Preparations/Naran/Muzaffarabad/Rawlakot/Banjusa lake on LC (Spitfire).

[spitfire]

Salamz Brothers....
I am here with another traveling thread for your viewing pleasure....We made this trip in July 2010 and wanted to share the pics with you earlier but due to lack of time.....could not do so ......
Route was quite long...Islamabad-Naran-Balakot-Muzaffarabad-Murree-Islamabad-Rawalakot-Banjusa lake and back to home....Lahore.
Vehicle used in this trip was Toyota Land Cruiser model 1996...This jeep is an active vacation model having an incomplete kitchen....but we equipped/ completed it and did most of our cooking our self (pics will be included).....
This thread will be having almost 500+ pics.....I will try my best to conclude this thread quickly.....but please bear with me as pauses/delays in posting pics are expected...
Regards....

[askhokhar]

Nice road, nice scene ... bas aik kami hai

LC ka brush guard nazar nahi aa raha

Originally Posted by spitfire

View of the way....
A newly built Patch of the road.....

[askhokhar]

Aisay mahaul mein bhi "paka pakaya khaana" ...

Originally Posted by spitfire

It was a nice place to stop......
River Kunhar was at the level of the road......with its bed quite wide and calm....
nice n cold sand .......
And something fresh to eat...

[askhokhar]

Such beautiful sand reminds me of something ... khair

Originally Posted by spitfire

This "ICE COLD" sand was a treat......and I enjoyed it to full extent.....
How????
You will see.........in a little while....

[askhokhar]

I like the quote ... "Baat karain, faaslay mitaen"

Originally Posted by spitfire

Allow me to insert another pic of our ride here...
She deserves it....our mate on the road.......Taking us to these beautiful and breathtaking places...
Thanks Buddy......

[askhokhar]

Agreed totally .. nothing could be worse than getting sick on the road. Karahi is cooked on high heat and therefore safer than other foods. The worst thing could be, perhaps, "fresh" salad ... which should be totaly avoided whenever eating out.

Originally Posted by spitfire

ACHA JI......

Yeh To Ho ***a Iss Jagha Ka Haal Ahwall......

Ab Kuch Khanay Peenay Ki Baat No Jaye........

Kia Khaya Jaye......mmmmm....

I think freshly made Chicken Karahi is the best/safest Option....

[askhokhar]

aap kuch bhool gaye ....

Originally Posted by spitfire

Obliged Brother for appreciation.....This area is so beautiful that you cant have enough.....
I also have two upcoming plans....
In June going to The same Area upto Lulusir Lake or Babusir Top with my Sister,nephew and niece visiting me From Uk.....
And Have plans to attend Shandur Polo Festival in july.....and visiting that area....
Lets see.....fingers crossed....

[askhokhar]

It does not matter if anyone "captures" you, laikin aam khanay ka yehi tareeqa hai

Originally Posted by spitfire

I thought that No one Is watching Me........

So enjoying mango in traditional Style....

But I was captured by my Co-Driver........

[askhokhar]

Aap baray hain, so my words cannot be classified as "advice" .. "laikin khush rehna chahie:

I hope I am quoting correctly .. A general called on Prime Minister Churchill .. and while mentioning his fitness, the general said "Sir, I don't drink, and I don't smoke ... I am 100% fit" ... Churchill replied "I smoke like a chimney, and I drink like a fish, and I am 200% fit"

Originally Posted by spitfire

Have a look at my TUMMY and my "GESTURES"....Lolzzz.....

Asooli Tor Pay To Itnay Motapay Kay Sath Aam Khana Sharam Ka Muqam Hona Chaheye.......

[askhokhar]

Rahman Bhai .. aap nay to kamaal kar diya

aik hi sentence mein "invite" or "un-invite kar diya hai

Originally Posted by spitfire

I can understand you feelings for mangoes....at your end..
If you come to Pakistan in Summer (not suggested).........then we can have Mango party....

[askhokhar]

You are very generous ... when it happens to me, an appropriate use of 9 mm comes to my mind in a nanosecond.

Originally Posted by spitfire

It all varies from person to person......For most of the "Normal" people,a car is a utility but for "fanatics" like us...its a passion....most people don't think about their cars as we do....they don't mind giving and receiving these small dents/scratches on the sides by opening doors....

[askhokhar]

Rahman Bhai ,,, since you are so in love with sand, why not visit Maldives .. their white sand beaches are so unique ... the Maldivian people use that sand for brushing their teeth ... better than any tooth paste or manjan...

Originally Posted by spitfire

This sand is so neat and clean/filtered and thick...we can hardly find in Punjab/Lahore...the sand available here is from Ravi and surrounding contaminated/dirty.....
I feel that population on these hills is so scattered and not very much (like in Kaghan valley) that these big and fast rivers like Kunhar are not "very much " contaminated with their sewerage.....Obviously they are but not to the extent we have here...
I have traveled on Kohala Road along with River Jehlum In this trip and seen the tankers collecting water...will share here INSHALLAH...

