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Pakistan’s northern areas saw a rapid increase in tourism activities in 2016. From 2012 onwards, tourism activities have prospered, given that law and order conditions have improved with every passing year.
Terrorism had affected the Nation, but the efforts of the led government and the brilliant efforts of General Raheel led the Pakistan Army to bring a great halt to terrorism and its networks. Now, the economy is boasting, and Pakistan is the biggest emerging market in the world. The automotive industry has seen a great rise, with Real Estate Prices touching ever-high.
Tourism was vastly affected by the law and order situation in northern areas, which were already safe, but the perception was not good. The year 2016 saw nearly one million visitors in Northern areas of Pakistan. Pakistan Tour and Travel has crafted a list showcasing the top destinations visited in the year 2016.
Naran Kaghan Valley was the most visited place in northern areas of Pakistan in 2016; we don’t have official stats, but Google Webmaster shows that an average of 200,000 people search for Kaghan Valley monthly, so it’s expected that nearly 1.3 million people visit this serene gift of nature.
Naran Kaghan offers a green plateau a mere 280 km away from Islamabad. Naran is situated at 8000 above sea level in an ever-cold environment. Naran Kaghan has more than 100 hotels that cater to the needs of visitors from all sections of society. Modern amenities like Wi-Fi, Internet, 3G Services, 24/7 Electricity, and food items are available easily.
Naran Kaghan can be termed as an easy-to-approach location as it has various options to explore, like Lake Saiful Malook, Lake Ansu, Saral Lake, and Various other interesting areas like Shogran, Siri Paye meadows, Sharan Meadows, and Lalazar Meadows.
Kashmir has always been considered as heaven on earth, though the fact remains that Pakistan has only very small areas of Kashmir as most of Kashmir is Occupied by the Indian Army. Still, Kashmir, and especially Neelum Valley, has a spectacular landscape, a vivid culture, and green emerald sky-touching Lakes.
Some of the Famous areas of Neelum Valley are Kutton, Keran, Jaggran, Sharda, Upper Neelum, Kel, Arrang Kel, and Taobut. Chitta Khata Lake and Ratti Gali Lakes are very famous lakes of Neelum Valley.
This Year, half a million visitors went to Azad Kashmir, and they loved the region. Still, things got worse as India and Pakistan picked up traditional rivalry, and now Neelum has been closed since September 2016. Hope things settle down and tourism activities regain momentum in Neelum Valley in the Year 2017.
Hunza Valley sits near the China Border, which is only 180 km away from Khunjerab Pass. Hunza Valley is 750km Away from the Capital City of Islamabad. Hunza Valley has all the things a visitor would like to have, such as traditional culture, local language, traditions, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, Peaks, glaciers, and lovable people.
The locals of Hunza are termed the generation of Alexander the Great, but it is just a myth. The views here in Hunza are unmatchable. Hunza tourism saw a rapid increase in the year 2016, when the hotels remained full from May till October, with prices record high.
Hunza Valley has great peaks such as Diran Peak, Haramosh Peak, Rakaposhi Peak, and Golden Peak, which always showcase grandeur in Hunza. Hunza Valley is just 2 hours drive from Gilgit City, the Capital of Gilgit Baltistan. Attahabad Lake is just 45 minutes drive from Hunza City. Hunza Valley has banks, restaurants, and great hotel industry to serve the customers who flock to the serene, divine location of the northern areas of Pakistan.
Skardu is the base camp of all trekking activities in Pakistan. Famous for its neighborhood, K2, The Killer Mountain welcomes all tourists, adventurers, and climbers from different parts of the world via Skardu. Skardu is an 18-hour Drive from Islamabad and offers spectacular views when traveling on the Karakoram Highway, which is itself a miracle of Engineering.
Skardu has also seen hundreds of thousands of climbers and adventurers this year, and many of the hotels remained full even in the month of Ramazan (the Holy Month of Muslims). Skardu is settled on the banks of the Indus River and has the biggest collection point here. Deosai National Park, which sits 16,000 feet above sea level, is the most visited place for visitors.
Deosai National Park has one of the most beautiful lakes, Shivsar Lake ( Hindu Name), which was even famous before the partition of Pakistan and India. There is still a road that leads to SiriNagar From Deosai, though it is not used anymore due to fragile conditions between India and Pakistan.
Skardu has Shangrila Resort, which has an artificial Lake named Shangrila Lake, which is the iconic lake of Skardu City, Sadpara Lake, and Katpana Lake, which makes Skardu an interesting destination for all Visitors. Khaplu is 102 km away from Skardu and can be reached in 2 hours via mettled road. Various forts, such as the Shiger and Khaplu forts, are famous and have a rich history and culture.
Swat Valley, also known as the Savustu region, was the leading tourist destination in the 70s and 80s era as it was well equipped even before partition became a princely state and merged into Pakistan later on. Swat Valley has various sub-valleys, such as Malam Jabba, Kumrat Valley, Ushu, Kalam Valley, and Miandian.
Swat Valley has seen an increase in visitors this year, and during the summer and Eid seasons, hotels were at full boom. Facilities are lacking and need to be addressed. Kondol Lake, Mahudand Lake, and Lake Saifulllah are famous lakes of the Kalam Region. Swat has Mingora, Saidu Sharif, and Fizzaghat as urban centers, and Swat is near Shangla Hills, which is also very famous for local tourists.
Since 2017, Saba Ghani has been serving as the talented and dedicated chief content writer for Pakistan Tour and Travel & EMHI Solutions. With her exceptional writing skills and in-depth knowledge of the travel industry, she has been instrumental in crafting engaging and informative content that captivates the audience. You can catch her at [email protected] or Twitter
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