Family Road Trip to Astore, Rama, Deosai, Skardu, Shangrilla, Babusar Top July 2012

[hassangr8]

AOA All,

I want to share the details of my recent road trip to Balitstan with my family.

Just only with the grace of Allah Almighty we able to complete this trip Safe and Sound (Alhamdulliah).

Trip Details are as follow:

Vehicle Used: Toyota Surf 94 (1kz)

Duration: 10 Days (i.e. 30[SUP]th[/SUP] June2012 to 8[SUP]th[/SUP] July 2012)

Route and Days Details:

Day 1: Lahore to Abbotabad

(Left Lahore at 7pm reached Abbotabad at 1 am). <o:p></o:p>
Stay for few hours in hotel @ 1500<o:p></o:p>

Day 2: Abbotabad to Chillas via KKH<o:p></o:p>

(Left Abbotabad at 6:30 am reached Chillas at 7pm)<o:p></o:p>
Overnight stay at Shingrilla @2250.<o:p></o:p>

Day 3 & 4: Chillas to Astore, Rama<o:p></o:p>

(Left Chillas at 10:00 am reached Rama at 6:30 pm)<o:p></o:p>
Two night stay at PTDC Hotel Rama @ 2700 per night<o:p></o:p>

Day 5: Rama to Deosai, Skardu

(Left Rama at 6:30am reached Skardu via deosai at 6:00 pm)<o:p></o:p>
Overnight Stay at Snowland hotel @ 1200.

Day 6 & 7: Skardu fort, museum, Shigar Valley, Shigar fort then Shangrilla, Upper Kachora lake, Soak Valley

Two night Stay at Shangrilla @5000

Day 8: Shangrilla to Chillas

Left Shangrilla at 11 am reached Chillas at 7pm<o:p></o:p>
Overnight Stay at Chillas<o:p></o:p>

Day 9: Chillas to Babusar Top then Lahore (In one stretch – Continuously 25hrs driving

)

Left Chillas at 6am reached Babusar top at 12pm.<o:p></o:p>
Left Babusar top at 1pm reached naran by 4:30pm<o:p></o:p>
Had lunch in naran<o:p></o:p>
Left naran at 5:30 pm then stucked in Traffic Blockage after kaghan<o:p></o:p>
Get rid from traffic blockage at 9:30 pm <o:p></o:p>
Reached Abbotabad at 12am.<o:p></o:p>
Left Abbotabad at 1:30am for Lahore reached Lahore at 8:30am (Alahamdulliah Safe and Sound).

[hassangr8]

</SPAN>I would like to say special thanks to below members who helped and assist me a lot in planning my trip.
</SPAN>
So special thanks, prayers and good wishes goes to below Pakwheels members. </SPAN></SPAN>

1- aesiege

(Provide me great help with his worhtful ideas for planning the trip)
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2- luckysaqib, joinami (Imran) with his father, Bilal

(Group of 5 very nice people. Our travel dates are same and they helped us a lot while giving us guidance for the travel. We travelled mostly for the same places). May Allah Bless you all.
Pay my special regards to Uncle.
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3- Conflicted

(Suggest me the best possible routes based on his prior experience)
</SPAN>
4- Mr. Amir Malik

(i.J.C club President)

(I talked to him on phone and took advice about Babusar top route, so kind of you sir for your advice
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May Allah Bless you people always with his blessings. Ameen!

[hassangr8]

I will upload trip pics soon.

[Shahzad727]

waiting 4 pic and details of tour.

[aesiege]

Anytime bro

Now please don't make us wait and share lots of pics

[joinami]

[QUOTE=hassangr8;3441642]I would like to say special thanks to below members who helped and assist me a lot in planning my trip.

So special thanks, prayers and good wishes goes to below Pakwheels members.

2- luckysaqib, joinami (Imran) with his father, Bilal

(Group of 5 very nice people. Our travel dates are same and they helped us a lot while giving us guidance for the travel. We travelled mostly for the same places). May Allah Bless you all.
Pay my special regards to Uncle.

* *Really Thankful for your kind words and we all also enjoyed travelling with you . and it was really very nice experience knowing you and we always get very happy when ever we saw your surf again during our trip. and i must add that 1kz really rocks . best wishes from all of our group . we also going to upload all the detail as soon as we get all of them as they are divided in 4 cameras.
*best wishes.

[hassangr8]

@aesiege

Bro InshAllah I will update pics soon. As I need to upload them from home so hopefully I'll spare time after office to upload them.

@joinami

Alhamdulliah with the grace of Allah, surf did a good job. At some places I have doubts but really 1kz performed good job.

Same is the case with your Pajero as well because both vehicles almost visited same places.

Yes sorting the pics is really time consuming Job. InshAllah will see your collection once you upload it.

Pay my regards to Bravo Group :).