[askhokhar]

[ranasherdil]

Originally Posted by spitfire

Allow me to insert another pic of our ride here...
She deserves it....our mate on the road.......Taking us to these beautiful and breathtaking places...
Thanks Buddy......

At Shino, there is a trout hatchery in kaghan valley.

The trout pong is reared here and then put into the river kunhar.

[travelinghell]

Originally Posted by askhokhar

Rahman Bhai ,,, since you are so in love with sand, why not visit Maldives .. their white sand beaches are so unique ... the Maldivian people use that sand for brushing their teeth ... better than any tooth paste or manjan...

janab traveling cost bhi bata dain to ain nawazish ho gee.

[ranasherdil]

Originally Posted by askhokhar

Rahman Bhai ,,, since you are so in love with sand, why not visit Maldives .. their white sand beaches are so unique ... the Maldivian people use that sand for brushing their teeth ... better than any tooth paste or manjan...

have anybody tried Kunhar sand or some beach sand as manjan???

[ranasherdil]

@spitfire

Some teaser pics from my album of Kaghan Valley Trip 10/2010

Musa ka Mussalla Mountain as seen from Kaghan Valley Road


Musa ka Musalla Dashtnavard's Blog



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Shogran as seen from Kaghan Valley Road (On the top of mountain






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Some beautiful colors of mountains near Kewai and Paras

[askhokhar]

To reach Male, the capital of Maldives, you can take a flight from Karachi to Colombo, onwards to Male ... or reach Male from Dubai ... cost of travel depends on which route you take.

While accommodation cost in Male is not very high, however, if you decide to stay the night at any of the resort islands, then it surely costs you an arm and a leg. I heard of US$ 8000 per night at some expensive resort island..

When I visited Maldives, I did not stay at a resort island. However, we did visit Bandos Island. We hired a speed boat from Male after sunset, and then returned late night from Bandos around midnight.

Maldives has very small islands .. the capital Male is about 1 sq kilometer, and you can quickly walk around. The Male airport is on an another island. Cheap water taxis are used to commute between the island. They are called Dhonies

Originally Posted by travelinghell

janab traveling cost bhi bata dain to ain nawazish ho gee.

[askhokhar]

The use of grey silica sand as manjan is not advisable. The Maldives islands are made of corel, so the sand is made of Calcium ... It is totally different.

It gives a slightly saltish taste in the mouth. I don't know about any health hazards, but its use is very common in Maldives.

A friend from our Embassy took me for swimming ... it was Indian Ocean, but it was safe to swim there for a novice like me. Some gori girls were there and they asked me to try it as manjan .. so I tried..

Originally Posted by ranasherdil

have anybody tried Kunhar sand or some beach sand as manjan???

[travelinghell]

Originally Posted by askhokhar

To reach Male, the capital of Maldives, you can take a flight from Karachi to Colombo, onwards to Male ... or reach Male from Dubai ... cost of travel depends on which route you take.

While accommodation cost in Male is not very high, however, if you decide to stay the night at any of the resort islands, then it surely costs you an arm and a leg. I heard of US$ 8000 per night at some expensive resort island..

When I visited Maldives, I did not stay at a resort island. However, we did visit Bandos Island. We hired a speed boat from Male after sunset, and then returned late night from Bandos around midnight.

Maldives has very small islands .. the capital Male is about 1 sq kilometer, and you can quickly walk around. The Male airport is on an another island. Cheap water taxis are used to commute between the island. They are called Dhonies

i've already researched on Maldives .. they bring there guest by private small plane to resort so that cost is also included in the rent.. dam expensive i prefer Thailand which is cheaper and lot of choice of beach.

[askhokhar]

There are small airplanes which transport the tourists from Male to far off islands... I saw the advertisement of a tourist submarine as well. However, the common transport method to tourist islands is by speed boat.

Our host hired a fancy speed boat from Male to Bandos and back, and paid around Pak Rs. 50,000 for the boat journey alone.

It is true that Maldives is very expensive. But it is surprising to see the number of tourists. From my reckoning, majority of tourists come from European countries.

80% of the tourist islands are owned by one person, who was the Finance Minister of Maldives at that time.

Maldivian people are very religious. All masjids have equal areas for men and women, and at prayer time, all the masjids are full. Women cover their heads .. I did not see any exceptions. However, it came as surprise to me that the highest divorce rate in the world is in Maldives. If I am not wrong, the man who holds the current record of maximum number of divorces is a Maldivian.

I have been to Thailand seven times, and only once to Maldives ... Both places have their own beauty and charm, and cannot and should not be equated.

Just my view ...

Originally Posted by travelinghell

i've already researched on Maldives .. they bring there guest by private small plane to resort so that cost is also included in the rent.. dam expensive i prefer Thailand which is cheaper and lot of choice of beach.