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About
200 kilometers long the picturesque
Neelum Valley is situated to the North
& North East of Muzaffarabad. Running
parallel to the Kaghan Valley . It is
separated from if only snow-covered
peaks, some over 4000 meters above sea
level. Excellent scenic beauty, panoramic
view, towering hills on both sides of
the noisy Neelum river, lush green forests,
enchanting streams and attractive surroundings
make the valley a dream come true. The
area is ideal for trekking. A fair weather
road opens the valley to tourists upto
Kel, 155 kilometers from Muzaffarabad,
of which about 150 kilometers has been
black topped while the remaining portion
is being matalled. Buses ply daily on
this rout and accommodation facilities
are also available in the rest houses
of places of tourist attraction. Simple
cooking facilities are available but
one has to make his own arrangements
for special dishes. |
Neelum Valley |
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of the places of tourist interest are:
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Kundal
Shahi
It is 74 kilometers from Muzaffarabad.
Here, Jagran Nallah joins river Neelum
which is being developed for trout fishing.
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Kutton:
( Jagran Valley )
The bewitching beauty of Kutton
permeated in the radius of 10 kilometers,
makes Jagran Valley . The area is 16 kilometers
from Kundal Shahi, is accessible by an
unpaved road. For the convenience of tourists,
the tourism department has constructed
two angler's huts.
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Salkhala
About 3 kilometers ahead of Kundal
Shahi, there is another secluded spot
of tourist interest of Salkhala across
river Neelum where a trout hatchery has
been established. A tourism rest house
is available here for accommodation.
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Authmuqam
Authmuqam is 10 kilometers from
Kundal Shahi of a height of 1371 meters.
It is the sub-divisional headquarter of
the area and serves as a take-off point
for tourists interested in hiking and
exploring the inner valley. It is an attractive
place known for its variety of fruit.
All necessary facilities viz bazaar, post
office banks, hospital, telephone and
PWD east house are available here.
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Neelum
At a distance of about 9 kilometers
from Authmuqam. Neelum is situated on
the right bank of the river Neelum 1524
meters above sea level. It has a fascinating
scenery. The village has a population
of about one thousand, a small bazaar
and a tourist rest house situated on the
bank of meandering river Neelum across
from where the Indian held Kashmir is
also visible.
The panoramic lush green valley, profound
in wild fruit and wildlife, attracts the
tourists from every nook and corner of
the country. Owing to its tourist attraction,
AJK Tourism Department is planning to
develop this area. 2 motels, 15 tourist
huts, cafeteria and a tuck shop will be
constructed here
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Neelum |
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Dowarian
Dowarian is situated about
13 kilometers from Neelum at an altitude
of 1615 meters. It is surrounded by
mountains full of conifer trees. A mule
track upto Rattigali Pass , about 30
kilometers towards west, connects the
Neelum and Kaghan Valleys . There is
a forest rest house on the top of the
hill, a tourist rest house is available
for accommodation near main road.
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Sharda |
Sharda
Located at a distance of 30
kilometers from Dowarian. It is a breath-taking
green spot at an altitude of 1981 meters.
Shardi and Nardi are two mountain peaks
overlooking the valley, reputedly named
after legendry princess Sharda, it has
a captivating landscape with numerous
springs and hill sides covered with
trees. On the right bank, opposite to
Sharda, the Neelum is joined by the
Surgan Nallah along which a track leads
to Nurinar Pass and through it to the
Kaghan Valley .
In Sharda, one also finds ruins of an
old Budhist University . Facilities
of a small bazaar, post office, health
centre, public call office and rest
house are available in Sharda. The AJK
Tourism Department has launched a huge
programme under the name of “
Tourist Village at Sharda” .
The entire project is nearing towards
culmination. Tourist rest houses, youth
hostel, cafeteria, game room, bridal
path etc. near the jungle have been
completed.
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Kel |
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Kel
A-19 kilometers journey from Sharda
upstream takes one to Kel. It is a small valley
at a height of 2097 meters. This is another
picturesque place in the Neelum Valley . The
Shounter Nallah joins river Neelum at this
place and leads to Gilgit Agency over the
Shandur Pass (4420 meters above sea level).
Buses ply daily on this route in good weather.
It is adviseable to hire a jeep from Authmuqam
for a trip into the Valley. Horses and ponies
can also be hired locally for travel to the
interior of the Neelum Valley . Banks college
hospital, bazaar and a rest house of JAK Tourism
are available for accommodation.
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Halmat
The area from Kel to Taobat is called
the Halmat. The border village about 49 kilometers
ahead of Kel, is a fascinating but unexplored
sight Janawai, Sardari and Halmat are the most
beautiful places of this area. A tourist rest
house has been constructed of Halmat to provide
accommodation facilities to the visitors.
(Note): Some tourist places of Neelum valley
are situated in the renge of line of control,
therefore, sometimes it becomes difficult to
visit these areas. So before to visit the valley
the visitors are requested to get information
from the tourism office. |
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