Getting Around Naran

Road condition from Islamabad to Naran is good. From mid-June onward the road to Naran is open for regular cars, vans and coaches. So people who want to take their own cars, should not hesitate. You may find few patches bad but still drivable. A couple of glaciers which may block the road in the early season (before June). If you are driving, always start early in the morning to safely reach your destination well before dark.

People travelling through Public Transport may have to change 2-3 buses while coming from Islamabad. i.e. Islamabad to Mansehra. Mansehra to Balakot & Finally Balakot to Naran. Nowadays you can get direct conveyance from Mansehra to Naran.

Bonjour from Islamabad,

Pirwadhai or Karachi company bus terminals run transport to Mansehra, where-from you could get the coaches to Balakot and then upto Naran.

Keep some warm gear with you the weather forecast is bad for a couple of days, for the travelers to Naran these days.

Bon voyage..

How can you get to Naran:

1/ Bicycle
2/ Local buses
3/ Your own (or borrowed) car
4/ PTDC bus from Rawalpindi

From Islamabad it is a 6-7 hour drive to Naran. It will take you approx. 4-5 hours to reacj Balakot, and another 2-3 hours to reach Naran. Unless you want to stop in between at places such as Shogran.

When we visited in May 2001, FWO was building a road to Naran. Unfortunately in Oct 2005, this road got severly damaged during the earthquake. Recently (June 2008) one of my cousin went in his own car to Naran and have said that almost 95% of the road/bridges have been rebuilt and will be completed before next tourist season starts.

1 more image

BEST WAY TO REACH NARAN IS THE PERSONAL CAR.
ROAD IS IN REASONABLY GOOD CONDITION.
LOCAL CARS OR CABS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM ABBOTTABAD AND MANSEHRA.
CNG IS ONLY AVAILABLE TILL MANSEHRA.
BETTER TO FILL CNG AND PETROL/DEISEL FROM MANSEHRA.
PETROL/DEISEL IS AVAILABLE IN NARAN BUT VERY COSTLY.
SOMETIMES FACES SHORTAGE OF FUEL IN NARAN.

2 more images

On the way up to Naran, you will see so many cattles walking along on the road, sometimes our mini van had to stop and slow down to wait for them, a totally new scene to me to look at such a view, beautiful and happy.

In Naran, you will surely able to see so many Jeeps in red mostly, they are actually to bring tourists around within these area, one guy offered us 2500-3000Rs for the entire 3 days trip to Shorgan (or Skorgan), Lakes, etc and he is willing to take us to the last point Khunjerab Pass but at different price, if you have money, you should enjoy this kind of Jeep.

My choice is always low budget by bus and you need to take 3 buses in total, if you want to know how I travel there. It was not my plan to visit Naran but whenever I talk to local peoples in Islamabad, they would suggest Naran, Naran and still Naran. I was arranged a taxi from my hotel to bus station (Karachi Company), only a short drive less than 10 minutes, taxi driver charged us 200Rs and said " We are brother Muslims", shook my hand with smile. There, we managed to hop on a Lahore to Mansehra bus roughly 50Rs each. Mansehra, a small town of junction, we bought the Balakot tickets and waste time at the nearest restaurant was very welcoming and wanted many photos taken with them plus address to send to them. Foods here were tasty, mutton with briyani rice. After meal, quickly sit inside the mini van to avoid too many peoples asking too many questions. Memorably a nice young boy very polite and well educted came selling hand-carried foods outside the van windows, spoke good English, an Afghan refugee, told us his father is an English teacher, he said "...I don't like them, they are very rude (turned his eyes to side)...", anyway, we did not say much but listen. Soon the van move, and we were sent to a nice river side town called Balakot, one of the best place in my memory of Pakistan travels. The moment arrived, an old man very well mannered come forward with name card to invite us to his hotel, we did not think twice, just followed him to his hotel nearby, nice place, nice man, nice mountanious view and nice stay 300Rs per room, Hotel Serenity is the name. At night, I got a chance to speak to a young female, she came with her parents and friends at room next to us, we chatted quite a while, beautiful face, nice talker, what a place...Balakot. Next morning, when I step outside, a guy comes forward to offer his service, he has a red jeep, his name is something ended with Khan. The cost by jeep to Naran is 100Rs each while mini-van 80Rs each.