Eco-Adventure Trek to Makra Top

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1 July-August 2015 Volume 4, Issue 4 STFP Bulletin STFP promotes tourism practices that are environmentally sustainable, economically beneficial to the local communities, and educational experience for tourists. Eco-Adventure Trek to Makra Top Newsletter Highlights: Eco- Adventure Trek to Makra Top 1 Shandur Polo Festival Jeep Safari 2 Eco Adventure Trip to Deosai Plains 3 Trip to Neelum Valley 4 Eco Adventure Trek to Dudipat Sar Lake 5 Family Camping Trip to Kaghan Valley 6 Youth Nature Study Camp at Batakundi 7 Benefits of Sustainable Tourism 8 This expedition will take you to Shogran which is one of the most beautiful plateaus in Kaghan Valley located at a distance of 219 km from Islamabad. Surrounded by thick pine forests and with an altitude of 2,362m, the climate of Shogran is pleasantly cold in July. From Shogran you can have a breathtaking view of Kaghan Valley s snow covered peaks such as Musa Ka Musalla (4,419m), Makra (3,885m) and Malika Parbat (5,290m). From Shogran we will go to Sari and Paya. Paya at 3,079m is a lush green meadow with spectacular view of Malika Parbat and other snow covered mountains of Kaghan Valley including Makra. From Paya we will go to climb Makra Mountain (3,885m) which is located at the border of Kaghan Valley and Neelum Valley of AJK. Date: July, 2015 Days: Friday to Saturday Duration: Three days Departure Time: 0600 hours Per head Fee: Rs.13,500/- Booking Deadline: 20 July 2015 For further information contact: Arif Tufail at /

2 Page 2 of 8 Shandur Polo Festival Jeep Safari Passion for Polo will be the highest on the world s highest Polo ground. Every year, Shandur (3,734 meters) invites visitors to experience a traditional polo tournament between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan. The festival also includes folk music, folk dance, traditional sports, paragliding, boating and trout fishing completion and a camping village is set up on the Pass. Polo is an equestrian sport with its origin embedded in Central Asia dating back to 6 th century BC. At first it was a training game for cavalry unites for the king s guards or other elite troops. To the warlike tribesmen who played polo with as many as 100 players to a side. It was a miniature battle. It became a Persian national game in the 6 th century AD. From Persia, the game spread to Arabia, then to Tibet, China and Japan. Various teams of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral have always been playing the game of polo closest to its original form. Free styled mountain polo is arguably polo in its purest form. This version of the game played at Shandur-Top has attained legendary status and is of great interest to international and domestic adventure tourists alike. We have planned a 6 days jeep safari trip to Shandur for those who would like to enjoy the thrill of great adventure and to explore the unseen natural beautify of northern Pakistan. Tour Dates: August 5 to 10 Festival Dates: 7 to 9 August 2015 Duration: 6 days Departure Time: 0800 hours Per head Fee: Rs.26, 900/- (all inclusive) Booking Deadline: 31 st July, 2015 For further information contact: Arif Tufail at "The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before." Anonymous

3 Page 3 of 8 Eco-Adventure Expedition to Deosai Plains Deosai Plains is a plateau situated 32-km south of Skardu. This plateau is the habitat of greatly threatened Himalayan brown bear, at the elevation ranging between 3500 to 4500 m above sea level. Deosai is now a National Park and a protected area for the Himalayan brown bear. In addition variety of wildlife, birds, vegetation and especially wild flowers are major attraction of Deosai Plains. We have planned a 7-days Jeep safari with camping and trekking programme in collaboration with Himalayan Wildlife Foundation to explore the vast wilderness of Deosai, which is still an unknown ecotourism destination for most Pakistanis and foreigners. It is also the best time to capture the beauty of countless wild flowers which appear on this high altitude plateau for a very short period. Date: August Days: Friday- Thursday Duration: 7 days Departure Time: 0800 hours Per head Fee: Rs.27, 900/- (all inclusive) Booking Deadline: 12 August, 2013 For further information contact: Arif Tufail at "When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones that open for us." Alexander Graham Bell

4 Page 4 of 8 Family Trip to Neelum Valley Azad Kashmir The 240 km long picturesque Neelum Valley is situated to the north east of Muzaffarabad. Running parallel to the Kaghan Valley it is separated from it by snow covered peaks, some of over 4000 meters above sea level. Excellent scenic beauty, panoramic views, towering hills on both sides of roaring Neelum River, lush green forests, enchanting streams, and attractive surroundings make the valley a dream come true. In this 6 days trip we will visit all the scenic places of Neelum Valley including Kutton, Keran, Sharda, Kel, Arang Kel and Tao Butt. Date: August Days: Tuesday to Sunday Duration: 6 days Departure Time: 0600 hours Per head Fee: Rs.22, 900/- (all inclusive) Booking Deadline: 05 August For further information contact: Arif Tufail /

