OVER the summer break, Eid holidays and the long weekends, people have once again started going up north with their friends and family. Particularly popular is the Swat valley.

First and foremost, I would like to tell people that the route to Swat has become smooth. The expressway was inaugurated recently and is excellent. The roads leading to Kalam from Chakdara Interchange have also been revamped. Tourists can now go to Bahrain Valley, where they get to see the famous Daral River and good accommodation or they can visit Malamjaba, a ski resort, which has zipline rides and other fun things too.

While work is still in progress on the roads in Kalam, SUVs and pickup trucks can easily navigate the route once there.

Tourists also have the option of on-the-spot vehicle booking to go to Kalam and Mahudand Lake.

Swat valley is famously known for its hospitality and was once popular as the Switzerland of Asia.

Rehan Hameed Karimi
Bahrain, Swat

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2019