Regarding trip to neelum calley, i u yst tried to pm u but couldn't do it probably due to ur settings. Let me know if u need guidance.
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ghazi52
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krash
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Got ya fam.
Luckily, I already have a few short story length posts on the matter.
Strongly recommend taking the Murree route to Muzaffarabad rather than the Abbottabad route. So Lahore to Islamabad by M2 then onto the Murree Expressway till you reach Lower Toppa. More on the route below.
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"Really depends on where in Neelum Valley are we talking about. The Neelum river joins the Jhelum river right in the middle of Muzaffarabad; Neelum comes from the north and falls into the Jhelum as it comes in from the south-east and turns southwards. So technically, as soon as you cross the Quid-e-Azam bridge or cross Gojra on either the Abbottabad Rd or the Muzaffarabad bypass you are in Neelum Valley. As you exit Muzaffarabad northwards both the roads join and become the Neelum Rd. So 'technically', it takes you around two and half hrs non-stop from Islamabad to enter Neelum Valley.
Considering the fact that you would want to actually reach some place in Neelum Valley which is reminiscent of the pictures that you see on google, i.e. the famed Neelum Valley, with decent lodging then nearest two places would be Jagran and Keran. Kutton/Kundal Shahi is around 6-7 hrs non-stop from Islamabad, from where both Jagran and Keran are only half an hour further.
As far as the roads are concerned, you'll first take the Murree Express Way till Lower Toppa, which I'm sure you know is a dream.
After reaching Lower Toppa the Express Way becomes the Muzaffarabad Rd which is a typical mountain road, narrow and a little bumpy, exactly like the old Murree road.
Around an hour after this you'll reach the Kohala Bridge. Going over this bridge you'll cross over the Jhelum River and enter AJK. The road here becomes a two lane highway. This road is newly built and amazing all the way till Muzaffarabad (barring any landslides of course). You'll need only around 45 min to reach Muzaffarabad from here.
From Muzaffarabad you'll take the north exit onto the Neelum Rd. This road begins as the road that brought you to Muzaffarabad but starts narrowing as you drive further. Still, it is in very good condition, except for the small stretch where the Neelum-Jhelum Power project is being built. It will take you around three and a half hours to reach Kundal Shahi from Muzaffarabad. From here you'll either take the narrow road up the gorge towards Kuttan and then onto Jagran (30-45 min) or keep driving for another half hour to reach Keran. Below is the kinda road you'll see all the way till Keran,
The road from Kundal Shahi/Kutton to Jagran is narrow and in one area almost gravel (due to a major landslide) but the route is spectacular (Lord of The Rings references everywhere) and the Jagran Resort is the place to stay at in all of AJK.
From Keran to Shardah and then onto Kel the road pendulums every which way, from OK-ish to terrifying. You'll see patches like this which are very doable,
Then patches like this which are somewhat doable,
And then long patches like this which aren't very doable by an average joe,
Last time I was there it took me an hour and a half to cover the last 4km till Kel because the road was only mud and I was finding it extremely hard not to let my car drift off the edge.
The road beyond Keran (till Taobat) is a jeep track and I'd advise against driving your own car there.
The good thing though is that contracts have already been finalized for the expansion of the Neelum Rd. So in a few more years it won't be a problem driving till Kel at all.
Although Neelum is extremely beautiful from the beginning, the spectacular areas that you see in pictures start from Kundal Shahi. So I'd sincerely advise driving till Jagran, spending a few nights there and then hiring a vehicle (if you're not seasoned enough to drive there) to take you till Kel. Then spend a couple of nights at Kel with a day trip to Arang Kael and another to Taobat on a rented jeep. Return to Jagran or Keran, spend a night there and then drive all the way back to Muzaffarabad or Islamabad the next day.
The weather in June ranges from good to awesome depending on the clouds. The temperature drops as you travel northwards. By the time you reach Kel, it'll be cool to cold even in the sun. So take some warm clothes with you."
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"You can't start Kashmir with Arang Kel. It's the last spot that you can drive to and the second last if you hire a jeep.
