The Gateway to Heaven

If you have heard of Pakistan or India, then I am pretty sure at some point going through the morning paper you might have come across a place called “Kashmir”. In the next couple of articles, I am going to take you on a journey with me and familiarize you with Kashmir.

What is Kashmir? where is it? what happens here? For starters, Kashmir is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India. It is considered one of the highest altitude war zones in the world, Kashmir has been the center of UN discussions for a long time, and it’s been almost 72 years but to our demise, till this day the Kashmir issue remains unresolved.

So, in summers my dad decided to take the family to Kashmir, so that I can see for ourselves what’s going on in Kashmir, a.k.a A piece of heaven on Earth. I have travelled through northern Pakistan before and I never thought it could get any better until I drove through Kashmir.

We packed our bags and took the M3 from Lahore to Islamabad, at this stage my entire family was sleeping so, I pushed through the first 4-hour leg of the journey and stopped at Gloria Jeans on Islamabad Highway for some breakfast. It was a solid 45min stop. We stretched our legs, enjoyed the view, prepped ourselves mentally for narrow, windy roads and shitty drivers ahead. Even though the following leg of the journey is only 77 kms, it takes almost 2.5 hours. As soon as you cross Kohala, the view gets better, you start hearing Jhelum River rushing down, but you can’t hear it for long because you can’t have your windows down, the road is very dusty because parts of it are still under construction.

Finally, around noon, we reached Muzaffarabad. It is the Capital of Pakistan administered Kashmir, and a common stop for anyone who is travelling to Kashmir, hence I call it “The Gateway to Heaven”. In Muzaffarabad we checked into Pear Continental Hotel. The hotel is slightly expensive, depending on the season it can cost anywhere between $75-210, but it’s worth every penny, especially if you are travelling with family. It’s located at the highest point in the city, from your room you can see the entire valley. It’s the perfect spot to relax and plan your trip through Heaven (Kashmir).

Muzaffarabad City during the day from Pearl Continental Hotel

Pearl Continental Hotel, Muzaffarabad