5 Page 5 of 8 Eco- Adventure Trekking Trip to Dudipat Sar Lake Dudipatsar Lake or Dudipat Lake is a lake encircled by snow clad peaks in Lulusar- Dudipatsar National Park. The lake lies in the extreme north of the Kaghan Valley, in the Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The word "dudi" means white, "pat" means mountains and "sar" mean lake. This name has been given to the lake because of the white color of snow at surrounding peaks. In the summer, the water of the lake reflects like a mirror. This area is famous because of its unmatched natural beauty. The trek to Dudipat Sar Lake is of moderate difficulty and suitable for those who have some previous experience of trekking. Date: August Days: Saturday to Thursday Duration: 6 days Departure Time: 0500 hours Per head Fee: Rs.22, 900/- (all inclusive) Booking Deadline: 12 August For further information contact: Arif Tufail / The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. St. Augustine

6 Page 6 of 8 Kaghan is a jewel among the many beautiful valleys in the Mansehra District of Hazara. This 160 kilometer long valley is most popular summer holiday spots for both Pakistanis as well as foreigners. The valley features pine forests, alpine meadows, crystal clear lakes and cool mountain streams. Kunhar River, the main feature of the valley, is famous for its trout. Nestled along the banks of the river are the towns of Balakot, Paras, Mahandari, Kaghan and Naran. The local people are friendly and simple. A vacation in Kaghan Valley is an unforgettable experience. This tour program is designed for relaxation and to spend your leisure time with your loved ones in a most memorable way. Date: August Days: Saturday to Wednesday Duration: 5 day Departure Time: 0800 hours Per head Fee: (Rs.19, 500/- with stay at camping site/rs.23,500/- with stay at guest house) Booking Deadline: 10 August Family Camping Trip to Kaghan Valley "Moving towards better rather than moving away from bad is an attitude of embracing life rather than rejecting it." Dalai Lama For further information contact: Arif Tufail /

7 Page 7 of 8 Youth Nature Study Camp at Batakundi Naran Take your students on an inspiring outdoor experience this summer! Date: Any time from Aug to Sep. Days: Monday to Thursday Duration: 4 days Departure Time: 0800 hours Per head Fee: Rs.12, 900/- (all inclusive) To register for this trip please send us an at: stfp.info@gmail.com For further information contact: Arif Tufail Cell: Tel: We provide exciting and educational adventure outings for young students of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels. Our Back to Nature- School Summer Nature Study Camp focuses on providing leadership training and learning opportunities that are not available in the classroom or at home. We realize that youth today are faced with many challenges in their everyday world, including peer pressure, low self-esteem, and overly busy lives. Our programs strive to deal with these challenges by exposing young people with experiences that open their eyes to a larger world around them, and to realize that they are valuable human beings with tremendous potential. To achieve these goals, we teach students necessary skills and how to work together to successfully complete their journey in the mountains. To enhance the experience, we incorporate group and individual challenges that develop self awareness, spark significant personal growth, and build confidence. We strongly believe that the experience must be fun to be successful! In this way we make sure to give students the chance to spend quality time in the natural environment, away from their usual lives, and to have a great time! The benefits of our youth wilderness adventure programme are immeasurable. They have a significant impact not only on the students who participate, but on family and friends as well. We are always inspired by the incredible experiences we share during these journeys, these are the seeds that change lives. Highlights of Summer Nature Study Camp-2015 Learn camping and trekking skills Learn leadership and teamwork skills Learn basic map reading and navigation skills Learn about mountain formation Learn about water cycle Collect information about the moist temperate and dry temperate forest zones Tree plantation Learn how to become an eco-friendly tourist Hiking trip to Saiful Muluk Lake National Park Trekking adventure to Lalazar Discover the natural and cultural heritage of Naran and Upper Kaghan Valley Trip to Jalkhad to study the wild flora of sub-alpine ecosystem Enjoy camp fire on the last night

8 Page 8 of 8 Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan Islamabad House # 9, Street # 11, Main Road, Banigala Islamabad Ph # Cell # Karachi House 53/3, Maqbool, C.H.S, Alamgir Road, Karachi. Ph # stfp.info@gmail.com We re on the Web! See us at: "It is the quality of our experiences, the satisfaction, excitement or joy that we get or fail to get from them that will determine how those experiences will change us, in short what we learn." John Holt Upcoming Events Family Camping trip to Kaghan Valley (on request) September Nature study weekend at Batakundi (on request) September Trip to Thar Desert 4-6 Sep Trip to Sudhangali, Bagh and Dhir Kot Azad Kashmir Sep Autumn Photo Safari to Baltistan and Hunza Oct Field trips are also open for your family members and friends, so you are welcome to invite them on these trips with prior intimation to the concerned staff of STFP at the time of signing up. Minimum group size for each trip is 8 persons. Your participation in our trips, expeditions and knowledge sharing events provide support to STFP s mission of increasing awareness through exploration, environmental education, exchange of ideas and research work.