Sharan Forest Valley is a wonderful and immaculate forest Manshi Top located in KPK, Pakistan. The forest is thick with substantial vegetation. It is, for the time being, for the most part, non-business, subsequently clean with less inundation of travelers. The forest is contiguous to Manshi Top, a rich green level again. You can discover rich vegetation, thickly overgrown developments, mushrooms, and wild natural products on trees and water streams. Local people are well disposed of—a campground inside the woods with little cottages possessed by woodland and the travel industry offices.
As far as the food and accommodation are concerned, as compared to Naran, the tourists will only find a few hotels or restaurants in Sharan Forest. Camping Pods and Tent facilities will only be available there. Own food and necessary luggage would strongly be recommended. Nevertheless, the government of KP and local authorities are trying to make necessary living preparatory measures for tourists.
By Public Transport: Faisal Mover & Daewoo Bus Terminal are the best means to reach Naran Valley. However, many people prefer taking a car/bike ride from Lahore and Islamabad.
Lahore > M-2 (Motorway) > Islamabad > Hazara Motorway > Hevellian > Abbottabad > Mansehra > Balakot > Kiwayi > Paras > Sharan Forest
Attractions: Manshi Top, Manor Valley, Upper Kaghan Valley
Things to Do: Trekking, Fishing, Horse Riding
Hotels & Resorts: Camping pods and Camping sites are available in the middle of woods.
Road Conditions: Till Paras, road condition is quite better. Park your vehicle at Paras in Kaghan Valley due to the jeep track. Take Jeeps for Sharan Forest, then.
Sharan Forest is an untouched beauty amid KPK. It is located at a 16km jeep trek from Paras (30km from Balakot). Sharan is known for its dense vegetation and cozy little campsite developed by the TCKP. It is not yet commercialized, so the tourist flux is minimal, leading to cleanliness and more sophistication.
Further, the Accommodation facility needs special mention. I can’t appreciate the KPK govt enough for the brilliant effort they have put in to establish such a welcoming and homey place in the heart of the thick forest. Undoubtedly, Sharan is among the best places to visit in Naran Kaghan Valley.
Furthermore, Camping pods and camps are available for rent. Washrooms are separate in the form of portable containers made up of insulated sheets. Another plus point is their standard; they were way cleaner than I expectation and also had an exhaust fan 😋. All the electricity is generated by solar panels installed at each camping pod. Only 12V is available, so you can not charge your phone or cameras. No straightener or dryer or roller also 😥😂.
On reaching the Sharan camping site, I was shocked by the arena’s management. The aura of the place was overwhelming enough to paste a smile on my face while I walked in. Resting inclined chairs could absorb the sun’s heat in cool winters. No garbage, plastic bottles, or wrappers were seen in the place. Several dustbins were available to throw litter. I admire the administration for this step.
So, Food quality is also satisfactory. A camp works as a dedicated kitchen, so if you have small kids, you can easily use that camp for cooking some amazing eatery for them, i.e., noodles, porridge, or cereals. No point in carrying an electric kettle as there is no 220V available to switch it on.
Moreover, The whole camp is devoted to a dining room to serve the food. All the water of daily use is extracted from a chashma flowing nearby. Solar geysers have yet to be available. So, Missing Shogran facilities as well.
So, Food quality is also satisfactory. A camp works as a dedicated kitchen, so if you have small kids, you can easily use that camp to cook some amazing eatery for them, i.e., noodles, porridge, or cereals. No point in carrying an electric kettle as there is no 220V available to switch it on.
Moreover, The whole camp is devoted to a dining room to serve the food. All the water of daily use is extracted from a Chashma flowing nearby. Solar geysers have yet to be available. So, Missing Shogran facilities as well.
Similarly, My journey was nostalgic because it reminded me of all my past travel ventures. Taobat’s dusty patch to Fairy Meadows dangerous jeep trek; Mahodand’s ride through huge pine trees of Ushu forest to Saiful Malook’s bumpy drive. Gol National Park’s deadly expedition to the rocky jaunt of Siri Paye. They were all coming back on this 16km short trip to Sharan. Gold, Red, Yellow, Orange, and Green were the accompanying colors. I was happy yet sad. I was smiling yet teary, but I was sure of one thing.
We only had a little time, so we left for Manshi peak after 45 mins with our water bottles and a bag of snacks. The hike is not difficult at all. Even beginners can do it easily. The passage was lined with huge chinar trees with golden yellow leaves. Chatting along and breathing fresh dust-free air, we were headed to our destination on a much cleaner trek, free of trash and no dung smell. I bet you won’t forget to smile on that journey.
After resting at a few stops, we finally reached Manshi Peak after 2 hours of a good hike. Ok, now this was something to cherish for a long time. It was full of lush green lavish grass, surrounded by gigantic snow-capped mountains, cotton-like clouds on top, and chilly winds to take your heart away. Though Manshi was full of goat shit, and I hadn’t seen that amount of goat shit in my 26 years of life, I could put this aside and treasure the place I was standing on.
There was a village on the lower side of Manshi. The locals were kind enough to make us tea that we tended with biscuits from our snacks bag. After walking for a while and spending a good amount of time at Manshi, we said goodbye to the place with a smile and started the hike back towards the campsite.
I was running, afraid of applying too much pressure on my knees to bother them with the hazard. It started drizzling on our way back, further motivating us to run hard. In 55 minutes, we were home 😂.
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The day ended with a nice bonfire and meeting with an ideal adventurous family there. That chit-chat gave me just the right motivation at the perfect time when I needed it the most. I was sure that this journey would never stop, and I would keep planning my ventures.
In the end, If you have a beautiful bunch of people in your family and friends, pay a visit to this place with them as soon as possible before it turns into a trash pile. Last but not least. Don’t consider your kids as a liability. You can enjoy it along with the babies. Rather transfer your passion for travelling to them by taking them along. So this place is also perfect for Honeymoon Tours.
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Total expenditure: 7500/head including food and camping pod.
Camping pod for 2: 3000/night in off season and 3000/night in peak season
Camping pod for 4: 4000/night in off season and 4000/night in peak season
Camp for 4 persons: 2000/night in off season
Jeep rent from Paras to Sharan: 8000/jeep with one night stay.
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