Sikander Writes

Toli peer

Toli peer; a hill station known for its dramatic mountain scenery is located at a height of 8800ft above the sea level.  It’s situated in the district Poonch of Azad Kashmir and is approximately 30-35 kms away from the Rawalakot city. It is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Kashmir that offers breathtaking view of Himalayan and Pir Panjal mountain range. In spring and summer, it’s a pure delight to one’s eye offering lush green meadows, landscapes against the blue skies, milky clouds floating low. People also get to enjoy pony rides there. In winter season the temperature there drops down to minus figures and entire place gets buried under deep snow.

A cool and a bit bumpy 2 hr drive from Rawalakot city along the pine and fir forest brings people to this glorious mountain range.  Once you start moving up towards the mountain, the road becomes very picturesque as it crosses several towns and small villages along the way. The temperature there is usually low but it remains populated with tourists throughout the year from all corners of Pakistan. Once you reach a specific point, you need to park the vehicles at parking stand and do the hike till the top point to do the sightseeing. From the top it offers an outstanding view of river Jhelum, river Poonch, Murree hills and the view of Himalayan range extending towards Indian occupied part of Kashmir. This place serves as a refuge for peace seekers and gives a fantastic experience to its visitors.

Banjosa lake

A small and peaceful lake surrounded by the trees is situated 10-12kms away from the Rawalakot city of Azad Kashmir. This lake is known as Banjosa lake and it takes around 4 hours to reach there from Rawalpindi/Islamabad. It is an artificial lake, but with its dense pine forest and bottle green water by broad grassy plains it always leaves the visitors stunned by its beauty. The road to Banjosa is a metallic well constructed road and offers a wonder of treats to the travelers.

This lake with its captivating beauty has made its way to the list of prime tourist locations in Pakistan. It offers the boating experience to its visitors with the reflection of trees surrounding it and its charming and romantic landscape allows the tourists to soak up in the heart of nature. A boat ride taking round trip of the lake, is a must do activity there. The small boats sailing on the sparkling water of the lake offers a picture-perfect moment. Moreover, few paddle boats are also available there on rent for those looking for some cheap and fun activity.

It’s well maintained by the administration and several luxurious hotels and rest house are also being built there for the night stay of the tourists.

Although the ideal time to visit this place is in summers as during the winter season, the temperature sometimes drops down to −10 °c, freezing the lake. However, it’s frozen water also presents a bewitching landscape and attracts a huge number of visitors from Pakistan all year round. 

Mangla Dam

Located in the Mirpur district of Azad Kashmir, Mangla dam is largest dam of Pakistan and seventh largest in the world. The dam is built on river Jhelum in Mangla with the funding of world bank and Asian development bank. Five tunnels one powerhouse and a reservoir has also been built on this dam and is expected to generate around 1,310 MW electricity with the capacity of 1000 mw.

The site of this dam offers amazing and magnificent view. People across the Pakistan visit this place to witness this beauty nestled within the hills alongside.  All over the year it attracts many tourists who come to visit this place to see the reservoirs, water spills and magnificently built tunnels. Therefore, apart from fulfilling the purpose of producing electricity it also serves as a tourist destination. Moreover, the local administration has also worked to make it more enjoyable place. Along with the stunning views of dam and its surrounding areas people can enjoy many water sports there like rowing, boating, speed boating etc there.  An old fort is also located on a nearby hill which presents a bird eye view of this dam. People who visit Mangla dam also go to that Mangla fort overlooking the dam. The view of the dam from the height is spectacular.

Ganga choti

Ganga choti is a beautiful peak located in the Bagh district of Azad Kashmir. It is situated at an altitude of 3000 meters with zig zag terrains and slopes naturally decorated with lush green scenery. This choti (peak) is located in Pir Panjal range and is an ideal getaway for people who seek quality time up in the hills away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Its scenic meadows nestled in mighty pir panjal are literally blessed with natural beauty.

A small town known as Sudhan Gali serves as the base camp for this peak. This base camp is well connected with the Bagh city by road. Overall it takes around 5-6 hours from Islamabad to reach there. Transport is easily available up to base camp but from the base camp a hike of 3-4 hours through lush forest terrain is required to reach the top. Ganga choti is one of the best places for hiking in Azad Kashmir however the trails there are very steep. The track goes through a beautiful valley of pine forest, green meadows rich with local flora, and makes for the refreshing one-day hiking experience from a top it offers a feast for the eyes with the sight of nature blessed with dense forest and lush green meadows rolling down the valley. It also offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding areas of Azad Kashmir and on a clear day, the hikers can catch a glimpse of the famous Himalayan range stretching towards Indian occupied Kashmir as well.

The best time to visit this place is summer months from May to September as the weather is usually pleasant during these months. In winter the temperature dips very low making it a winter wonderland covered in snow, but the snow makes the accessibility a little difficult. 

Areng Kel

Areng Kel is a beautiful village located in the Neelum valley district of Azad Kashmir. This village is located at an altitude of 8300 feet above the sea level and also serves as the base camp for Sarwali peak which is considered to be one of the largest glaciers in Pakistan.  To reach this destination tourists have to first go to Muzaffarabad , the capital of AJK and from there a ride of around 3,4 hours  would take them to this hill station surrounded by lush green trees, and beautiful green fields. In order to reach the top of this hill tourists have to trek down the mountains. A chair lift service is provided by the local administration to facilitate the tourists but that takes them only three quarters up the hill. The rest of the part has to be trek down anyway which takes around 2 hours to reach the top.

This valley has encased a lot of beauty in its surrounding and offers many attractive spots to its visitors along with unique environment, glowing atmosphere, thick forests and beautiful streams flowing across.  It is a summer station and May to August are peak seasons to visit this place.