Grandeur of Chitral
Chitral valley is amongst the beautiful valleys of Pakistan. It is the largest district of Khyber Paktunkhwa, which covers an area of 14,850 km². The Valley is a magnet for tourists, for it has most beautiful place of Natural beauty. Amongst the numerous valleys that attract tourism, some popular ones are Kalash Valley, Garam Chashma Valley, and the list goes on. The presence of large glaciers, lush green valleys, and rich bio diversity makes it to the list of the most beautiful places in the world.
Chitral’s location is fascinating, it is situated on the crossroad to central asia. Chitral valley has Afghanistan on its north, west and south. The narrow strip, known as wakhan corridor, is Afghanistan’s territory that separates Pakistan from Tajikistan.
Places to Visit in Chitral?
There are a lot of places visit in Chitral but here are few that you should not miss.
Kalasha Valley: Surrounded by Hindukush mountains, the valley is inhabited Kalash people who are source of attraction for people around the world as they have a unique culture and happens to be smallest religious and ethnic minority in Pakistan. According to an estimate, today 5000 Kalash people live in 3 different valleys, the people are traditional who are often seen in their cultural attire.
Chitral Gol National Park:
Another place of Natural beauty that is worth visiting is Chitral Gol National park, a narrow valley that runs for 18 kms before turning into basin. The valley contains numerous tributaries, which runs southward and drains into River Kunhar.
Chitral Gol national Park is famous for its markhor goats, once an endangered specie, but now has been categorized as out of danger after phenomenal efforts by the local community to regulate its hunt. In addition, other animals found in the park include Snow leopard, Siberian Ibex, Black bear, Tibetan wolf, Himalayan otter and red fox.
Shandur Pass:
A lot of you may have heard about highest polo ground in World, this is often associated with Shandur, a scenic mountain pass situated at an elevation of 12,270 ft above sea level in Chitral. Shandur is also known for having highest polo ground in the world and is often in news during June/July when Annual Shandur polo festival is held, also dubbed as ’Game of the kings’. Another interesting fact about shandur is that the venue where the game of kings is played is referred to as roof of the world, which is situated at 12,500 ft, where 3 montain ranges of Karakoram, Pamir & Hindukush meet. Needless to mention that polo festival paves way for visitors to explore Kalash Valley, and nearby areas. Thanks to Tourism Corporate Khyber Paktunkhwa, the visitors get to benefit from mess facility and toilet facility, which additionally entices backpackers with their own tents and sleeping bags.
The most anticipated tournament concludes following a ‘’Guard of Honor’’ display by chitral scouts, following which the final is played.
