Pakistan News Swat Photos History Tourism Travel Guide: Mingora Travel Guide, Saidu Sharif Travel Guide, Malam Jabba Travel Guide, Kalam Travel Guide, Marghazar Travel Guide

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Home >> Travel Guide

Travel Guide

Marghazar Travel Guide

Monday, 22 August 2011 23:00

Marghazar Travel Guide

This is a health resort, at 15 kms to the south of Mingora at the base of Eelum Mountain. Here is a hotel called White Palace. This was the residence of the founder of the state, Badshah Shaib.

Kalam Travel Guide

Friday, 29 July 2011 00:24

Kalam Travel Guide

At a distance of 100 kms from Mingora at height of 6000 feet, you have a town of hotels and motels thin in Kalam and is the most beautiful place in Swat valley. It is situated at the confluence at two little rivers Ushu and Utror. Here you have a thick tourist of pines and deodar in the plain, not on the hills. So it is unique in this respect. It is also unique in its natural sights springs, waterfalls and glaciers you can have a view of the mount Falakser. You can pay visits to the following sites while you are staying at Kalam.

Usho

Usho 3 km from Kalam Valley and 117 km from Saidu Sharif

Utror

Utror 16 km from Kalam Valley and 120 km from Saidu Sharif.Utror valley is situated between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes. The population of Utror is 6888 and the area of the valley is about 47400 hectares. Utror valley is surrounded by Gabral and Bhan valleys on the east, upper Dir district on the west, Kalam valley on the south and Gabral valley on the north. It is 15 km from Kalam, the centre of Swat Kohistan. The altitude of the valley at Utror proper is 2300 meters and reaches to 2900 meters at Kandol Lake.

Gabral

Gabral valley lies between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes over an area of about 38733 hectares. The population of Gabral is 3238. The valley is surrounded by Chitral District in the north, Utror valley in the south and south west, upper Dir district in the west and Bhan and Mahodand valleys in the east. It is 5 km distant from Utror proper and 20 km from Kalam. The altitude of the valley ranges from 2580 metres at Baila to 5160 metres at Karkaray Lake top.In Utror and Gabral, 44 medicinal plants are collected during the months of May, June, July and August. Only 14 of them are traded to National and International markets while the rest are used locally. A survey by Pakistan Forest Institute concludes that 75 crude herbal drugs are extensively exported and more than 200 are locally traded in Pakistan. Indigenous people, who have no training in sustainable harvesting, post-harvesting care and storing of medicinal plants, collect 85 percent of these crude herbs from the wild.

Kandol Lake

The pastoral valley of Swat has abundance of precious resorts of nature where one can find solace and respite from the never-ending struggle of life. Kundal or Kandolo Lake is one such place here upon which the Maestro of nature has spent extra time and effort to paint. Kundal Lake is situated in the north of Utror valley. One can easily access it from Kalam via Utror from where a link road ends in a green valley called Ladu in the foothills of the lake. You can either hike to Ladu from Utror or take a four-wheeler to ease and minimize your journey. It consumes almost two hours to reach the beautiful valley of Ladu. For the adventurous kind, a walk in the romantic valley will unravel several new mysteries. The people who take temporary residency over here during summer plow the open land and harvest potatoes and turnips, which are famous all over the country for its exotic taste. There is also a small hut in Ladu where you can take tea and get something for eating. From Ladu it takes almost four hours to reach the lake. Some locals can guide you and even take your luggage if properly paid. The mountains around this small valley are covered with tall cedar and pine trees and meandered by different streams and torrents. The people are friendly and provide you guidance if required.

Bishigram Lake

Bashigram Lake is situated to the east of Bashigram valley near Madyan. The road to this valley is partly metaled and can be plied by a four by four or any ordinary vehicle. It takes almost forty to fifty minutes to reach this picturesque valley inhibited by simple and hospitable folk. From here, trekking of four to five hours, depending on professionalism and enthusiasm of the trekkers lands you in the realm of a serene and enchanting lake of Bashigram.

Spin Khwar (White Stream) Lake

Spin Khwar is a beautiful lake hidden in the lap of mountains towards the north of Kundal Lake and east of Utror valley. The name Spin Khwar has a clear significance as a small white stream in the east flows down to the lake from the surrounding mountains and is a major source of water for the lake. The lake is accessible through two tracks, one from Kundal and the other from Ladu valley. The track from Ladu is comparatively easy to walk and less tiring while the track from Kundal is not only difficult but alarmingly dangerous although it is short and links Kundal and Spin Khwar. Its steepness and dangerous bends needs an experienced trekker and unending physical strength. The grazers in the area have built small huts and a mosque where one can stay but a personal tent is more recommendable as these huts are in a poor condition due to lack of maintenance.

Daral lake

Daral lake is situated to the northeast of Sidgai Lake and can be accessed through Saidgai after two three hours rigorous trekking. The trail to Daral is full of fun and amusement because it runs over sky touching heights of the mountains provides spectacular sights and panoramas for the beauty hungry eyes of nature lovers. A close look towards the south will reveal the long and winding sellouts of river Swat in the horizon.After walking and trekking for about two and a half hours on bare and naked mountains, the trail start descending towards the East where Daral Lake is located.

