Many years back when I first heard about the mesmerizing beauty of North Pakistan, I remember opening the map, putting my finger on one destination and saying this to my sister, ‘One day I will go to this place – Hunza Valley!’ At that time going to Hunza Valley seemed almost like finding the mythical sanctuary Shangri-la from the famous novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Little did I know that I would visit this breathtakingly beautiful valley in Gilgit-Baltistan sooner than later and that too three times in a row.
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| Royal Garden of Altit Fort |
Wrapped in the Himalayas and the Karakoram mountain ranges, Hunza Valley is no less than heaven on earth. Heaven – not just because of the vibrant landscape this valley offers but also because of how incredibly calm I felt surrounded by the serene nature and wildlife. My favorite time to visit Hunza has always been autumn, a time when you see the valley oozing colors of fire, orange, crimson, yellow, purple and brown. It was early autumn somewhere in the start of October. As we reached close to Gilgit it started drizzling and the weather got considerably cold. As we drove into the Hunza Valley it had already rained, the cold wind forced me to pull up the car window, take out my jacket and wrap a scarf around. We made a quick stop for tea at Rakaposhi View Point which, unfortunately due to weather was hiding behind dense clouds.
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Raining along Karakoram Highway.. |
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Crossing Gilgit. |
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Colors of autumn as we enter Hunza Valley. |
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| Colors of autumn. |
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Rakaposhi Peak hiding behind dense clouds. |
We made our final stop at Hunza Serena Inn which is one of my favorite places to stay at Karimabad. This charming place will take you back in time with its landscaped gardens, fruit orchards and lush green fields. Hunza Serena Inn is nestled in the heart of Karimabad and offers you the most tranquil moments. I always admired the peace and calm in the air, the view around it, day or night is perhaps the best in entire Hunza Valley. Soon we were at Osho Marak Restaurant that offers local Hunza cuisine, Pakistani, Continental and Chinese dishes as well as a la carte menu. I remember enjoying traditional noodle soup in my room later in that night. There’s nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of soup in the comfort of your bed.
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| View of Hunza Valley from Hunza Serena Inn lawns. |
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| Autumn in full swing. |
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| Luxury Huts at Hunza Serena Inn. |
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| Leaves turn into shades of gold. |
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Directions... |
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| Traditional Hunza Noodle Soup, best of the best! |
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The pass.... |
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| Stained glass work at Baltit Fort. |
If you are at Hunza you must not leave without visiting these two: Attabad Lake, a naturally formed lake in Gojal and Khunjerab Pass, the Pakistan-China Border, the highest border in the world at 16,000 feet. Next morning we headed towards Attabad Lake which was now accessible thought the Attabad Tunnels, also known as Pak-China Friendship Tunnels. Attabad Lake was naturally created as a result of massive landslide back in 2010. On our last visit boats were the only means of transportation if you wanted to go further up the valley. Thanks to the engineering marvel, these tunnels have considerably reduced the travel time towards Gulmit, Passu, Sost and Khunjerab Pass, the Pakistan-China border.
The beauty of Attabad Lake is absolutely bewitching! As soon as I set my eyes on the deep blue, almost sapphire like color of its water I
could not think of anything else in the world. I thought I could just sit there for hours and absorb the tremendous positivity that it filled me with just by looking at it – nature indeed nourishes our soul. We could not resist taking a boat ride so we got into one. The water felt calm and the panoramic view of the lake had amazing stories to tell on each side.
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Attabad Lake. |
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| Passu Glacier. |
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| The famous Passu Cones. |
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| Husseini Bridge. |
It was time to get back on the road and continue our journey towards
the border. The landscape and view started getting broader from this
point and the valley opened wide with fields. The transition of trees
from green to gold, orange, brown, crimson was as artistic as it could
get. The view had enough charm to win anyone over let alone me. We drove
further up crossing many villages including Sost from where we drove
further to the Khunjerab National Park security check-post. The crown of
Khunjerab National Park is the Markhor, a species of wild goat which is
also Pakistan’s national animal. You would be very lucky, like myself to
see a bunch of them climbing vertical slopes effortlessly.
The drive towards the border is the most beautiful drive I ever
experienced! The fresh, calm air, snow covered peaks, plateau with
grazing herds of yaks, sheep and goats. I felt as if I had stepped into
another world. This is where you see the true beauty and worth of the
Karakoram Highway. No doubt it is the eighth wonder of the world due to
its long stretch. The temperature had dropped considerably over here
though the sun was shining bright. The wind was strong and cold enough
to make your hands and ears freeze. As I got out of the car I looked all
around me. The barbed wire marked the border along with the monument
signifying the two sides of the border, China on the right and Pakistan
on the left.
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| Beautiful autumn colors at Khunjerab National Park. |
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| Travelling further into Khunjreb National Park. |
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Yaks peacefully grazing. |
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View around the border. |
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| At the Khunjreb Border. |
The border – a barren piece of land with its vastness, its wilderness,
its snow-covered peaks, and its flora and fauna reminded me of how small
I and my worldly problems were. There was life striving and thriving in
on such high altitude and in such extreme weather. I was filled with
hope and an amazing peace of mind in this soul-free location. 30 minutes
and a few clicks it was about time to get back in the car. It was almost
afternoon and we had a 3 hours journey back to our luxury tent at Hunza
Serena Inn. As we left the border on our way back I looking out of the
window quietly. I wanted to absorb as much of this whole journey to
Hunza Valley and beyond as I could.
Later that night, I ordered the traditional Hunza Noodle Soup again. I sat outside my tent under the brilliantly clear and starry sky and kept gazing at the Milky Way. The inner peace I found through the raw energy of nature all around me was simply overwhelming. I wish I could freeze time this very moment – life is beautiful.
