Nathia Gali/Naran/Lulusir Lake/Shogran on Mini Pajero (spitfire)

[spitfire]

Bee/honey farm on the way...unusual place....

[spitfire]

And back on the spot from where we started for shogran.....

[guls4eva]

Dear,

Would appreciate if you could help with the following questions,

1. How is the road to Shogran from Balakot and how much is the travelling time?
2. Where did you stay in Shogran and what were the room charges?
3. What are the jeeps charges to Siri and Paya from Shogran and how much is the travelling time?
4. How is the road to Kaghan from Shogran and how much is the travelling time?
5. How is the road to Naran from Kaghan and how much is the travelling time?
6. Where did you stay in Naran and what were the room charges?
7. What are the jeeps charges to Lake Saif-Ul-Maluk from Naran and how much is the travelling time?
8. Also how much Cash shall I carry with me, 15,000/- or 20,000/- or 25,000/-. I intend to stay atleast for a week if not more.

My appologies to ask so many question but I intend to travel with my wife in the coming few days so wanna plan my trip accordingly.

[RZ]

Found our Mini in the parking missing us a lot....:D....asked...where we were ??and a little angry for not taking her along....:(....you can understand our mini's sentiments.:D..

Mini was actually annoyed on your meeting and sentiments about 'sweaty'. Mini should not feel like it. Mini should consider that she is not hot like 'sweaty' and cannot play rough as per your requirements (of the route to Sri / Paaye)

[RZ]

OH..THANKS GOD...that above posted pic does not contain any malicious/objectionable material....remember???this view created a lot of problem....and our GURUS had to intervene....

Another pic of beautifully maintained garden of Pine park from the balcony of our room...

This time Bhai jaan imposed a curfew to photograph at Pine Park Hotel

[kn_khipk]

I just cant get enough of this thread...brilliantly captured and wonderfully narrated. Sir, my personal opnion is that with this wonderful thread, you've set the bar so high that it will be extremely difficult for pakwheelers like me to even come close in decsribing our excursions!!! Nevertheless, I will indeed give it a shot with my next trip and will anxioulsy wait for my PW borthers verdict!
Best, k

[haali]

@splitfire

good going.. Very well captured images & nice n informative comments on every pic:) Pics seems to be professionally taken & can be a part of some magazine etc.

You are one of those lucky people at Pakwheels that have time & can spend their time on these beautiful places....

God bless You, keep it up:)

[spitfire]

@guls4eva.....
I try to answer you question according to the best of my memory....
(1) Road from Balakot to kewai is ok with frequent bad patches/under construction parts...From kewai to Shogran is 7 Kms quite steep....no problem for a well maintained vehicle....we had frequent stops so telling about time is a little difficult...but should take 2/2.5 hours....
(2)We stayed in Pine Park hotel in shogran.....Room tariff..3500 to 12000 ( i think ) payed Rs.6500 for a night for room facing the beautiful garden of pine park hotel....
(3)Jeep charges to Sri paye was I think around 1800/2000...something like this...time...again we had frequent stopovers and traveled extremely slow but I think should be 1/1.5 hours....(one way)
(4)&(5)Kaghan is a big valley and a village as well.....when you enter Kaghan valley...you travel for quite some time before reaching Naran...Road is not bad with some occasional small to medium potholes and some water streams crossing the road...overall not bad ...no problem for a car...travel time from Shogran should be mmmm around 4/4.5 hours.depending upon your speed and stop overs..
(6)we stayed in Royals hotel Naran charges were Rs 4500 per night...
(7)jeep to saifulmalook charged around 1200 or so will be more now due to diesel prices..time is I think should be again 1/1.5 hours....(one way).
(8)I suggest you to carry maximum cash..because in those areas no Atm machine:D....more than required money is better to be on the safer side.
Its my pleasure to answer your questions....
wish you a nice/enjoyable and safe trip with your family...

