Top 10 Astonishing Pictures from Pakistan

Top 10 Astonishing Pictures from Pakistan
Natural beauty is un matched. Pakistan have world most resplendent places for visit, specially at its best in northern areas of Pakistan and Kashmir region. This component of the country is famous all around the world because of welkin high mountains, lush green valleys, mighty rivers, pulchritudinous lakes, and astounding wildlife.
1. Neelum Valley

Neelam Valley is a 144 km long bow-shaped valley in Azad Kashmir Region. The Valley is situated at the North & North-East of Muzaffarabad (The Capital of Azad Kashmir). Running through the Lesser Himalaya, the Neelam River valley has excellent scenic comeliness, panoramic views, towering hills on both sides of the strepitous Neelum river, lush green forests, enchanting streams and captivating circumventions make the valley a dream come true.
2.Gilgit Valley

Gilgit, 10 km from the Karakoram Highway in the northern frontier of Pakistan, is circumvented by mountains with glaciers, frozen dihydrogen monoxide fields, and valleys. The resplendent Gilgit River runs through the city and soaring above Gilgit is breathtaking Mount Rakaposhi with an altitude of 7,788m.
Peregrinating further north and north east in the province of Gilgit, on the KKH, takes us to the famous Hunza, beyond the Muztagh and Karakoram ranges, we move onward to the borders of China, and determinately to the Chinese cities of Tashkurgan, upal, andKashgar in Xinjiang. Gilgit is only 20km from the charming diminutive village of Parri Bangla on the Karakoram Highway, and Chhamoghar a more immensely colossal village east of Parri Bangla and 15km from Gilgit.
3.Hunza Valley
Hunza is nestled in a valley circumvented by snow covered peaks, over 7000 feet in altitude. This is the first town you will enter emanating from China on the Karakoram Highway. Here you can view Rakaposhi where there is a PTDC motel and several minute hotels

4.Skardu Valley
Skardu Valley is 7,500 feet above sea level in Balistan. Skardu Valley  is a great place to mountain trek and a fishermen’s dream come true with an abundant stock of wild fresh water trout to catch with a backdrop of the great apexes of the Karakoram mountain range to relish.
S.M.Bukhari’s Photography in Skardu Valley

5.Swat Valley

Ushu-Valley

Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora.
It was a princely state in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until it was dissolved in 1969 along with many other princely states like Dir state and Chitral state. The valley is populated mostly by ethnic Pashtuns and Gujjar and Kohistani communities. The languages spoken in the valley are Pashto , Gojri, Torwali and Kohistani. Most non-Pashtoon people of the area are bilingual and fluent in Pashto along with their native languages. Throughout the district, there is a less tendency of ethnic discrimination and all of the inhabitants of Swat refer to themselves as Pashtoon irrespective of the communities they belong to.With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty and is popular with tourists. Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the The Yusafzai State of Swat called it “the Switzerland of the east.Swat is surrounded by Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir in the West, Gilgit-Baltistan in North And Kohistan, Buner and Shangla in the East and south East.
6.Phandar Valley

Phander Valley in Ghizer District is one of the most scenic valleys with easy access both from Gilgit and Chitral. It takes 5 to 6 hours from Gilgit to reach Phander valley which is commonly called “Little Kashmir”. Phander Lake is one of the most famous tourist spots in the entire region. Phander valley was the bread basket for the whole Northern Areas. The name of Ghizer comes from the name of a village ‘Ghizer’ that is situated in the vicinity of Phander. The deep blue lake in Phander offers a magnificent view and is basically the home of trout fish.
7.Kalash Valley

Kalash Valley is a group of three small valleys: Brir, Bumburet and Rambur. Brir lies at the southern most tip of Chitral at a distance of 34 km (21 miles) and is easily accessible by jeep-able road via Ayun. It is especially ideal for those not used to trekking. Bumburet, the largest and the most picturesque valley of the Kafir Kalash, is 36 km.(22 miles) from Chitral and is connected by a jeep-able road.
8.Gupis Valley

Gupis Valley is located about 112 kilometers (70 miles) in west of Gilgit on the bank of River Gilgit, in District Ghizer of Gilgit-Baltistan region, Pakistan. The 35 kilometers (22 miles) road between Gahkuch (capital of District Ghizer) and Gupis Valley is full of beautiful landscapes and breathtaking views. The turquoise water of river flowing along the road and surrounding fields and forests presents are very charming for tourists.
9.Kaghan Valley

Kaghan Valley is nestled in the heart of mountainous Himalayas, located in the Northwestern Frontier Province. Here you find unforgettable natural wonders like glaciers, waterfalls, and enchanting Saiful Maluk Lake.
10.Leepa Valley

This is the most fascinating valley in Azad Kashmir. A fair-weather road branches off for Leepa from Naile 45 kilometers from Muzaffarabad, climbs over Reshian Gali 3200 meters high and then descends to 1677 meters on the other side into the Leepa Valley .It spells bounds everyone who visits this valley.
This valley remains open for the domestic tourists only from May to November.

