Due to the unbearable heat in Multan, with temperatures ranging between 30 and 50 degrees Celsius, we decided to visit the Northern Areas of Pakistan....
COVER STORY
Summers often provide people the opportunity to travel and explore the world. While it is rewarding to trot around the globe, it is a true privilege to belong to a country as gorgeous and diverse as Pakistan, and a blessing to get the chance to discover and appreciate the beauty of this majestic land. My family and I did just that this summer.
Due to the unbearable heat in Multan, with temperatures ranging between 30 and 50 degrees Celsius, we decided to visit the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The summers in Multan are always too hot, especially in the months of June and July. It had been quite some time since we had visited the Northern Areas. So, making time in our busy schedules, we decided to go on a short trip of three days to Murree, Patriata, Nathia Gali, and Ayubia. My dad had already purchased the bus tickets two to three days prior to our journey, so on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m., we were on board and looking forward to our vacation.
Our journey commenced from Multan to the Faizabad bus station, and it took us seven hours to reach there. When we got to the station, the van was ready to take us to Murree, our final destination. Within minutes, the van was full, with the passengers eagerly waiting to arrive at Murree. Although we were all tired after such a long journey, the mountains on our way, the beautiful weather, and the scenic views did a great deal to rejuvenate us. At almost 7 in the evening, we were at the Murree bus station.
The moment I stepped out of the van, I felt a significant change in the weather. We hired a taxi from there and arrived at our hotel. After a little bit of rest and a meal, we put on our joggers and headed towards Mall Road. There was great hustle and bustle on this famous road; it is the most crowded place in Murree, especially in the summer season. There are hostels, tea shops, ice cream vendors, jewellery shops, and handicrafts which the tourist can buy as a souvenir. As we were already full from our meal, we decided to just try the blueberry flavoured cone from Chaman Ice Cream. It was very tasty. We also indulged our tourist instincts by capturing photos in front of GPO Murree.
The next day, at 8 in the morning, after having a heavy breakfast of anda paratha with chai, we started our walk from GPO to Kashmir Point. At Kashmir Point, we visited the Bagh-e-Shahidan and the PIA Park, which is beautifully decorated with an array of flowers. Kashmir Point offers a convenient Safari Train tour to effortlessly enjoy the beautiful views of the area. Out of curiosity, I asked my father why it is called Kashmir Point, and my Father replied, “It's because you can see the mountains of Kashmir from this point.”
No doubt from Kashmir Point there is a breathtaking view of mountains and it is the perfect place for photography. After horse riding and enjoying taking pictures at the PIA Park, we were tired and were not able to walk back, so we took a taxi and reached the GPO. Our next destination was Pindi Point. Pindi Point is also at a walking distance – just around half an hour by foot – from Mall Road, but we decided to avail a shuttle service because of time shortage. Within a few minutes we were at Pindi Point, where we purchased a few wooden boxes at an affordable price. There is also a chairlift service at Pindi Point, which is among the beautiful spots in Murree that tourists and visitors love to visit.
After having lunch, we decided to visit Gharial Camp and Patriata, taking a taxi to reach our destination. Patriata is 45 minutes away from GPO. It is located in New Murree and is 7,500 feet above sea level. It is the highest point of the Murree Hills. In Patriata, we visited the Patriata Adventure Park and had a lot of fun. We availed the electric shuttle service which offered a round tour of the whole park.
The next day, we moved towards our next destination: Ayubia. Ayubia is situated 8,000 feet above sea level. It is named after Pakistan’s late president, Muhammad Ayub Khan. It takes at least 1 hour and 10 minutes to get there from Murree. Ayubia is also famous for wild monkeys, and visitors give them a treat of corn; this is a beautiful interaction which the monkeys and the visitors both enjoy. One of the spots we visited there is the Motto Tunnel in the Ayubia National Park in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was constructed by the British in 1891, and a revitalization effort was undertaken in October 2020 to return the tunnel to its original state. I was literally so impressed with this state-of-the-art tunnel.
Then we headed towards Nathia Gali. On our way there, we stopped at Dunga Gali and had lunch at a hotel. The food was hygienic and tasty. Then we continued our journey. Once we got to Nathia Gali, we had a lot of fun. We walked all the way round the Lalazar track. There were pine trees everywhere on both sides of the track, and they were so tall they seemed to touch the sky. I also collected cones of pine trees for decoration purposes.
We had to reach the bus station before 9 o’clock so we returned to the hotel, had a rest, and started packing. The next morning, we reached home safe and sound, taking beautiful memories of Murree with us. In our limited time there, my family and I discovered many beautiful spots. It was a joy to experience the charms of Pakistan’s most popular hill station. In the end, I want to request all the readers to preserve the beauty of our country, especially whenever you get a chance to visit these gorgeous, scenic regions; make sure to put the garbage in bins and take care of the cleanliness of these areas.