[spitfire]

@RZ....
You are right Rehan Bhai...:)...Some one must have told mini about my sentiments for "Sweety"...:D....shouldn't have done that.....poor mini...:'(..
Photography at Pine park shogran should be done very cautiously specially when you are going to post on a public forum...

[spitfire]

Kh_knipk....
Thank you Khalid Bhai for your appreciation....I am really obliged...and happy that you like my efforts....
This thread is nothing special and any Pakwheel brother can make far better thread than this..provided some time and a little patience...nothing else....
I am waiting anxiously for your next trip..
Actually its all about sharing our experiences with each others.....nothing else...:)...
Some people go into minor details(like me)...some don't find it necessary....
So its like this....
Best of luck for your future trip...

[spitfire]

@haali....
Thank you so much for admiring .... I am obliged for your nice n kind words....
Actually these areas are so beautiful that no camera work can do the justice with them....no matter how much you try but only a fraction can be captured....
ONLY BY THE GRACE OF ALL MIGHTY ALLAH...we are capable to see and explore these beautiful places....and share with you and other wonderful pakwheels brothers...

[baqai]

wow one of the best threads on Pakwheels ... you even have a big thumbs up from my wife on the thread! we both sat and went through the whole thread

[warewolf1]

Absolutely right... but i'll prefer a manual or atleast an auto transmission with L gear. Two years back, i took my civic vti oriel prosmatec 01 model with 6 people on board and it was a nightmare... bcoz it has 2 gear only and no L or 1
At one point, it stopped climbing... 2 logon ko utara to phir charhi... and believe me, i didn't spot a single prosmatec there and pathans there were amazed k yeh car kesay ooper aai hai..... but Shugran is amazing... really worth the tension of climbing

Thank u rehman bhai for refreshing my memories

@farooq05....
As @stonedsaint said....Keeping the ride in first gear...specially in case of shogran and applying brakes momentarily is the only safe way to drive back from such steep hills..
In case of mini...it was an auto,so selected "D2" and "L" according to the conditions...
engine revs high in these gears when coming down the hill because situation is reverse...instead of engine moving the wheels,its wheels moving the engine..:)...brakes only used to "fine tune" your speed and for a very short moment...
Its only 7 Kms...not much distance...so with a little patience....Mini made it quite easily....
After reaching Kewai I had a look at brakes and they were fine not very hot...
And now some discussion about cultus:).
well there is no scope for any car to reach Saifulmalook as the track is medium to hard off roading track only for 4x4 vehicle (4x4 GURUS know better than me).....
But the road of shogran is not that bad and any car in good mechanical condition can do it.....the only problem is overheating due to quite steep road...but with a little patience/caution..there should be no problem for any car including cultus....

[HanifBhatti]

Rahman bhai is MIA

[spitfire]

@baqai.....
Thanks to you and Bhabi as well for viewing this thread and obliged for appreciation...

[spitfire]

@warawolf1....
Its my pleasure dear to share this trip....my memories are also being refreshed..:)..
Its strange that vti could not climb shogran....no doubt ,its a difficult one but cars specially civic is powerful enough to climb...with six persons...mmmm...well that can be a problem...
I fell,when you climb...there is no role of d2 or L....I simply selected D when climbing....with OD off..it was simply selecting first or second gear as required...main function of D2 or L comes into action when coming down the hill...please correct me if I am wrong.....I think your car was over loaded for shogran...

[spitfire]

@Libra....
Salamz Hanif Bhai,
what to say...but I am very weak at abbreviations.:$..could not understand about "MIA"...dumbo me.:(..
even after consultation with family...no success...
please explain hanif bhai....(A),
Regards.

[spitfire]

Came back on the Balakot/Naran road again....but direction was obviously towards balakot this time....

[spitfire]

A closer look of the road surface at this spot....reconstruction work going on...old surface of the road made rough to accept new layer......

[spitfire]

A previous land slide...You can see a bulldozer taking care of it in above posted second last pic.