Kaghan Valley, Pakistan - Landscapes Journey xLarge

Awais Yaqub

Hi

Here are some photos from trip to Kaghan valley shot while i was on my way to Kaghan. It takes 10 hours to reach Kaghan if road is not closed due to landsliding something common there. Kaghan valley is between 2000-14000 feet above sea level. It am always stunned to see people living in such extreme conditions !

To reach Kaghan valley one has to pass through Abbotabad, Mansehra, Balakot. All places are green and full of mountains.

Clouds create beautiful light pockets




Hotel in this route it is nearly impossible to find luxrey place to dine i had tea from here



Men at work, good thing is that good road is under construction.


Native of Kaghan

While our ride was having repairs i started to click around

Corn fields they are all over kaghan valley

Mountains have beautiful textures

Experimental corn fields

The darkness overcomes the light. As mountains are tooo high sun light dies soon.

I saw Milky for the 1st time in my life

And stars kept worshipping earth, and 1st day comes to an end..

Lot more to come.....all with 400D 17-40L 100mm macro and i also had polarizer filter.
Gallery Link

cmkultradome

Very nice photos Awais! Very scenic countryside. I never expected to see so much greenery in Pakistan.

Stephanie

Awais Yaqub

cmkultradome wrote:

Very nice photos Awais! Very scenic countryside. I never expected to see so much greenery in Pakistan.

Stephanie

Thank you Stephanie for kind words. Pakistan offers everything Desert, Jungles, Mountains, wet lands, ancient civilizations remains etc..... unfortunately real Pakistan is never shown to world outside.

1andyw

Thanks for your work. Beautiful and enlightening.

AndyW

Awais Yaqub

1andyw wrote:

Thanks for your work. Beautiful and enlightening.

AndyW

Thank you Andy, i am glad you like them

chrisdg

Great series Awais! Thanks for sharing images of your beautiful country. Love the lighting in the second photo.

dadwtwins

Awais Yaqub wrote:

Thank you Stephanie for kind words. Pakistan offers everything Desert, Jungles, Mountains, wet lands, ancient civilizations remains etc..... unfortunately real Pakistan is never shown to world outside.

So true Awais:cry, The media just shows the bleakness and poverty without showing the true culture and diversity your part of the world offers.

Thank you for sharing and educating us of the beauty Pakistan offersclap:ivar

Awais Yaqub

Thanks a lot Chris and Dan. I hope i will continue to work on promoting real side of Pakistan. Here are few more from next day's walk to village. It was interesting walk and i discovered places out of ordinary. I absolutely enjoyed walking on unknown paths and came across very interesting stuff.

Playing with 100mm macro


Hotel


Trek to village starts from here


Wild flowers


haha, these kids never understood what i am saying. I just made them understand that i want them to stand still.


People are hardworking. Houses are buried under snow in winters and these people live inside till snow is melted !


An old community graveyard.

hamster

Just beautiful! It's so nice to see green in August - not something we get around here!

Tim Kamppinen

These are really great, and as mentioned above, it's nice to see images like this. In the west most people think that Pakistan is nothing but rocks and sand and mountains with Osama Bin Laden hiding somewhere inside--because that's all we see in our media. Thanks for showing us how beautiful a place it really is.

leaforte

Peace friend. Keep the images coming. I personally enjoyed "Hotel" and where you had tea.

Awais Yaqub

Thanks guys, we surly need to do a lot more for cultural understanding around the world.

Here are few more i uploaded just today.

Bad weather


Inside Glacier






Corn Field, this was shot at mid day, added filters in LR

annnna8888

Awais, these photos are gorgeous. And thank you for the insight into your beautiful country. I almost went there a few years ago (I traveled overland from Europe by car and made it almost to the Iranian-Pakistani border, but then I had to return home - long story ), and it's still very high on my list of places I want to see.

Ana

Secluded Valley

Beautiful photos Awais. I never knew Pakistan had so much green. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your country.

Kristine

Awais Yaqub

annnna8888 wrote:

Awais, these photos are gorgeous. And thank you for the insight into your beautiful country. I almost went there a few years ago (I traveled overland from Europe by car and made it almost to the Iranian-Pakistani border, but then I had to return home - long story ), and it's still very high on my list of places I want to see.

Ana

Thanks a lot Ana. Wow i will love to hear about that journey !!
You are always welcome here

Awais Yaqub

Yellowstonegirl wrote:

Beautiful photos Awais. I never knew Pakistan had so much green. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your country.

Kristine

Thanks Kristine, i am glad you enjoyed these photographs. I am working on more will post them in a day or two. Most of the Pakistan is Greeen !