Karimabad:Hunza Valley

Karimabad is one of the most famous towns in Gilgit-Baltistan. Located under the snow packed Ultar Mountain (7388 m) in Hunza valley, this town is awe-inspiring in scenery and tourist facilitation. The altitude of Karimabad is 2450 meters and it offers superb views to a number of mountain peaks and astronomical area of Hunza and Nagar.
The Hunza valley is affluent in fruit and crops engenderment. Wheat, barley, millet, beans and sundry vegetables are consequential crops while apple, apricot and pear are the major fruit of Hunza. Many of the world renowned mountaineers and guides belong to Hunza valley which reflects the involution of Hunza people in tourism of Pakistan.
The peregrination from Gilgit to Hunza valley is the most scenic, adventurous and exhilarating road peregrinate.
Google Map:

Sightseeing
Baltit Fort
The old palace of the mirs of Hunza, Baltit Fort was built 700 years ago. This is a Tibetan style construction consists of three floors and sundry rooms. The Baltit Fort is an ideal place for the best photography of the whole valley including peaks like Rakaposhi, Ultar, Lady Finger, Batura and Shishpar.
Baltit Fort is few minutes’ walk from anywhere in Karimabad.
Altit Fort
The Altit fort is richer in wooden work and fascination than the Baltit Fort. It was additionally a palace like Baltit Fort but it is called to be the oldest monument in the Hunza valley as it is 900 years old. Altit Fort is renowned as the pristine capital of Hunza which was later shifted to Baltit Fort.
At a distance of 2 kilometers from Karimabad, Altit fort is now a tourist museum and culture centre for the community.
Ultar Meadows
Ultar Meadows hike can be an exhilarating and scenic long-day trip from Karimabad. It is a popular hike and camping for most of the Hunza visitors. The trek commences from the Baltit fort and follows a steep stony path.
This is a green summer pasture right under the Ultar Glacier with superb views of Ultar and Bubulimating peaks.
Activities
Mountaineering
Karimabad is a famous base and rest home for the climbers of Hunza and Nagar region mountain peak. A sizably voluminous number of Karakoram peaks subsist in the Hunza and Nagar. The most famous designations are Rakaposhi, Ultar, Batura, Shishpar, Passu, Kanjut Sar, Kunyang Kish, Distaghil Sar, Spantik, Miyar, and Diran.
Trekking
There are equipollently fair trekking possibilities which can be commenced from Karimabad. The most renowned and visited trails include Rush Lake, Bualtar-Barpu Glaciers to Miyar, Shimshal valley, Hispar – Snow Lake, Batura Base Camp and Khunjerab-Pamir etc.
Shopping
Karimabad is the best place for shopping as well. The handicrafts, woolen habiliments, caps, embroidery and handmade adornment items are unique gifts to buy at Karimabad. Dry fruit of Hunza valley is withal a congenial offer at Karimabad.
Where to stay
A good number of hotels are available in Karimabad. Tourist may find a plausible deal for a stay according to the budget. There are several paid camping sites which can be more appealing for those who are geared up with essential camping for trekking.
Transport and Access
The Karakoram Highway passes a long way through the Hunza valley. Aliabad is the main stop at the KKH afore the Karimabad. From Aliabad to Karimabad is a 2.5KM distance which can be climbed up or by a public/private conveyance. It is Due to the extreme weather and mountain conditions in the winters, the KKH peregrinating can be arduous.
From Rawalpindi, busses leave for Hunza circadianly. The conventional time from Rawalpindi to Hunza is 20 hours which conventionally expand upto 24 hours due to the road conditions. The distance from Gilgit to Karim Abad is 100 KM and takes about 3 to 4 hours by road.
For air peregrinating, two flights between Islamabad to Gilgit are scheduled by Pakistan International Airline (PIA). The air peregrinate is withal subject to the weather conditions around the Nanga Parbat region.

26 beautiful photos you won’t believe were taken in Pakistan – The Telegraph (UK Newspaper)

Shangrila Resort north-west of Skardu

26 beautiful photos you won’t believe were taken in Pakistan.Long considered a no-go for Western tourists, perceived by too many as a lawless desert land, Pakistan is – would you believe it – rather beautiful. From its wild coast in the south, to the meeting point of three colossal mountain ranges in the north, via lush valleys and fertile fields, its landscapes might make you consider it again.

