Khanaspur

Serene, soothing, intoxicating ambience under the skyline looks like painting of fertile imagination of an artist who used the hues of rainbow to paint the landscape of khanspur. Nature’s pearls scattered in green alcoves and crags of khanspur are simply inexpressible in words. One needs to see from heart not by eyes if he desires to taste the beauty of khanspur. Located in Galiyat area of Hazara, khanspur is tourist mountain resort town. It is part of the Ayubia national park. The whole Galiyat region is known for its striking landscape and there is number of tourist spots in Galiyat like Muree, Ayubia, Patriata, Nathiagali and many more but khanspur is distinctive among all these tourists pulling spots.

Unlike other tourist destinations, Khanspur is very tranquil and serene and there is no crowd of tourists here. If you love mountains and want to enjoy the tranquillity in the company of nature then Khanspur is the best choice. Khanspur is connected with places like Ghor Daka, Ayubia, Gali Changla, Khairagali etc.

History:

History of the khanspur dates back to colonial-era when British army conquered the villages’ surrounding the khanspur. The area came into prominence when it was included in Ayubia national park in 1984. Since then khanspur became a tourist point because of its mountains and dense forest area. There is rich wildlife in the forests of khanspur and WWF discovered many species of animals and birds in it.

After 1947 khanspur became part of Ayubia which has evolved into one of mainstream tourist destination in Pakistan.  

Geography:

Khanspur is located about 90 kilometres away from Islamabad in the north-west. Jhelum River flows in the east which divides it from Kashmir. Abbottabad is situated in north. The popular spots like Thandyani, Muree, Patriata, and many more villages surround khanspur. Khanspur is not an urban settlement rather most of the population live in villages scattered around khanspur. Villages like Darwaza, Dhara, Riyaal and Longaal have the most of population which is not more than 50,000 collectively.

The Latitude of Khanspur: 34,0333 (341'59.880"N)

Longitude of Khanspur: 73,4167 (7325'0.120"E)

The altitude of Khanspur: 2 160 m

Climate:

The climate of khanspur is mild in summer and freezing in winter. It gets a bit hot in May and June while winter remains freezing and it’s a complete whitewash.

Spring: The temperature hovers around 10 to 20 degree in spring. The main feature of the spring is the showers of rains now and then. The forests shine in spring and flowers and wildlife shrubs take over the forests in spring.

Summer:  The life gets to bloom in summer and all tourists’ activities begin to rise in this season. People walking on the roads and treks is the common scene in summer of khanspur. The maximum temperature in summer does not exceed 20 which is ideal for tourists and they make their presence felt here.

Autumn:  Autumn is most picturesque in khanspur when you see the leaves flying on the roads and colours spread through forest and present you painting type scenery. This season is ideal for hiking and trekking. You can watch the animals on the roads and in the forest. The temperature begins to drop a bit but doesn’t get much low.

Winter: fog in green background of tall pine trees marks the winter and ice begin to fold the valley gradually. The silence prevails and nature rules during this time. Temperature falls to freezing and it remains freezing throughout winter and then begins to rise in spring.

People:

Most of the population of khanspur live in the villages like Darwaza, Dhara, Riyaal and Longaal in the surrounding areas of khanspur.  Most of the people in khanspur belong to tribes like Dhund, Abbasis, Sattis, catwalks and Danials. These tribes are living here for centuries and maintain the cultural values of their ancestors.  Most of the people who are seen here are either local natives or immigrants from other parts of Pakistan who come here for business purpose.

Wildlife:

Most of the wildlife found here is protected through Ayubia National Park which has the area of 3,312 hectares (8,184 acres). This park was established in 1984 but broadened later. The objective of this Ayubia national park was to protect the wildlife and forest of the area to keep the temperature balance according to ECO system. You can see more than 100 species of plants in the Ayubia National Park. The prominent species are Cedrus Deodara, Yew, Blue pine, Silver fir, Oak and Horse chestnut. The species of the plants in the park are also multiple and few of these species of plants are known for medicinal properties for the treatment of jaundice, snake bite, ulcers, diabetes, infections and psoriasis. This park has plants which are natural insect repellent and are used to make biological insecticides and pesticides.  There are more than 203 species of birds which is found here. You can see hill pigeon, Eurasian sparrow hawk, golden eagle and many more in the forests of khanspur.

Tourist spot:

Khanspur is tourists resort town and you can find the number of resorts scattered in this area. There are no creational facilities here and you are left with only nature. You can enjoy the scenes of nature, beauty of mountains, and melodious music of birds and can hike to mountains only in the company of nature. There is no chairlift here and you have to explore the area on foot. This whole valley presents to you natural entertainment if you can feel it. The people who love salience and solitude love to spend time here. The spectacle of sunset and sunrise is breathtaking and the beauty of the surroundings gives you a spiritual kind of experience. This valley is ideal for meditation and you get the time here to have a glance inside your soul. Spirituality is the experience that you get here in abundance. The wildlife is equally rich in this area and you can spend hours and hours exploring the species of birds and enjoy their colours and melodious chirping.

Routs and treks:

The dominant feature of this area treks. These treks are connected to adjacent tourists spot and every turn of the treks pleasantly surprises you. You can do hiking on these treks and it would be your great spiritual experience in the company of nature. Here you can enjoy 4-kilometre long walking track which goes from Ayubia to Nathiagali which is known as “ Pipeline Walking Track” it is part of Ayubia National Park. On this trek you will see nature in full bloom.   

Hotels:

There is no other place like Khanspur in this area which could offer you so many resorts. These resorts are known for their tranquil ambience. There is no noise of traffic or any other activity here. If you want to enjoy the silence in the company of mountains and wildlife then the experience of spending couple of days here would be immensely rewarding spiritually.

Restaurants:

Apart from resorts if you enjoy the local food of the street, then khanspur is the place to enjoy the local cuisine here. The fragrance of the spices in the serene ambience would be a lifetime experience. You can find many shops and restaurants along the road here where you can have taste of local spicy dishes.

In resorts, you can have food of your liking as they can prepare fresh food on your order. Most of the food is non-vegetarian and if you are vegetarian, then you may be disappointed in terms of food.

Health and security:

There is civil hospital khanspur which is fully equipped to handle any kind of emergency. It is open for 24 hours and you can meet the doctor there all the time. Besides hospital you can also find some pharmacies here where you can buy common medicine

Security:

This is a very peaceful area and you can move here freely without any fear. The police patrol the area all the time and you can contact them in case of any problem just by dialling 15 from your phone. The police officers can communicate in English and you can talk to them about any problem that you face here.

Shopping:

Khanspur is not an established city with modern infrastructure but it is just a tourist resort town. There are no big markets in this area but you can find the number of shops along the roads. Here you can buy different kinds hand made things which are generally popular among tourists.  If you want to do extra shopping you can move to nearby towns like Muree or Abbottabad.

Transport:

You can find rental cars all over the town here which can take you from anywhere and drop you anywhere at any time of day or night. You can access the bus stations in Muree or Abbottabad if you intend to go any other city of Pakistan.

Important phone numbers:

Rescue 1122 takes is the available case of any emergency. This government service agency is very efficient and professional. You just have to dial 1122 from your phone for any help in case of emergency.   Police can be reached by dialling 15 from your phone number.