GILGIT BALTISTAN

Are you looking for a sweet escape to relax your mind and soul? Maybe planning a family vacation or a romantic honeymoon? Well, there’s only one place to hit- Shangrila Resort Skardu. This beautiful resort is also known as ‘Heaven on Earth’. Shangrila was established in 1983 with the opening of the first Resort Hotel in Skardu, Baltistan. It was named"HEAVEN ON EARTH" because of its spectacular beauty, and breathtaking view and peaceful atmosphere. Shangrila Resort Hotel was founded by the late Brig. (Retd) Muhammad Aslam Khan, the first commander of the Northern Scouts who liberated the Northern areas in 1948. Shangrila was named after a book titled "LOST HORIZON" by James Hilton. In the book, the author narrates a fictitious tale in which an airplane crash-landed near a riverbed, in the early 1920's. The surviving passengers came across some Buddhist monks from a nearby temple and sought their help. They were taken to a beautiful lamasery fi...

These lines of Wordsworth came into my mind when reached Deosai Plains after a long travel through mountains, valleys, lakes, and hills. I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. William Wordsworth The ‘Deosai plains’ which in the local Balti language are called “Byarsa” meaning ‘summer place’ can be reached through jeep safaris. This is the second highest plain after ‘Chang Tang’ in Tibet, in the world. These plains spread all the way to Ladakh and cover an area of approximately 3,000 sq. km. These are a habitat for snow leopards, Tibetan brown bear, ibex and wild horses. It is a perfect spot for wildlife photographers. Deosai Plains are sited on the edge of the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. It is reachable from two sides; Astore valley and Skardu Valley. Its 50km drive from Skardu City and ...

Natures are multi-dimensional and if you don’t believe this, go to Gilgit Baltistan. You can enjoy the desert, the crystal clear water streams, lakes and roaring rivers, snowcapped mountains and the forests. Besides, Skardu valley has a historical dimension too. Not only the famous Khaplu palace, the Shigar Fort and of course the historic PTDC K2 motel which has been hosting the expeditions teams since decades, Gilgit Baltistan is also the origin of one of the oldest mosques of the subcontinent. Khanqah-i-Chaqchan, the Noorbakhsi mosque, was built in 1381 by Mir Sayed Ali Hamadani (783 Hijri), in 1438 by Shah Syed Muhammad Nurbakhsh Qahistani Sufi (842) and in 1505 by Mir Syed Shamsud-din  Iraqi (911)  a preacher who came from Iraq and help spread Islam in Kashmir region. The religious history of Khapulu highlights how Islam came to the region in successive decades and that the mosque was at the center of the spread of Isla...