TBH, there isn't any good accommodation beyond Keran. Shardah is a large town which is in need of a serious clean up while Kel on the other hand is a small town, clean yet without any reasonable accommodation. There are quite a few truckers' hotels in both the towns but trust me you don't wanna stay there. There is a large military presence in both the towns, 39 FF in Kel and 31st in Shardah (if I remember correctly). The soldiers will try to convince you to rent one of the army's "rest houses". Do not fall for this, they are nothing like the regular army rest houses that you might have seen before. These are literally guard rooms and regular jawan mess rooms that they rent out to earn a little extra pocket-money. No need to mention that they are beyond awful. There is only one doable hotel in both the towns and its the AJK Tourism Hotel in Kel. After entering the town just ask for the way to the army base. You'll take a right from the middle of the bazaar and then another right and then a left. Now just before the next left which will take you up the hill to the army base you'll see the hotel on your right, you can't miss it, there isn't much there anyway. It's no resort but it is clean, the food is good, the people are nice and you get running hot water at all times, a far cry from all the other places up there. Even the AJK Tourism Hotel in Shardah isn't worth staying at. Its from Kel that you trek up to Arang Kel and the situation there isn't any better.
So, I'd suggest driving from Islamabad or Muzafarabad all the way to either Jagaran or Keran, spending the night there, waking up early and then driving all the way till Kel. Spend the night there at the hotel, wake up early and trek to Arang Kel. Spend half a day there and then trek back to the Kel hotel before dark. Spend another night there and then make your way back to Keran or Jagaran early next morning.
I must add the bit about Jagran. Not many people know that it's there. When you reach Kundalshahi (Just before Athmuqam) you'll cross a bridge into the town's market. You'll see a turn immediately to your left. Take it and drive all they way on that very narrow road, through that extremely narrow mountain gorge, along the Jagran nullah. You'll reach the village of Kuttan pretty quick. Don't get enticed by the hotels and motels here or on the way, trust me. Keep going till you reach Jagran. As soon as you enter the town you'll see a gate on your left with "Jagran Tourist Resort" written besides it on a big board. This is the jewel in all of Neelum valley. A Swedish team came to install a hydro-power generation unit on the hill behind the town. They also built a colony for their engineers and workers. When they left, the AJK government converted the colony into a tourist resort and they did a magnificent job at it. You'll have a private hut with 1-3 rooms, a study room, a kitchenette and 1-2 bathrooms. The colony is based on the side of a mountain and you get to see the town and the Jagran nullah running through it right below you. The resort is extremely clean and amazingly well maintained. Its also very secluded with a chain-link fence around its boundary making sure that you are safe to roam the resort at night as well (mostly concerning the animals). On top of it all, its at an extremely beautiful spot with thick forests all around you and snow capped peaks looking down at you. If there's one place to stay in Neelum then this is it.
The Tourism Department's hotel at Keran is also at an extremely beautiful spot with its backyard making the bank of the Neelum River across which is IOK. But the Jagran Resort is just a class apart.
ps: Book the hut 8.3, thank me later. Also, if you need contacts, let me know."
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"I'd advise making Keran your third stop. So stay the first night at the Jagran resort, then the next at Kel at the AJK Tourism Rest House (I'd advise against staying at Arang Kel, available lodging is poor. So make Arand Kel a day visit), then spend the last night on your way back at Keran at either the Tourist Lodge (AJK Tourism) or the AJK Tourism Rest Houses.
The really narrow parts are all beyond Keran and a little patch on the road from Kutton to Jagran. I wouldn't worry too much about the Jagran road since it is in reasonable condition. So if your ok with driving on the narrower roads in Murree you'll be fine with this road. For the stretch from Keran to Kel, since it's your first time, I'd advise leaving your car either at Keran or at Jagran and just renting a jeep out to take you till Kel and maybe even till Taobat the next day if you can squeeze another night/day into your trip. You should definitely not take your car beyond Shardah (The road is very weather dependant. I once somehow ruptured my car's radiator pipe). You can park your car at pretty much any tourism office (they'll provide you with jeeps as well) or any hotel with a reasonable parking lot.