[asifcae]

great

waiting for pics

[taimur76]

great trip Hassan. Why it took you so long from Chilas to Babusar top? around 6 hour

[Shahzad727]

pics??

[zahid135]

Good details.
Waiting for pics.................

[Akbar84]

Salaam Hassan sahab,

Sir jee I am also planning a trip to skardu along with my family, from Lahore....

Need some guidance in planning my route....

How much did u paid frm renting the Toyota surf, and is it possible to reach skardu safely in a Toyota corolla ??

My current plan is a bit similar to urs, which is as follows

Lahore to abtabad, sleep thr.
next day frm abtabad to chilis using babysat top road. Sleep @chilas.
next day direct to skardu, stay two night thr.
and then back to Lahore.....

I just hav 6 days, so is it possible to do the trip ??

I would be really thankful if u can help me in this.

[joinami]

@aesiege

Bro InshAllah I will update pics soon. As I need to upload them from home so hopefully I'll spare time after office to upload them.

@joinami

Alhamdulliah with the grace of Allah, surf did a good job. At some places I have doubts but really 1kz performed good job.

Same is the case with your Pajero as well because both vehicles almost visited same places.

Yes sorting the pics is really time consuming Job. InshAllah will see your collection once you upload it.

Pay my regards to Bravo Group :).

Thanks for your kind words yeah we have visited almost the same places only terashing and rama was the diffrence between us and yeah our pajero also made it happen as she has very smaller stock engine only 55KW but ur surf was equiped with a power horse having almost 100 KW . and really crossing Kala Pani at 4.30 Pm with lots of water currents was the really a achievement . waiting for pictures.

[joinami]

Salaam Hassan sahab,

Sir jee I am also planning a trip to skardu along with my family, from Lahore....

Need some guidance in planning my route....

How much did u paid frm renting the Toyota surf, and is it possible to reach skardu safely in a Toyota corolla ??

My current plan is a bit similar to urs, which is as follows

Lahore to abtabad, sleep thr.
next day frm abtabad to chilis using babysat top road. Sleep @chilas.
next day direct to skardu, stay two night thr.
and then back to Lahore.....

I just hav 6 days, so is it possible to do the trip ??

I would be really thankful if u can help me in this.

Dear Akbar
my advise is if you have 6 days than leave lahore early morning and stay at Besham (if u chose KKH) or naran (if u chose N15) Instead of staying at Abbotabad . and on day 2 leave early and go directly to astore stay at Rama instead of going to skurdu directly and on next day(day 3) leave for Deosai plane and go to skurdu and stay there and on day 4 go to mantokha water fall/shiger'shangrilla and on day 5 leave skurdu early morning you can easily reach Besham and on day 6 you can easily reach Lahore from Besham .(but you have to leave early morning).

[hassangr8]

great trip Hassan. Why it took you so long from Chilas to Babusar top? around 6 hour

Sir actually there were multiple reason involved. First of all chillas entrance is blocked for babusar top and we have to cross the whole city to touch babusar top road.

Secondly, we don't have plan to go to lahore in one stretch so thinking that we took long stop over different spots and enjoying "pokaras" and "eggs" on the way.

[hassangr8]

Dear Akbar
my advise is if you have 6 days than leave lahore early morning and stay at Besham (if u chose KKH) or naran (if u chose N15) Instead of staying at Abbotabad . and on day 2 leave early and go directly to astore stay at Rama instead of going to skurdu directly and on next day(day 3) leave for Deosai plane and go to skurdu and stay there and on day 4 go to mantokha water fall/shiger'shangrilla and on day 5 leave skurdu early morning you can easily reach Besham and on day 6 you can easily reach Lahore from Besham .(but you have to leave early morning).

Akbar Bro,

You got best route advise from joinami.

In addition to that as a advise "Do Not Try The Same Route on Corolla". You will be one of the lucky enought if your

corolla survived on the route.

I have highly doubts on crossing of "Kala Pani" on corolla along with some dangerous hill torrents on the way of skardu.

It is possible to touch skardu on corolla via KKH. Lastly surf was not on rent so don't knwo about the current surf rents.

If you need any more assistance do let me know. Thanks

[hassangr8]

Good details.
Waiting for pics.................

Sir Thanks.

InshAllah pics will be uploaded soon.

[joinjamil]

The powerfull Black Surf used this family for the whole trip

[hassangr8]

Bro Thanks for uploading the pic :).

Both travel mates are parked side by side.

So credit goes to you for uploading the first pic to the thread.

[hassangr8]

It's a parking of snowland hotel in skardu.

Its a nice hotel with reasonable rates and Mr. Imtiaz (person at counter) is really nice person.

One interesting thing, during chat I just spoke word "Pakwheels" and he spontaneously said "Oh Hanif Bahi". I am impressed by experiencing the popularity of "Pakwheels" myself :).
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Anyways, he remembers Hanif Bahi in very kind and nice words and also paying regards for him.