Hormart Expeditions - One-stop expedition directory - Recent listing in PAK- Places

Arang Kel Village - natural beauty, agricultural and tourism-based economy, Neelum Valley

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 15:04:00 +0000

Arang Kel is a small and remote village located in Neelum Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. The village is situated at an altitude of approximately 8,379 feet above sea level and can only be accessed by a strenuous trekking route, which adds to its charm and seclusion.

Arang Kel is renowned for its natural beauty, with stunning views of snow-capped mountains, lush green forests, and a glistening river that flows through the valley.

The people of Arang Kel mainly rely on agriculture and tourism for their livelihoods. Agriculture is the primary source of income, and the locals cultivate crops such as wheat, maize, and vegetables on small patches of land. Tourism is also an essential source of income, and the village attracts a small number of tourists who are interested in trekking and exploring the natural beauty of the area.

The locals offer accommodations and basic facilities to tourists, including guest houses, camping sites, and restaurants. Some people also engage in handicrafts, such as weaving and embroidery, which are sold to visitors as souvenirs.

Image source: Kashifrehan1805 / Wikimedia

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDhUeIQqvM4

Related reading

Arang Kel | Beautiful Village in Azad Kashmir - Traveler Trails
Arang Kel, Kashmir | Story - Hero Traveler
Arang Kel village to Kel Market - Azad Kashmir - Wikiloc | Trails of the World

Passu Village - picturesque settlement in the heart of the Karakoram Mountains

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:52:41 +0000

Passu is a small and picturesque village in the Gojal region of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, known for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. The village is situated along the Karakoram Highway, a major tourist route, and is surrounded by the towering peaks of the Karakoram Range.

Agriculture and tourism are the primary sources of income for the residents, and the village has become a popular destination for hikers, mountaineers, and nature lovers.

One of the most prominent features of the village is the Passu Cones, a series of jagged peaks that rise dramatically in the background. The cones, which are made of sedimentary rock, are a popular subject for photographers and hikers alike.

The village is home to a number of wooden houses that are intricately carved and decorated with traditional motifs. These houses are often passed down through generations and are considered a valuable cultural heritage. The intricate carvings on the doors, windows, and balconies are a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the local artisans.

Passu is also known for its rich cultural traditions, including music, dance, and festivals. The Wakhi people, who are the dominant ethnic group in the region, have a unique culture that is influenced by their Central Asian roots. The village is also home to several historic landmarks, including the Khunjerab Pass, which is the highest border crossing in the world and connects Pakistan with China.

Image source: Mehrunisa Reimoo / Wikimedia

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeCRlaM_Qb4

Related reading

Passu Village - Hunza Valley - Travel Pakistani
Passu Cones (Pasu) - All You Need to Know BEFORE ... - Trip Advisor
Trip Report: Losing Ourselves in Hunza's Passu Village - Pakistan travel blog

Abbottabad - scenic and significant city, Hazara

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 03:11:30 +0000

Abbottabad is the capital city of Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in Pakistan and fourth largest in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population. It is about 120km north of Islamabad-Rawalpindi and 150 km (95 mi) east of Peshawar, at an elevation of 1,256 m (4,121 ft). Kashmir lies a short distance to the east.

History

Abbottabad was founded and named after Major James Abbott in January 1853 as the headquarters of Hazara District during the British Raj after the annexation of Punjab. He remained the first Deputy Commissioner of the Hazara district from 1845 until April 1853. Major Abbott is noted for having written a poem titled "Abbottabad", before his return to Britain, in which he wrote of his fondness for the town and his sadness at having to leave it.

In the early 20th century, Abbottabad became an important military cantonment and sanatorium, serving as the headquarters of a brigade in the Second Division of the Northern Army Corps. The garrison consisted of four battalions of native infantry, of the Frontier Force (including the 5th Gurkha Rifles) and two native mountain batteries.

Climate

Abbottabad has a humid subtropical climate, with mild to warm temperatures during the spring and autumn months, hot temperatures during June and July, and cool to mild temperatures during the winter. The temperature can rise as high as 38 °C (100 °F) during the mid-summer months and drop below −5 °C (23 °F) during the extreme cold waves. Snowfall occurs occasionally in December and January, though it is sparse, while heavy rainfall occurs during the monsoon season stretching from July to September that frequently cause flooding in lower lying parts of the city.