While the Foreign Office still advises against travel to much of the country, notably the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the Swat Valley and the city of Peshawar, it relaxed its stance towards the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region this year, opening up some of the world’s most extraordinary mountain landscapes to Britons. These photos – this one of the Shangrila Resort north-west of Skardu, taken by Mazar Nazir – might just make you change your mind about Pakistan

In spring time, the Hunza Valley, in Gilgit–Baltistan, blushes pink, as cherry and apricot trees unfurl their branches from the winter’s cold. The scene may resemble an English meadow, but it is belied by the snowy slopes of the surrounding mountains, all of which reach more than 6,000 metres.

• Are we wrong about Pakistan?

 

 

Other crops include honey-dew melons, apples, mulberries and peaches. In autumn, roofs are lined with trays where apricots are left to dry in the mellow sun. While the scenery is beautiful, those who travel here should be ready for rough roads, facilities are basic and unexpected travel changes – landslides, floods and plane cancellations all can, and do, happen.

• 15 extraordinary places you have probably never heard of

Picture: Alamy

 

 

That’s not to put you off though, when there are places like this to be seen. In the village of Karimabad in Hunza, terrace farming allows for the most efficient use of the craggy, steeply-sloping land. Also known as Baltit, the settlement is home to people of the Ismaili faith, a branch of Shia Islam.

• 15 extraordinary places you have probably never heard of

Jonny Bealby, founder and managing director of adventure travel company Wild Frontiers, has been running trips to Pakistan for nearly 15 years. Although he recognises that there are still threats and sectarian violence in parts of the country, he saw significant improvements in security: “The last time I drove from Islamabad to Chitral – on a route that takes you up along the frontier, close to the tribal areas

– we needed to take a police escort. Now, with the army drafted in to control this road with a series of impressive roadblocks, all border crossing points carefully monitored and an elite anti-terrorist squad roaming at will up and down the highway, a police escort is no longer necessary.” This image shows the Hunza valley at dawn.

• Extraordinary islands of Japan

The region is also home to the Astore Valley, a lush part of the country’s north with around 100 villages. Most people here speak Shina. Urdu, Paskistan’s first language, is the second-most spoken. This photo was taken by Mazhar Nazir, who lived in Netherlands and Belgium for many years but now lives in Lahore, Pakistan. He says that he loves to visit the northern areas of Pakistan “because of its natural beauty” and tries to go three to four times a year. You can see more of his images on his Instagram feed.

Those who travel with Wild Frontiers (020 7736 3968; wildfrontierstravel.com) to this remote part of the world have the opportunity to admire Hunza Peak and Lady’s Finger, the latter known for being relatively snow-free amongst a crowd of shrouded peaks. Jonny Bealby adds: “After my month there in May I really think Pakistan has turned a corner and could be set to re-emerge as a great adventure travel destination.”

• 15 extraordinary places you have probably never heard of

 

One of the most renowned places to stay in the Hunza valley is the Eagle’s Nest Hotel (eaglesnesthotel.com; pictured) which Wild Frontiers uses on some of its Pakistan tours. Its terrace offers views over the Hunza Valley.

• Are we wrong about Pakistan?

 

And you might spot the odd paraglider from the terrace too.
Picture: Eagle’s Nest Hotel

Attabad Lake was formed in January 2010 after a massive rockslide blocked the Hunza valley and submerged five villages. Jeeps are often transported across it on planks laid across the back of a boat.

• Are we wrong about Pakistan?

The world’s highest polo matches take place at Shandur Top, the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 metres, in northern Pakistan. Every July since 1936, teams from Chitral and Ghizer have competed in the Shandur Polo Festival, where onlookers enjoy folk music and dancing.

The Fairy Meadows – yes, they really are called that – may look like the Alps but are in fact to be found in the shadow of the fearsome Nanga Parbat peak. Campers are to be found here in summer months, with scarlet and bright blue tents pitched again Teletubby-green grass. Wild Frontiers visits the area for day walks on its

“Summer Mountain Festival Explorer” group tour.

Qammer Wazir is a Pakistani photographer who has captured images around the country. Among the most spectacular are his images of the Milky Way in Deosai National Park.

The area is a plateau is located at the boundary of the Karakorum and the western Himalayas, the world’s second highest plateau after the Chang Tang in Tibet. It is known as the home of brown bears, golden eagles, and the elusive snow leopard. More of Qammer’s photos can be seen on his Instagram feed:

 

Broghil Valley, near the Afghan-Pakistani border, spans green valleys, mountain spires, peat bogs and white glaciers. Photographer Ghulam Rasool captures its Karambar Lake under a full moon. “My Eyes are Witness”, an exhibition of Mr Rasool’s photos, will be on at Asia House in London until August 28, free admission:

 

He has also shot images of Astola Island, which may look like the coast of Greece or Spain, but is in fact to be found 25 km (16 miles) from the coast in the Arabian Sea. There are no facilities but camping is permitted; scuba diving is a popular activity. For more of Mr Rasool’s images.

