I went on a road trip on 22 Jul to 28 Jul 2017 with my family, including the wife and two kids. The main plan was to cross Deosai in my Corolla if conditions allowed. In addition to Deosai, we planned to visit Khaplu, Shigar, Manthokha waterfall, Rama Meadows. I left Lahore for Islamabad and stayed at a relative’s place before starting the trip on 22 Jul (Saturday). For directions, it is best to use google maps for navigation. Download the map of Gilgit Baltistan so you can navigate in offline mode, because there is barely any network coverage in GB besides the main towns.
The trip review, cost breakup and distance covered in the trip is below.
Total travel distance: 2672km
Total trip cost: Rs.69,480
Hotel stay (6 days): Rs.31,000
Food: Rs.17,000
Oil change: Rs.2,550
Fuel: Rs.16,930
Toll and misc expense: Rs.2,000
Hotel cost breakup
Day 1: Centurion (Naran): Rs.6,000
Day 2: Riveria Hotel (Gilgit): Rs.3,000
Day 3: Mashebrum (Skardu): Rs.7,000
Day 4: Mashebrum (Skardu): Rs.7,000
Day 5: Four Season (Astore): Rs.2,000
Day 6: Cedar Inn (Naran): Rs.6,000
Day 1: Islamabad to Naran (22 Jul Saturday)
Travel distance: 264km
Travel time: 7 hours
Left Islamabad for Naran at around 11am. Had booked a room in advance in Centurion Hotel on Naran bypass road for Rs. 7000. We reached Naran in the evening. Being a weekend, there was a lot of rush in Naran. The room we got was not even worth Rs. 2,000. Since I was with family and they were already quite tired, we decided to stay there instead of looking for another room. We checked out around 10am in the morning. The manager gave us a discount of Rs.1000 on room rent which was small consolation for the poor condition of the room.
Day 2: Naran to Gilgit (23 Jul Sunday)
Travel distance: 233km
Travel time: 7 hours
Left Naran at around 10am for Gilgit. The road from Naran to Chilas is in great condition barring a few bad patches here and there. But from Chilas to Raikot bridge, the road is old, bumpy and there are some places where there is no road, This section of the road is about 50km and should take not more than 1hr 30min. After Raikot, the road is excellent right up to Gilgit. At Gilgit we went to Canopy Nexus on River view road. They were asking for Rs.12,000 for a room after negotiating with the manager he said he would give us a room for Rs. 8,500, but this was still over our budget so we skipped this hotel and stayed at Riveria Hotel just a few hundred meters ahead of Canopy Nexus, which cost us Rs. 3,000. The good thing about Riveria was that they had prominently displayed the official rate list at the reception in which every hotel in Gilgit was rated and the room charges were clearly mentioned for each hotel. The Canopy Nexus hotel did not display this rate list and they tried to fleece us. But I would still suggest staying at Canopy Nexus, because it is located right on the river bank and the rooms are quite good with a separate sitting area inside the room overlooking the river. But do ask them for the official rate list as approved by Gilgit administration.
Day 3: Gilgit to Skardu (24 Jul Monday)
Travel distance: 207km
Travel time: 7 hours
Left Gilgit around 10:30 am. The road from Gilgit to Skardu is terrible, especially up to Astak which is a distance of about 120km from Gilgit. The road is quite narrow, just barely wide enough for two cars to cross each other. There are potholes all over, the road is broken in many places. It is prone to landsliding and at several places you’re just travelling over what would be a jeep track. At some places the road narrows to just a single track where only one vehicle can pass with very little clearance between the mountain on your left and the cliff on your right. There is very little traffic on this
road, it is desolate, you can drive for tens of kilometers without spotting any sign of life. The only traffic you encounter is the heavy kind, hauling goods from GIlgit to Skardu and back. This road is not for the faint hearted. Don’t try to travel fast on this road or you’ll definitely end up in the river. From Gilgit to Astak you’ll be driving at speeds between 10km-30km/hr. After that the road gets a little better, it is still very bumpy, but with a lot less pot holes and the rest of the distance can be covered faster. We reached Skardu a little after 6pm and checked into Mashebrum Hotel. We got a deluxe room, which cost us Rs. 7,000/night. Mashebrum is a decent hotel to stay in. A lot of foreigners also stay here and there were quite a few who were going on trekking expeditions.
