|
Picnic
Spots Of Quetta
Urak
Valley
The Urak
Valley is 21 kms away from Quetta City. The road is
lined on either side with wild roses and fruit orchards.
Peaches, plums, apricots and apples of many varieties
are grown in this valley. The waterfall at the end of
the Urak Valley, which is full of apple and apricot
orchards, makes an interesting picnic spot.
Hanna
Lake
10 kms from Quetta a
little short of the place where the Urak valley begins
is the Hanna lake. The golden fish in the lake comes
swimming right up to the edge of the lake. A little
distance away the waters of the lake turn on a greenish
blue tinge. Where the river ends pine trees have been
planted on the grass filled slopes. The greenish blue
waters of the lake provide a rich contrast to the sandy
brown of the hills in the background. It is accessible
by local transport. It has plenty of picnic spots, which
the tourists can enjoy.
Other
Places To Visit Beside Quetta
ZIARAT
VALLEY
|
Elevation 2449 meters (8200 feet)
Ziarat is situated
in the province of Balochistan, it is 133 kms,
away from Quetta Valley and it takes 3 hours by
car to reach Ziarat from Quetta.
Climate
Summers in Ziarat
are pleasant, while winters are extremely cold
People Inhabitant of this region are mainly
Muslim who maybe Pathan, Balochi or Brahui,
Nomadic tribesmen also pass through the valleys
in spring and autumn
Language
Pushto, Persian,
Balochi and Brahui are the local languages,
though Urdu and English are also spoken.
Vegetation
Some of the
largest and oldest Juniper trees in the world
are found in Ziarat, some even as old as 5000
years. This is why Ziarat is also referred to
as Juniper Valley. |
Ziarat
Pakistan has a number of
beautiful valleys, enchanting their spectators with
enthralling beauty but Ziarat's is importance and an
archaic treasure of Junipers forests. Situated about 122
km in the north of metropolis city of Quetta in
Baluchistan, this popular picnic resort is at the
elevation of 8,200 feet from the sea level.The summers
in the valley are always pleasant, attracting a number
of tourists, and the winters extremely harsh. Junipers
forests, which are one of the world oldest, are the main
source of lush green vista of the Ziarat valley. some of
the trees in Junipers forests had been sowed as long as
5000 years ago, making Ziarat as the second biggest
Junipers valley in the world. The word Ziarat means a
'shrine' (grave of a holy man). A folklore tells a
saint, Kharwari Baba, who is believed to have stayed in
the valley and blessed it. He was a member of Sarangzai
tribe and his original name was Mulla Tahir. Later he
became a disciple of Nana Sahib. A number of miracles
are attributed to Khurwari Baba. The shrine of Khurwari
Baba, after which Ziarat was named, is located 8 km away
from Ziarat and is visited by a large number of people
to pay attribute to the divine soul.
Ziarat
takes pride in hosting Quaid-i-Azam Muhammd Ali Jinnah,
the founder of Pakistan on a number of occasions. He
also spent the last days of his life in a government
residency there.This monumental residency was built in
1882 by the British government and till independence was
in the use of the agents of the British governor general
for India as their summer headquarters. The residency is
embellished with beautiful lawns, covered with grassy
carpets and with roses, dancing at the rhythmic tunes of
wind, all around the garden. From there one can have a
striking view of the picturesque valley.
Places of
Interest In Ziarat
The Shrine of Baba Kharwari
The shrine
is 8 kms from Ziarat town. A large number of people
visit it to offer sacrifices in memory of the saint.
During Eid (the traditional festival of the Muslims),
tribesmen gather around the shrine and wrestling and
marksmanship contests are held.
Chashma
Walk Between the hillside and the deep ravine lies a
stretch of level ground a mile long, ideal for a
peaceful walk. It leads to the springs or `Chashma'
which provide water to the town. It is 2kms from the
PTDC Complex.
The Quaid
- Azam Residency This is the place of Quaid i Azam
Mohammed Ali Jinnah's (the founder of Pakistan) stay
during his last illness and houses the relics of the
Father of the Nation. It was built in 1882 by the
British and used by the Agent to the Governor General as
his summer headquarters. It has beautiful lawns and
flower gardens, and offers a striking view of the whole
valley.
Prospect point
This lies
at a height of 2713 metres (8,900 feet) and is about 6
kms from Ziarat. Although the track is jeepable, a walk
is extremely invigorating, and the view seems all the
more rewarding. From a nearby cliff, one can see the
highest peak among these hills, known as khalefat (3487
metres/11,440 feet). A small rest house is located close
by. Reservation many be made earlier through the office
of the Deputy Commissioner of Sibbi at Ziarat.
Fern Tangi
This is
about 10 kms (20 minutes by jeep) from Ziarat. It is a
2-km walk from the main road to Quetta, leading to a
small waterfall formed by a mountain spring.
Sandeman Tangi
This
waterfall is just 4 kms from Ziarat and is worth
visiting.
Chutair Valley
Tangi
About 13 kms (30 minutes by jeep) from Ziarat, on the
way to Loralai lies the Chutair Valley. It is ideal for
a visit. There is a rest house of one wishes to stay
longer. The huts made out of the bark of juniper trees
are strikingly different from dwellings in other
villages. Other gorges are the Kahn and Kawas which are
also easily accessible.
SIBBI
Sibbi is
famous for its Horse and Cattle Show, which is held in
February every year. It also houses a fort built by the
fearless tribal warrior, Mir Chakar Khan. Balochistan is
an arid region, but has numerous natural springs known
as `Karez' which form gorges when water falls through
narrow openings among the mountain rocks. some famous
gorges are: Access Quetta, the capital of Balochistan,
is linked by air, rail and road to all major cities of
Pakistan. There is a 133 kms long road linking Ziarat to
Quetta. RCD Highway This route connects Pakistan with
Iran and Turkey. It enters Pakistan at Taftan at the
Pak-Iran border in the province of Balochistan, and goes
via Dalbandin, Nushki, Quetta, Kalat, Khuzdar and Bela
on to Karachi. It is 5,174 kms long.
Pir
Ghaib
70 kms from Quetta
This is a very popular picnic spot. Here a waterfall
cascades down the rocky mountainside making its way
through many streams and ponds amongst the shady palm
trees. You need a jeep to reach the spot from the main
road. (Check out
the Quetta Gallery to see the pictures of Pir Ghaib).
Pishin Valley
50kms from Quetta
This valley has numerous fruit orchards, which are
irrigated by Karez a kind of artificial spring, made by
boring holes into rocks to bring to the surface the
subterranean water.
Bund
Khushdil Khan
16 kms from Pishin Valley
This is a beautiful man-made lake. Its cool and gentle
waters attract many visitors for duck shooting in early
winter.
Source
: Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation
(information Services)
|
