakistan

A Lake Which Fascinates Fairies - Lake Saif-ul-Muluk - Kaghan Valley

2011-10-08T04:49:00.000-07:00

Lake Saif-ul-Muluk is undoubtedly one of the most scenic lakes of the World. Located at about 30 minute distance from Naran in Kaghan Valley, it is a crystal clear bowl of green water at a height of approximately 10,578 Feet above mean sea level.

It is strikingly beautiful and captures the eyes of the tourists. The effect seems to be magical in every sense of the word.

How to get to Lake Saif-ul-Muluk?

From Balakot, you have to travel North towards the small town of Naran, which in fact is one of the largest towns in Kaghan Valley and the main tourist stop during your trip to Kaghan Valley. Naran is about 90 kms from Balakot or 2.5 hours of drive on car.
After crossing (or in literary terms - Climbing, because the bazaar is all up-hill) Naran Bazaar, you will find a bridge over a narrow stream of water. This water in coming from Lake Saif-ul-Muluk, and the track moving along the stream will guide you to the lake itself.

Although you can reach Naran on your personal car, but trip from naran to Lake Saif-ul-Muluk must not be attempted on it. It is highly recommended that a 4x4 Jeep should hired from Naran till the lake, which is hardly a 35-45 minute journey. The track is small and bumpy and a trained driver will take you up without much hassle. You can hire a jeep from Naran Bazaar or the bridge at the end of the bazaar.

A sunset at Lake Saif-ul-Muluk is an unforgettable experience and if you are fond of camping, then Lake Saif-ul-Muluk is one place you will never like to miss. The only guest room available on the lake-side belongs to the Forest Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Province and you can get it booked from their office in Peshawar, if you are so keen at spending a night there.

There are many famous stories about Lake Saif-ul-Muluk and one of them narrates that fairies come to take bath in this lake during the full-moon nights. I can not comment on the authenticity of these stories, but you will have to spend a night there to find out for yourself - How true are these stories?

Lake Saif-ul-Muluk is an unmissable tourist attraction in Kaghan Valley and any tourist travelling in the valley can not even think of missing it.
I have the honor of watching this lake in different times of the year, starting from March to December and the lake has different colors in every month, yet every color is more beautiful than the others. I have seen it frozen in early March as well.
Have you visited Lake Saif-ul-Muluk and how did you find it? Feel free to share your experience below in Comments Section!

Pakistan's Best Heritage Site: Lahore Fort

2011-10-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

One of my all-time favorite UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in Pakistan is Lahore Fort. I absolutely adore the grandeur and splendor of Alamgiri Gate of Lahore Fort.
Lately during one of my recent visits to Lahore, I stole a few minutes while travelling on GT Road to capture some images of Lahore Fort, that I promised to send to a friend abroad. Since I did not have much time at hand, so while I was entering Lahore on a family trip, I just parked my car in the parking lot, brought ice cream for kids and went inside to take the photos.
It was a long time since I visited this place but I found it as magical and attractive as ever before.

Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque face each other and offer a great heritage tour, if someone plans to visit there. Where else can you find so many historical places in near vicinity to each other?

Although "Lahore Fort & Shalamar Gardens" is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Danger, but still Lahore Fort is a huge fort with a lot of historical buildings, monuments and gardens. Badshahi Mosque has a magnificent museum depicting various items of Muslim history. Between these two mammoth structures lies the Bara-Dari (Building with 12 doors), that you can see in the above picture as well.
Minar-e-Pakistan (Minaret of Pakistan) is also located across the road, which is a modern architecture building. It was constructed to commemorate the passage of Pakistan Resolution on 23 March 1940.
I will get some more photos to share with you as soon as I visit the place again - which I am anxiously waiting as well.

Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore - A Symbol of Pakistan's Sovereignty

2011-04-08T04:04:00.000-07:00

"Minar-e-Pakistan" or the "Minaret of Pakistan" is a monument built to remember the passing of a resolution to demand a separate country for Muslims of India by All-India Muslim League at this ground on 23 March 1940. This was the first official declaration to establish a separate homeland for the Muslims living in the South Asia. Pakistan now celebrates this day as a national holiday each year.