Day 4: Skardu to Shangrilla resort, Khaplu, Manthoka waterfall and back to Skardu (25 Jul Tuesday)
Travel distance: 298km
Travel time: 10 hours
On day 4 we had a lot of ground to cover so we left the hotel early at 8:00 am for Shangrilla lake resort. It takes about 40 minutes to reach there from Skardu city centre. In fact its better is to visit it right when you enter Skardu, since it is only 5 minutes from the city outskirts. Since we were too tired we decided to visit it the next day. For visitors, the ticket to Shagrilla resort is Rs. 300 and small kids can enter for free. The resort is very well maintained, including the lake, and it is a good place to spend some time with family. Although as a visitor, they don’t allow you to go everywhere in the resort, since that is reserved for people staying at the resort only.
We stayed at Shangrilla resort for about 30 minutes and then left for Khaplu. Khaplu is about 100Km from Skardu and it will take you about 3 hours to get there. The road from Skardu to Khaplu is good most of the way. The last 25kms or not so good and you will have to put up with potholes and broken sections. But the road was under repair when we were there and they were laying new asphalt, so I guess by next year, the road from Skardu to Khaplu will be perfectly fine. We took a tour of the Khaplu palace, unfortunately, we didn’t get a lot of time to explore Khaplu, since we had to leave for Manthoka waterfall.
We left Khaplu back on the same road we came from and after about 55km we took a left turn from Keris bridge towards Manthoka waterfall. The waterfall is about 30km from Keris and will take you about an hour to get there. The road is just ok, it has potholes that slow you down. About 2.5 kms from the waterfall, you need to take a right turn onto an unpaved track which is more suited for 4x4 vehicles rather than sedans. But take it slow and steady and you will get there. There is no marking on the road to guide you to the waterfall, so use Google maps navigation or you might miss the turn. At the water fall there is very little place to park your vehicles. The waterfall itself is quite big and about 200 feet high and is a good place to spend some time. We only spent about 30 minutes there, since we wanted to be back in Skardu by the evening.
Day 5: Skardu to Shigar valley, Deosai, Astore (26 Jul Wednesday)
Travel distance: 210km
Travel time: 10 hours
On day 5 we left the hotel even earlier at 7:30 am for Shigar valley. We had planned to visit Shigar the previous day, but since we couldn’t manage it, we had to put it off for the next day. Shigar is about 30km from Skardu. The road up to Shigar Fort is good and it should not take you more than 40 minutes to get there. Shigar valley is an excellent destination for its magnificent views. The terrain is mostly desert, with patches of green here and there. The road up to Shigar is good, but if you go further up ahead the valley, the road has quite a few potholes. We could not visit Shigar fort,
because we were too early and the visiting hours start at 10 am. So we spend some time traveling up the valley before deciding to turn and head back since we needed to cross Deosai and reach Astore before evening. I had checked with a
friend in Gilgit who told me that it would be possible to cross Deosai in a Corolla.
We traveled back to Skardu and took the road to Sadpara lake and Deosai. Deosai is about 32 km from Skardu. The paved road to Deosai ends just after you pay the park entrance fee. The fee is Rs. 100 per adult. The last 10kms or so there is no road. The track is suited for 4x4 vehicles and vehicles with high clearance rather than sedans. But we did see two or three Corollas and a 2005 Honda Civic attempting to cross Deosai. If you cannot handle offroad driving and have no experience driving uphill on a rocky dirt track, then don’t try to attempt this crossing. Deosai is easier to cross from Astore, because the elevation is not as steep. But from Skardu side, it is steeper and you have to climb on a rocky dirt road. To get to Deosai entrance from Skardu, you have to climb to 13000 ft on this rocky dirt road. Even 4x4 vehicles have to make some effort to make the climb, because of the lack of oxygen. At one steep slope I had to reverse the car twice before managing to cross at the third attempt. On the way I saw the 2005 Civic parked by the side. It had overheated. The key to crossing the sharp turns and elevation is to maintain momentum. You have to be in 1st gear and try to maintain momentum. Stay in the 4-5000rpm range and climb faster, while avoiding rocks from hitting the underside of your car. This is easier said than done. Your car’s cooling system needs to be in top shape. Even though my car’s cooling system is in top shape. I had to turn off the AC, because it caused the temperature gauge to rise a little over 50%. Once you get to the top, you will have no trouble crossing the rest of Deosai, since the road is mostly of at an elevation between 13000-13500 feet. But the road is a rocky dirt track and at some places you have to use some skill to avoid rocks from hitting the bottom of your car. The distance from Deosai entrance to Chillam Chowni is about 50km. Only in the last 8-10kms will you see a proper road. It will take you at least 3 hours to cross Deosai excluding any time you spend on the way. But the drive is worth it, the views are absolutely amazing!
