“Jobs fill your pocket. Adventures fill your soul.”- Jamie Lyn Beatty

In the modern era’s hustle culture, sometimes we get too involved with our lives, our ambitions and our goals that we forget to make memories and go on adventures even though adventures can be satisfying to the soul. The fast paced reality of the world and the need to be productive almost always reduces the times we vacation during off-seasons or holidays even though taking a break from our busy lives is necessary to blow off steam.

And international vacations are everyone’s dream vacations but can often be pricey. However, we have a fine country on its own here which has countless prominent places to see and experience. What better way to experience them with your families?

Here are our top picks:

Deosai Plains

Deosai Plains, a place from legendary folklore of Saif-ul-Mulook, is sure to wow you with its breathtaking beauty, diverse flora and fauna and spectacular views. This high elevation plain is in Gilgit-Baltistan and can be accessed from Skardu, Islamabad, Astore and Galtari Kharmang. The best time to visit this place is during the summer months when it snows.

The place also boasts the Deosai National Park containing a variety of wildlife and flora. Visitors can partake in other activities like fishing after obtaining a fishing license from the park authorities and exploring and trekking amazing trails. A perfect place to sit back and relax, unwind, and breathe and let yourself frolic among God’s most charming creation.

Neelum Valley

Another one of the local favorites is Neelum Valley, in the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir. It’s another well-known piece of paradise in the northern areas of Pakistan. The best time to visit this place is during the summer months. 

Some of the activities one can do here are fishing and angling. Moreover, there are so many more places to sightsee within this place such as lakes, more valleys, and waterfalls. Some key places include Baboon Hill Station, Rati Gali Lake, Neelum Jhelum Hydro Powerplant, Kutton Waterfall and Dhani Waterfall. These can all be accessed through various dirt roads or tracks either on foot or on vehicles. Accommodation is available at multiple places where there are more tourists such as the Upper Neelum which is a converted village for tourists.

Neelum Valley truly offers one single showstopper package; history, science, geography and aesthetics all in one!

Taxila

Taxila is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and is situated in the Rawalpindi District. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site owing to the presence of ruins of earlier civilizations. The most renowned of them are the four ruin settlements at Bhir, Saraikala, Sirkap, and Sirsukh. Many of the ruins or famous monuments include stupas which are Buddhist monasteries, tombs, and fortified cities. 

There is also the Taxila Museum that can be visited by tour bus from Islamabad that showcases a wide variety of Gandharan Art or ancient Buddhist sculptures. The city is also connected to Islamabad and Peshawar by the M1 Motorway, to Lahore by the M2 Motorway and to Faisalabad through the M4 Motorway. 

The place can also be visited by air. Nearby airports include Islamabad International Airport and Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar. It’s a great place to visit with family to see what once was and maybe forge some lessons from what people of earlier civilizations left behind. After all, a history field trip is so much more fun than a class lecture!

Rohtas Fort

Rohtas Fort is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Pakistan near the city of Jhelum in the Punjab province. It’s a remarkable and intimidating structure that rises from the dusty plains of Punjab and can be accessed from Lahore and Islamabad through the Grand Trunk Road. 

It was built on the orders of Afghan leader Sher Shah Suri and lies between the Afghan mountains and the Punjab plains.

This is another great place to visit with your loved ones, walk among the ruins and along the walls to truly capture the experience of standing beside this edifice. One can feel insignificant, but it is also a wondrous experience to think the fortress was once bustling with life. Such is humanity’s life cycle. Another enjoyable history lesson in the books!

Fairy Meadows

Last on the list is a place of daydreams, peaceful tranquility and calm serenity. You guessed it! Fairy Meadows! This divine paradise is in Gilgit Baltistan at the base of Nanga Parbat, one of Earth’s largest mountains. It can be accessed by a trek or transport by jeep from Raikot Bridge on Karakarom Highway to the village of Tato. From Tato, it’s another three or four hours hiking to reach Fairy Meadows. 

This increase in tourism to the area has also boasted revenue and given employment opportunities to the locals.

Some people also hike to the Nanga Parbat Base Camp from the meadows while others stop here to enjoy the spectacular views and stunning beauty of the surroundings. Fresh air, lush greenery, blue skies, diverse flora and fauna and starry nights greet tired tourists. Thus it can be said that the workout is quite worth it. People can also camp here to truly immerse themselves in the experience for a reasonable amount of fee!

Conclusion

This list is only the tip of the iceberg as there are many other places to explore, discover and visit. But it’s a good start as it covers the prominent areas of the country and once you have these down, you can always go back to find more places around them to explore. So be sure to check out your local travel agencies for any upcoming travel packages to any of these areas and have a jolly good time. Happy travelling! 

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash