"Kaghan Valley"

Laying in lower Himalayan mountains range, the  Kaghan Valley , famous for its bewitching splendor and natural beauty, is one of the most charming tourist resorts in scenic Hazara division. At a distance of 64 km from Balakot, it offers resplendent beauty surrounded by magnificent mountains, magical glaciers, enchanting waterfalls and sweet lakes with plenty of flora and fauna.

Kaghan Valley includes Naran, Kaghan, Shogran and its surrounding areas. The way to Kaghan valley starts with two hour drive to Abbottabad. At Abbottabad you can refresh yourself with a cup of tea before driving to Mansehra, Balakot and onwards to Kawai. Kawai onwards is a steep climb to the Shogran plateau which offers a splended view of a fabulous array of mountains, amid pine trees and lush green meadows

At peak summer when plains boil with scorching heat the valley regains its life. Kunhar river with its surging waters treacherously edges Kaghan and two other small towns, Balakot and Naran situated on its banks.

Moreover, the spring season that brings with it unfading fragrance of beautiful flowers and plants, witnesses quick movement of nomads along with their cattle towards upper pastures of Kaghan Valley and the return journey begins in autumn when they come down after this seasonal migration. The movement is going on since ancient times. Nomad womenfolk usually wear their typical mostly loose garments tailored locally with decorative hand-made embroidery. 

The valley is about 160 km long and between 1000 m to 4000 m above sea level at different places. Noisy Kunhar river with its icy water flows through the picturesque valley. The river water carries with it the delicious trout fish, famous for its rich taste being the most sought after food item for visitors and tourists.

"Dudipatsar Lake"

Dudiptsar lake or Dudipat Lake is a beautiful lake encircled by snow clad peaks. The lake lies in the extreme north of Kaghan Valley and is about a four hours drive from chief town Naran. The road is not entirely accessible for cars, even Jeeps. And from a certain point the visitors have to trek to reach the lake. Its water is a beautiful greenish blue and very cold too. Dudipatsar is also close to another major Lake Lulusar which is the main contributory to the Kunhar river that runs through Kaghan valley. At a distance from the lake lies the Babusar Top or the Babusar Pass which is the end of 150 km long Kaghan valley.

The word "dudi" means white and "sar" means lake. This name has been given to the lake because of the white colour of snow at surrounding peaks. In summer the water of the lake reflects like a mirror. Its not easy to visit this lake as there is a tough hike. Its going to take you four to six hours for this lake after tough hiking and trekking.

The word "sar" is used with the name of each lake in the area meaning lake. In the summer when the water of the lake reflects like a mirror a large number of visitors from different areas of the country come to watch the enchanting views of these lake. Dudipat Lake (Dudipat Sar in local language) is six or seven hours walking distance from Besal. Half of this distance is steady climbing on a clear path then the valley opens out to wide, flat pasture land.

The deep blue Dudipat Sar, at 3,800 meters, is surrounded by green hills at about 4,800 meters, with snow patches in the shady hollows. This lake is very little visited by people and its natural beauty is still very much protected. October 8, 2005's earthquake in North Pakistan has made it more difficult to be accessed. However the government of Pakistan decided on March 14, 2006 to take all steps to restore tourism of the Kaghan valley which includes building new tourism spots and rebuilding previously destroyed ones.

First Post

Hey there.

Its my first post, so just wanted to share that Im writing this blog to clear out this fact to the whole world that the country we live in is not overall bad. Although there are certain negative points, but besides them we've got true beauty in our country that can amaze everyone. Here, I will try my best to share a glimpse of such beauty through snaps and videos. Hope you will like it.

M. Asadullah Arif