Kumrat ( ur, ) is a valley in the
Upper Dir District
Upper Dir District ( ps, بر دير ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The city of Dir is the district headquarters. Badogai Pass connects it to Utror.
At the time of indep ...
of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
province of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
.
Kumrat Valley is located about 45 minutes away from the town of Thal on the banks of the
Panjkora River,
and is among the most popular tourist spots in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
.
Every summer season, around a million tourists from different areas of the country visit Kumrat Valley for its greenery and cool weather. Around
Eid al-Fitr holidays, around 2,000 vehicles enter the region on a daily basis. It can only be accessed using
4x4 vehicles, as the road leading to it is
unmetalled.
Features
Kumrat is covered with green pastures, snow clad mountains, the river
Panjkora
The Panjkora River ( ur, ) is a river in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the northwest of Pakistan. The river runs through the mountainous northern part of the province, and forms the Kumrat Valley. It passes from Dir, Timergara and meet at ...
, foggy mounds and forests are attractions of the region, which serve as habitats for variety of flora and fauna. It is located in the Upper
Dir Kohistan region at the back side of which Swat Kohistan area of
Gabral
Gabral (also spelled Gabrāl, or Ghabral) is a village and union council in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is located on the slopes of the western end of the Himalayas, at the lower end of the Gabral Valley, where the ...
is located.
Another feature of Kumrat Valley is its towering
Deodar forest trees located on level ground adjacent the Panjkora river.
At several places, the Panjkora River divides into channels, on the banks of which a few makeshift camping spots offer accommodation to tourists. There are several waterfalls there as well. Kala Chashma (Black Spring) is also located there.
Deforestation
Deodar forest is fast depleting in Dir Kohistan Valley and it continues unhindered as the locals claim that they have no other source of fuel for heating and cooking purposes in the harsh winter season. The people of Kohistan Valley had offered the government in the 2010s that they were ready stop cutting deodar trees if they were provided with a
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon ...
facility. However, the government did not pay any heed to their demand.
See also
*
Kaghan Valley
The Kaghan Valley ( ur, ) is an alpine valley located in the Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The valley covers a distance of across northern Pakistan, rising from its lowest elevation of to its highest point at the Babu ...
*
Ushirai Dara
*
Laram Top
*
Jahaz Banda
References
{{Reflist
Upper Dir District
Tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Tourism in Pakistan
Valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Tourist attractions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa