Naran is the middle point of Kaghan Valley and it is a place where you defiantly want to spend few days of your leisure. This is the place of outdoor pleasure. Here you’ll depart from the river Kunhar and on both sides of road there are vast fields. Don’t look here and there the melody you are hearing is provided by the river Kunhar who is with you on the same level. If you like climbing this is a place for you because there are mountains all around you. You can explore the scenic and picturious landscape and valleys by climbing up hiking. If you like fishing get your fishing license we have trout and mahasheer for you fishing here for tourists is a must.

Malkandi Forest:

8 miles on the western slopes of Kaghan valley is Kamalban, a heavily populated forest of black bears & leopards, which do incalculable harm to he crops & young trees…but forget all about it & enjoy the nature at its best…

Lalazar:

Lalazar Plateau another pleasant 1/2-day jeep excursion from Naran is up to the Lalazar Plateau. A jeep track climbs up the plateau from Battakundi, some 16 km N of Naran. Located at 3,200m, this beautiful, meadow is awash with colorful alpine flowers in spring and summer and set amongst the cool pine forests. A footpath leads from Lalazar Plateau down to lake Saiful Malik, taking 5-6 hrs.

Lalusar lake:

At the extreme northern end of the Kaghan Valley, about 50 km from Naran on the Naran-Babusar road is Lalusar Lake, surrounded by clusters of wildflowers in a carpet of blue and gold. This is the source of the Kunhar River, which winds through the length of the valley. Lake Lalusar offers a splendid opportunity for fishing in dark blue waters surrounded by high mountains. The serene beauty and peace, which permeates the Kaghan Valley, make this an ideal spot for relaxation and reflection.

Battakundi:

A small & beautiful village about 16 Km from Naran is the turning point for Lalazarconnected via a jeepable road with plateau of rare scenic beauty.

Babusar Pass:

The summit of Babusar Pass (4148m) is reached after traversing 70 Km of narrow, winding road from Naran. Once the pass is attained, a fantastic panorama of eternally frozen peaks and windswept valleys lies before the visitor. Nanga Parbat (8125m) magnificent in her gleaming gown of snow can be seen on a clear day. Babusar Pass, gateway to the mountain passes linking Gilgit to the Kaghan Valley is only open from July to September, the remainder of the year it is buried under many tons of snow.

In May 2001, we decided on a trip to the Kaghan Valley, one of the most picturesque vales of Pakistan, which boasts deep forests, lush green meadows, and high alpine lakes, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Kaghan Valley starts from Balakot and extends 160 km, ending at Babusar Pass (which is at 4,175 meters).

Lovely Lakes & Meadows:

If you love hiking, trekking, or fishing, then Kaghan Valley is like heaven. There are many lakes and meadows high up in the mountains waiting for you. Some of them are Lake Lulusar, Lake Dudipatsar, Danna Meadows, Sharan, Sri, Paya, Makra Peak, Malika Parbat and Musa Ka Musalla (Prayer Mat of Moses).

Dudipatsar Lake

Dudipatsar Lake, also known as Dudipat Lake, is a lake encircled by snow-clad peaks in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park. The lake lies in the north end of the Kaghan Valley, in the Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northern Pakistan.

Dana Meadows

Dana Meadows are meadows located in the north-end of Kaghan Valley in Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the province of Pakistan. Dana Meadows are located at an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 m) with a view of a number of snow-covered peaks over 15,000 feet (4,600 m). It is a tourist attraction. Khanian is the starting point for a trip to Dana Meadows. The trek to Dana Meadows was destroyed by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. So, it is not accessible by a Jeep.

Sharan Forest

Sharan Forest is a wonderful and immaculate forest located in KPK, Pakistan. The forest is thick with substantial vegetation. It is for the time being for the most part non-business, subsequently clean with less inundation of travelers. The forest is contiguous to Manshi Top, which again is a rich green level. You can hope to discover rich vegetation, thickly overgrown developments, mushrooms, wild natural products on trees and water streams. Local people are well disposed of, there is a campground inside the woods with little cottages possessed by woodland and the travel industry offices.

As far as the foods and accommodation are concerned as compared to Naran, the tourists will not find many hotels or restaurants in Sharan Forest. Camping Pods and Tent facilities will only be available there. Own food and necessary luggage would strongly be recommended. Nevertheless, the government of KP and local authorities are trying to make required living preparatory measures for tourists.