Tourism

Abbottabad has been attracting tourists to the city since the colonial era, as it is a major transit point to all major tourist regions of Pakistan such as Nathiagali, Ayubia and Naran.

The Karakoram Highway, which traces one of the paths of the ancient Silk Road, starts from Hasan Abdal on the N5 and heads north passing through the city, eventually reaching Khunjerab Pass. The Karakorum Highway is a major attraction itself for its views.

The Karakoram, Himalayas and the Hindu Kush ranges can be approached from Abbottabad, and it continues to be a transit city for tourists, serving as a base for visiting nearby places, such as Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu and Indus Kohistan, of the Karakoram Range. [source]

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaVcqeNOZng

Karakoram Highway (KKH) - China-Pakistan Friendship Highway

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 02:54:22 +0000

The Karakoram Highway (known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a 1,300 km (810 mi) national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in the Punjab province of Pakistan to the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it crosses into China and becomes China National Highway 314.

The highway connects the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plus Gilgit-Baltistan with China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The highway is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the highest paved roads in the world, passing through the Karakoram mountain range, at 36°51′00″N 75°25′40″E at maximum elevation of 4,714 m (15,466 ft) near Khunjerab Pass. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions under which it was constructed, it is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The highway is also a part of the Asian Highway AH4.

The Highway

The highway, connecting the Gilgit–Baltistan region to the ancient Silk Road, runs approximately 1,300 km (810 mi) from Kashgar, a city in the Xinjiang region of China, to Abbottabad, of Pakistan. An extension of the highway southwest from Abbottabad, in the form of the N-35 highway, meets the Grand Trunk Road, N-5, at Hasan Abdal, Pakistan.

The highway cuts through the collision zone between the Eurasian and Indian plates, where China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan come within 250 km (160 mi) of each other. Owing largely to the extremely sensitive state of the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan, the Karakoram Highway has strategic and military importance to these nations, but particularly Pakistan and China.

Climate

The KKH is best travelled in the spring or early autumn. Heavy snow during harsh winters can shut the highway down for extended periods. Heavy monsoon rains around July and August cause occasional landslides that can block the road for hours or more. The border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass is open only between 1 May and 31 December. [source]

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5AAvnyexzY

Fairy Meadows National Park - A verdant expanse in the foothills of Nanga Parbat Mountain, Gilgit-Baltistan

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 08:50:09 +0000

Fairy Meadows, which was christened by German mountaineers and is referred to locally as Joot, is a verdant expanse situated in the vicinity of a base camp for Nanga Parbat, located in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. With an elevation of approximately 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) above sea level, it functions as the starting point for hikers aiming to scale the Rakhiot face of Nanga Parbat. The Government of Pakistan designated Fairy Meadows as a National Park in 1995.

A notable draw of this location, aside from the meadows per se, is the prospect of viewing the majestic Nanga Parbat Mountain. Tourists frequently embark on a trek to the mountain's base camp from Fairy Meadows.

The meadows are enveloped by dense alpine woodland. At lower elevations, Artemisia is the predominant plant species, intermixed with yellow ash, stone oaks, and Pinus gerardiana. The region harbors a population of brown bears, albeit dwindling, and a few musk deer, which are classified as endangered.

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOxDEysvNCc

Related reading

Guide to Visiting Fairy Meadows - Pakistan - Top Travel Sights
How to Get to Fairy Meadows? A Complete Guide - Graana.com
Dare To Travel On World's Motst Dangerous Road To Fairy ... - Pakistantraveler.com

Sheosar Lake - alpine lake, Deosai National Park

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 06:43:04 +0000

Sheosar Lake is an alpine lake situated in Deosai National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is located at the height of 4,142 metres (13,589 ft)

The lake is accessible through two routes. One is via Skardu and the other via Astore District. The road through Skardu can be covered by 4x4 vehicle in few hours, however, if trekked, it can take 2 days time. Second route is from Astore District. From main Astore town, it takes about 4 hours' 4x4 vehicle travel through a semi-metal road to reach Chilm, the last residential area adjacent to the plains.