Malam Jabba Travel Guide

Saturday, 23 July 2011 01:34

Malam Jabba Travel Guide

Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) is a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Peshawar, Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.

Malam Jabba is home to the only ski resort in Pakistan.[1] The area also contains two Buddhist stupas and six monasteries that are scattered around the resort. The presence of the monuments at such a height indicates that the area has been inhabited for over 2000 years.
Two trekking trails are located near the Malam Jabba resort. The first passes through the Ghorband Valley and Shangla Top and starts about 18 km from the resort. The other trail passes through the Sabonev Valley and is about 17 km from the resort.

Malam Jabba Ski Resort

The Malam Jabba Ski Resort, owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation, had a ski slope of about 800m with the highest point of the slope 2804m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing equipment.[citation needed]
In late June 2008, the Malam Jabba Ski Resort was set on fire and destroyed after being closed for more than a year. Residents said a large portion of the resort had been reduced to ashes and the militants also damaged chairlifts and a tower belonging to the meteorological department. The Pakistani government had long since lost control over the administration and security of the valley and had abandoned the resort, laying off its employees there. This was due to the war in the Swat valley between government security forces and Taliban militias (who were likely relocating from nearby FATA and Afghanistan).[2] The Pakistani government has since accepted a Taliban truce in the Swat valley. [3] In May 2009 however the army started an offensive against the Taliban and retook the town.[4] The ski hill at the resort has now been rebuilt and is fully operational..[5] The hotel is still awaiting reconstruction.

Saidu Sharif Travel Guide

Tuesday, 19 July 2011 12:52

Saidu Sharif Travel Guide

Saidu Sharif (Urdu: سیدو شریف) is the capital city of Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°45'0N 72°21'0E with an altitude of 939 metres (3083 feet)Saidu sharif is traditional seat of government, remains the administrative headquarters of Malakand division (swat, dir and chitral).Saidu Sharif has several government buildings, the Swat Museum, the Tomb of Akund (RA) of Swat and the archaeological remains of the Butkara Buddhist Stupa Government Girls College, Govt Jehanzeb college(recently got a university status),Saidu Sharif hospital's, police station, CIA office, DIG, DC, Commissioner House.

Saidu Baba

This is the honorific nickname of the colorful shrie to the akhund of swat, behind the saidu sharif police station and near the old wali’s residence.

Swat Museum

Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewelry.

Jambil Valley

At Panrh (or pahn) on the east side of the jambil khwarh are a stupa and a monastery from the 1st to 5th centuries ad. There is allegedly a path and a bridge about 1.5 km beyond butkara number 3, or go three km out haji baba road from mingora bazaar. Further out at loebanrh, on the west side, are an Aryan graveyard from the 2nd to 1st Millennia BC and a 3rd to 4th century AD stupa.

Butkara (Butkada) Stupa

One of the most important Buddhist shrines in Swat, is near the museum. Take the dirt track on the left (north) side of the museum for one kilometer (about half a mile). The stupa is 400 metres (above a quarter of mile) across the fields to the left (north).
The stupa, which dates from the 2nd century BC, was possibly built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka to house some of the ashes of the Buddha. In subsequent centuries, it was enlarged five times by encasing the existing structure in a new shell. Italian excavators working in 1955 exposed the successive layers of the stupa, each layer illustrating a stage in the evolution of building techniques.
The ex-ruling family of Swat, the Miangul, whose title is Wali and which is headed by Miangul Aurangzeb, has its official residence in Saidu Sharif. All the main Government offices along with the postgraduate college are located in Saidu Sharif. Distances from Saidu Sharif.

Monday, 04 July 2011 23:36

Mingora Travel Guide

MinGora City : is the largest city in Swat District, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. It is located at an altitude of 984 metres (3,228 ft)[1] and lies on the banks of River Swat about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Saidu Sharif, the present capital of Swat. As of 1998, the population of Mingora was about 175,000. The city was once a major tourist destination and was described by Queen Elizabeth as the "Switzerland" of the former Empire.[2] However with the rise of Taliban in Pakistan the tourist industry has suffered from clashes between the Taliban and the government. In March 2009 the city, like elsewhere in Swat, came under Taliban rule due to a peace agreement with the government. However the agreement quickly fell apart and in May 2009 government forces were engaged in fierce fighting with the Taliban to end their occupation of the city. Mingora City Is the only and big city of valley swat, situated on the bank of River Swat. Saidu Sharif is the capital of valley swat. The population of Mingora is about More then 12 lac . Saidu group of teaching hospital swat is just one mile away from mingora. There are some big hotels in Mingora .Mingora, 3 kms From Saidu Sharif, has yielded magnificent pieces of Buddhist sculpture and the ruins of great stapes.

History

Many Buddhist remains and carvings have been discovered near Mingora in the Jambill River Valley. At Panr, a stupa and monastery dated to the 1st century CE has been excavated. At Loe Banr and Matalai, Italian archaeologists unearthed 475 Aryan graves dated circa 1700 BCE.[citation needed]. On the opposite side of River Swat at Aligrama, near the Saidu Sharif airport, a site of Gandhara grave culture was discovered by Italian archaeologists which has been dated to circa 10,000 BCE.[citation needed] Queen Elizabeth never described it that way.

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