Hunza (map) is a mountainous valley in the northern part of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Geographically, Hunza consists of three regions: Upper Hunza (Gojal), Central Hunza and Lower Hunza (Shinaki).

Buddhism, and to a lesser extent, Bön, were the main religions in the area. The region has a number of surviving Buddhist archaeological sites, such as the *Sacred Rock of Hunza (36°18’47.5″N 74°41’09.7″E, map).

Hunza is one of the most exotic places in Pakistan. The valley is popularly believed to be the inspiration for the mythical valley of Shangri-La in James Hilton’s 1933 novel, Lost Horizon.

The fairy-tale-like castle of Baltit (map), above Karimabad, is a Hunza landmark built about 800 years ago. Stilted on massive legs, its wooden bay windows look out over the valley. Originally, it was used as the residence of the Mirs (the title of the former rulers) of Hunza.

Hunza Valley is also host to the ancient watch towers in Ganish, *Baltit Fort and *Altit Fort. Watch towers are located in heart of Ganish Village (map).

Eco-friendly hiking treks like Ondra Poygah Gulmit and Leopard Trek Shiskhat are also known for their views.

*Karimabad (map), the capital of Hunza, offers an awe-inspiring view of Rakaposhi (7,788 meters). The snows of Rakaposhi glitter in the moonlight, producing an atmosphere at once ethereal and sublime.

*Ganish Village (map) – the oldest village in Hunza, with 800-year-old mosques, it was honored by UNESCO in 2002 and 2009.

Hunza is a 100 km drive from Gilgit (map), and most people arrive by road and it takes almost 2-3 hours to reach Hunza from Gilgit. The main bus stand is on the KKH Aliabad. There are booking agents in town for long-distance buses & jeeps along the KKH. The journey from Islamabad can take as long as 24 hours.

Google Maps in particular has a worrying habit of marking dried up river beds as minor roads, so if you’re exploring out in the sticks, it’s a good idea to use Google Earth to double check your route.

*Karachi, *Lahore, and *Islamabad are the main gateways to Pakistan by air.

BUS: A large portion of travel between cities in Pakistan is carried out by bus. Buses leave almost incessantly from the major bus stations for all the major cities, and many smaller locations, so booking ahead is neither possible nor necessary on the simpler buses.

Travel by bus is often the cheapest and most convenient alternative. The Daewoo Bus company runs a regular bus service between several major cities, with air-conditioned buses and seats booked one day ahead.

TRAIN: Pakistan Railways provides passenger rail service. The stations tend not to have their timetables in English, but sales agents can usually explain everything to you. There are several different classes of fares depending on amenities.

In this episode we start our day at the famous MarcoPolo Inn hotel in Gulmit. Our stay here was very comfortable and we would like to thank our hosts for making this day possible. We make our first stop to a local families home as they welcome us with some traditional GRALL (authentic Hunza dish). This experience was life changing for us.

⇒ video source: Immy and Tani /youtube.com/

• Hunza Valley