Book your rooms days in advance, stay at hut 8.3 at Jagran, if you can spare a couple of hours take the scenic jeep ride to the "glacier" behind Jagran (it's not a glacier but a really large and long chunk of perennial snow), don't expect a lot from the food, buy hand crafted silver jewellery from Kel for someone special, confirm that your room has running hot water where ever you stay, take a lot of pictures and, most importantly, have a blast!
And if you have anymore questions, feel free to ask."
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These could not have covered all of it. What did I miss? Got more questions?
BTW just realised that you'll be doing this in winter. The roads will be iffy due to the snow and the cold wouldn't be ideal for our little angel Chuchu. You'll need live road condition updates from the hotels before every stretch.
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DESERT FIGHTER
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Got ya fam.
Luckily, I already have a few short story length posts on the matter.
Strongly recommend taking the Murree route to Muzaffarabad rather than the Abbottabad route. So Lahore to Islamabad by M2 then onto the Murree Expressway till you reach Lower Toppa. More on the route below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Really depends on where in Neelum Valley are we talking about. The Neelum river joins the Jhelum river right in the middle of Muzaffarabad; Neelum comes from the north and falls into the Jhelum as it comes in from the south-east and turns southwards. So technically, as soon as you cross the Quid-e-Azam bridge or cross Gojra on either the Abbottabad Rd or the Muzaffarabad bypass you are in Neelum Valley. As you exit Muzaffarabad northwards both the roads join and become the Neelum Rd. So 'technically', it takes you around two and half hrs non-stop from Islamabad to enter Neelum Valley.
Considering the fact that you would want to actually reach some place in Neelum Valley which is reminiscent of the pictures that you see on google, i.e. the famed Neelum Valley, with decent lodging then nearest two places would be Jagran and Keran. Kutton/Kundal Shahi is around 6-7 hrs non-stop from Islamabad, from where both Jagran and Keran are only half an hour further.
As far as the roads are concerned, you'll first take the Murree Express Way till Lower Toppa, which I'm sure you know is a dream.
After reaching Lower Toppa the Express Way becomes the Muzaffarabad Rd which is a typical mountain road, narrow and a little bumpy, exactly like the old Murree road.
Around an hour after this you'll reach the Kohala Bridge. Going over this bridge you'll cross over the Jhelum River and enter AJK. The road here becomes a two lane highway. This road is newly built and amazing all the way till Muzaffarabad (barring any landslides of course). You'll need only around 45 min to reach Muzaffarabad from here.
From Muzaffarabad you'll take the north exit onto the Neelum Rd. This road begins as the road that brought you to Muzaffarabad but starts narrowing as you drive further. Still, it is in very good condition, except for the small stretch where the Neelum-Jhelum Power project is being built. It will take you around three and a half hours to reach Kundal Shahi from Muzaffarabad. From here you'll either take the narrow road up the gorge towards Kuttan and then onto Jagran (30-45 min) or keep driving for another half hour to reach Keran. Below is the kinda road you'll see all the way till Keran,
The road from Kundal Shahi/Kutton to Jagran is narrow and in one area almost gravel (due to a major landslide) but the route is spectacular (Lord of The Rings references everywhere) and the Jagran Resort is the place to stay at in all of AJK.
From Keran to Shardah and then onto Kel the road pendulums every which way, from OK-ish to terrifying. You'll see patches like this which are very doable,
Then patches like this which are somewhat doable,
And then long patches like this which aren't very doable by an average joe,
Last time I was there it took me an hour and a half to cover the last 4km till Kel because the road was only mud and I was finding it extremely hard not to let my car drift off the edge.
The road beyond Keran (till Taobat) is a jeep track and I'd advise against driving your own car there.
The good thing though is that contracts have already been finalized for the expansion of the Neelum Rd. So in a few more years it won't be a problem driving till Kel at all.
Although Neelum is extremely beautiful from the beginning, the spectacular areas that you see in pictures start from Kundal Shahi. So I'd sincerely advise driving till Jagran, spending a few nights there and then hiring a vehicle (if you're not seasoned enough to drive there) to take you till Kel. Then spend a couple of nights at Kel with a day trip to Arang Kael and another to Taobat on a rented jeep. Return to Jagran or Keran, spend a night there and then drive all the way back to Muzaffarabad or Islamabad the next day.
