The Fairy Land: Enchanted

The legendary Lake of Saiful Maluk  named after Persian prince Saiful Maluk, who fell in love with a fairy in the mountains. Located at the elevation of 3,224 m above sea level the lake is the among the top destination of the Pakistan in the province of Khyber pakhtun khawa. The north east of the Mansehra District holds the water of highest lake. Among with many other attractions the Kaghan valley also offers you the charismatic beauty of the Saiful Maluk. The widely visited spot drags thousands of tourists every year from all over the country girth. The nearby resorts and hotels are additional reasons for many numbers of visitors over the lake.

The water is obvious with a slight blue and green tones. The source is melting water of multiple glaciers all around the high basin.  The stunning mountains embellished with snow, the plains laden with tall trees and greenery presents a breathtaking view. The eye popping sites of adjacent Kashmir is on the top.The unique mystical experience mesmerizes the tourist and at the same intensity the locals also. The beauty can’t fade with one time visit. The place is hell yes for imaginative people, the one who loves peace and nature. This is a great picnic spot for the family. You must visit this but only in summer. The day temperature is moderate but night brings minus.

It has been said that the lake formed by the movement of mammoth glaciers over the period of thousands of centuries. The rested place of the lake Kaghan Valley is also known to have been a part of the greater Pleistocene Period (Ice Age). It was covered with a heavy sheet of ice dates back 300,000 years. Some say you must stay for a night to experience the real fairies with your open eyes. The steep hike to the little aside top must be over the edge for having fairies lived. Many Sufis narrated the prince and fairy love affair in their narration.

Wondering how to go there, pick up any day from June to mid September, then take cheap flights to Islamabad. It would take eight hours to reach Naran from Islamabad. Further 45 mints will be taken from the jeep  to reach the lake. If you are more excited than take a trekking option which will take 4 hours.

What above sea level?

The centric lake of the meadow in Payee, near Shogran in Kaghan Valley called as the payee. The source of life to every living being in this valley. It is at the height of almost 9500ft. The Circumvallate has been made around the lake by the  Makra Peak, Malka Parbat, Moosa da Musalla and the other mountains of Kashmir. They are also providing best drop back  to the lake. The life worth seeing the lake magnetizes you with its embellished natural beauty. The mother of nature is very kind to the lake.

                              

The far snow capped mountain peeps through the lush tall trees possessive mountains. The front hills are bath into the emerald colour. The range of huge green, blue, purple and white  stands out but somewhere mingles with one another to paint the new face of the lake. The valley possession horses, cows and herds of sheep  roams around the lake whole day to graze and to drink. The long pine trees around the lake are good source of wood for homely used. The self groundling covers the the lake in the summer season. This felt like a green sheet over the blue water. The area is not very populace still while visiting you will see the local women came to the lake for washing their clothes and to fill their pots.

The payee lake is famous for one day trip because there is no resort or facilities for night stay and of food. the romantic place for new couples, adventurous for the adults and the little frightening for the young and silent place for the peace and nature lover.  The camping and stay can be done but if you do it by your own.The bone fire is another amazing fun to do at the lake but the difficulty of carrying all things along you would be little tiring.

                            

The distance from Islamabad to Kiwai is measures at  212 km. So, its better to take the cheap flights to Islamabad to get there easily and timely.The virgin lake is easily reached via the Kiwai passing through Shogran by a jeep track. The whole track has the beautiful mountains, deep valleys and rifts to amuse the tourists. To bring the cars to the lake is impossible and the jeep can be easily entrée this beautiful and dangerous track, if you are visiting first this lake first time and have a jeep by yourself then I really recommend you to hire any professional driver from the Kaghan. Because it is a very narrow road and initially was just a walking track.

Top to Down its about Lulusar!

