Skardu Valley
Capital Of Baltistan And Gateway To The Karakoram'S 8,000 Metre Peaks; Shigar Fort And Khaplu Palace Restored By The Aga Khan Trust For Culture · Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan
Skardu is the capital of Baltistan, a broad sandy valley where the Indus spreads out between bare brown mountains at about 2,200 metres, and it is the gateway to K2, the Baltoro and Deosai. For years it was only a place expeditions passed through; now it is one of Pakistan's favourite holiday destinations in its own right. The flight in from Islamabad, when the weather allows, passes close to Nanga Parbat and is one of the great scenic flights of the world. Around the town are Upper Kachura Lake, clear and deep in an orchard valley; Lower Kachura, with the Shangrila resort and its aeroplane-fuselage cafe; Satpara Lake on the road to Deosai; and the cold deserts of Katpana and Sarfaranga, real sand dunes backed by snow peaks. An hour away, Shigar Fort, a seventeenth-century palace of the Amacha rulers restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, is now a hotel and museum, and Khaplu Palace further east is the same. Baltistan is Shia and Noorbakhshi, culturally closer to Tibet in its language, and quieter and more conservative than Hunza.
Skardu, Skardu District, Baltistan, on the Indus, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Skardu is a town and valley with no gate. Flights from Islamabad are short and spectacular but depend on clear weather and are cancelled often. By road the Karakoram Highway and the Skardu road take a very long day or two from Islamabad. Shigar Fort and Khaplu Palace have entry tickets for non-guests and daytime visiting hours. Most hotels stay open year round, but Deosai and the high roads close in winter.