We left Rawalpindi after breakfast, once we hit M1 it took an hour and quarter to reach Rashkai exit to take road to Swat. The road from Mardan to Malakand is in good enough shape but ver crowded, lots of local traffic and some medium sized town on the way makes wading through traffic cumbersome and traveling slow. On the way there were lot of road side venders selling local produce of strawberries. I purchased some and found them delicious, though less attractive in color but sweeter than what we get in Lahore. There is a big army check post before you start climbing Malakand heights. One must have original NIC to get through and it is scanned and checked by army people.
Once you descend Malakand , you have to pass through bust town of Butkhela which is painstakingly slow during day time hours, even after you leave town behind road is very busy until it forks to way for Dir and Mingora.