Hunza Valley

In the Gilgit-Baltistan district of Pakistan, there is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking mountainous valley called Hunza. It is located in the great northern part of our Country where it borders with Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor and China’s Xinjiang region.

History of Hunza Valley

Hunza was previously a charitable state that used to have its borders with the autonomous regions of China i.e. Xinjiang and Pamir in the northwest region. It was disbanded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1974 and now this state is bordering the areas of Agency of Gilgit in the south alongside the east of Nagar state. The capital of the state was Baltit which was also known by the name of Karimabad or Ganish Village meaning “ancient gold village”. Around 900 years ago, Hunza was a self-governing territory until the British came and started controlling it along with its neighboring valleys such as Nagar during the years of 1889 till 1891. After the military conquest, the ruler Safdar Khan of Hunza valley escaped to Kashghar in China & took residence in a political sanctuary.

Geography and regions of Hunza Valley

Upper Hunza Valley

This part of Hunza Valley consists of the villages of Ayeanabad and then extends to border areas of Chuporson, Shimshaal, and Misgar. The central town of upper Hunza is the village of Gulmitbut for commercial purposes; the dry port of Sost is used. The subdivisions of upper Hunza Valley are Gojal 1, Gojal 2, Gojal and Gojal 4. Gojal 1 is serene with Shishkat, Ayean Abad, Ghulkin Passu, Hussaini and Gulmit. Gojal 2 is made up of Nazimabad, Hussainabad, Gircha, Sost, Galapan Murokhoon, Khyber, Khudabad, Misgar, and Jamalabad. Gojal 3 is the regions of Shimshaal and in the end; Gojal 4 is poised with the beauty of Zodokhon, Rashit, Kirming, and Khairabad.

Central Hunza Valley

During the monarchial ruling of the Ayashoo dynast, the central part of Hunza Valley remained very administrative due to which it was considered to be the center of Hunza Valley state. The center part of Hunza begins from a gorgeous town called Murtazabad and ends at Ataa Abad and embraces the townships of Aliabad, Shiras, Garelth, Dorkhan, Murtazabad, Ganish, Karimabad (Baltit),  Hassanabad, Hyderabad,

Lower Hunza Valley

It is an associate area of Hunza Valley and has its boundaries on the east and west sides of Nagar Valley. This part of Hunza is renowned for mulberries and the production of fine quality grapes. The cherries, apricots, plums and several other fruits cultivated here are sold throughout the country.

Journey to Hunza Valley

From Gilgit, Hunza Valley can be reached at a distance of the about100km drive. Most of the people who come here love traveling by rad and it takes them about two to three hours to reach Hunza Valley if they are coming from Gilgit. In town, you will find many booking agents that help you for traveling long distances through buses and jeeps.  There is a usual international bus service given from the borders of China via Sost. From Sost, the travelers can take part in different activities such as trekking or a long drive to Hunza Karimabad.

People traveling by plane have to go to Gilgit airport from where they can reach Hunza Valley in just 45 minutes. Pakistan International Airlines offer regular flights to Hunza Valley of small planes between Islamabad and Gilgit but these flights depend realty on the weather conditions of Hunza Valley therefore during winters; most of the flights always cancel.

Things to do in Hunza Valley

Comprehensive know-how in Hunza would have to embrace scenery, art, music, literature, history, and of course, a lot of genuine and native Hunza food.

When in Hunza Valley, visiting Atta bad lake is a must. Upon seeing the river, you will not believe that it has such a gloomy story behind it but the exquisiteness of it is startling. It has diverse shades and the mountains backdrop is very beautiful. The water is calm and fresh and you can take a deep breath there and sit on a yacht to see how beautiful nature can be the colors are exceptional and the echoes of the dry deserted mountains around it increase its attractiveness.

Altit and Baltit fort is important to stopover when visiting Hunza Valley. They both grasp a strong sight over the hill and both display orient always in their construction. For a small and fill, local chaperons will take you through individual forts. Their familiarity with the old times and flawless English will make the experience more substantial.

Passu glaciers are miraculous, deserted, and purifying to the soul due to its aloofness and make a great place to visit during vacations. Visiting Hunza River is considered worthy for the water sporting such as Rafting and Kayaking. It is a very picturesque area that has been fenced by tall mountain summits for example Rakaposhi.

Traditional foods

Some of the best foods to look for when in Hunza valley  are Go-Lee (savory breakfast served with namkeen chai), Harissa (made by wheat, simmered meat in some oil), Chapshuro (it is the Gilgit Baltistan sort of pizza which is a dough filled with a concoction of chopped meat, onions, and peppers), Shopan, Diram Fitti (prepared from sprouted wheat flour and served after mixing with almonds, apricot oil and butter), Mamtu (it is a delightful meal flour which is centrally packed with mutton/Beef and various other peppery ingredients).

If you have decent control over your hunger then you can always attempt these pleasant customs of Hunza valley. Hunza will provide you with the diversity of traditional items on many occasions. These yummy food items are very rich in flavor and you will discover the exact flavor of wildlife and pureness in them.  Hunza valley is well identified all over the realm for the long life of the folks from here. Several investigators have done studies to discover the secret of the long lives of people of Hunza. Many of these examiners consider that it is the clean nutrition in Hunza Valley which makes the people relish so much.