Also on Pakistan’s coast, in the south of the country, there are pretty spectacular sunsets from the beaches near the city of Karachi. Ahmad Haq is a doctor and amateur photographer, who travels widely in Pakistan shooting images. He said:

“I really want people to start changing the perception of Pakistan they have in mind, because Pakistan is a beautiful country but sadly this side of it never gets a place in the news.” For more of his images

His photos of Islamabad include this shot of the modernist Faisal Mosque surrounded by trees. Many tourist itineraries to northern Pakistan start in this city, before flying north into the mountains.

This image by Mazhar Nazir shows Lake Saif-ul-Malook, in the eponymous national park near the Indian border. The valley in wihch it lies was formed nearly 300,000 years ago, while in folk lore, it is believed that a prince of Persia fell in love with a fairy princess here.

This image shows Sharda, in the Neelam Valley, in Pakistani Kashmir.

The Foreign Office still regards the Kalash Valley as off-limits, but it is home to an eponymous people, most of whom practise their own Kalash religion. They featured in the 2004 series, Himalaya with Michael Palin. They hold frequent festivals, which include singing, dancing, chanting and the offering of seasonal produce to their ancestors. These photos were taken by Neil Harris on Wild Frontiers’ 16-day Hindu Kush Festival Adventure itinerary, on which travellers spend two days with the Kalash and visit their spring festival.

Women and girls dress in brightly coloured and beaded attire for the festivals. Gender roles in the Kalash, whose estimated population is 3,500, are distinct, and many marriages are arranged.

Pakistan offers mountaineers some of the world’s most exciting trekking opportunities. This image shows Broad Peak base camp (4,960 m) at night, with K2 (8,611m) and the Godwin-Austen glacier in the background in the Central Karakoram National Park in the country’s north.

KE Adventure Travel (017687 73966; keadventure.com) offers several trekking itineraries in the frozen landscapes of northern Pakistan. Its K2 and Corcordia Trek reaches the “Throne Room of the Mountain Gods” beneath (but not attempting to summit) some of the world’s most fearsome peaks. The week-long trail affords stupendous views of the Trango Towers (pictured).

The itinerary crosses the Baltoro Glacier, one of many in this frozen landscape.

Those glaciers melt at lower altitudes to form the rivers that rush through northern Pakistan. The Indus river flows from the Mani glacier in the Central Karakoram National Park, meeting with the Gilgit river at Jaglot, and winding its way alongside the Karakoram highway, the N35, which is one of the world’s highest paved roads, and connects Pakistan with China.

Colours of Hunza Valley

The Hunza valley in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan. The Hunza is situated north/west of the Hunza River, at an elevation of around 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). The territory of Hunza is about 7,900 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi). Aliabad is the main town while Baltit is a popular tourist destination because of the spectacular scenery of the surrounding mountains like Ultar Sar, Rakaposhi, Bojahagur Duanasir II, Ghenta Peak, Hunza Peak, Passu Peak, Diran Peak and Bublimotin (Ladyfinger Peak), all 6,000 metres (19,685 ft) or higher.
Three Regions of Hunza
Upper Hunza, Gojal
Upper Hunza (Gojal) is beautiful valley of Hunza, and one of its sub region where three different linguistically people are existing, Burushaski speakers originated from central Hunza and migrated during kingdom of Ayashoo and wakhi speakers oriented from Wakhan corridor. 65% of population encompass of wakhi speakers and rest of 34% composed of Burushaski speakers. The third dialect Domki compared of 1% and their families found in Nazim abad and Shishkat village.
Centre Hunza
Center Hunza remained the administrative region during monarchial rule of Ayashoo dynast, a ruling family of Hunza for 980 years from 996-1974 and in realistic way center Hunza is capital center of Hunza State. Historically scholars published many credentials about the origin of families in center Hunza but no mutual consent literature confine the rationality about the origin of families in the Center Hunza.
Lower Hunza
Lower Hunza is a sub region of Hunza, boundaries with Nagar valley on east and on south. The beautiful sub region of hunza starts from a village Khizir abad and ends at Nasir Abad, Lower Hunza composed of Khizir abad, Mayoon, Hussainabad, Khana Abad and Nasirabad. Nasirabad location on KKH makes it as a centre village of Lower Hunza.

Autumn in Hunza Valley

Baltit Fort

Blosssom in Hunza

Cherry Blosssom in Hunza

Ganish village in Hunza

Hunza peak and Lady Finger

Royal Garden, Hunza

Sunset in Golden Peak , Gilgindar and Chotokan Peak

The view at night

View of Rakaposhi