Most visitors come to the lake are in summer between June to early September. [source]

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oE8LPtykxc

Shangrila Resort, 1983 - 'Heaven on earth', Skardu

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 06:32:26 +0000

Shangrila was established in 1983 with the opening of the first Resort Hotel in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Shangrila Resort Hotel was founded by the late Muhammad Aslam Khan Afridi, the first commander of the Northern Scouts of the Pakistan Army. The resort is known for its restaurant that is built on the fuselage of an aircraft that had crashed nearby.

Shangrila was named after a book titled Lost Horizon by James Hilton. In the novel, the author narrates a tale in which an airplane crash landed near a riverbed, in the early 1920s.

The surviving passengers came across some Buddhist monks from a nearby temple and sought their help. They were taken to a beautiful lamasery filled with a variety of fruits and flowers. The monks looked quite young, although they claimed to be hundreds of years old. The idyllic place was called Shangri-la, a Tibetan word meaning "Heaven on earth". [source]

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J_nswRYpxs

Kargah Buddha - 7th century large standing Buddha, Gilgit

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 06:13:10 +0000

The Kargah Buddha, an archaeological site situated approximately 9.7 km from Gilgit in Gilgit−Baltistan, Pakistan, comprises a sizable standing Buddha carved into the cliff-face in Kargah Nala, measuring around 50 ft (15 m) in height. The carving exhibits a distinctive style, akin to that observed in Baltistan, and is believed to have originated in the 7th century.

Surrounding the image are holes that would have supported a wooden structure to protect it from harsh weather conditions.

From the 3rd to the 11th century, Gilgit served as a significant center for early Buddhism. During this period, the region was contested by various powers, including the Tibetan Empire, the Kashmiri Karkota Dynasty, and the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates.

In 1931, a nearby Buddhist monastery and three stupas containing Sanskrit manuscripts were excavated around 400 meters upstream. By the 11th century, Gilgit had become the autonomous kingdom of Dardistan before adopting Islam.

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTTfBGSWQ14

Related reading

The Kargah Buddha and the man devouring Yatchini - The Express Tribune
Thousands throng Kargha Buddha - Tourism Department Gilgit Baltistan
The Kargah Buddha, Gilgit: A Buddhist Treasure - Youlin Magazine

Shandur Pass - roof of the world, Gilgit-Baltistan

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 08:44:35 +0000

Shandur Pass is a pass located in District Ghizer of Gilgit-Baltistan , Pakistan. It is often called 'Roof of the World'.The people of Chitral have also claimed the ownership of Shandur but in international maps and the water direction makes it integral part of Gilgit-Baltistan and the people of upper Ghizer are true owner's of this beautiful landscape. The grade is very gradual, and the area is crossed by plentiful small streams during summer.

During the annual 'Shandur Polo Festival,' there are polo matches played in Shandur Polo Ground on Shandur Top, between the teams of Chitral District and Gilgit-Baltistan Province. Approximately seven matches are played in the three days of the festival usually held on July 7th to 9th every year. The final match is played on July 9th between Teams A of Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral. [source]

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHv7yxh179c

Shandur Polo Festival - big festival, 7 to 9 July, Chitral

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 08:35:14 +0000

Shandur Polo Festival is one of the big festivals in Pakistan. This festival is held from 7 to 9 July every year on Shandur Pass in Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.The polo match is played between the teams of Chitral District and districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, is a free style game.

The Festival

The initiation of Polo in Shandur is credited to The balti raja of Skardu; Ali Sher Khan Anchan who built the polo ground of Shandur as well. Shandur invites visitors to experience a traditional polo tournament which since 1936 has been held annually in the first week of July between the local teams of Gilgit and Chitral. Organized and financed by the Tourism Corporation of NWFP, the tournament is held on Shandur Top, the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 meters (the pass itself is at 3,800 meters). The festival also includes Folk music, dancing and a camping village is set up. The polo tournament is featured in the first episode of Himalaya with Michael Palin.

Various teams of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan have always played the game of polo closest to its original form. During the early 20th century, the British in neighboring India were the patrons of the game. [source]

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHOA1rg7m0o