Karachi to Ghizer .... The Land of Lakes

[sirajturk]

The plan was to attend the wedding ceremonies of a friend at Damas, Ghizer District.

I've decided to book a flight from Karachi to Gilgit via PIA for 1st July 2021 as my second dose of vaccination was due on 29th July and I was feeling tired to ride on a train / bus; although its more fun to ride on a train and observing the strange behaviors of people and to listen their stories throughout the journey. Anyways, here are some of the details of my trip.

Karachi to Gilgit (via PIA )
Departure:: Karachi to Islamabad (June 30th at 10pm)
Departure: Islamabad to Gilgit (1st July at 7am)
Ticket price 12,300/-

Yes I was lucky enough to get the most cheapest ticket on PIA as I booked it a month ago and there was some restrictions on travelling upto North side but still I took a bold chance. My happiness went doubled when I was offered a seat in a Executive Class (C1) as my previous seat number's boarding card (4E) was mistakenly allotted to someone else.

My First Boarding Card

My Second Boarding Card

[sirajturk]

Reached Islamabad International Airport on time.

The ISB airport is big but boring. You have to walk a long way to get your luggage at the basement level and than you have to climb up in a elevator to reach the waiting area i.e. a Visitor's Galleria". I was much disappointed when I entered at the visitors galleria as there were no tuck shop nor there was any sort of proper sitting facility or a TV for entertainment / passing time.

I inquire the security officer if there is any tuck shop in the vicinity and he nods his head in "NO" and replied ... Sir you have to go outside in the parking area as there is only one tuck shop at the whole airport ............. WHAT ,,,, ONLY ONE TUCK SHOP ...._

I asked him to let me enter in the domestic departure lounge by showing him the ticket but he refused and said ... Sir you can only enter the domestic departure 2 hours before your flight time ........... OH MY GOD, WHAT WOULD I DO FOR 5 HOURS

I was feeling hungry as I couldn't ate properly back at the home due to excitement of traveling and the meal services at the flight was also suspended due to Corona SOPs (even there was written about a "Dinner Meal" on my ticket. and you will only have to survive with a one small bottle of water. I got no choice left but to go outside at the parking area and had a third class sandwich and a cup of tea and to wait outside till dawn.

Finally got entered at the domestic lounge at around 5.30am and enjoyed some refreshments at the Breads & Co.

Gilgit flight PK607 was on time and all the passengers were asked to make a queue for a bus ride. Here is the link of a bus ride which was cool

Tried to capture some scenic views during the flight but failed due to the blurriness on windows of the ATR

Landing at Gilgit Airport was fun as well as scary. The plane started making strange noises as soon as the landing gear went open. All passengers were scared and some of them reciting "Ayat Ul Kursi" and "kalma". A kid was sitting with his Nani started crying when he saw his Nani is scared too .....

Random clicks at Gilgit Airport

Met my friends at Giilgit Airport who traveled to Gilgit via Faisal Movers from Karachi.
Stayed one night at Jamal Hotel, Gilgit which is located only 10 mins walk from the Airport. Park View Hotel is just opposite Jamal Hotel which is famous but quite expensive.

Room Rate was 2000/- per day at Jamal Hotel

Room Rate was 6000/- per day at Park View Hotel

Random clicks at Gilgit city

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Hired a car from Puniyal Road, Gilgit for onward traveling to Gahkooch, Ghizer which is located around 2 hours drive from main Gilgit bazar.

Beautiful town SHER QILA in between Hanzel and Gahkooch

Reached Gahkooch just before afternoon and booked a double bedroom with an extra mattress at Momin Inn Hotel. A very nice and clean hotel with a restaurant right at the middle of town where all the amenities are easily available. Recommended for family stay as well

Room rent for 4 days was Rs. 5000/- only

Had lunch with our best friend and host at the main Gahkuch bazar from where he took us to his home which is around 15 minutes drive towards the town of DAMAS. His beautiful home is located up side the hill and you have to walk / hike vertically around 25 to 30 mins if you dont have a car. He offered fresh Cherries and Apricot from his garden ... take a loot and imagine how delicious it was

Here is the video of how tough is the driving conditions at DAMAS. You can enjoy only if you are not driving the car.

[sajid65]

Assalam o Alaikum

Another wonderful Trip.
Excellent Start of Safarnama..

Waiting for more.....

[sirajturk]

Wsalam brother

Thanks for appreciation

[umairnoor]

Enjoying your trip on pakwheel.

