Hunza Valley
Are you are planning a visit to Pakistan this summer? Or say Are you are already in Pakistan and want to explore the beauty of beloved country?
I would suggest you to write name of Gilgit Baltistan on the top of your list as Gilgit Baltistan is blessed with Natural beauty and it’s a place to where you can come closer to nature. In Gilgit Baltistan there is a lot to see for tourists and one of the best places in Gilgit Baltistan most visited by foreigners is Hunza.The Land of beauty, Hunza, well known as heaven on earth by its visitors is one of most beautiful districts of Gilgit Baltistan. The people of Hunza have maintained its unique culture even though they are the most educated of Pakistan. Beauty and respect is in their hearts and welcome every single person with warm heart. Let’s not talk more about people because you will automatically get to know them on your visit to Hunza.
There are a number of places you must visit in Hunza let’s start from lower Hunza:
When you reach Iskinderabad Nagar district, on your left is the starting point of Hunza District, there is a small village of Brushaski speakers named Khizerabad, in the beginning it wasn’t the starting point of hunza instead the Chalt Valley too was part of Hunza but due to political reasons the an elder from Gasoro clan became the reason for loosing Chalt valley from the principality of Hunza. Anyhow you can choose either of the two roots, via Nagar on Karakoram highway or via lower Hunza through Silk rout the route of ancient European, Arabs, Indian and Chinese traders, to further continue your journey forward.if you chose your root through lower Hunza be sure that we have dirt road in three villages (hussainabad, Mayoon and Khanabad ) of lower Hunza while Nagar has KKH, recently reengineered by Chinese and Pakistani engineers. The benefit of choosing the dirt road over Highway is that you can witness the beauty of Dubani and Rakaposhi rang more clearly and make panoramas the Crown of Nagar district. Further more if your are more interested in geology and want to visit some undiscovered places than I suggest you to visit Bayeas, from where you can have an Ariel view of lower Hunza and Nagar as well as the Karakoram Range than we have Mayoon Ber which supply water to three villages of lower Hunza, both the places are a good for hiking and discovering new things regarding Nature and geological structure of the mountains.
From Khanabad you have two choices to further continue your journey you can go back on to KKH through the beautiful and adventurous zigzag road and the wooden bridge or you can continue your journey through Aliabad/Seyweyaiqam and meat KKH A Hini/Hindi/Nasirabad, the largest village of Lower Hunza, but be sure and ask the locals if the road is open or not because of land sliding its remains close most of the time. On KKH you have two stops to have some local food one at Thol and the other is Zero Point, Rakaposhi.
When you reach central Hunza you have lots of places to see:
- 1100 years old Altit fort,
- 700 years old Baltit Fort
- Karimabad
- Aliabad
- Duker
- Eagle’s Nest
- Fruit orchids
- Glaciers and Stream
- Rock Carvings
- Ganish
- Golden peak
- Lady Finger
Ganish is one of the oldest places in Hunza the fascinating building structures in this village are cherished by people from different regions. Of hotels are also facilitating visitors from around the globe
What I love the most about Central Hunza is the way to Karimabad, the stone street and the view of whole Central Hunza from Karimabad. You can also make a collection of picture s of the golden peak, lady finger and Rakaposhi from Karimabad.
When we move forward towards Gojal/Upper Hunza the newly formed lake after Attaabad disaster, make every visitor fall in love with Hunza. Travelers here enjoy boating as we don’t have land connection with upper Hunza after the disaster.
In upper Hunza we have a number of beautiful valleys, lacks and Glaciers you must not miss on your visit to Hunza. Below is the list of must visit places in Gojal Valley:
- Attaabad Lake
- Borith Lake
- Heart shaped, Shimshall Lake
- Passu Valley
- Shimshal Valley
- Chipursan Valley
- Misgar Valley
- Batura Glacier
- Pamir Glacier
- Passu Glacier
- Passu cathedral peak
- Qalamdarchi Fort
- Shehr-e-Sabz (made by nature)
- Pakistan-China border
- Dry Port
It won’t be wrong if we call upper Hunza “the land of mountaineers” as women Samina Baig, the first Muslim who summit Everest and number of other peaks in different countries, Mirza ali her Brother and Nazir Sabir the first Pakistani to summit Everest are all belongs to this region.
The Hunza people have unique culture, Dance and food and different festivals. The handicrafts made by Hunza people are a trade mark of their culture. Hunza water and its dry fruits are loved by people around the world.
In Karimabad and Aliabad there are a number of shopes for handicraft lovers from where they can buy traditional dresses, wood craft and Gems and other handicrafts. People who can’t visit Hunza but love is handicrafts I have a good news for them because the first online shops of Gilgit Baltistan has been launched two years back from where you can order number of products from Hunza.
Here is the link for online shopping; www.ehunza.com