Lulusar is an attributed name given to the cluster of mountain peaks and an outstanding lake in the valley of Kaghan.  The root "sar" means "top" or "peak" in Pashto language. It has the height of 11,200 ft above sea level. The Lulusar is serving many domestic and international visitors with its charming mysterious beauty

 The lake is basically the feeder of the Kunhar River. It flows southwest along the entire length of Kaghan Valley passing different districts to the coalescing point of Jhelum River to Kunhar.  The lake has no front up position rather stands behind the curving ridge. The lake is even much larger  and standout than other lakes of the Valley. The mirror like virgin water reflects the environ and create the exact replica of the natural beauty. The summer comes to add more beauty to the lake with colourful flowers and green bed.

From Naran Town the Naran-Babusar road 48 kilometres northeast up is Kaghan Valley to Basel. The Naran Babusar road is heaviest rods as the numbers of travellers take this till the Gilgit. Jeeps must me hired right from Naran for visiting the lake.  Basically the jeeps leave Naran at morning so be ready to reach the lake at afternoon. This ease makes the journey complete in daylight. There is another road which is under construction building toward Southeast around the lake. The road will be a linkage to Naran and Basel to Chilas and the Karakoram Highway south of Gilgit. Through it the distance will be cut into just 3hours drive.

The lake has enchanting, mysterious beauty to explore and its charisma holds the minds of the tourists for a long time. It has been said by the many tourists is that the lake has incredible kind of attractions in it which drags the person to the undying essence of the exquisiteness.  The peaceful environment especially in summers drags many young groups, newly married couples and families toward the lake. Amazing whitish blue water with half capped mountains along with the high trees and the sweet songs of the roaming birds is  not just the fresco for the eyes but also delectable to the ears. The grazing horses give the sense of freedom to everyone in the open plain. The amazingly cheap flights to Islamabad serve you with the legendary service for your trip..!

The Much More Beauty

Dudiptsar or Dudipat Lake is a lake delimited by the half naked snow crowned mountains, grassy pastures and emerald trees in the Lulusar National Park. The lake is at the extreme north of the Kaghan Valley, in the Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The word "dudi" revenue for white, "pat" stands for mountains and "sar" means lake. This name makes it like the “white mountain Lake”. The name has been given to the lake because of the white colour of snow over the peaks. The lake act like a mirror in summer due to its purity and cleanliness. The purity defines the beauty of the lake. The word “sar” is a local name for a lake whether it be of any type. It is a tough and hard hike of six hours to reach the lake.

The summer drags the number of visitors from different parts of the world domestically and internationally as well. The enchanting views of the lake give the sense of purification and spirituality.  The walking to the lake from besel also hides in itself a lot of the spectacular views to shock the mind. The half distance steadily climbing on a clear path opens  a wide& flat meadow land for flora and fauna watching. The lake's water has a hue of greenish blue and very cold at its height. It is located at the elevation of 3,800 metres. The surrounding mountains are home of many wildlifes, Western Himalayan alpine shrub and several meadows. The lake habitats are of much significant ecological importance for resident fauna and itinerant waterfowl. The fauna of the park includes the Snow leopard, Black bear, Marmot, Weasel, Lynx, Leopard, Himalayan Snowcock, and the Snow Partridge.

The Dudiptsar lake & park is reachable only for four months of the year from June to late September. In the summer, the huge number of visitors assembles around the lake to see the scenery. The path for Dudiptsar starts from Besal an hour drive from the town of Naran. The cars and motorbikes can easily ride on this road. The lake is wealthy in its trout but illegal dynamite and net fishing have resulted in a sharp fish population decline. The 2005 earthquake in North Pakistan made it more difficult to access the lake However, the Pakistan government has taken all best steps to restore tourism in the Kaghan Valley, including renewal and new tourism facilities. There are several beautiful Lakes in this valley, which should not be missed if you are visiting the Kaghan valley. Dudipatsar Lake is one among them.

The track is difficult and tough But, when you lastly reach at the lake, I am sure that the lake will mesmerize you that much that you wouldn't complain for the hardship you faced while travelling. It is very striking. Do not even try to swim though the water is not deep but it is very cold. Delicious Trout fish is found here in abundance so take the fishing stick with you. Then heads towards the queen of the lake with a cheap flights to Islamabad. Because it is the nearest approach to your destination.

