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| SWAT Valley |
The beautiful Swat Valley had been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons since last 4-5 years but it has been well known in Pakistan as “Paradise on Earth” and “Switzerland of Pakistan” by the international tourists due to its God-gifted natural beauty.
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| Malalah Yousafzai |
Last time when readers and viewers around the globe heard about the Swat valley was when the youngest nominee for the Nobel peace prize in history, Malalah Yousafzai was shot in an assassination attempt. Malah Yousafzai was born and bred in Swat, well known for her written diary (posted in a blog for BBC) during Taliban presence in Swat valley until 2009 and has been working as an activist for women rights and education. She has also won the Pakistan’s firs ever “National Youth Peace Prize and was nominated for “International Children’s peace” prize.
Today, I am going to take you on a short journey of Swat’s valley velvet green mountain side, purling streams and beautiful lakes offering breath taking views of the valley. The peace and serenity of this land has attracted people from all walks of life.
Swat is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of
Pakistan and has been inhabited by Pashtuns for over thousands of years. Swat
valley offer number of tourist attractions like Swat museum, enchanting and
graceful hill station of Malam jabba in the Karakorum Range with the large ski
resort of Pakistan. Bahrain is another hill stations famous for its handicrafts
and Kalam for its mesmerizing views of snow-capped high mountains and flowing
rivers.
There are some beautiful treks and lakes in swat
valley including Bashigram lake, Daral lake, Kundol lake, Spin Khwar and Pari
(Fairy) lake. Every lake has its own beauty and can be accessed through
different means including trekking, horse-riding, four wheeler drive due to its
height and location. Every lake is known
for its own special reason, Pari (Fairy) lake is famous for its myth of home to
fairies.
Pari lake can only be accessed by adventurous trekking through challenging
but gorgeous treks of the valley and there is a belief, that fairies live and
bath in the cool, pure and clear water of this lake. The nature lovers, who has
visited this lake has described their experience as a dream experience.
Swat also have a very rich wild life with variety of animals, and birds including hares, fox, jackal, wolf, pigs, Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, sparrows, doves, kites and different type of fishes. It also has traces of Buddhist and Dardic heritage before the Pashtun-Muslims taking control of the region.
Swat used to attract high profile guests from all over the globe. During one visit in 1962, Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip loved the Swat valley so much that she denied the rest of Pakistan visit by restricting herself to the beautiful Swat Valley.
It’s a pity that this beautiful place on earth,
which offers something for everyone from any part of the world regardless of
the seasons and background is known less for its enchanted views of beautiful lakes,
high mountains, waterfalls, crystal clear streams, lush green pastures and
fields.
I hope this post would provide some insight to the “Mini
Switzerland of Pakistan” and encourage you to visit this amazing place to
experience it for yourself in near future.
Enjoy the video and please leave your thoughts about the post!! and come back for more interesting posts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sORPXjKs_rs
