Please Jump to
Swat, Kalash, and Chitral Valley
The most perfect thing about the Murree and Nathia Gali area is the ease in which you can get there going from Islamabad. It takes two hours or less to get to Murree and four hours or less to Nathia Gali with many beautiful towns and lookout points along the way.
This mountain area during colonial times was a favorite of the British to escape the intense heat of the lower areas of Pakistan. A lot of the architecture in this area still represent element of British rule including the churches in the area and the way towns are designed. The cleanliness of every town in this area surprises me as they are huge on recycling with rubbish bins everywhere.
Lets not forget the Macaque Monkeys on the side of the road which are rather plump from eating anything they can steal from unsuspecting people, including climbing into our car to take our nuts and fruit…
The mountain areas up here offer some of the best scenery you will find anywhere in Pakistan if not the world. From every direction you can see rolling areas of green pine followed by snow-capped mountains in the distance!!! I would like to say these are just a few areas with this look but it was every road we drove down and every place we went!!!
Street food is something that has been talked about up in the Murree area. Being I was there during Eid, I knew it would be packed, but I have never seen cars backed up 14 KM outside of town to get in. Luckily my hotel was close and we could walk. Street food and the Murree Mall area was an amazing walk, although I ate too much!!
Of course not so much of a highlight for anyone but it has been a dream to visit the Murree Brewery ruins. Anyone that lives in Pakistan is familiar with one of Pakistan’s only Brewery- Murree Brewery. Built in the 1860s by Britain, it has withstood the test of time. Now a village has popped up around the lovely rolling hills but remnants remain of a time of occupied Pakistan. The Brewery is now located closer to Islamabad and is currently one of only 2 officially licensed breweries in Pakistan with the other being Hui Coastal brewery. The pictures are an eerie reminder of the British Colonization and the size of land this brewery is on is huge, probably getting mountain water to brew the beer. This is a must stop for any traveler and is located around 15 minutes from Murree. The sign to enter it reads Brewery (بروری) in Urdu).
Here is the sign to look for off the road:
Like all photographers and travelers, I love people watching and seeing what they do about their daily lives. Murree/Nathia Gali was no different. People like in all of Pakistan were very friendly and in many instances invited us into their homes or shops for some tea or biscuits. This hospitality is an art that has been lost with many places in the western traveled worlds and this area of the world still keeps up with it. I was happy to meet and have conversations with many people in different areas- Cafe’s, houses, streets, and sides of road. It gives me hope for humanity that there is still some great and humble people left in the world despite living with less than what most people take for granted. Watching people just go about their everyday lives is what drives me to go up to these rural areas as much as I can!!
There is no trip up to the mountains without enjoying the beautiful clouds, skies, sunrises and sunsets. The Roomy hotel chain usually sets up their locations around where you can see sunrises or sunsets and offer stunning views. Waking up at 5 AM was never so easy while watching these sipping a nice cup of coffee or tea.
As it is so close to Islamabad and Islamabad is a very modern and beautiful capital, it never hurts to stop for a night or two there to go up and see the lovely panorama at the Monal restaurant. A few visits to some little towns offer a glimpse to what life is like just outside of the outskirts of Islamabad and it is simply stunning.
Some random pics of Islamabad area
