Finally, our four-hour journey from Skardu came to an end. We had our van break down, enjoyed some of the best food in Pakistan and witnessed the majestic landscapes for a fourth consecutive day, all to reach the little-known location of Khaplu, Pakistan.

We were blessed.

As this is such a remote part of the world, there were only a few options on booking.com, all unavailable, so we decided to venture into town to find a place for the night. The original plan was to arrive in time for the Jummah prayer, the Islamic prayer takes place on Friday afternoons between 1–2 pm, but due to the breakdown, we didn’t arrive until close to 4 pm.

A fellow lovely passenger (as is the norm in Pakistan) invited us for some tea, but unfortunately, we had to decline due to the time, as we still didn’t have our accommodation. We left the bus and started to head into Khaplu, eagle-eyed, searching for a shelter to protect us from the elements.

Wandering further into town, unsure of what direction we should be going, we stumbled upon a few places labelled ‘hostels’, only to find they were more for Children and not adults, aka boarding schools. As we contemplated where to head next, all turned around; we suddenly saw the mountain range that was at our backs as we ascended higher through Khaplu. Once again, Pakistan had us in awe, and the lighting was perfect!

You’re always where you’re meant to be.

The sun hits the mountain ranges perfectly, and the entire valley lights up. There was nothing but a blue sky above us and the powerful beating sun, we needed to find somewhere quickly, but the landscapes we saw that day will stay with us for a lifetime.

After a few more hundred metres, we stumbled upon a guesthouse, it looked closed, but we cried out to attract anyone’s attention as it looked like a homestay. After some looking around and yelling, “Hello, hello? Salam, Salam…” Natalie broke us in! Well, not really… (but she kind of did). We were met by a friendly man who must have been over eighty years old, he profusely apologised for not hearing us, but that wasn’t our concern at all. He invited us in and made us chai whilst telling us about his lack of hearing. We enquired about the accommodation and first, he said, he had to call the girls over as only they knew, but after five minutes, he received a phone call.

The price was 3,000PKR for the night, including breakfast; there was no need for negotiation here. As we started to unpack, we enquired about a means of transport and were connected with a lovely driver called Abbas. We soon set off for Chaqchan mosque, but more about that Buddhist relic later; for now, we focus on Serena Khaplu Fort. I told you, Pakistan has a lot of forts!

As we found with Shigar Fort, Khaplu Fort was essentially a replica. However, It is the more scenic of the two due to the mountains staging as a striking backdrop. Whilst we were there, we witnessed a wedding photo shoot of a newly married couple we incidentally ran into again a few days later whilst exploring Katpanah Desert, also located in Skardu. After a brief tour, we entered the balcony where we met a lovely aunty who told us her life story, and we shared some moments too. The sun soon set after a sweet chai, and we had to say goodbye to our new friend. It was now time to head towards Khaplu food street!

We drove in complete darkness; Khaplu had suffered another blackout. As we drew nearer to Food street, we eagerly anticipated what it would be like. We imagined stalls similar to those in China and Thailand, but when we got there, we were surprised.

You see, Khaplu food street isn’t a food street. It’s a single restaurant. We were both as bewildered as you are now. Their main generator was down, but their backup ensured the kitchen was at total working capacity. Their lights soon after came on as they relied on Solar power, but we arrived early for dinner, around 8.30 pm, hence why we entered in darkness.

By this point, as evident in the bloops of our video, we were knackered. We quietly chowed down our meal with our new friend Abbas.

After a lovely meal and some star gazing, we returned to the accommodation, full of excitement for our second day in Khaplu. What adventures would tomorrow bring?

USEFUL TIPS FOR BACKPACKING PAKISTAN:

How to Visit Khaplu, Skardu, Pakistan

This sounds like it would be a complicated journey, but in truth, it’s pretty simple. As is the norm in this area of Pakistan, you will first need to head to Skardu, Pakistan. Skardu will be the central point for a lot of your excursions. Skardu certainly was for us, as you can tell from the numerous videos we have filmed there. We documented our flight from Islamabad to Skardu, showing you how to do that journey.

Once in Skardu, ask your hotel for the bus to Khaplu, and they will tell you where to go. We cannot give you a pinpoint location because there isn’t a bus station for departures going to Khaplu. You won’t find any schedules online, nor will you find an actual bus station. The buses depart for Khaplu on the edge of town, and your hotel will direct you there.

Tickets to Khaplu from Skardu will cost 300PKR per person for the minibus with a food break after an hour or so, and if you’re lucky, your bus won’t break down as ours did. Trust us, take the bus and enjoy the most amazing Pakistani food on route to Khaplu. You’ll have a chance to visit the colourful teeny tiny village of Gol, which serves up some of the best food in Pakistan!

Once in Khaplu, your accommodation will be able to sort you with a driver for the day. To go around Khaplu, 1,000 PKR is more than a fair price, and for the drive back to Skardu, it should be around 6,000PKR with stops at Machlu Valley, Sogha Lake, Saling and Manthoka waterfall. I wouldn’t recommend you miss any of them, it takes a lot to get into this area, and those four areas are well worth visiting on your way back to Skardu.

Enjoy! and don’t forget to tag Calamity Travels on Instagram. We’d love to see if you enjoyed backpacking Pakistan as much as we did!