The minaret reflects a blend of Mughal and modern architecture and attracts visitors from all over the World. The large public space around the monument is commonly used for political and public meetings, whereas Iqbal Park area is popular for kite-flying as well.

Design. The foundation stone was laid on March 23, 1960. The construction took eight years and was completed in 1968. Today, the minaret provides a panoramic view to visitors who can climb up the stairs or through an elevator. The parks around the monument include marble fountains and an artificial lake.

Structure. The base is about 8 meters above the ground. The tower rises about 60 meters on the base, thus the total height of minaret is about 72 meters above the ground. The unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9 meters high. The diameter of the tower is about 97.5 meters (320 feet). The base platform is shaped like a five-pointed star and encloses two crescent shaped pools. There is a central spiral staircase rising up with 162 steps. The top-dome of the minaret is made of Stainless steel inlaid with fine glass pieces.

The structure is made of reinforced concrete, stones, and marble. The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces the Badshahi Mosque. The base comprises four platforms. To symbolise humble beginnings of the freedom struggle, first platform is built with uncut Taxila stones, second platform is made of hammer-dressed stones, whereas third platform is of chiselled stones. Polished white marble at the fourth and final platform depicts the success of the Pakistan Movement.

Inscriptions. At the base, there are floral inscriptions on ten converging white marble Commemorative plaques. The incriptions include the text of Lahore Resolution in Urdu, Bengali and English, and Delhi Resolution’s text, which was passed on April 9, 1946. On different plaques, Quranic verses and 99 attributes of God are inscribed in Arabic calligraphy, whereas National Anthem of Pakistan in Urdu and Bengali, excerpts from the speeches of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in Urdu, Bengali and English, as well as few couplets of Allama Iqbal are inscribed.

Minar-e-Pakistan has also been featured on numerous bank notes and coins of the country.

Would you like to visit Minar-e-Pakistan? What are your views for this majestic structure?

Buy Sony PSP from Pakistan Easily

2010-11-02T05:42:00.000-07:00

PSP (PlayStation Portable) lets you access games, videos, music and photos at any time and share them with friends. A stylish device, the new PSP system features a TV-out socket for displaying content on a television.

Now you can also buy Sony PSP while inside Pakistan. You can go to www.shophive.com and get your beautiful Sony PSP and they will deliver it directly to your home.
Have you got yours?

Shandur Polo Festival at HIGHEST POLO GROUND of the WORLD in Pakistan

2010-07-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

As Shandur Polo Festival is about to start in a couple of days, so I thought to give it some rightly deserved place on my Pakistan Travel Blog. You can view some of the most beautiful pictures underneath, while you can also see the Beautiful Postage Stamp issued by Pakistan Post here: Shandur Polo Festival Postage Stamp

Historical Polo Match at the Highest Polo Ground of the World is played between the teams of Gilgit and Chitral as the culminating point of the festival and the highlight of the Event.
Military Bands marches at the start of Shandur Polo Festival.

Horses and riders get ready for another exhibition of courage and strength at the Shandur Polo Ground.

Polo gets underway. Riders fight for glory.

Shandur Polo Ground is an absolute beauty at the height of 3,700 meters above mean sea level, which turn out to be a massive 12,650 Feet - Most of the countries DO NOT have a mountain peak of that height ;)

Lovely view of Shandur Free Style Polo

Para Gliding at such a height can also be fun to watch and perform.

Naran from a distance after the 1st Snowfall of Winter 2009 in Naran, Kaghan Valley

2009-11-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a beautiful picture of the sbow-covered Naran Town from a little distance.

Mountains surrounding Naran - All covered with heavy snow!!!

1st Snowfall of Winter 2009 in Naran, Kaghan Valley

2009-11-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

Check these cool and exclusive photos of the 1st Snowfall of Winter 2009 in the beautiful town of Naran in Kaghan Valley, Pakistan.
The first photo was taken inside Naran town:

A lot of snow. Isn't it?

