Swat Valley
The Swat Valley, which has snow-capped mountains and a beautiful countryside and is referred to be the Switzerland of Asia, is a great weekend getaway. Ancient Buddhist stupas and monasteries may be found throughout the formal princely state (1926–1969), which was ruled by the Wali. The valley served as the area's center for Buddhism for many centuries. Still, the ruins are in excellent shape.
You start your weekend at the organic farm of the family of Shujat Ali in the place Shamozai, at the Swat River, almost a three-hour drive from Islamabad. Shujat's Moroccan-style guesthouse is not far away, in the midst of peach, tomato, and potato fields. He even has his own hill with a beautiful view of the river and paddy fields. Shujat does not use pesticides, and his main source of energy is solar panels. The family serves you homemade bread, butter, yogurt, and buffalo milk. From the rose garden, you can see his lands and mountains.
His place is an excellent base for a mountain track and a historical Buddhist tour
For pure nature lovers don’t miss the valleys in Upper Swat, above the small town Utror. An area surrounded by thick forests, lakes, meadows, and waterfalls. As usual, we will take you to quiet and even unspoiled places. The government has opened several camping pods. Or you can sleep in a small guesthouse. On the roadsides and at the market of Bahrain and Madyan you can buy the wooden local handicraft.
In the winter Malam Jabba offers ski trips including a ski instructor.
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Travel Plan
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
In a jeep, you will spend the day exploring different styles of stupas such as the Gumbat stupa, which is a short hike from the village of Balokalaya. We then proceed to Amlok Dara. This 3rd century AD stupa is backed by the slopes of Elum, the region's highest mountain. We'll have a picnic in this green valley with farm-fresh organic food. Following the break, we'll make a brief stop at the Shingerdar and Gumbatuna Stupas. We take the 4x4 to the amazing Buddhist site Nimogram for the best sunset in the valley, where you can see the entire valley, including Shujat's farm house and the Swat River. In the evening we have dinner in the garden.
After breakfast of parathas, omelet, fresh made yogurt, butter, and farm fruit, we walk over the hills to the Swat River for a picnic, a swim, and to enjoy nature.
The next day we move upwards, pass the capital Mingora, see the old Summer Palace of the Wali, the museum and visit another beautiful valley with traditional wooden houses along the clear and clean Swat River.
Our local partner and your guide are more than happy to take you to Mankyal, one of the most unspoiled and unknown places in the Swat Valley. Alongside the river, with turquoise-colored water, he will go with you to the highest hill. With the traditional wooden houses on both sides of the small road, you imagine yourself in Switzerland fifty years ago. We stay for the night in one of these places.
The next day we move up to Bahrain Village where our host will take you to the other side of Gabin Jabba.
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Chitral and Kalash Valley
Chitral in the northern part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Home to the Kalash people with their famous blue eyes, descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great, they will tell you. The people are well known for their own religious beliefs and way of life. Their culture is unique. As polytheists they believe in spirits and gods in their daily life. Their colorful dance festivals to thank the gods are famous all over the world. Kalash mythology has been compared with ancient Greece. The people are spread over three valleys: Rumbur, Bumburut and Birir. In contrast to the rest of Pakistan the Kalash or the Kalasha do not separate males and females. Women are quite empowered and economically well organized
Our packages:
With our local partners we offer a tour from Islamabad with a 4x4 jeep. It’s a nine hours’ drive. We stop for a lunch in Dir, visit the local market, and spend our first homely night stay in Chitral. After sightseeing the next morning we leave for Rumbur, one of the less commercial valleys, stay there for two nights and spend even so two nights in Birbir, the less developed valley, with women. This Kalash tour is an embedded, anthropological tour. A real experience the daily life of the Kalash women. We offer this tour for a small group of not more than six persons, a family or a group of women.