From Chillam Chownki to Astore the distance is about 55km. It will take you about 2 hours to get to Astore from Chillam Chownki. The road is in pretty bad shape. It shows no signs of being maintained. At places where water streams pass over the road, the road is pretty bad and it becomes difficult to cross on low clearance vehicles such as a sedan. In Astore the hotels are pretty basic, But quite a few new ones have opened up and you should not have much trouble in finding a place to stay. The room rent ranged between Rs.2,000-3,000. We stayed at Four Seasons which was nothing more than a house converted into a hotel. Since we were quite tired, due to the long drive we only explored one hotel before settling on this one. But there’s a newer and better hotel just down the main road.
Day 6: Astore to Rama Meadows, Rama Lake and Naran (27 Jul Thursday)
Travel distance: 310km
Travel time: 10 hours
We left Astore for Rama Meadows at 7:30am. The distance to Rama Meadows is about 10km, but it will take you an hour to get there because most of the road is in bad shape. Only in the last 4kms will you see a good road. When we left for Rama the track was pretty bad in a few places for a sedan, but by the time we came back, an excavator had cleared most of the track and made it easily passable for sedans. At Rama Meadows, we had breakfast and then took a jeep ride to Rama lake. The lake is about 3km from Rama Meadows, a jeep will take you 80% of the way after which the road is blocked by a glacier and you need to trek for about 20-30 minutes to get to the lake. The trek is not very tough, we did it with two kids, so everyone can get to the lake. But be careful while crossing the glacier, since it can get a little slippery. We had trekking poles, so it wasn’t much of an issue. The jeep round trip will cost you Rs. 1,500. They drop you off at the glacier and then come back to pick you up at the time you tell them. The jeep track is very narrow, reminds me of the Lalazar track, except it’s much more rocky. If you are planning to take a large 4x4 vehicle to the lake, then be warned, the road is narrow and there is no place to turn the vehicle around. It is difficult to turn a jeep back let
alone a large 4x4. On our way back we saw a Vigo go up the track. I wondered how he would be able to turn the car around to get back.
We left Rama Meadows for Astore at around 1pm and then headed for Naran. The road from Astore to KKH is not in great shape and it will slow you down, but when you reach KKH, the road from KKH to Raikot bridge is excellent and you should cover this distance in no time. Then the road from Raikot to Chilas is also not very good, but we were traveling pretty fast so we managed to get from Raikot bridge to Chilas in little over an hour. We reached Chilas just after 4:00 pm. and headed to Naran via Babusar top. Just be aware that they don’t allow you to take this route in the evening due to security reasons. So make sure that if you want to cross over into Naran, from Chilas, you do it at least 2 hours before sun down. Similarly if you are crossing over from Naran side, you have to reach Gittidas before 5pm otherwise the police won’t let you pass. We crossed Babusar top and stopped at Besal for dinner at around 6:30pm before reaching Naran at around 8:15 pm. We stayed in Cedar Inn and got a nice room for Rs.6,000 after negotiating down the price from Rs.7,500. Cedar Inn is a nice hotel, we stayed in room 202 which was quite huge, had a double and a single bed with a couple of sofas.
Day 7: Naran to Lahore (28 Jul Friday)
Travel distance: 630km
Travel time: 11 hours 45min
We left Naran at 9:00 a.m stopped over at Abbottabad for an oil change and lunch and reached our home in Lahore at around 8:45 pm.
Board showing official room rates in Gilgit.
Road from Gilgit to Skardu
Road from Gilgit to Skardu
Bridge on the road to Skardu
River Indus on the road to Skardu
View of the river on the outskirts of Skardu
Early morning view of Skardu from the hotel window
Shangrilla lake resort
Shagrilla resort restaurant
Trees lining the road to Khaplu
Board before entering Ganche district of GB
River view on the road to Khaplu
A huge rock in the river
Khaplu Palace
Lawn in front of Khaplu Palace
A narrow street in Khaplu
Entering Kharmang district where Manthoka waterfall is located
Manthoka waterfall
Road in Shigar valley
View of Shigar
Shigar view point
Shigar view point
Shigar Fort
Shigar Fort
Amburik Masjid, one of the oldest mosques in GB
More views from Shigar valley
Water channel near Satpara lake in Skardu
Satpara Lake in Skardu
My car, on the way to Deosai
Getting the entry ticket
Board before entering Deosai park
The entrance point of Deosai from Skardu
Views of Deosai
View of the rugged track in Deosai
Views of Deosai
Streams in Deosai
Golden Marmots sitting beside the roadside
Shatong nala
Shatong nala
Deosai Bara Pani bridge
Deosai Park map
Kala Pani
Sheosar Lake
Descending from Deosai
View of mountains from Rama Meadows
Rama Meadows
Another view of Rama Meadows
Another view of mountains from Rama Meadows
Small lake before Rama Lake
Glacier crossing before Rama Lake
Another view of the glacier
View of Rama Lake
