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    Kumrat Valley - A Heaven on Earth

    Written by: Zainab Naseem
    Posted on: April 22, 2022 | | 中文

    The river outside the hotel room

    Planning a trip to Kumrat Valley as a Karachiite requires a lot of research. We had to invest 10 to 15 days to reach Islamabad, and then went further North. At the height of 8,100ft above sea level, Kumrat Valley is located in the Upper Dir region behind Gabral, Swat Kohistan. In the summers, the temperature ranges from 20°C to 25°C, while in the winter, the temperature drops to -4°C to - 10°C.

    We started our trip from Upper Dir with Ayaz Zaman, a local jeep driver from Bijli Ghar, a small town close to Upper Dir.We had known him for a while, and he had organized tours for friends in the past also. He was delighted to show us Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK) and said, “After the visit of Imran Khan to Kumrat Valley in 2016, this valley got the attention of tourists, and thousands of them began to visit this place every year, and fell in love with it”.

    We took the Kumrat road via Biar bridge, which is a non-stop zig zag ride for almost 2.5 hours, until we reached the village of ‘Thal’. We were greeted by a welcoming cold breeze which swept off the Panjkora river and the lush green mountains around the village. As we entered the bazaar, we saw a crowd of people walking their herds.

    The Panjkora River (photo credits to the writer)

    The main market was small, but filled with dry fruits and Chitrali ‘Pakol’ hats. The village also has a distinctive Jamia Masjid that is a hundred years old, with its wooden structure still intact despite landslides and heavy rains. Thal is also called the ‘gateway of Kumrat’, and the rest of the journey beyond Thal had to be on a 4x4 jeep.

    The Jamia Masjid at Thal (photo credits to the writer)

    The entrance to the valley was full of vegetation, mostly cabbages. There were no rugged mountains anywhere, so the only thing you could see was the river and the sound of its gushing water. After an exhausting jeep ride, we decided to stay at the first hotel we saw. The people were welcoming, and the views from our rooms were wonderfull. We only needed to take a few steps out of our rooms to dip our toes in the river. As a Karachiite, I was excited to finally be able to use a shawl, and that too in the middle of July!

    Ayaz looked up at the clouds and predicted rain. Sure enough, it started raining within five minutes of his prediction. We ran to our rooms and enjoyed the sound of rain with music, tea and board games. The very next day, Ayaz suggested that we should go to Kala Chashma and the Kumrat Waterfall, the most visited spots in the area, but were constrained by the intermittent rain.

    The plains on the way to Kala Chashma (photo credits to the writer)

    After a tiring 2 hour journey, Kala Chashma was a welcome surprise. The gigantic trees and light drizzle followed us there too, as we enjoyed tea and picturesque views of the meadows with the river running through them. While travelling towards the Kumrat waterfall, Ayaz asked us whether we had trekked before, as we would have to walk a little before reaching the waterfall. But since we were excited, we took it as a challenge!

    Fifteen minutes after an uphill hike, we realized that it was not as easy as we had assumed. Ayaz kept motivating us by showing the trail of water coming from the fall. After twenty more minutes, we sighted a milky waterfall. The exhaustion suddenly vanished at its sight, and we spent the next hour munching on the fresh apricots and peaches while taking in the breathtaking view of the waterfall. But too soon, it was time to go back.

    Kumrat Valley in the evening (photo credits to the writer)

    This entire journey not only left me with precious memories, but also increased my love for the mountains. The diversity of cultures and the relative seclusion makes Kumrat Valley very unique. The only thing that was missing was the mobile network, but we didn’t miss being disconnected from the outside world. Undoubtedly, this was an experience of a lifetime!

    The writer on the banks of River Panjkora (photo credits to the writer)


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021