You are missing Snow. I can bring some if you want. There is a lot of snow here and not many volunteers to take away ;)

A "Lovely" Trip to Lulusar Lake in the last week of October 09

2009-10-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

A lovely trip to Lulusar Lake is definitely a treat but how about going to Lulusar Lake in the last week of October? Believe me it was still a treat while the mountains were covered in a beautiful white sheet of snow. The road and the mountains around the Lulusar Lake were also white as the fleece of Mary's Little Lamb - I hope that you remember "Mary had a Little Lamb - Its fleece was white as snow" :) So check these cool photos out:

A photo on the road to the magnificent Lulusar Lake:

A photo of the road on the edge of Lulusar Lake - The snow is getting thicker and thicker.

A beautiful view of the gorgeous Lulusar Lake:

Here is another photo of a magnificent view near the lake:

A trip to Babusar Pass in Early Winter Season

2009-10-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

I happened to visit Babusar Pass on 23 October 2009. Although the greenery is almost finished, but still the views were absolutely Magnificent. It was chilling cold in the way as well as on the top. Here are a couple of photos of the visit.

The first one is the photo taken from the top of the Babusar Pass and features the view of the valley towards Chillas. The spiral-curling road finds its way down from the top very quickly. It looks just like a spring.

The 2nd one is a lovely photo of snow-covered portion of the Babusar Pass.

Here is a magnificent photo of the vast pastures of Gitidas from Babusar Pass. In the middle you can see the famous Polo Ground which features many Polo games during the summer season. At this point in time, the green pastures have been withered, entire area has been vacated because of the fear of arrival of harsh winter season and the mountains have been covered with white snow. Still the creativity of Allah Almighty can be seen clearly.

Snow at Kaghan Valley

2009-10-05T05:12:00.000-07:00

Just a few more pictures of the Kaghan Valley during my cool heli ride. Enjoy!!! Aren't they cool???

The first picture was taken while travelling from Lulusar Lake to Jalkhad. The thick plantation of Pine trees near Jalkhad can be observed in the top left corner of the picture.

Snow is turning slowly in to water in the Kunhar River as we move closer to the famous and beautiful summer getaway town of Naran. Decreasing heights and lesser snow but still many slides on the road.

Houses covered in snow while the inhabitants leave their houses and shift to Balakot or Garhi Habib Ullah before the start of snow fall. They spend their winters in Balakot, Mansehra or Garhi Habib Ullah and move back to Kaghan and other forward areas in spring season along with their animals. Kaghan valley makes a wonderful place for the grazing animals with magnificent and colossal green pastures. I wish I could take my animals from FarmVille there for a season :)

Entering Kaghan Valley from Gilgit on a Flying Machine - Helicopter

2009-10-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

A great view of the snow-coated Babusar Pass - A mountainous pass connecting Kaghan or Naran Valley to Indus Valley. The height of Babusar pass is 13,691 feet above mean sea level. While we are flying exactly above the great Babusar Pass, the vast plains of Gitidas can be seen clearly in the below picture. These snow-covered grounds turn in to huge green pastures in summers and serve as the summer homes of hundreds of nomads (Gujjar Tribes) along with feeding thousands of their animals including goats, sheep, cows and horses.

A snow-quilted view of Kaghan Valley near Lulusar Lake. The lake can not be seen at this time of the year as it is completely frozen however those of you who have seen Lulusar Lake thoroughly can clearly see the Northern portion of the lake in base of the white mountains (In almost the top, centre portion of the picture) where a plain white surface can be observed. Yes, you are right, it is not an ice rink but a fully frozen Lulusar Lake. The under-construction road moves along the nullah leading towards Lulusar lake on the left side of the nullah. The twists and curves of the road can also be observed, if seen keenly.

A Helicopter Joy Ride from Gilgit to Naran in Kaghan Valley

2009-10-05T04:34:00.000-07:00

A broken bridge between Gilgit and Danyore- A town across Indus river near Gilgit. The bridge on KKH is broken for the last 15 months, I think. I don't know for how long it will remain as such. It is a huge inconvenience to the travelers as they have to cross the river from another bridge after traveling a long distance cross country.

A worth-watching site from the top, isn't it?

An aerial view of Karakoram Highway. A treat to watch from above. I salute those who have laid their lives in construction of this magnificent 9th Wonder of the World.

Colors of nature are so prominent in this snap. Brown mountains, Green patches of trees, Deep-Green River Indus and a cool suspension bridge - What else can you wish to give a treat to your eyes???

Sulphur Springs near Gilgit - Boiling Hot Water coming straight from under the ground

2009-10-05T02:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of "Sulphur Springs" - a beautiful diversity of nature. These springs are located at about two hours drive from Gilgit to Rawalpindi. Due to the presence of Sulphur underground, the water of the springs is hotter than the boiling water. Absolutely hard to touch even!!!

You can even boil an egg by just placing it in the water for some time .......... HOT? Isn't it?

Beautiful Sights While Travelling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit - the Capital of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

2009-10-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

Another old but nice-looking suspension bridge on River Indus. Indus is indeed the mightiest of all the Rivers.

Another wonderful view of KKH. Isn't this road leading to heaven? Beautiful snow-covered mountains in the background can give you a feeling of the altitude at which this highway is built.

Check out these Amazing Pictures taken on the Way to Gilgit - The Capital of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

2009-10-05T01:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a river so green. It is the mighty "River Indus"with water coming straight from the melting glaciers and mountain peaks. It is really a beautiful view. Also check the Karakoram Highway running along the river.

A beautiful yellow suspension bridge on the mighty River Indus in front of mountainous background. A lovely sight!!!

A beautiful sight of sloping and flowing Magnificent River Indus where the lovely Karakoram Highway (KKH) moves all along the river.

A bus crossing the land slide. Check a huge bus crossing over the muddy landslide to keep itself on route to its destination. A steep cliff on one side and a sheer fall on the other, but fortune favors the brave only.

What a long line of traveling vehicles struck in the middle of nowhere because of the anger of nature - A landslide.

A Brief Account of my Last Journey to Gilgit

2009-10-05T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I happened to visit Gilgit which is the Capital of "Northern Areas" of Pakistan due to some professional commitment. The highlight of the trip included the journey from Rawalpindi to Gilgit and back on the world-famous "Karakoram Highway (KKH)", a beautiful view of Nanga Parbat - 9th highest peak in the World, a trip to Kargah Nullah, a Helicopter ride to snow-covered Naran Valley, an on-the-route stop at "Sulphur Springs" and a memorable hospitality by my hosts in Gilgit.

Karakoram Highway or Friendship Highway was built during 1966-1986 and is the highest paved international road in the World. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram Highway at an unbelievable altitude of 4,693 meters or 15,397 feet above mean sea level. Most of the countries in the world DO NOT even have a single peak at that altitude. According to Wikipedia "Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions in which it was constructed, it is also referred to as the 'Ninth Wonder of the World'".

Total Length of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) is 1300 kms (806 kms in Pakistan and 494 kms in China). The road mainly travels along the side of Indus River.

Its construction took the toll of 810 Pakistani and 82 Chinese workers mainly due to land slides, falls and extremely harsh weather conditions during its construction.

I would love to share some nice pictures with all of you here. The first one is a town-view of a medium-sized town Dassu on the KKH with a beautiful bridge on the Indus River.

The second picture is a view of the KKH. You can see the harsh and difficult terrain on which it is built.

Buy A Place on Earth and Take Your Business or Blog to the Next Level

2009-08-08T01:37:00.000-07:00

After a long time, yesterday I came across this beautiful website which struck my imagination. The idea behind the website is so intriguing and unique that I could not resist sharing it with all of you. I have spent hours finding various places, exploring different towns and watching magnificent monuments on Google Earth but even then I had never thought of this matchless plan.

