Suggestions for Kashmir in April 2017

[noman_iqbal25]

Hello Travel gurus,

I am planning a Family trip to Kashmir in April 2nd week,Could You please tell me what areas would be open to visit in kashmir as i never been there,,or any related thread so please post here,,it would a 3 days max trip,,Ur suggestions required,
Thanks

[tayyab.chughtai]

3 days will be hectic. U can visit every place, and might be taobat will open in mid of april and extremely cold.
Arang kel is still full of covered snow and extremely cold, but good thing is cable car is working but still after that u need to walk for 40 min on snow to reach the top.

So for these 2 places i wont recomend u if u accompany small kids.

Places to visit

Muzafaravbad
Pir chinasi

Neelum valley area
Kutton
Jagran
Athmuqan
Keran
Upper neelum
Sharda
Kel
Arang kel
Halmat
Janwai
Taobat

Ratti gali
And chitta katha lake or shounter valley.

Ratti gali and shounter still not open will be open in june. And not recomemded with family specially kids.

U can take ur car easily till keran, after that not recomended.

Let me know ur mode of transportation? Traveling by own car, public transport ( i dont recomend) or u can hire jeep.

I recomend u if u change ur dates like end pf april or may then it will be more feaseable.

[noman_iqbal25]

Hey tayyab,

Thanks for the reply,

actually the dates can't be postponed,our mode of transportation will be a Hiace that we will hire from islamabad,Where can we find snow nearby ,,Like is there any snow in keran? or we should go upto Kel for snow
Also These all Places wont be able to cover in 3 days,,so could u please help me with a generalized plan so that i can cover the best places in time

[tayyab.chughtai]

If u search so u can see many threads on neelum valley.

I just got the news from a person in neelum valley that this time snow duration is increase, and its snowfalling in arangkel and taobat.

Now if u want to see snow which u can only find in Arang kel, arangkel is a hiking track from kel.

How many people u are, i suggest to get a jeep, because Hiace will not take u after sharda, u need to hire jeep.

If u all are young and eneregtic so I recomend to do following if u hire the jeep.

Day 1
Leave isl early around 530 or 6 am, go direct to muzafarabad
Pirchinasi
And kutton

Night stay at kutton

Day 2
Go to jagran
Then leave for kel and go to arang kel
Night stay arangkel
Note: extreme cold, now arangkel ia totally covered with snow.

Day 3
Leave arangkel
Visit sharda
Then keran
Then muzafarabad
Then isl

This plan is very hectic, but u can cover all in a short time.

For thia I suggest u to hire a jeep.

Because hiace can not go to jagran and kel, u have to hire a jeep, and during that duration hiace will be charging u.

Just give whatsapp me if u have any issue. 03212585108

[tayyab.chughtai]

Taobat is not open uptil now due to some glaciers, it will further take 10 days to open.

[onlyhassan]

Please go ahead as per your schedule, if you need any sort of assistance regarding hotel or transportation please let me know I have close friends whose are locally from Neelum valley.

Please coordinate at syh005@yahoo.com there will be no any problem for you Inshallah

Your first night stay should be in Mutton.

Second night in Mel

And then return journey

Regards

[abstrusemind]

Hi, m planning to visit taobut in end april.. is it ok to travel with a one and half year old child?? I mean will it be too cold???

[tayyab.chughtai]

I will not suggest to go in end of april it will be extreme cold.

2 yrs back i go there in 3 rd week of may, and at night i asked for 4 quilts to cover myself and i did not remove my joggers even while sleeping.

And this time winter season in also increased.

Same condition with arangkel also.

[abstrusemind]

Ok thanks, but if i plan it as one night stay in keran and one night in kel.. weather will not be that cold i guess till kel... actually just want to utilize ist may holiday as other wise no break from hectic office routine..

[Asifijaz]

abstrusemind.... Bro with a 1.5 yrs old kid... the cold will not be an issue but hectic nature of thr trip would be alot for the young soul.. i visited neelam valley last yr with a 5 yr and 1.25 yr old kid and lemme tell u from personal experience that your 3 days trip is wayyyyyy hectic.
the usual places in azad kashmir are neelam valley or the rawlakot side (banjosa, toli peer, peer chinasi)... leepa is also an option .. but for 3 days i would suggest you take the rawlakot side trip and not neelam. U see to enjoy neelam u need to have time and the will power to visit many places that require you to walk. Arang kael and tao butt is easily 30-45 minutes walk. will be hectic with a kid, his clothes, accessories and related stuff. but if you may then i suggest you following
day 1: islamabad to Kutton resort or keran.... Night stay
day 2... kutton or keran to kael... visit arang kael.
day 3... Kael to tao butt.... come back to kael and in the evening drive to keran or kutton for night stay
day 4.... back to islamabad.

in case u want a islamabad-taobutt-islamabad trip then you can also reach kael from islamabad directly as well... it will be hectic...i wont advise it... if u must then u wud need to leave at 6 am max... u must not drive to kael as otherwise tao butt wud be a big pain in the ass ... the trip back from kael to islamabad would again be a big achievement with a 1.5 yrs old kid. try to stretch the trip to min 4 days...it wud make it a gud and a worthwhile trip rather than be a trip for the sake of making one.
in case you need to know more about terrain and related info... visit the thread where i posted my experience ..

A couple of days in Neelum Valley - July 2015

Friends, Sharing some clicks of a short trip I had with friends during Eid holidays last year. UPDATE: Following is wonderful summary of a recent trip to Neelum Valley by Dr. @asifijaz - which is very useful and informative guidelines for planning a similar family trip. I am just the Control-C / Control-V guy here, so, any appreciation (or criticism), please praise/blame @asifijaz accordingly :smiley: Cheers :slight_smile: I just came back from a wonderful and eventful trip of Neel…

regards

asif

[abstrusemind]

Thanks for the detailed reply.. i will be travelling from Lahore.. will leave on thursday evening n night stay in murre or islamabad..
On friday will reach keran and night stay.
Sturday- reach kel, short stop at sharda, site seeing and night stay in kel,
Sunday- m not sure what can i visit but i want to atleast reach back to muzaffarabad by night
Monday- back to lahore from muzaffarabad..
It will surely be hectic as u said and i will be the only driver,
Kid is used to traveling and not that much an issue, however my only concern is that if i am unable to visit arrangkel and taobut due to cold or time constraint then i am missing the real beauty of neelum..
Otherwise I can pospone the trip till September..
What u say???

[Asifijaz]

From what i hears there was snow on mountains of helmant (on way to tao butt) / tao butt in the first week of april as well. get hold of an army guy who can call helmant (as there is reasonable presence at helmant) and get the required details for you.
if you do visit in the end of april then arang kael is like 80% possible and can be done but tao butt well 60% chances are you wont make it and even if you do you will not be able to see the real beauty of that place.
Neelam valley trip is incomplete without tao butt and / or Shounter.
i say postpone till may end or september.

[onlyhassan]

Please make your itinerary little short due to weather conedition over there as there will be cold in late evening times in kel, toabat or shouted.

Keep your plan till Kutton, Sharda,kel maximum

You may ask any further question or support syh005@yahoo.com or 03008565008

[pwuser152127758512]

AoA.plz tell me about the weather conditions of upper neelum,kel and taobat to visit in april.i want to see natural beauty.is there any snow in april?