Main image: Talhaumar10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There
Through a car, you can reach Ayubia from Islamabad in 2 hours 30 minutes. The distance of Ayubia from Islamabad is 75 km.
There are two main ways to reach Nathia Gali from Islamabad. You can either drive through Abbottabad or travel through Murree to get there. If you choose the first option, it will take you a little over two hours to get to Abbottabad through Hazara Expressway. Also, the traffic within the city limits tends to get jammed during the daytime. However, the route from Abbottabad to Nathia Gali is considered one of the most picturesque roads in Pakistan.
On the other hand, if you want to reach Nathia Gali from Islamabad through Murree, you will have to drive for about two and a half hours. While this route is beautiful, it also has quite a few sharp turns and curves. Therefore, it is recommended to hire a local driver for this trip.
What to Expect
There are also numerous picnic points at Ayubia National Park, well-suited for everyone. For adventurists there are ample opportunities for hiking and trekking, You can easily reach the highest mountain peak in the Galyat region – the Miranjani peak, which is located in the Namli Maira area in Ayubia National Park.
When you reach the peak, enjoy the breathtaking sight with a set of binoculars, take a deep breath and inhale fresh oxygen the trees produce, fill your ears with nature’s sounds – the chirping of birds and the gushing water stream. Be prepared to hear a leopard’s roar or the howl of a wolf! Nathiagali, Mukshpuri Peak, and Azad Kashmir can be viewed from the top.
Numerous natural springs abound the slopes and their water is stored in different water reservoirs which are a source of water supply for Murree and the adjoining areas. Only about 3 km further up and about 14 km from Murree, on the main Abbottabad-Murree Road, is Changla Gali which is situated at an altitude of 2,560 meters above sea level, amidst thick pine forests.
Ayubia National Park is home to a variety of bird species and is therefore considered one of the best places for bird watching. Invest in a good set of binoculars and watch exotic birds perched on forest trees or flying across the park. You can easily spot these birds.
History
Ayubia National Park in Pakistan was termed as a national park in 1984, based on IUCN standards. Originally, it was spread over only 857 acres, but in 1998 it was expanded to an area size of 1,684 hectares of land. As of now, Ayubia National Park stands at 3,312 hectares of land and since then is being managed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department.
The area supports temperate coniferous forest and temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion habitats, with an average elevation of 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level. Ayubia National Park is surrounded by seven major villages and three small towns of Thandiani, Nathiagali, and Khanspur.
The park has been developed as a resort complex from a combination of four mini resorts of Khaira Gali, Changla Gali, Khanspur, and Ghora Dhaka in Galyat.
Facilities Available
- Local guides are available
- People of Ayubia are very hospitable
- Camping Pods
- Ayubia can be accessible thought local transport and can book a car on rent.
- Wi-Fi service is available in Ayubia
- Tourism Department helps the Tourist/ Visitors through providing broachers in both Urdu and English languages. The local Police and the local Guides can speak multi languages (i.e local languages, Urdu, English and some of them can speak Chinese also).
- There is a bus stand in Ayubia for public transportation.
- Filling stations are available in Ayubia which includes Petrol and Diesel.
- Taxis are available in Ayubia on daily rent basis.
- Shops are available in Ayubia
