Hunza Valley Known as “heaven on earth”

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Hunza Valley

In a Glimpse:

Known as “heaven on earth” Hunza valley is true to its reputation and is situated at an elevation of 2438 meters in the north of Gilgit Baltistan.

Hunza Valley is mainly divided into three regions; Upper Hunza, Central Hunza, and Lower Hunza which are further divided into multiple villages and towns. Historically, Hunza used to be a princely state and remained so until 1974.

Hunza is a favorite natural attraction when it comes to traveling up North of Pakistan for a vast range of tourists including trekkers, mountaineers, family vacations, or simply those looking to get away from the busy life and unwind in nature surrounded by beautiful landscapes.

A typical visit to Hunza includes a lot of picturesque scenery, culture, history, and traditional food.

Climate/Weather Condition:

Hunza generally has a moderate temperature with reaching as high as 27 Degrees Celsius in summers and reaching as low as 0 Degrees Celsius during winters.

The best time to visit remains from May to October when the valley offers its colors in bloom with natural streams flowing from mountain tops.

 

How to get there:

The road that leads to Hunza is the Karakoram Highway. It is located at a distance of 100 Kilometers from Gilgit which takes 2-3 hours to cover.

From Islamabad, the journey is about 600 Kilometers and can take up to 12-15 hours to cover via N-15 and Karakoram Highway. Two possible routes lead to Hunza from Islamabad:

• The most frequent and preferred is Islamabad – Abbottabad – Mansehra – Naran – Chilas – Gilgit – Hunza.
• The Alternate route is Islamabad – Mardan –
• – Hunza

The road to Hunza is a beautiful and scenic one and remains accessible throughout the year. One can also take a flight from Islamabad to Skardu Airport and then make a road trip to reach Hunza from Gilgit. There are several local/public transport options and rental services available.

What to Do in Hunza:

Hunza is a favorite for travelers for a wide range of interests. Many people visit to merely photograph the scenic sites, the natural gardens, lakes, and wildlife. Hunza is home to Markhor and Ibex and if you’re lucky and patient enough you might even get a chance to see the Snow Leopards.

Other people visit Hunza just to get away from their busy lives for a family vacation or just a solo-unwind.

This magical valley offers all kinds of retreats and attractions including:

• Altit Fort & Baltit Fort: Remnant of the time when Hunza used to be a princely state and the Royals used to stay here.

• Lady Finger Peak at 6000 Meters and Hunza Peak at 6,270 Meters are two mid-range mountains for mountaineers.
• Attabad Lake: An awe-inspiring deep blue lake that formed after a landslide hit Hunza Valley.
• Ganish Village: The oldest village of the region dating back to almost 800 years ago.
• Eagle’s Nest: The Highest Viewpoint of the Valley offering mesmerizing views.
• Beautiful Lakes including:
  • Naltar Lakes
  • Rush Lake
  • Borith Lake

Many people are taken aback by the vast fruit gardens of Hunza, the apricots and apples of Hunza are world-famous, the valley also is a perfect hub for a lot of Dried Fruits. If you visit, make sure to try their very sour but delicious local quince also called “Queen Apple”

Food remains another attraction of this valley including different traditional foods like:

• Mantu: Meat Dumplings
• Dowdo: Handmade wheat noodles in a soup seasoned with local herbs and spices
• Chap Shurro: Also called Hunza Pizza, this is sort of a pie stuffed with minced meat
• Berekutz: Hunza’s own variation of cheesecake.
• Harrissa: Another meat base dish that the people of Hunza like to consume on special occasions.

The hospitality of the People and Culture:

The people Hunza are very polite and humble and a majority of them are Burusho and Wakhi. The people are very hospitable and welcoming towards the tourists. English and Urdu are widely spoken in the valley making communication easier for people from both within Pakistan and outside of Pakistan.

The literacy rate of Hunza is more than 95% and in the recent past the local people put up a petition against tourists who throw garbage polluting the natural environment of Hunza. The petition voiced the concerns of the majority of Hunza people who were not happy with the amount of trash thrown openly where tourists would visit. They even set up self-cleaning drives throughout the valley.

 

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