Siri Paye

Siri Paye is 6 km further from Shogran. Reach there either by hiring a four-wheel jeep trailing over a bumpy road or just trek. The patch is full of adventure and fun. However some turns are enough to raise your hair but once you reach Siri Paye, you are truly rewarded after a blood curdling—spine-tingling journey as you catch the most fascinating glimpses of domed, lush green hillocks. On our way up to Siri, very often, young innocent kids approach the visitor. These “salesmen” the sons of the mountains offer you wild berries and “Aloochas” at very cheap prices.

At a majestic height of 11200 feet the Makra Peak boasts the most dramatic scenery of Paye offering a pleasant blend of lakeside walks with a vivid blue sky above us which is truly a rewarding exercise for the beholden visitor to “Siri Paye”.

Siri Paye itself is a queer—rather funny name. Literally, in English, it would be “Head and Feet”. Locals have many myths coined to assign an origin to this name. One says “Siri” was a Hindu lady who fell in love with Paye and this Paye the legendary hero of our story lived somewhere on the meadows called Paye, thus the name. Another story going around the valley says, a lion (or for that matter, a mythical force) lifted the goat of a villager and ate it at someplace with “Siri” and “Paye” of the goat left stinking at two nearby mounds. However, Salman Rashid an avid traveler himself, in his essay—a piece of high literary flavor, a style usual to the noted storyteller says:-

“It is interesting that the names of Sari and Paya, the two summer grazing grounds that lie between Shogran and Makra, have taken on a gastronomic connotation on the tongues of Punjabi travelers and semi-literate young people. They are now called Siri-Paye — trotters and skulls, palate the Lahoris relish so much.

Makra Peak

The Makra is a scenic peak in the Mansehra District in the Hazara region of the Himalayas in northern Pakistan. It is 3,885 meters (12,746 ft) high and almost 200 kilometers (120 mi) from Islamabad on Naran Road. From Kiwai, a single 7-kilometer-long road runs uphill to Shogran, a tourist resort with numerous hotels; the track continues to climb up to Siri Lake and ends at Paye. From here it is a trek of four hours to the top of the Makra. Hiking on the Makra is difficult due to snow and the gradient of the mountainsides.

Although it can be straightforward to climb, fatalities have occurred during storms. In spite of its difficulties, the summit offers good views of Hazara and Azad Kashmir. Fatalities tend to occur in bad weather, especially thick fog, and as a result of the steepness of some sections. The waters from the mountain’s glacier feed the Kunhar River. The place has been named Makra Peak by locals as Makra (means spider in Urdu, the local language) due to its shape in snow resembling that of a spider on a web.

Malika Parbat

Malika Parbat (Pashto/Urdu: ملکہ پربت‎; Queen of the Mountains) (el. 5,290 meters (17,360 ft)) is the highest peak in Kaghan Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is about 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) south of Lake Saiful Muluk, near Ansoo Lake. The mountain is clearly visible from the popular tourist spot of Lake Saiful Maluk in Kaghan Valley. Malika Parbat is accessible from Naran-Lake Saiful Muluk side and from Batakundi-Dadar Chitta glacier. There are three summits that form Malika Parbat: Malika Parbat (North Peak), Malika Parbat Cresta, and Malika Parbat (South Peak). There are other peaks that offer considerable climbing difficulty in Siran Basin, Khabanar Valley, and Burji Valley, while from Burawai, another cirque of low peaks is equally good for mountaineering.

Musa Ka Musalla

Musa ka Musalla is the second highest Peak of Siran Valley. The valley got its name from the Siran river. Musa Ka Musala stands at an altitude of 4080 meters at the junction of Siran and Kaghan Valleys in Himalaya. The name translates to “Moses’ Mat” which has different stories associated with it. The mount has a prayer mat’s appearance and is thus named Musa Ka Musala, meaning Moses’ prayer mat. The mountain is ice scaped all year long. The mountaintop is considered a ziarat {Islamic shrine} by the localities, as a shepherd, in old times, used to offer his daily prayers at the peak. The mountain is surrounded by Khunda (Gali) Peak, which very much resembles K2. Mandagucha is a village located in Siran Valley, Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The village is on the route to one of the highest hilltops of the Himalaya series in Pakistan, Musa ka Musalla, and has a cool climate.