Skardu in Gilgit Baltistan

My trip to Skardu in Gilgit Baltistan was beautiful, stunning, chaotic and more than a little adventurous. 
Here are 7 things you need to be careful about when planning a trip here.



1. Buy a map – do your research

I know we are used to ‘Googling’ everything but in remote places like these a basic map will be far more handy. Go to the places you want to go not where the driver wants to take you! When planning a major journey, there are always little places (like Manthal Buddha) where you can check out a mosque, a ruin, a tapestry. Your map will tell you so stop and ENJOY!

My trip to Skardu was beautiful, chaotic and more than a little adventurous. Here are 7 things you need to be careful about when planning a trip here.

Stopping the car along the ride just to see these golden marmots.

2. Don’t carry designer anything on the trip!

I know we want to look the best for pictures but when your Coach handbag is drenched in rain you will regret carrying a backpack. Something sturdy that will carry all the essentials you need AND make sure your shoulder isn’t titled towards the right (because that’s where you carry your bag)

3. When eating out, try out the local specialties

Hotel menus do have options for continental food and they do serve a mean mushroom & cheese omelette. BUT why try something that you can get in your own city? Be adventurous, ask them what their local dishes and then give it a shot. Order one safe item like chicken karahi, chicken handi, palak paneer or well biryani but otherwise go for local. We loved the creamy walnut gravies at Khaplu. However, the buckwheat pancake & palpu was literally not our piece of cake.

My trip to Skardu was beautiful, chaotic and more than a little adventurous. Here are 7 things you need to be careful about when planning a trip here.

Enjoying a late lunch on our first day at Khaplu Palace in Gilgit. Chicken in a creamy walnut sauce with mamtu (meat dumplings) and garam naan.

4. Make friends – divide your travel cost

We met this German tourist on our trip – she was staying at Serena Khaplu & joined us in the journey to Serena Shigar. When the driver mentioned the Manthoka waterfall trip detour we decided to split the cost making it cheaper for everyone. Similarly, when we went out at Shigar she decided to join us in our Deosai trip. Not only did it decrease our overall cost but it was also company on the really long road trip. Same with our adventurous trip back from Islamabad. Going as a couple is great but even if we divide the cost per head, the cost center remains the same :p

5. Be prepared – switching from plan A to plan B is inevitable

Our original plan was to go by plane from Skardu to Islamabad and then train from Islamabad to Karachi. We ended up taking a 24 hour road trip followed by a plane ride that got delayed by 6 hours. We wanted to go hiking and it started raining. We saw a guest who tripped over the last step on the stairs and sprained their ankle. So yeah, things happen. Focus on the silver lining and enjoy your time! Just be prepared with travel essentials (next point)


6. Make sure all your bags have hand sanitizers

The thing with beauty in a remote area is that you are literally in the middle of nowhere so modern conveniences like supermarkets & clean washrooms are not so nearby. So make sure your bag has toiletries – I carried hand sanitizer, tissue paper AND toilet paper. Towels & bedsheets in your suitcase – you never know where you might have to stay the night (e.g. our night at Naran)

7. Get a good driver

During our time at Skardu we saw only one traffic jam. But what we did see were a lot of roads going up, down and round & round. So it’s essential that you get a good driver – someone who doesn’t brake or accelerate too much and drives at a smooth pace. Make sure the car is in good condition – the fuel tank is full and there’s a working spare tire. 

Enroute Kashmir

I am Yawer, My home town is Bagh Azad Kashmir, and I live in Islamabad for study, so I frequently to and fro Islamabad and Kashmir. The journey starts from Kashmir Highway to Bahara Kau to Expressway to Jhika Gali to Kashmir.

In winter, this travel becomes especially hard and adventurous, last night I went home and half of the way was snowy, and boy is it hard to drive in snow and the hard part only made it great.

I loved every moment of travel. I left somewhere near 4 PM and reached 9 PM, the time was great. Murree was full of tourists and people enjoying the snowfall but as I left Murree towards Kashmir, snow only grew but the number of people traveling grew thinner. The road grew thinner, the snow wall becomes taller. The drive was only becoming harder but still, it was fun and great. I will attach a video of it down.

Banjosa lake

One of the oldest lakes in Azad kashmir known as banjosa lake. A perfect spot that attracts the crowd. Beautiful & ancient. Peaceful & a perfect place for family picnic. The beautiful bluish water & quick fast running motor boats on it are a huge cause of its popularity. Banjosa lake is a place which is worth visiting if someone visits kashmir. 

Banjosa lake is located just near the city of Rawalakot. From the twin cities it hardly takes a 3 hour drive to reach that everlasting destination. And as far as the roads are concerned they’re crystal clear. Now talking about the people over there so its another great experience because the people are much loving much caring and their hospitality is unquestionable. 

Here are some glimpses of Banjosa lake

#kashmir #banjosa #banjosalake #ajk #azadkashmir #lake #beauty #peace #water #picnic #familytime #boating #goodweather #travel #rawlakot #nature #beauty #naturalbeauty

Lasdana - Far but worth it

Las Danna is a tourist resort in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located 15 kilometers (9.3 m) from Bagh city at the height of 8,612 feet (2,625 m)


It is a very beautiful place to visit with lots of privacy here as there is no tourist visited here. the reason because no tourist came to this place is that it is quite far from Rawalpindi even the closest town from Rawalpindi to lasdana is Rawalakot which is a three-hour drive from Lusdana. so if anyone interested in visiting this place they have to keep in mind that more the two day are needed to reach here, enjoy and leave back to Rawalpindi.it is approximately 6 hours drive from Rawalpindi and you need a good vehicle to reach here as there is steep uphill drive at the end of your journey. The attractions here are sightseeing as this place is quite a high altitude. You can see Poonch city across the border in Indian occupied Kashmir from here.there is snow here till the second week of June and even after melted snow, the weather is still cold at nights and mornings at all time of the year. so do bring a sweater or some warm clothes with you whenever you are visiting. The best time to visit this place is from Mid June to September. After that, the cold becomes quite unbearable and the fun ends. There is so much peace here. When you reach here the time slows down, you can leave all the worries of the world back where you came from and enjoy the tranquility and fresh air. the oxygen level is a little low here as it is a high altitude place but you will not going to find any more refreshing air then this place. Just lay down anywhere and breath in the fresh air with no noise to disturb here. there are also quite a large amount of horses are present here. these horses are wild and they roam around eating grass all day. the scenery with green grass, tall green trees, horses and fresh air brings people a sense of peace and relaxation. there is one government guest house with more under construction for tourists. Its a good place for hiking, biking, and fun. There is an army check post near the guest house. there are also some old bunkers from the war of independence from 1947 which are still intact and open for tourists to have a glimpse of the past glory. All in all, it will give you great joy and peace when you will visit this place. you just need to plan for 2 or more days to fully enjoy the trip.


#Travel #Photography #Freedom #Kashmir #Pakistan #Music #Enjoyment #Nature #Camping

Festival in Chitral

Hey all, This is Rameen Kamran with the new blog. This blog explores the very famous festival of Chitral. Chitral is a charming valley. It is situated in the range of the Hindukush mountain of Pakistan. Qaqlasht festival in the Chitral is very famed and called as Jashn-e-Qaqlasth. It is celebrated every year in the month of April. It is assumed that it is a very old festival. Some people believe that it is about 3000 years old. Rais's ruler used to organize this event and after that, it was sustained by the Katoor family. This festival aims to shield the sole and unique culture of Chitral.

you must travel there and enjoy with your family and friends.

#festival #beauty #nature #mountains #valley #festival_season #selfies #beautiful_people #hiking #friends

Paradise in Pakistan

Hey all,
This is Rameen Kamran with my second blog which is focused on the beauty of Pakistan. Simply we can say that “Paradise in Pakistan”. Here I am with my experience to Naltar valley.

When someone talks about Pakistan, the first thing come to our mind is corruption, extremism, and terrorism. Regardless of these problems, we still love Pakistan. Due to the above confusion, we have neglected the charm of Pakistan. The incredible locations in Pakistan will make you acknowledged to praise its beauty. Below is the experience of my 1st visit to Naltar valley which is well known for its beautiful and colorful ponds. It is located near Gilgit. This valley is covered by the pine trees which make you feel that you’re not in this world. The world’s palatable potatoes are grown in this valley. If someone wants to know about the beauty of paradise, then he/she must visit Naltar valley at once. This place will compel you to come again and again.

#Gilgit #nature #beauty #travel #trees #selfies #peace #Family_time #meditation #nature_lover #Pakistan #valley

Peace of mind

Hello everyone, I am Rameen Kamran and this is my first post.
Here is the most beautiful mosque of Islamabad. The name is Shah Faisal Mosque. It is located on the foothill of Margalla hills in Islamabad. The architect was Vedat Dalokay of Turkey. The mosque's architecture is strikingly modern and unique.

#Prayer #Explore #Memories #Beauty #Peace_of_mind #Architecture #Islam #travel #Art #pics

Bruti, A Hidden Gem

If you live in Rawalpindi/Islamabad and your to-go picnic spot is limited to Murree or Nathiagali at max. Well, no more. Since you are at the "Travel anywhere and Everywhere" blog, we will make unknown places known to you.

First of all i would like to thank my friend Hasaan Subhani who brought this place into our knowledge. Bruti is located 4km from Quaid e Azam University Islamabad. The place is very near to Shrine of Bari Imam and could be easily find by using google maps. There's no hike as such, you have to walk for half an hour to get to this place. You can park your cars/motorbikes at the Bari Imam Shrine. A few moments after walking, you could see the water springs. Bruti has got a lake which happens to be surrounded with the lush green trees.

Bruti is not a crowded place even on the weekends. Which makes it a family friendly place. Before you plan a picnic to Bruti, let me tell you that this is not all developed. Which means you find any restaurant or tuc shop there. So plan your trip accordingly. Keep a check of food, first aid kit, water and check on your car as well. Remember to have a spare tyre that may help you in case of emergency as you won't find tyre shop aswell.

That's it. Enjoy the pictures.

#travel #islamabad #margallahills #picnic #murree #bruti #hiddengem #family #familyspot #nature #camping #green  #peace #friends #bariimamshrine

Travel more for yourself

Without having any second thought, i can assume that you would have definitely heard of " Laughter is the best Medicine". I am Syed Suheer Haider with my first ever blog. I will share my thoughts on  why i believe that #travelling is the best medicine.
Before starting off the blog formally let me make it clear that I AM NOT  A DOCTOR. Whatever i shall be sharing will be totally my perception.

When you #travel, it helps you forget all the worries, stress that you are having in your life and eventually helps you move on. Something that itches you, suddenly vanishes from your mind. This happens because you make memories when you travel. No one will remember how good you were in studies  or how punctual you used to be in your classes. They shall remember you by the memories that you made with them, by the time that you spent with them.

At the end. I would recommend everyone to never miss any opportunity that leads you to new destination. 

"Travel is the only thing that you buy makes you richer"

Happy Day!

#travel #medication #guide #moments #memories #travelguide #life