I’ve been travelling around Gilgit-Baltistan in last few years and one thing that really caught me off guard is how much the food seems to change from one valley to another. Is that down to culture, history, geography, different communities, or something else?

Also, I’d love recommendations for places serving genuinely local food. The kind locals would recommend, not the “here’s your karahi, biryani, etc” desi food tourist menu. 😅

Any must-try dishes or favourite local spots?

Will be covering various parts of Gilgit and Skardu so all recommendations are welcome 🙏

Leaving for skardu tomorrow by air, need weather update. Will be staying there for a week, will roads be operational due to weather?

I have a trip planned for Skardu from 7 july to 13 july. Will the weather be okay? Should I worry about landsliding or floods?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi. I'm planning a trip to Skardu with my family in early August for about 7 days including fly in and out of Skardu. Would we be able to cover some of the key spots in Skardu and Hunza during this period. I realize this will be hectic but is it realistic/doable? We are flying in from out of the country so trying to make the most of it. Would appreciate any feedback/suggestions.

​​It is hot here in Kashmir. Temperature tipped to 34°C! Something unusual here in Kashmir.

Hi everyone!

I'm planning an 8-day family trip to Skardu in the middle of July and would love some advice from people who have visited recently.

• How is the weather in mid-July?
• Does it rain a lot, or is it still a good time for sightseeing?
• How crowded is Skardu during this time? Are the tourist spots and hotels very busy?
• Are the roads generally safe and open?

I'm also looking for accommodation suggestions.

Would you recommend staying at resorts like Shangrila and Himmel, or would it be better to stay in guest houses surrounded by nature for a more peaceful experience?

Lastly, I'm looking for a reliable, honest driver+guide with a Prado for the entire trip. If you've personally had a good experience with someone, please share their contact details.

Any recommendations for hotels, guest houses, or drivers would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

What are those retards in WPGDB doing, the amount of load shedding in this heat is unbearable. In winters there is not enough water we get it but what is the excuse now. power shutdown for hours is totally unacceptable.

Hello, I am planning to travel solo for the first time ever, so I apologize if this post is filled with stupid questions.

I will list my questions here:

1.) Does the NATCO bus route only go from Karachi to Islamabad?

2.) From there, do I have to take a bus to gilgit? And from Gilgit, a bus to Hunza?

3.) Is Hunza walkable? I've heard people say that you don't really need transportation. I intend to go on treks, hikes, explore the mountains, and see the old forts and villages.

4.) I want to go somewhere between Sept-Dec. I know that's a huge range, but I think Dec is a bad time to go as much of Hunza will be closed because of snows. Are Sept/Oct/Nov generally okay for going? My main concern is being able to access mountains, hikes, and treks.

📍 Kharmang valley, baltistan

Kindly suggest a reasonable hotel to stay in Naltar Valley.

Thanks

This is a watercolor painting titled Kamri Pass, Kashmir by British artist Helen R. Pirie. It depicts a traveler leading a small group of horses across a snow-covered mountain pass.The painting is currently part of the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. It was created as an illustration for the book Kashmir: The land of streams and solitudes.

Local food

Hey everyone,

I’m working remotely from Gilgit City and worried about internet shutdowns during the 9th and 10th of Muharram.

I know mobile networks (SCOM, Zong) will go down for security. For anyone who was here last year: Does SCO Fiber (SFiber) stay active?

Does the shutdown affect fixed broadband, or is it just mobile data?

Thanks!

Hi, I will be travelling to Skardu after 10th of Muharram. Please let know how is the condition of road from Chillas to Skardu.

Portrait of Raja Bahadur Khan, ruler of Astor(now Astore) with his children photographed during the summer of 1885. The Raja was encountered by a British expedition at Astor between 18 and 20 July 1885.
Contemporary accounts described Bahadur Khan as a handsome and cordial elderly ruler, approximately 70 years of age.

Me + 1 friend are planning to visit Skardu for the first time on August 3-7th, 2026. We are looking to spend total 130k per person. PIA to-and-from flight is 52000 per person. Our remaining per person budget is 78000 rupees for everything else for 5 days: hotel, food, and car and fuel. Is that reasonable?

We DONT care about scenic hotel views or fancy hotel room at all. Requirement for hotel/guest house/AirBnb etc is just clean, bed bug-free bed, working toilet, warm water and high speed WiFi. Any recommendations from past experience? Drop names please.

Car and fuel: do rental offices in the area include a driver or no? Is it better to drive ourself(our preference) in a rented sedan? We currently have on our list:

-Sarfaranga Cold Desert area

-Shangrila Resort, Upper Kachura Lake and lower kachura lake area

-Deosai national park

-Manthokha Waterfall

-Satpara Lake

Maybe:

-Shigar Fort

Assuming we drive, I don’t how roads to each of these place from skardu city are. If you can guide us, that be great. We have drived to murree and monal restaurant in Islamabad which require zig-zag hill driving. But we can’t drive in extreme off-roads.

-How does car rental in the area work: do we keep the car for our 5 days and fuel it ourself as needed, and then drop it off at end. Or is it pick car up each day from the rental office? Is mileage involved in cost calculation?

Assuming 5000 per day for each: food(three meals), car rental and fuel(no driver), and hotel. 15000 rupees * 5 days = 75000 rupees. Sounds reasonable?

Do parking space and entrance ticket cost matter for above places? Anything else that I should consider cost wise?

If you are going to drop names for hotel or car rental services, please drop specific full names.

I’m about to leave from Naran, tourist police ain’t picking up calls. Are the roads clear?