[sirajturk]

After having a wonderful time at our friend's home at DAMAS; we hired a car to visit Hoper Velley Tourist Garden which is around 14Km drive from Gahkuch. This place is kind of unique and the owner Mr. Farhat Ullah sahab maintained it very well.

Here you can find :-

A nice and clean guest house in the premises which surrounded by trees.

Two bedrooms in a cave uphills for which you have to hike for like 30 mins.

Three trees consists of wooden hutt (treeshed) which is a very unique experience for nature lovers.

Three waterfall streams can be found uphills. You can get more details through a guideline map created by the owner of this place in my video and I am also uploading the video of the first water fall from where I reached after an adventurous hiking.

[sirajturk]

Some views at the roads in between Gahkuch and Hoper Garden

Golo Daas Valley

ISHKOMAN VALLEY

GOLOI DAAS, Ishkoman Road, Ghizer

You can find Trout fish farms at various places / towns in Ghizer. We found one at GOLO DAAS and couldn't resist to order as were feeling hungry. The good thing about these farms is that you can ask them to catch a fish of your own choice. We ordered a guy to catch 2 medium size fish and he cooked it nicely too,. Although the taste of trout fish wasn't very good (in comparison of the ones you catch from the sea) but it was OK to have them as a crispy snacks.

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Giolo Daas Valley, Ghizer

Our next destination was Khalti Lake

Interviewed a boy who was fishing beside the lake. He belongs to a poor class family and spent most of his time catching Trout fish for his family to feed. He catches around 15 to 20 trout fishes a day out of which he keep 5 to 6 for his family and rest of them were sold to other villagers at a minimum price. Imagine he do all the hard work and he only gets around 100 rupess for 7 to 10 fishes ... sad isn't it ?

SOSOT Lake

PHANDER VALLEY

Hired a car from Gahkooch to Muzaffarabad via Babusar Top at Rs. 16,000/- (including a night stay at Naran)

Video link of Babusar Top

I feel disappointed when I reached Babusar Top. It was over crowded with lots and lots of dirty cabins scattered all along the way and the vehicles were parked alongside the road which blocked the scenic views. Some people were found dancing at the top for no reason .... It is suggested that people should do all their acrobatic moves at their hometowns and take back their trash with them. Thanks.

Reached Naran around 7pm and got stuck in traffic jams for about an hour. We searched many hotels but the room rates were in between 6000 to 24000 per day. Our driver recommended that we should move forward and search some hotel at Kaghan or Batakundi but on the way down towards Kaghan we saw some tents alongside the road ... we inquire and found that these tents are good enough to stretch your legs and to get some sleep at night ... we got one in Rs. 700 which was dirty but OK for living and many families were staying there just to avoid e incurring the huge amount of room rates at Naran. We should all start discouraging these hotels in order to minimize their rates and also ... "Ta kay In kay demagh thikanay aa jaye"

[sajid65]

Great coverage.
Awesome clicks.
Majestic Places.

Thnx for sharing such a wonderful safarnama.

[sirajturk]

Woke up early at the morning and started walking towards main Naran Bazar. On the way we inquire some jeep drivers to take us to Lake Saif Ul Mulook and all were asking the final amount of Rs. 5000 for a two way trip on a condition that we will get back to jeep in 2 hours time or else they will charge additional amount .... they all were the blackmailers ......

We stopped by at small dhaba for breakfast and found that the owner of this dhaba once had a tea cafe in Karachi at Nazimabad. He seems glad when we introduced that we are from Karachi and he told us how good time he spent in Karachi. He asked not to pay these greedy drivers and guided us how we can get a local jeep in just Rs. 200 to climb up to the lake. We rushed towards Punjab Tikka House and on the link road we found a local jeep which took us to the top in no time .... kaha 5000 rupay and kaha 400 rupees may aana jana

The lake was over crowded and trash can be found everywhere. Some families were even brought the food items which they probably cooked at their homes.

Reached Balakot around 3pm, had lunch and left for Muzaffararabad which is around 45Km and takes about 2 hours to reach the main city of Muzaffarabad.

Once again I got disappointed to observe the encroachments being made all around the city which destroyed the natural beauty of muzaffarabad. The population also increased to humongous level and you cant find a decent place where you can enjoy or spend quality time. The room prices at the hotels were doubled but their standards was awful. We were lucky enough to found an average hotel at the main Alamdar Road named as Capital City Hotel and Restaurant. The good thing about this hotel is that their rooms were spacious, food quality was good and it has the amazing view of the river from the balcony. They room charges were Rs. 2000 for a day.