Chitta Katha Lake

Locally known as "Chitta Katha" lake is the treasure of the Shonter Valley of Azad Jammu Kashmir. The lake has an altitude of 4,100 meters. The atmospheric excellency is born from it. The words like striking, embellishment, charming all are made for it. If you say it a jewel in the crown it would not be wrong seriously. The region is remote and  environs are calm and peaceful might be this is a reason that the lake is pure in its beauty. Remoteness to the nonsenses is also one of the special attribute of the lake. It is a beautiful picnic spot, relaxation  dot, a worthy Birdwatching place, a basket for a day out. The lake takes all the worries out of your mind into its deep silent depth, you could call it a mother of nature.

The common route which followed tourists to the lake is through kel.  There is a good conditioned road from Kel to Shounter Valley. The trek for this lake starts from Upper Domail (referred as Utli Domail by some local people and maps) village which can be reached through a two hour jeep ride from Kel. Regular jeeps take Rs 100-120 per person for a one way ride while the whole jeep can be booked at Rs 2000 – 3000. OK. The name of the Lake is Chitta Katha, wondering your mind, in the local language ”Chitta” means “White” and “Katha” means “water reservoir “. So, it is a white water reservoir. To reach that lake you have to cross to  Shounter nallah(Stream). There is a  hanging wooden bridge over this nalah,  after there will be two more nalah chitta Katha Nalahand Chamar Fall and lastly you reach Chitta Katha Lake . If you are an experienced trekker/climber the total track time is almost 8/8.5 hours but otherwise you will require more time than this. More to the point the track is more steep and abrupt near the Chitta Katha Nalah. And the one most important thing is that the lake is just  accessible from July to September . The overall way to the lake is very very hard, exhausting  and strenuous but its extremely picturesque quality magnetizes the visitors  and offers a colourful amazing surroundings to experience.

What you have to do to reach this lake is first take a cheap flights to Islamabad. Then from here drive a jeep towards the Neelum Valley.rest there, at the 2^nd day drive to kel, reach at shaunter valley and stay at Utli Domeli. The whole journey will be amazing and spectacular. Next day, Start from Utli Domeli to the lake the horse ride option is also there, you just have to hire them from village. On Day 4 take a drive back to Neelum and Islamabad. If you have your own transport the trip will be just about 4 days but if not the one extra day will be charged. It is open for locals but foreigners do need a travel permit from  the Azad Kashmir ministry.

The Restored Swat Museum

After the numerous time of closure damage caused by the armed variance in Swat now the restoration work has been begun. The Swat Museum is finally opened for the visitors. The Italy supports the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Rs 221 million to restore and build the Swat Museum. It is located on the main Mingora-Saidu Sharif Road in the jewel of Swat. 50 per cent of the total budget of the project is dedicated to the renovation of the Swat Museum, while the rest will be spend on excavations, refurbishment, awareness programmes and defense of 11 major sites. The museum will be again served as a popular tourist attraction in Swat, as well as function as a centre for cultural activities. The restoration of  the museum is a huge step towards refurbish of the Swat valley to its former standing as a top tourist destination in Pakistan and the world over. It is of no doubt that the provincial government and other donor organizations are making great effort to promote tourism in the valley again.

The Swat museum was one of the principal tourist attractions in the picturesque glamouring valley of Swat and has a huge compilation of Gandhara sculptures from the Buddhist sites in Swat. The museum was originally constructed by the Wali of Swat and the Italian Mission in 1958. It was the time when  the twin Museum of Rome was also inaugurated named Museo Naziolae d’Arte Orientale. The current building is constructed in different phases. First  the building was severely damaged by the earthquake of 2005 and the 2^nd time the tragic bomb blast devastated the museum in February 2009.

The museum was funded partly by the Japanese.  The excellent Swat Museum has an initial interest in Buddhist Swat.  Butkara No 1 and Udegram  treasures like Gandharan-style statuettes and friezes which depict the lives of the Buddha settled into the museum. In other rooms of the museum the pre-Buddhist artefacts and ethnographic  galleries by traditional carved Swati furniture, jewellery and some wonderful embroideries are also settled.

