Sharan Forest

From Islamabad, Sharan is about 6.5 hours away in total. Almost 5 hours of travel by car/bus to Paras, after which an off-road jeep travel of 1.5 hours from Paras to Sharan. The route is via Hazara Motorway, then Abbottabad, then Mansehra, then Balakot, and then Paras. The route is very clear, the roads are great and recently made, it’s almost a straight pathway. You can also take your own car to Paras, park there (there are parking facilities available at 500-1000rs per day), and take a jeep from there to Sharan. Jeep charges are around 1000-1500rs per person. The jeep ride is VERY bumpy, having steep sharp turns and all, and you pass over the Kunhar river bridge from Paras to Sharan mountain at the start. Basically, Sharan and Shogran are two mountains adjacent to each other. Once you reach Sharan, there are camping pods located at different distances, so your stay is sorted.

 

We stayed at the Pakistan Youth Hostel in Sharan. It’s a government-made tourist facility, with both camps and pods available. The camps are available at Rs. 2500 per night, and the pods at Rs. 5000. The camps come with a couple of sleeping bags cushions/pillows, and a mattress. (Not the cleanest, but doable). The hostel has a shared dining hall, kitchen, and a couple of washroom facilities, making it a somewhat public area. Again, not the cleanest, but doable. We had stayed in the camp, and it was a great experience. The pods are wooden huts with a bed and a couple of mattresses, but no washrooms. You can also bring your own camps and camp in the vicinity of the youth hostel. A little ahead of the Youth Hostel, there are other pods and glamps available, too, which you can check out for your stay. Youth Hostel is a good place to stay, for an adventure trip.

 

 

It was a 2-day trip. Day 1 breakfast we had at Balakot. At Sharan, we had paratha and sham ki chai at Youth Hostel, and then dinner of Karhai Roti. Breakfast at Sharan was Omelette Paratha, Chanon ka Salan, and Chai. This was included in our trip charges, so don’t know the individual price of these, but it must be nominal. The food was good, freshly prepared, and tasty, Alhamdulillah.

 

 

So Sharan is a forest with a river flowing in the middle of it.

-You can hike along its many trails, take the trek down to the river and follow the stream,

-go to Sharan waterfall (about half an hour trek from the youth hostel),

-and can also go to Manshi Top which is about a 2.5-hour trek from Youth Hostel. (We couldn’t go there cz of the itinerary issue ).

 

You can also just simply relax in the hostel vicinity, sit in the trees, play with the hostel dog or take a short walk. At night, you can do bonfire or stargazing. And man, are the stars beautiful! The absence of light pollution brings out the most stunning view of the night sky. Add that to the sound of the river flowing nearby, and it was heavenly. A beautiful experience, overall. 2 days is a good time to enjoy this place.

 

We heavily underestimated this aspect and ended up shivering away in our SUMMER clothes, lol. Checked Google (it showed 15 degrees at night ), confirmed with our tour manager, and the conclusion was that the temperature at Sharan would need just a light sweater or shawl. Turns out, NO. It needed more. People were legit wearing heavy jackets, even double or triple layers, and the temperature must be well below 10 degrees at night. Yeah we survived this in lawn and cotton clothes, and under the open sky in a camp that’s another adventure done, but points to take home are: Come well prepared. Sharan, though, not at much height, is a dense forest covered by trees, so little sunlight reaches, plus the river flowing in the middle of it makes it overall a pretty cold place. The temperature is much better and pleasant once the sun comes out, but even that takes well until 11:00 am for it to become warm. The locals told us that the place is accessible only for a few summer months, and is completely closed off in winter due to heavy snowfall. So yep. Take your jackets and shawls And don’t rely on Google Be sure to check the weather before visiting this stunning tourist destination.

 

 

The trip charges were 22k for a couple, excluding the jeep charges. Including jeep charges, it came to 25k for 2 people. This included transport, stay, food, and toll charges. Alternatively, you can also make the trip with either your own car, or take a Daewoo. Your car (if not a 4-wheeler) will get you till Paras. The Daewoo bus route you’ll have to figure out on your own, as per my knowledge, it takes you to Abbotabad. From Abbotabad onwards, you can travel in local buses, etc to reach Paras. You can also hire a rental car or a driver, whatever is convenient.

 

 

A wonderful short weekend trip. A beautiful place, and I wish with all my heart for it to remain so and not be destroyed by local tourism in years to come. Please, please, please, make it a point to not disrupt the place and its nature. If you can afford this trip, you surely can afford a few shoppers and bags for your trash to dump into, too. Be mindful. And happy travelling!