The weather in June ranges from good to awesome depending on the clouds. The temperature drops as you travel northwards. By the time you reach Kel, it'll be cool to cold even in the sun. So take some warm clothes with you."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You can't start Kashmir with Arang Kel. It's the last spot that you can drive to and the second last if you hire a jeep.
TBH, there isn't any good accommodation beyond Keran. Shardah is a large town which is in need of a serious clean up while Kel on the other hand is a small town, clean yet without any reasonable accommodation. There are quite a few truckers' hotels in both the towns but trust me you don't wanna stay there. There is a large military presence in both the towns, 39 FF in Kel and 31st in Shardah (if I remember correctly). The soldiers will try to convince you to rent one of the army's "rest houses". Do not fall for this, they are nothing like the regular army rest houses that you might have seen before. These are literally guard rooms and regular jawan mess rooms that they rent out to earn a little extra pocket-money. No need to mention that they are beyond awful. There is only one doable hotel in both the towns and its the AJK Tourism Hotel in Kel. After entering the town just ask for the way to the army base. You'll take a right from the middle of the bazaar and then another right and then a left. Now just before the next left which will take you up the hill to the army base you'll see the hotel on your right, you can't miss it, there isn't much there anyway. It's no resort but it is clean, the food is good, the people are nice and you get running hot water at all times, a far cry from all the other places up there. Even the AJK Tourism Hotel in Shardah isn't worth staying at. Its from Kel that you trek up to Arang Kel and the situation there isn't any better.
So, I'd suggest driving from Islamabad or Muzafarabad all the way to either Jagaran or Keran, spending the night there, waking up early and then driving all the way till Kel. Spend the night there at the hotel, wake up early and trek to Arang Kel. Spend half a day there and then trek back to the Kel hotel before dark. Spend another night there and then make your way back to Keran or Jagaran early next morning.
I must add the bit about Jagran. Not many people know that it's there. When you reach Kundalshahi (Just before Athmuqam) you'll cross a bridge into the town's market. You'll see a turn immediately to your left. Take it and drive all they way on that very narrow road, through that extremely narrow mountain gorge, along the Jagran nullah. You'll reach the village of Kuttan pretty quick. Don't get enticed by the hotels and motels here or on the way, trust me. Keep going till you reach Jagran. As soon as you enter the town you'll see a gate on your left with "Jagran Tourist Resort" written besides it on a big board. This is the jewel in all of Neelum valley. A Swedish team came to install a hydro-power generation unit on the hill behind the town. They also built a colony for their engineers and workers. When they left, the AJK government converted the colony into a tourist resort and they did a magnificent job at it. You'll have a private hut with 1-3 rooms, a study room, a kitchenette and 1-2 bathrooms. The colony is based on the side of a mountain and you get to see the town and the Jagran nullah running through it right below you. The resort is extremely clean and amazingly well maintained. Its also very secluded with a chain-link fence around its boundary making sure that you are safe to roam the resort at night as well (mostly concerning the animals). On top of it all, its at an extremely beautiful spot with thick forests all around you and snow capped peaks looking down at you. If there's one place to stay in Neelum then this is it.
The Tourism Department's hotel at Keran is also at an extremely beautiful spot with its backyard making the bank of the Neelum River across which is IOK. But the Jagran Resort is just a class apart.
ps: Book the hut 8.3, thank me later. Also, if you need contacts, let me know."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'd advise making Keran your third stop. So stay the first night at the Jagran resort, then the next at Kel at the AJK Tourism Rest House (I'd advise against staying at Arang Kel, available lodging is poor. So make Arand Kel a day visit), then spend the last night on your way back at Keran at either the Tourist Lodge (AJK Tourism) or the AJK Tourism Rest Houses.