The Swat Museum is on the east face of the lane, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid gives a new trendy style to a Swat museum with rearrangements and new labelization to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnography section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery. It is actually under renovation with Pakistan-Italian Debt Swap Agreement funds.

The jewel of Pakistan is again opened for the domestic and international tourist. The cheap flights to Islamabad is an adding flair to the restoration of Swat Valley.

 The Peshawar Museum

With the cost of 60000, in the memory  of Queen Victoria The Peshawar Museum  was built in 1906. The Rs. 45000 was donated by the community of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and  the rest Rs. 15000 was given by the Director General of Archaeology, India. Initially the museum was the house of excavated Gandharan Sculptures from the sites of Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri, Sahri Bahlol, Takht-i-Bahi and later from Jamal Garhi and other Gandharan sites. The museum has two storey building. It is a union of the fabulous  British and Mughal architectures.  The museum has at first consisted of a major hallway and two side walkways on the ground and first floor, surrounded by four chic cupolas and small pinnacles on all over the corners. Later the two halls were added on both sides eastern and western in 1969. Lately the project of the Extension of Peshawar Museum has added Islamic Block, laboratory, two halls, administrative centre of the Provincial Directorate and a Cafeteria and the project also includes complete modernizing of the existing building by substituting showcases, lighting, tagging and renovation. This new Islamic Block is situated behind the main building that is completed in 2005.

The Peshawar Museum has the possession of 14156 items. It embraces the Gandharan sculptures, Coins, Manuscripts and replica of the Holy Quran, Inscriptions, artillery, Dresses, Jewellery, Kalash Effigies, Mughal era Paintings, family objects, local and Persian handicrafts.  The all collections are divided into five main sections:  the Gandharan, coins, Islamic, Ethnological and Iranian.

The main hall contained the main relic casket with Kharoshthi inscription. Along with it the museum has Buddhist stone sculptures , panels, architectural elements, stucco, sculptures terracotta figurines and toiletry objects . The coin section has 8625 items in total. They are Punch marked coins, and the Indus Greeks coins , Scytho-Parthians, Kushans, White Huns, Hindu Shahis and Islamic coins of the Ghaznavids, Ghaurids, Slave Dynasties, Tughlaqs, Lodhis, Mughals, Durranis, Sikh and British periods. The material of coins are Gold, Silver, Copper and Billon, the shape is also various like round, square and rectangular.

One of the richest museums in Pakistan with a term of huge Islamic collection. The gallery has the wooden porticos of mosques, Arabic & Persian inscriptions, Multani tiles and ceramics, the dress and weapons of Sayed Ahmad Shaheed Brailvi, paintings of the Mughal and later periods, Islamic metal work in bronze, silver and calligraphic specimens. The most important are ten scrolls of 1224 AD, each scroll contains three Paras of the Holy Quran. A further important scroll of  Sultan al Arifin Khwaja Bayazid Bastami which is 915 cm long and 45.75 cm wide. After 2003, the new 29 hand-written copies of the Quran and 65 manuscripts and books has been added to the gallery.

The Eastern gallery is Ethnological section exhibited the culture and mode of life of the major tribes of the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and the Kalash of Chitral. It exhibits 348 items in which the major item is kalashan female and male figures. It also has the commemorative effigy, jewellery, agricultural tools, household objects of Bronze wood and leather, wooden stools, baskets, dresses, swords, daggers, spears, bows, arrows, shields, muzzle loaded guns, revolvers, pistols and gun powder boxes. The Iranian Consulate donated 97 pieces to the Peshawar Museum in 2003 which include modern calligraphic specimens, paintings, photographs, ornamental objects in silver bronze, ivory and glass, toiletry objects and pen holders. These objects are separately displayed in the eastern aisle on the first floor. Let take a cheap flight to Peshawar to have fun and explore the originality of the Pakistan.