Usho Valley Travel Guide
At a glance
As you drive past the Kalam town in Kalam valley, a few kilometers of the drive takes you to the dense natural forest of Usho in Usho Valley. Usho (sometimes written Ushu) is a small valley in the Kalam Valley of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a major tourist attraction in the region.
Kalam is a valley located at a distance of 99 kilometers from Mingora in the northern upper reaches of Swat valley at a height of 6500 ft. along the bank of Swat River. Forest of Usho, Utror valley and Mahodand Lake are the main places of attraction. Mount Falaksar 5,918 meters (19,416 feet) is the highest peak of the area.
Ushu Forest, a gem of the Usho valley located just outside of Kalam town, the best place to visit, is well-preserved (Deodar tree – Pakistan’s national tree) with magnificent views andcamping facilities.
The magnificent foggy and rainy woodland of Usho is well-known for its mesmerizing and serene atmosphere only disrupted by a few kiosks sparsely set up amidst the forest.
Accessing Usho Valley
At a height of 2,300 meters, it is located 8 kilometers from Kalam and 123 kilometers from Mingora. It is only accessible by jeeps along a non-paved road from Kalam.
From Islamabad travel to Chakdara via Swat Motorway, and then to Kalam via Madyan and Bahrain via the Matta Road crossing the Shamozai Bridge.
It is a 270-kilometer journey that takes 4 to 5 hours from Peshawar. Except for high traffic around Matta, the road condition is decent.
You can access Usho forest in a normal car but to reach Mahodand Lake in upper Usho, you need a four-wheel jeep drive.
Activities to do in Usho Valley
You are free to camp there on your own. The necessities can be obtained in the village’s immediate area. You can also stop by on your way to Kalam valley to pick them up. The location offers excellent camping opportunities.
The quiet setting is enchanting, especially when a breeze arrives and travels through the pine trees, creating natural music. This is the greatest area to hang out with friends or family. It is so relaxing and peaceful that you will like it.
