PLAN AHEAD!

Day Trip-Travel by coaster.

Join us for this very special ,truly enthralling trip to the Torkham Valley!

Torkham is a major border crossing between the Pakistani city of Torkham and Afghanistan, located along the Grand Trunk Road on the international border between the two countries that traverses through the famous Khyber Pass. It connects the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan with Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is the busiest border land port which is being developed as a state-of-the-art Border Crossing terminal under the Asian Development Bank-funded Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program to make Pakistan a regional transit hub.

The location has been used throughout history by Afghan and Turkic caravans, including marching armies of mighty empires and later on by the British, and contains relics like the historic Michni Fort established in 1920 by the British. Situated right before the Pak-Afghan border at a higher point, Michni Fort offers breathtaking views of the Pak-Afghan Border and Taimur Lane's jail where he executed prisoners.

The Khyber Rifles Mess at Landi-Kotal is another historic landmark of British Rule enroute to Torkham Valley. Established in 1878 by Sir Col Robert Warburton, the beautiful Mess housed officers who commanded Khyber Jezailchis (Afridi Tribesmen recruited by the British Army to serve as one of the eight 'Frontier Corps). The Mess has a museum that contains antique guns and rare historic photographic sections of foreign dignitaries like Shah Iran, Queen Elizabeth, and Lady Dianna, visiting the fabled Khyber Rifles Mess. The Mess also contains a century-old Banyan tree arrested in 1913 by a drunken British Officer, James Squid, and remains in shackles since then !!

'Don't put them in a cage, let them fly free...'

Birdwatching at dawn at Rawal lake.

As the winter season with all its festivities is nearly over, we bring you a very different programme-as our feathered guests will not stay here long and will be flying back home soon, don't miss this opportunity exclusively with our group!

According to reports, the Indus Flyway is one of the seven routes- around the globe- that birds use to escape severe weather conditions, and feed and breed in some cases. The migratory birds escape the harsh cold in Russia and China and travel more than 4,500 kilometers to enter Pakistan from the North- and following the mighty Indus River all the way down to the South- stopping at more than 300 water bodies and wetlands dotting the land!

Cranes, ducks-mallards, common pochards, common teal, northern pintail, northern shoveler, cormorant, snipes, stints, plovers, gulls and score of other birds fly to Pakistan every winter. Unfortunately, the number of migratory birds visiting Rawal Lake in the winter season has dwindled, apparently due to habitat destruction and increasing human activities in and outside the Rawal Lake.

And for those of you who are wondering- "Twitchers & Dudes" are terms popularised by Lynn Horton- a free lance writer and bird watcher:'Twitchers are bird watchers who travel long distances to see a rare bird & Dudes are enthusiasts who enjoy the surroundings and are happy even when unable to add new, rare and exotic birds to their journals...'

For photography buffs/ and enthusiasts: Do bring your own binoculars and cameras to capture some memorable moments!

Also a good idea to bring along refreshments!

Presentation/ Conversation

“I am interested in people and their environment and long term projects related to that...sort of personalized portraits of people in and around the city. My main interests are portraiture and photo journalistic documentation highlighting various classes and creeds around the country. Mostly city life, with an emphasis on the common man…”

Arif Mahmood is recognised as one of the foremost photographers in Pakistan.With a degree in Business Administration from the USA, he started his journey with photography in 1985, on his return to Karachi.

He also has approximately 29 publications to his credit compromising of limited edition portfolios and books which include group publications as well. He has exhibited his work in over 50 group exhibitions on a National and International level and has had 17 solo exhibitions in the domestic gallery circles to date.Two of his photographs are in the permanent collection of the museum of Fine Arts Houston USA.

Website :www.arifmahmoodphoto. com

PHOTOGRAPHY/ARTS & CRAFTS/CUISINE

For all you photography buffs out there, the perfect opportunity to capture some special images... and for Islamabadites to enjoy the general ambience,check out on the regional cuisines and pick up some crafts along the way!

The National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (NIFTH)/Lok Virsa is organising its annual cultural festival called “Lok Mela” from November 1- November 7.

The festival aims at promoting indigenous folk heritage and 
encouraging traditional practitioners including master artisans, folk artists, folk musicians and rural performances.

Daily Attractions:

• Provincial / Regional Cultural Pavilion
• Folk musical performances
• Craft Bazaar
• Traditional Cuisine
• PNCA puppet theatre performances at open air theatre
• The Hill Joint Rooftop Amphitheater performances

For those of you that just want to come along to enjoy the landscape- but specially for amateur/ professional photographers and ordinary camera buffs like you and me, this is an opportunity to sharpen your skills, share your own experiences and expertise and get some professional guidance!

The use of filters to control light in special hours of the day is a technique for capturing stunning landscapes. It is also used for blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements of a subject. Imaging the landscape surrounding Rawal Lake bathed in the afternoon autumn sun through various filters will let your imagination and creativity run rife!!!

Mr Sajid Qazi, an accomplished landscape photographer, will share his expertise and techniques for capturing stunning images in soft evening light using various filters. We will also learn about tripod usage, proper frames and filter selection etc.

Situated about 32 km (20 mi) north-west of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, just off the famous Grand Trunk Road ,Taxila (meaning "City of Cut Stone") is an important archaeological site of ancient India..Ancient Taxila was situated at the pivotal junction of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The origin of Taxila as a city goes back to c. 1000 BCE. Some ruins at Taxila date to the time of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, followed successively by Mauryan Empire, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, and Kushan Empire periods.

A Day Trip

The Takht-e-Bahi Buddhist Monastery is one of the most impressive and well preserved pieces of Gandhara architecture in Pakistan. It is situated 14 km northwest of Mardan on the road to Swat (2 ½ hour drive from Islamabad). The reputation of Takht-e-Bahi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is based partially on the extraordinarily good state of preservation and partially on its glorious location. The site itself is located on the northern flanks of a rocky spur rising 150 meters (500 ft.) above the plains.

A family outing!

This is for all the new comers and families with children who want to test their riding skills in a relatively comfortable and stress-free location!

Taxila - The Lost Cities of the Kingdom or Gandhara

A Day Trip

Ancient Taxila situated at the pivotal junction of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia was an important city in the Kingdom of Gandhara.The origin of Taxila as a city goes back to 1000 BCE. Owing to its strategic location and with many empires vying for its control, it has changed hands many times over the centuries, Bactrian Greeks, Parthians, Scythians, and Kushans ruled the area in turn, developing a unique art fusing east and west known as  Gandhara.

At Talhar Village, we will cross a freshwater stream and start our hike towards Khanpur. This is an old route developed and used by local villagers and it offers an opportunity of walking past old villages in the hills besides taking in the lovely views of the valleys. At the top of the ridge, we will stop for refreshments/ photographs and return back to the starting point through a different path.