The Swat River is a perennial river in the northern region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The river's source is in the high glacial valleys of the Hindu Kush mountains, where it then flows into the scenic Kalam Valley before forming the spine of the wider Swat valley – an important tourist destination in northern Pakistan for its scenic beauty, and former stronghold of the ancient Gandhara region with numerous ancient Buddhist sites scattered through the region.
Malam Jabba is a Hill Station and ski resort in the Hindu Kush mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.
Miandam is a hill station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, in the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains. It is located at a distance of 55 km away from Mingora the capital of Swat Valley, and 56 kilometers (35 mi) from Saidu Sharif.
Marghuzar, or Marghazar is a hill station located in the Swat District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and is 13 kilometers away from Saidu Sharif. Marghuzar, translated as "green land", contains green valleys, cold springs, and mountains, including the Elum Ghar mountain. In 1940, the then Wali of Swat, Miangul Abdul Wadud, decided to build a summer residence there for himself which became the summer capital of Swat. The palace was named Sufed Mahal, translated as The White Palace. The palace has since been converted into a hotel. Marghuzar has a 200-year-old colossal chinar tree, which serves as a canopy for visitors. There is also a middle school and one primary school for boys and girls each, but there aren't any hospitals or clinics.
Bahrain is a town located in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, 60 km North of Mingora at an elevation of 4700 ft on the right bank of the Swat river. It is named Bahrain due to its location at the confluence of the Daral and Swat rivers. It is known for its riverside tourist resorts, local handicrafts, and its view of the merging of the Daral and Swat Rivers. It also serves as a base camp for the trail that leads to the Daral & Saidgai lakes.
Lulusar ,(Urdu: لالو سر), or Lalusar, is a group of mountain peaks and a lake in the Kaghan Valley in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Kalam is a valley located at distance of 99 kilometres (62 mi) from Mingora in the northern upper reaches of Swat valley along the bank of Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The area has become a popular tourist attraction, known for its mountains, forests and lakes. It is the birthplace of Swat river, which forms with confluence of two major tributaries of Gabral river and Ushu river.
Kundol Lake also known as Kundol Dand, is a lake in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, which is located in the north of Utror valley at a distance of 20.8 kilometres (12.9 mi) away from Kalam. Similarly, there is a well known story about the lake which is that every night in a month, a golden bowl appears in the center of the lake and glistens like moon but no one has ever touched that bowl due to magical powers inside it.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is located in the north-west region of Pakistan. It is known as the tourist hotspot for adventurers and explorers. The province has a varied landscape ranging from rugged mountains, valleys, hills and dense agricultural farms. The region is well known for its ancestral roots. There are a number of Buddhist archaeological sites from the Gandhara civilisation such as Takht Bhai and Pushkalavati. There are a number of other Buddhist and Hindu archaeological sites including Bala Hisar Fort, Butkara Stupa, Kanishka stupa, Chakdara, Panjkora Valley and Sehri Bahlol.
Daral Lake also known Daral Dand is an alpine scenic lake in the hill top of Bahrain a region of Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Province of Pakistan. It is situated to the northeast of Saidgai Lake. The lake appears as giant amoeba like in shape and stretched over a huge area. Near the lake, there is an ancient mosque where shepherds and visitors offer their prayers and use it as a resting place for night.
Gabin Jabba which means in Pashto honey marshes, is located approximately 65 km from Mingora on Matta sakhra road Swat valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the province of Pakistan. It is an area in Swat valley, with green meadows, thick forests, snow clad mountains, mineral springs and high peaks. Gabin Jabba elevation is 2582m (8471ft) from the sea level.
Saidgai Lake also known as Saidgai Dand is a lake in the upper reaches of Ushirai Dara of Upper Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Province of Pakistan. It is located at an elevation of 11,500 feet (3,500 m) above the sea level. It is located to the northwest of Gabin Jabba. The temperature is normally about 5 °C to 10 °C during hot months. Mostly this lake catches tourist from Dir and other parts of the country as well in the month of June, July and August, while the remaining months this lake is covered by snow. Saidgai lake is at the boundary of Dir Upper.
Sherin Zada is a Pakistani journalist working for Hum News. He was previously associated with the Express News based in Swat Valley, and had also worked with The Express Tribune, an English Newspaper. He is known for his work during Taliban period over control of Swat Valley. As a professional journalist, he covered or wrote highest number of reports and stories in the Valley.
Izmis Lake is a lake in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, located to the south-west of Utror valley at a high altitude above the tree line. The name Izmis means "caves" in Kohistani, and as the lake is surrounded by several natural caves, the people have named the lake after these caves. A small jeep-able link road from Utror leads towards the location of the lake, which ends in a valley called Loypanrghalay. The lake can be accessed from here after trekking for almost 3–6 hours.
Malam Jabba ski resort is a ski resort situated in the Hindu Kush range of the Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan at a top elevation of 2,804 metres (9,199 ft). The resort is located in Malam Jabba village, 40 kilometers east of Saidu Sharif and 314 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. It is the largest and oldest ski resort in Pakistan.
Saifullah Lake also known as Saifullah Danda in Pashto is an alpine glacial lake located to the north of Kalam Valley in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. From Mahodand Lake, you can trek to Saifullah Lake or also access the lake through 4×4 vehicles. The trek to Saifullah Lake is just about 10–15 minutes.
Mushroom Lake is a small alpine lake is located in the Gabral Valley of Kalam Swat. Mushroom Lake is called Mushroom because of its mushroom-shaped structure. It is Ten hours hike from Shahi Bagh Kalam.
Kharkhari Lake also known as Kharkhari Danda in Pashto is an alpine glacial lake located in Gabral Valley to the north of Kalam Valley in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. One can easily access it from Kalam via Passing Utror, Gabral Valley, Khu, Chota Jabba and reach Bahandra with a jeep or four-wheeler. From Bahandra hike trek to Kharkhari Lake start which takes up to 1 to 2 hours from Bahandra. From Mahodand Lake, you can trek to Kharkhari Lake or also access the lake through 4×4 vehicles. The trek to Kharkhari Lake is just about 10-15 minutes.