[sirajturk]

The next day we went to PC hotel for a brunch and for sight seeing. They maintained the place very nicely ... aap khud he dekh le jiye

[ali.gillani1]

these are not simple pictures, these are stories, great memories behind the pictures. awesome

[sirajturk]

You're right Shah Sahab ... this is the quality time I spent at these places. There is saying " A moment lasts for seconds but memories lasts forever"

I believe that one should always take out sometime just for themselves to relax and enjoy the beauty of life.

[sirajturk]

After spending a quality time at the lawns of PC Hotel we went to the desk of an officer who arrange tourist trips to Kashmir Valleys. I asked him to enroll our names for the next trip but he said that three of their coasters are already gone for a trip out of which two are stucked at the Arang Kel due to Election campaign of Mariam Nawaz and one is stcuked near Sharda due to some land sliding.

He informed the next available trip would only be decided once the coasters are returned back and it could take up to 4 days to announce for the new trip. He frankly suggested not to go for Kashmir trip as the roads were blocked due to the rallies of different political parties and also the weather condition of some valleys is not suitable for traveling. Thank to Al-Mighty Allah we took his advise and decided to return back to Rawalpindi the same day as heavy rain was observed in most parts of Kashmir the next day which blocked the connecting roads due to floods and land sliding. I saw in news that some houses alongside the roads were also destroyed due to flood and land sliding.

For information and record, I took some snaps of the images found at Pearl Tour and Travels.

Hired a car at Rs. 3500 for Rawalpindi Some clicks taken at Murre and surrounding areas.

[sirajturk]

Reached Rawalpindi around 4pm. My cousin booked a room in KHYBER LODGE which is basically a guest house situated at PWD Society near Bahria Town Pahse 6. The reason for taking this guest house was to live near to my relatives home. you must be thinking why I took a guest house when you have relatives there in ISB .... the reason is that I had a friend with me who feels uncomfortable to stay at my relative's place.

The guest house was reasonable but located far from the main street. You have to walk for like 10 mins to reach the nearest road (if you don't have a car with you). I would NOT recommend anyone to stay at these type of guest houses in Islamabad or Rawalpindi as the reputation of guest houses is bad and we also seen in news that how these guest houses are utilized by the mafias and harassing the couples in the meanest ways.

Went to Jamil Sweets shop and took some for the relatives and went to see them at Bahria Town Phase 6. The quality of the sweets was fresh but you wont like a taste in comparison of the sweets available at Karachi; especially from Asr -e- Sheereen, Dhaka sweets and many others ,...... Karachi to phir Karachi hay na ... City of Lights

The next day we went to Islamabad and explored different places. It was Friday so we decided to offer Jumma prayer at Faisal Masjid. As usual the Faisal Masjid was over crowded with lots of families; even at the time of Jumma Prayers. I feel awkward to walk inside the Masjid alongside with the females who were in cheap sort of makeup and inappropriate dresses. Imagine you do the ablution for the prayers inside the Masjid and walk along side the females who were talking in a loud voice and were taking selfies.

I've been to Faisal Masjid many time before but this was the first time when I took a chance to offer Jumma Prayers at the main hall of Masjid.

[sirajturk]

Had lunch at Mr. Cod (a fast food restaurant located at the Sector I-8) and spent quality time with my cousin and his friend. We ordered our meal and were surprised to received a complimentary drinks.

Our flight for Islamabad to Karachi was booked at 10pm the same day via Air Sial. The price of the ticket was bit expensive as we booked it just a day before at Rs. 16,800/-. You don't care about the spending if you are traveling back to your hometown / family and you always wish you can fly as fast as you can to there instantly.

No matter where you go, no matter how quality time you spent at the lakes or mountains, no matter how much you felt happy when you are on a trip ....... Home is Home; “There is a magic in that little world, home; it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues never known beyond its hallowed limits.”

“Peace ... that is the other name for home.”

[sajid65]

End of of wonderful Trip.
Excellent clicks and details...
Thnx for sharing .

[sirajturk]

Thanks for appreciation dear

[sirajturk]

Some random video clips

[OvaisAlam]

Really enjoyed the thead.

[sirajturk]

Thanks dear