This year the destination of our trip was set to Neelam Valley. Situated in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir region, the valley is situated to the North & North East of Muzaffarabad. Running parallel to the Kaghan Valley, it is separated from it by snow, covered peaks, some over 400 meters above sea level.

Excellent scenic beauty, panoramic view, Towering hills on both sides of noisy Neelam river, flourishing green forests, streams, high altitudes lakes and attractive surroundings make the valley a dream comes true.

Scenes from Shardha Village. Photo by Author.
Breakfast in a local restaurant. Photo by Author.

5 colleagues from Swat University and 4 from Punjab University set forth for a weekend gateway. As we ascended, the lush green mountains and gushing rivers of Neelam accompanied us.

After some 5 hours, the first stop of our travelling was the dense green village of Keran Border. This is the place you can see Indian-held Kashmir clearly, which is on the other side of the River. The clear blue water of Neelam River separating you from the banned side. A round of garma garam chai from a roadside hotel, we were all set to travel to our next destination.

At the Bank of the Neelam River in Shardha Photo by Author.
Huts in Shardha Neelum Valley Photo by Author.
Boating in Shardha Photo by Syed Najeeb Ullah Khan.

On a 2.5-hour travel from Keran Border is the hush village of Shardha, said to be named after legendry princess Sharda & Narda. Sharda is located at a distance of 30 kilometers from Dawarian, it is a breathtaking green spot at an altitude of 1981 meters. It has a captivating landscape with nefarious springs, waterfalls & hill sides covered with thick forests.

Shardha is the popular destination for backpackers, adventure travelers and the occasional honeymooners, it is one of the few places where the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has shown interest in developing tourism.

Scenes from the Valley Photo by Author.

Apart from this in other areas the role of the government seems less. Mostly housing and accommodation services are done in private capacity.

In Shardha accommodation facility is available for visitors near a small bazaar as well as on the top of hill.

En Route to Jalkhad Photo by Author.

Some of the most commonly visited spots are: Jura Camp, Kundal Shahi, Kutton and Jagran, Salkhela, Kutha Peran, Dawarian, Dodnial, Shardha, Kel and Helmet. The very last station is Tao Bat.

Ibrar Samon

Written by

A Philanthropist, Social & Human Rights activist, who hails from Swat KP, Founder & CEO of EFFA.

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