Naran is a town and the most popular tourist destination in the upper Kaghan Valley of Mansehra District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan.
Location of Naran Valley
Naran is located 119 kilometers (74 mi) from the city of Mansehra at an altitude of 2,409 meters (7,904 ft). It is located about 65 kilometers (40 mi) from Babusar Top.
Naran Kaghan Valley is one of the most popular tourist attractions locally and internationally. Naran Valley is also the most visited valley in Pakistan, with around 1.5 million people visiting it annually.
Tourism in Naran
Naran Kaghan Valley is known as a tourist destination, thanks to the pleasant weather during the peak season, thousands of tourists rush to explore the valley every year. It is also the gateway to Gilgit, Hunza in Summer at Babusar Pass. The Naran bazaar is very crowded in the summer with hotels and restaurants offering their services. In 2020, the government expects 5 million tourists to explore the valley.
Naran Kaghan Valley is known for turning some of the most historic disasters into natural attractions. The place is famous for tourism, especially after the current development of roads and tourist facilities.
Naran is special not only for its tourism but also for the fact that one can engage with these monuments on their own. Nature is made available to the public; with that being said, you can go touch a mountain or ride a boat on a lake so high off the ground and almost so close to the sky that you have to taste the essence of heaven and feel the earth to its fullest.
Weather of Naran Kaghan Valley, Pakistan
Naran Kaghan Valley has a humid continental climate (Koppen Climate Classification Dfb). There is significant rainfall in the summer and heavy snowfall in the winter. Geographically and climatically, the region is alpine, the landscape is dominated by forests and meadows.
The weather of Naran Kaghan Valley usually remains cloudy throughout the year. During winter, the temperature often remains below 0 °C with heavy snowfall. In summer, the temperature rarely exceeds 15 °C with heavy rainfall. Naran stays busy in the summer, starting earlier, and tourism expands until late autumn. The average annual temperature in Naran is 10.1 °C.
Naran is a medium-sized city located in the upper Kaghan Valley, which is part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Naran Kaghan Valley is one of the most beautiful parts of the northern regions of Pakistan, which is elevated 2500 meters above sea level.
The beauty of Naran Kaghan Valley attracts many people towards it and hence it is a famous resort for hikers and tourists. The weather in Naran is very cold. The ice on the mountain tops never melts, even in the months of June and July there are glaciers and the mountains are covered with snow.
Languages of Naran Kaghan Valley
The road to the Naran Kaghan Valley is along the Kunhar River, which starts from the Kaghan glaciers and flows deep down in the Mansehra. The local language of the Naran Valley is Gojri, but every individual there can speak and understand Urdu. The dress is a Shalwar Kameez with long bottom Shalwars. Most people are tall. The average height of males was about 5″8′ or 5″9′.
People of Naran Kaghan
The inhabitants of the Naran Kaghan Valley are essentially Gujjars, and they are very generous and good-natured. They welcome tourists very warmly and treat them as their own friends.
Their main source of income is tourists and their occupations include tour guides, restaurant managers, shop owners, restaurant workers, and jeep drivers, some of them also grow crops and some of them are shepherds.
But all their wealth is collected only in the summer season because in winter the whole area is covered with snow and they have to move down to Mansehra or some other warmer place. For that reason, the prices there are a bit higher. For example, the price of a 100 rupee mobile card there is about 107. But I think it is fair enough because this source of income is only for a limited time.
Women are housewives, they mostly stay at home. I found only one state primary school where some local children went to study. Besides, there was no education system. Mostly teenagers worked as tour guides and salesmen along with their fathers or uncles etc.
Naran Handicrafts
The main items of Naran Kaghan Valley are dried fruits and handicrafts. One of the handicrafts that you should buy is the artistically carved walnuts and another famous item is Namdas, woolen felt rugs, while woolen shawls, embroidered shawls, and shirts are also available.
There is a cottage industry in these places and you can come across some excellent bargains. Handcrafted items are pressed in shops in the main market.
Naran Bazaar
Naran also has a small bazaar and the basic necessities of life are easily available there. In the main bazaar, mobile networks, mobile shops, a bakery, general goods, tailors, and even barbers are available. It has more than 100 hotels of various types, from luxury hotels to very cheap motels. There are also tent motels that rent out family-sized tents for tourists to stay in.
Places to Visit Near Naran Kaghan Valley
The Kunhar River flows through the city. Some hotels are located on the banks of the river. At night you can hear the sound of running water and crashing against stones. That sound makes me very happy. During the day, people enjoy fishing in the river. Some people just sit by the river and put their feet under the cold water. In the afternoon, Naran Kaghan Valley will feel dark as these tall mountains stop the sunlight from reaching the valley.
Saifulmalook is located 8 kilometers north of Naran. It takes 1 hour to reach Saiful Malook from Naran. There are plenty of 4×4 jeeps on the outskirts of town. These jeeps carry tourists from Naran Valley to Saiful Malook. Since the way up is very rough and there are glaciers all the way up, only those jeeps and local drivers can take you there. People hire those jeeps and visit Saiful Malook along with their families. Some people prefer trekking to jeep riding, especially young people who go to Saiful Malook. There are also restaurants and shops in Saiful Malook. People like to ride horses there.
Saiful Malook is a lake that is located in the middle of mountains that are covered with snow throughout the year. One of the famous mountains is Malika Parbat which is located to the left of the jheel. Saif UL malook is named after a folk legend. It is the story of a prince of Persia, who fell in love with a fairy princess by the lake. The influence of the lake’s beauty is such that people believe fairies descend to the lake on a full moon. The color of the water is blue and it is crystal clear. An individual cannot put their feet under it for more than 30 seconds.
Ansu is a high teardrop-shaped lake located near Malika Parbat. You can reach it by following an 11 km trail starting from Saif-ul-Malook. The lake remains accessible from the beginning of May to the end of December, with worsening weather making the beginning and end of the season more difficult.
Lalazar is a plateau in the Naran Kaghan Valley once known for its beautiful wildflowers and soothing pine forests. The cultivation of potatoes and other species has recently given way to natural beauty, but still, the enchanting view of the lush meadows of Malika Parbat makes it a must. Lalazar can be reached over an hour from a muddy jeep track from Battakundi. Some people prefer trekking to riding a jeep. One famous moderate trek starting from Saif ul Malook Lake through picturesque Hans Gali ends at Lalazar
One thing that makes me sad about the place is that our elders tell us that if we go back 20 to 30 years, this place was in its true natural form and it was amazing. It is common knowledge that any place not yet discovered by man is still in its natural form. People do not care and throw garbage everywhere.
There were piles of garbage in the corners of the marketplace. Dust caused by traffic causes pollution. On Saif UL Malook, people throw rappers and scraps into the lake. There has to be somebody that takes responsibility and takes care of these actions.
