Asalam-o-Alaikum Brothers,
I have planned a motorbike tour to northern areas to explore beautiful land of Pakistan with my wife. We have achieved Lahore to Naran tour in 2011. I have traveled with my friend 10 to 15 years back to murree, naran, kalash, gilgit, hunza, & kalam. My friend is now very much busy with his married life. So, I took my wife to naran in 2011 and that was very good experience because we gone through same as we planned. Not even a single problem in whole tour.
Anyway, back to the point. So, this tour is more than 3000km long and also some roads and places are new to me. If anybody traveled any of below area on motorbike, please share a bit of your experience regarding hoteling, road conditions and other situations. Your suggestions, ideas, hotel rates, information and precautions would be highly appreciated.
Below is the whole plan.
15 Aug: home to gujranwala 60km
(will depart from Lahore around 5pm. Will stay night at In-Laws home? Guys, this is important. Married persons can understand)
16 Aug: gujranwala to pindi 213km
(will be there at around 1pm and will go to Pakistan Monuments, Faisal Masjid, etc)
17 Aug: pindi to temargira 247km
(night stay at temargira ?what is the condition of Lowari Tunnel, is it functional for traffic now??)
18 Aug: timergira to kalash 175km
(night stay at kalash)
19 Aug: Still in Kalash
(day and night stay in kalash)
20 Aug: kalash to gilgit via shandur pass 400km
(is this road safe and can I make 400km in one day? If not then any spot in between this road to night stay?)
Alternative route: kalash to gilgit
20 Aug: kalash to timergira 175km
(night stay at timergira)
21 Aug: timergira to besham 200km
(night stay at besham)
22 Aug: bisham to gilgit 329km
(night stay at gilgit)
23 Aug: gilgit to sust 184km
(night stay at sust city ?is there any average hotel to stay with family??)
24 Aug: sust to china border and china border to astore 368km
(night stay at astore ?is it achievable in one day? Attabad lake is also in between. How much time it takes to cross Attabad lake on boat? As we reach attabad lake, boatsmen immediately will load bike on boat or we have to wait for hours for our turn??)
25 Aug: astore to skardu via deosai 153km
(night stay at skardu ?is this road, area is safe to travel on bike??)
26 Aug: stay in skardu
(will visit Shigar fort, Shangrila kachura lake, Budha Carving ?any other point near to visit in skardu??)
27 Aug: skardu to chilas 262km
(night stay at chilas ?is chilas, babusar pass and road safe for motorbike traveling??)
28 Aug: chilas to naran 117km
(night stay at naran)
29 Aug: stay at naran
(will visit saif al malook and naran river)
30 Aug: naran to balakot 90km
(night stay at my friend?s home, lives in balakot)
31 Aug: balakot to gujranwala 383km
(again night stay at my in-laws home.)
01 Sep: gujranwala to home 60km
(back to home sweet home)
Total around 3100 kilometers
Thank you very much in advance. Awaiting for reply from all of you?. Happy traveling!
Allah Hafiz