I was trying to manage the tour of Kashmir this season but couldn't make it happened all my group fellows were stuck in there professional compulsions .meanwhile I was called for an interview by a renowned group in Lahore ,so the trip planned .Kashmir tour was difficult to do without any friend so I again tried to engage all my group members but that was of no use .I pack my luggage and the destination decided was Naran where I have visited several times before and it was the safest and most beautiful place to visit for me every time when I visit .
I booked tickets for Lahore wants to go by AC bus as I want to reach one day before the work but couldn't get any suitable timing bus .
24th May
my journey starts 24th May in the morning by Shalimar express at 6:00 am.
it was a very tough journey even for me due to the warm weather of Sindh and southern Punjab and the train passed these hot areas in the middle of the day .the dust also make the journey difficult
25th May
I took tickets from the Lahore general bus stand for the mansehra. it was of no use to go Islamabad as no one from there was agreed to go because of there professional cumpulsions that's why I was going to mansehra direct from Lahore.it was a nice journey and I safely reached to mansehra at 7:00 am .
26th May
I reached Mansehra at 7:00.Now the journey of Naran becomes much easy as there were too many taxi drivers who were asking to go to Naran ,alto and hiroof taxi drivers were asking to go even by sharing bases to naran.This is because the number of tourist increased within few years I didn't saw such facility when I visit the Naran for the first time in the year 2010. but I moved towards the Tota bus Adda to book the tickets for naran journey ,there was another reason that I could join some other persons so that I could go Saif ul malook and Lalazar with them easily.Alas I didn't meet some one who could join me for the other destination most of the passengers of the Tota were those who work at the naran and a couple.The Naran fare from mansehra of Tota (Hiace) is very reasonable the ticket is of Rs .250 only .we left mansehra at 9:00 am crossing the mansehra the turn comes when I first took a glance on the snow covered mountain and me and my companions were so much excited to see that I remembered the moment ,from mansehra there is a point (a turn) from where you could saw the snow covered mountains of (I think) Makra peak for those who visit the place for the first time it is a memorable place so do it was for us.The Hiace took stop at Paras ,a nice place which has only one or two restaurants but now have plenty of them.i took some pictures fortunately I checked the result of taken pictures ooh no! some body change the settings of my camera the pictures were mono color.of course it was my naughty nephews deed .but I lost some of my pictures!
during the trip I also noticed the number of water fall restaurants increases.we have received heavy rain fall this year so the size of glaciers within the roads was large enough as compare to my previous trips.at about 1:30 Pm we reached at the real Switzerland of Pakistan "Naran" .
I got heavy luggage due to the added interview accessories.but fortunately I found a reasonable room with reasonable charges of only Rs. 500 only .
Not a city of tourist "Musafiron ka Shehar" anymore:
what I observe today was very much improvement in the market of Naran it's now a full Market most of the kitchen accessories (food items)could be purchase from the market even many small super stores like shops are now open in Naran.now the internet and Wifi service is available and a branch of a Islamic bank is also opened in Naran.when the valleys and villages becomes city they lost there natural beauty and I think it ill goanna happened here will too.because we didn't have any sort of thing here what they called Government.
The hotel room was very cold even in the day I didn't experience this situation before in Naran as I use to stay in Lalazar Hotel which was comfort warm in the day time.I took rest for few hour then with my hiking bag pack I walked to the beautiful small Island like place which could be called a "Tapu" few meters from Naran city .
ride the small lift chair "doli" which is hung on a string with an improvised mechanism reached to the Tapu .it,s always a pleasant feeling to reach here I enjoyed the tea and French fries till maghrib then travel back to the hotel.got the wifi password from the hotel owner but it didn't works for more then an hour.then I went to the naran bazar for window shopping till 9:00 after that I choose a restaurant for the dinner for this day I like to eat chapli kabab which I have tasted before and found delicious as it was four years back.then I moved to the hotel where I just reached and slept after few minutes.
Second day the tragedy started as I get up early in the morning went to the wash room but couldn't find warm water as I was told that the warm water will be supplied till 7:00 it was 6:30 now I waited till 7:30 but there was cold ice melted wated I goes to the reception to register my complain about the scenario but was astonish when heard about the booking of a university's students who were arriving today and I have to leave the room today ,all of my plans were crashed I want to go early in the morning to visit Lake Saiful Maluk but it was looked impossible now the management told me yesterday to inform them in the morning wether I want to stay or not but the behavior of the Palace hotel was disappointed.it was wastage of time to argue so I decided to search for the room first,about an hour search I found a better hotel with better rooms and best staff. The hotel Manager of hotel Naran view Mr.Ramzan he very much cooperate with me and suggest about some of the issues I was facing.as I move to the hotel Naran view he told me about the groups are meet at the bridge side at the lakes way where they joined the transport on the partnership basis pay as a group or of a single person basis .I like the idea but first I have to take breakfast ,after taking the BF I move towards the bridge side where I was told to get the people who could join the ride.
spent nearly two hours could find someone who can join me some people came there but they were likely to travel for free as they didn't offer more then two to three hundred per person and the driver refuse to take them .