The website offers a 3D Earth which is available for advertising purposes. You can avail this opportunity and buy a place on earth to advertise your business or hobbies. While it is becoming extremely difficult to buy some land in real world, you can lay your hands on this gorgeous prospect to buy a chunk of 3D earth. Complete earth is available for sale and you can become the proud owner of any city, country, continent or ocean. You can even purchase entire planet and place your company logo on it.

The basic idea of the site is based on 3D Pixel Advertising. It is a distinctive initiative to use earth for advertising purposes. I went through the site repeatedly and every time I discovered fresh reasons to use it to advertise my blog. Some of these motives are as follows:-

The uniqueness of the idea offers a great opportunity for the business holders and blog owners because your business space will be viewed by billions of users around the globe. 3D Earth can be spun or zoomed to view the ads closely. Its 3D format makes it interesting and attracts audience from every corner of the planet.
The place you buy today will display your ad forever. Above all you do not have to pay monthly or yearly fees afterwards.
The price of the space on the 3D earth is extremely low, which enables you to buy large pieces of land to promote your business.
3D pixel advertising attracts more visitors than any other form of advertising. The pictures/ logos provided by the business owners will be placed on earth. By clicking these pictures/ logos, your visitors will be able to access your web space. It has proved to be a highly respected form of advertising.
3D Earth can work as a matchless web directory in an exclusive and unparalleled way.

Although this post is not related to my blog theme but still I could not resist the idea of buying a place on Earth. I know that it is tough to compete in today’s business environment but this beautiful website provides you a chance to stand tall among your competitors. The site is advantageous to long term businessmen as well as to the blog owners/ forum moderators who want huge traffic to their places.

So to book your land on 3D Earth, you can visit “Buy a Place on Earth” now and take your business to the next level.

Frozen Paradise: Early Summer Scenes of Lalusar Lake in Naran Valley

2009-06-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Coming over to the highlight of the visit - Travelling to the partially frozen Lalusar Lake. Extremely hot weather in Southern Pakistan has failed to do any harm to the magnificent Lalusar Lake. The first picture shows the Northern portion of the lake where the lake is almost completely frozen because of the lack of direct sunlight falling on it.

Another nice photo of northern portion of the lake. A huge glacier can be seen falling directly into the lake.

The middle portion of the lake is filled with clear green water with a couple of ice bergs floating on it. Pure natural beauty without a blend of pollution caused by mankind.

The southern bend of the lake completely covered with white sheet of snow. Beautiful, isn't it?

The southern portion of the lake is partially frozen. In fact a few of the icebergs are roaming around in the water. My dad absolutely loves this place.

My Beautiful Pakistan - Kaghan/ Naran Valley

2009-06-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Some beautiful natural springs which can be seen while travelling from Jalkhad to Besal in the Naran Valley.

A memorable view of Payala Lake (Bowl Lake) - A very small but round lake which looks like a bowl. Although not much of a lake is present at this time of the year as the BOWL is filled with snow, some of it even spilling from the edges. In summers, it becomes a perfect round lake with crystal clear water. It is almost in the middle of the picture, extending towards left and climbing a bit on the mountain.

Can a place be more beautiful than this one? A perfect blend of brown ground, green grass/trees, white snow, grey sky and bluish-green water. I absolutely love it!!!

Pakistan: The Most Beautiful Place in the World

2009-06-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

I recently got a chance to visit the beautiful Kaghan Valley once again. It was as beautiful as ever. Here I would like to share some nice pictures of the visit and I am sure that you will like these photos.

The first one is a beautiful landscape where the sky is covered with low clouds. Small glaciers can also be seen coming down from the mountains. Water is as clear as ever.

Nature at its best: Enjoy this beautiful snap which is a perfect example of co-existence between animals like horses, sheep, etc. A huge glacier in the background has added color to the greenery on the ground.

Horses roaming around in the vast lands near Barawai in Kaghan/ Naran Valley.

Wait for more because the Best Pictures are yet to come.