Jwar

thanks for sharing your stunning photos and always giving us insight to your side of the world.

lizzard_nyc

Keep them coming please. I'm really enjoying visiting Pakistan vicariously through you:D . Never imagined it was a place I'd want to go and visit, but I was clearly in the wrong.

Let's see 16 more years til the kids are off to college--I'll be sending you a pm then to get the name of that hotel so I can book it.

Awais Yaqub

Jwar wrote:

thanks for sharing your stunning photos and always giving us insight to your side of the world.

Thanks Jay for looking these photos.

Awais Yaqub

lizzard_nyc wrote:

Keep them coming please. I'm really enjoying visiting Pakistan vicariously through you:D . Never imagined it was a place I'd want to go and visit, but I was clearly in the wrong.

Let's see 16 more years til the kids are off to college--I'll be sending you a pm then to get the name of that hotel so I can book it.

LoL that is quite long term planning... you are always welcome :D

Awais Yaqub

Few more, just edited and uploaded.

Marc Muench

Great adventure and images Awais

Awais Yaqub

Marc Muench wrote:

Great adventure and images Awais

Hey thanks Marc love to hear from you.

Here is one more processed today. Unfortunately my tripod break in the middle of my photography tour. So not really silky water.

Reverb

These are great photos. I love the last set you posted, nice colors.

PeterD-2009

Beautiful set of images Awais. I love all of them as they show the scenery and culture. Don't worry about the restaurant. Spent 6 years in Malaya (Malaysia now) and Singapore. Some of the best eating I had was in roadside restuarants not to dis-similar to the one you show. In Singapore, the car parks were converted to market stalls and eating places. The owners only had a converted trishaw with everything on board. One guy used to specialise in omlettes (4 eggs!). It was a treat to watch him toss each egg in the air, catch it in one hand, crack it open on a gold ring on his finger and split the shell then drop the contents into a bowl. I was magic to watch.
My main regret is that dslrs were not around at the time. Still - lots of really good memories and your images help to nudge them to the fore. Thanks again Awais for sharing them.

PS The bee keeper is very brave in the last set of images - no protection at all!

Panther

Howdy Awais,

What stunning images and compositions,
the colors and perspectives are just so earthy and majestic,
that they just seem to stun the senses.

I have to say,
I had no idea your Country had such diverse and different terrain, and
climate zones.

Very nicely done Awais, Thank You again for showing us
the many different faces and looks of your Beautiful Homeland.

Kindest Regards,

Craig

DaddyO

Once again. Very skillful photography Awais. thumb
Wonderful set of images. I enjoyed every one of them.

Can hardly believe this is the first time you have seen the
Milky Way. I would have thought on your many travels you would
have been under the stars many times. Michael

Awais Yaqub

PeterD-2009 wrote:

Beautiful set of images Awais. I love all of them as they show the scenery and culture. Don't worry about the restaurant. Spent 6 years in Malaya (Malaysia now) and Singapore. Some of the best eating I had was in roadside restuarants not to dis-similar to the one you show. In Singapore, the car parks were converted to market stalls and eating places. The owners only had a converted trishaw with everything on board. One guy used to specialise in omlettes (4 eggs!). It was a treat to watch him toss each egg in the air, catch it in one hand, crack it open on a gold ring on his finger and split the shell then drop the contents into a bowl. I was magic to watch.
My main regret is that dslrs were not around at the time. Still - lots of really good memories and your images help to nudge them to the fore. Thanks again Awais for sharing them.

PS The bee keeper is very brave in the last set of images - no protection at all!

Amazing ! i will love to visit Malaysia and Singapore.
thanks for looking dear friend

Awais Yaqub

Panther wrote:

Howdy Awais,

What stunning images and compositions,
the colors and perspectives are just so earthy and majestic,
that they just seem to stun the senses.

I have to say,
I had no idea your Country had such diverse and different terrain, and
climate zones.

Very nicely done Awais, Thank You again for showing us
the many different faces and looks of your Beautiful Homeland.

Kindest Regards,

Craig

Thanks a lot craig ! glad you like them clap

Awais Yaqub

DaddyO wrote:

Once again. Very skillful photography Awais. thumb
Wonderful set of images. I enjoyed every one of them.

Can hardly believe this is the first time you have seen the
Milky Way. I would have thought on your many travels you would
have been under the stars many times. Michael

I totally ignored the milky way until someone told me about it !

Few more to come
Thanks for looking and appreciating !

jasonstone

great photos like everyone said it shows a side of Pakistan that isn't publicized too often in the news

so where/how/when would you recommend to visit Pakistan? be interested to know