This post is definitely long over-due but I wanted to collect all the perfect pictures before I penned down my thoughts on one of the most memorable experiences in my life!
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit one of the hidden pearls of Pakistan i.e. the beautiful Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir. I think words would fail to explain my exact sentiments about the trip. Not only was the place amazing, the week I spent there left me refreshed and relaxed.
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| The view from our resort. Picture by Omer Imran Malik |
Our journey began at midnight on the 12th of May when we left Lahore. Our main route was the GT Road from which we headed directly to Murree, where we stopped for breakfast. After Murree it was directly to our resort in Kutton, Neelum Valley, just stopping at Muzaffarabad for petrol. As we moved further north, the surroundings became greener and more beautiful and you could see glimpses of the river down. The weather also became chillier and there was slight drizzling. After travelling for about 15 hours, we finally reached our resort.
The resort was breath-taking; there was a long pebbled driveway, leading to the main area and the rooms. The resort was divided into two stories. The lower part had the lounging areas, the patio and single rooms while the upper part had cottages.
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| The driveway with the rooms on both sides. |
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| The patio, with a BBQ Grill where we used to sit and have breakfast |
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| Night View of the resort. Picture by Faseeh Yunus |
Our first activity included a jeep ride to the Jagran waterfalls and the Jagran power plant. The morning saw heavy rain as a result of which our schedule was slightly delayed and the trip almost cancelled but then the weather cleared and we left for the Jagran power plant. The drive to the plant was enthralling as well as scary for someone like me who is scared of heights but it also gave the best adrenaline rush ever! When we reached the plant, the weather played with us and it started raining heavily so after a quick tour of the plant (there was nothing much to see anyways), we headed back for the resort.
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| The jeeps and roads that took us to Jagran. |
Funnily, the rain stopped when we reached back, so we took up this opportunity to explore the surrounding area and the market area next to the resort. The sleepy, little market had a few shops including a tailors shop also. Children were seen running around, but there was little activity.
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| Children in the market |
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| A view of the market place early morning |
The next day was met with showers, so all plans for the day were cancelled and we spent the day playing cards, gossiping and drinking loads of tea.
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| The mountains on the India |
On the third day of our trip, we headed over to the sleepy town of Sharda, which was almost a four hour drive north from our resort. The drive was beautiful and there were mountains and small waterfalls at almost every nook and cranny. The river was flowing besides us and the mountains were snow-kissed. It was truly a mesmerizing journey and no picture can do justice to the beauty of that area. We mainly visited Sharda to see the old temple over there. Now reaching the temple involved crossing a bridge over the River Neelum. I literally crossed it with my eyes closed. Though the bridge seemed sturdy enough, crossing it was a real ordeal for me, especially since it was swaying slightly and there were motorcycles on the bridge. After crossing the bridge, we had to climb a few narrow steps to reach the temple ruins. Though there was nothing special about the temple and there were just ruins, the place itself was tranquil. There was slight wind blowing and the place had a strange sort of an aura. The mountains surrounded the temple and you could hear the river flowing. The place was truly peaceful and I loved it there. The Pakistani army even had a check post at the temple. After exploring the temple, we went back to the other side of the river and had lunch on a narrow terrace overlooking the river before heading back to the resort. At night, the resort organized a BBQ and Bonfire for us and everyone enjoyed the fire and the moonlight. I stayed up all night to watch the sun rise over the mountains. The sunrise was beautiful and it almost seemed as if the mountains were catching fire.
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| Waterfalls on our way to Sharda. Picture by Omer Imran Malik |
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| The entire team in front of the Sharda Temple |
Ofcourse, I couldn't leave without dipping my feet in the water, so after watching the sun rise, we headed over to a quiet spot behind the market area where, I managed to dip my feet. The water was EXTREMELY cold and my feet almost froze but the feeling of ecstasy was worth every bit. Sometimes, it is these little things in life which give you happiness :)
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| The little stream where I dipped my feet! |
And the next day, we headed back to Lahore. The trip in a nutshell was once in a lifetime sort of an experience. The beauty, the peace and the solitude that I experienced there was unlike anything else. Lack of mobile signals and Wi-Fi closed of all connections with the real world and gave everyone the well-deserved break that they needed. Laughter, pranks, games, photography, cold, tea and long walks were the highlights of the trip and right now, sitting in the sweltering heat, I would do anything to go back there.
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| Moonlit view of Bibla top in Indian occupied Kashmir. Picture by Omer Imran Malik |
Love.
P.s. I was too lazy to take pictures so here are some mind-blowing shots by my friends. All pictures have the photographer's watermark on them. You can check out more pictures by Faseeh Yunus
here, Izzah Zainab's Photography
here and Omer Imran Malik's photography
here. Do take out time and have a look at their masterpieces.