The really narrow parts are all beyond Keran and a little patch on the road from Kutton to Jagran. I wouldn't worry too much about the Jagran road since it is in reasonable condition. So if your ok with driving on the narrower roads in Murree you'll be fine with this road. For the stretch from Keran to Kel, since it's your first time, I'd advise leaving your car either at Keran or at Jagran and just renting a jeep out to take you till Kel and maybe even till Taobat the next day if you can squeeze another night/day into your trip. You should definitely not take your car beyond Shardah (The road is very weather dependant. I once somehow ruptured my car's radiator pipe). You can park your car at pretty much any tourism office (they'll provide you with jeeps as well) or any hotel with a reasonable parking lot.
Book your rooms days in advance, stay at hut 8.3 at Jagran, if you can spare a couple of hours take the scenic jeep ride to the "glacier" behind Jagran (it's not a glacier but a really large and long chunk of perennial snow), don't expect a lot from the food, buy hand crafted silver jewellery from Kel for someone special, confirm that your room has running hot water where ever you stay, take a lot of pictures and, most importantly, have a blast!
And if you have anymore questions, feel free to ask."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These could not have covered all of it. What did I miss? Got more questions?
BTW just realised that you'll be doing this in winter. The roads will be iffy due to the snow and the cold wouldn't be ideal for our little angel Chuchu. You'll need live road condition updates from the hotels before every stretch.
Bro, Im a good driver... 2 major accidents and driving in all conditions n terrains (all provinces)... n getting caught in flash floods in suleiman ranges... ive seen my share of fuk ups...
Ive driven till muzafarabad city trying to chase the icy peaks you start seeing from bhurban...
So basically i start frpm lhr... stay at murree for the night.... than towards Kutton/Kundal Shahi or Jagran , Keran ... which ones better with decent accomodation?
Than the next day to Kel? wonder if car can do that.
And than jeep ride to arrang kel or tao butt... ? accomodation in tao butt n arrang kel?
krash
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Haha, no no those posts were originally meant for someone else. I didn't simply quote them because I made some changes in the originals.
Ive driven till muzafarabad city trying to chase the icy peaks you start seeing from bhurban...
And how disapointed were you when you didn't see nothing of the sort in Muzaffarabad?
Yes, so Lahore to Murree. Then Murree to Jagran (Trust me. Besides you can stop at Keran for some riverside pakoras on your way to Shardah. Kutton and Kundalshahi are meh). Basically when you hit Kundalshahi you'll have two choices. If you keep driving straight on the road (towards Shardah, Kel) you would reach Keran. But if you take a left at the Bazaar, pretty much right after crossing the small bridge, the road will first take you to Kutton and then on to Jagran. I'd really recommend spending a day at Jagran.... as you can tell by now, I love the place, the resort is brilliant (Stay at hut number 8.3. It is where the ministers come to stay. You might wanna book it in advance since its pretty sort after). Leave really early from Jagran towards Shardah. If you don't leave early enough then you'll have to spend the night at Shardah, which is extremely pretty but the town is a mess without proper lodging (the ancient Buddhist University is pretty cool there though). Plus there's too much to see along the way, you'll wanna take your time.
The car will be perfect till Jagran. Jagran to Shardah it all depends on the condition of the road and the weather. Last time I was there it had some really bad patches. If the weather isn't too cold get a jeep and travel without any worry. Shardah to Kel, I would recommend hiring a Jeep. TBH, I've taken my car till Kel a couple of times in conditions which were less than ideal but that was stupidity born out of youth. Once drove through ankle high mud to Kel on a Civic! It still can be done if the weather is ok but I won't recommend it when travelling with family. Stray rocks hitting the undercarriage, high risk of tire punctures, patches of deep mud and massive potholes, all a bit unnecessary. They've been saying the roads are to be built since years now, maybe there's been some progress. But don't worry about it, the people at Jagran will guide you about the road conditions very well. Shardah to Kel (even some parts before Shardah) is the sort of stretch which was paved once but has over time withered away in certain areas down to a dirt track. Kel to Arang Kel and Taobat is all about the weather. If it has been raining or snowing then you'll find it difficult to find a jeep driver willing to drive you there. Otherwise it would be no problem, but your car would be out of the question. Accommodation at both Arang Kel and Taobat would be below par, that's why I recommended making them just day trips. Even in Kel there's really only one place that is doable and that is the AJK Tourism Hotel.
Haha, I actually chuckled.
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ghazi52
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