Main image: Scifikid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There
The mesmerizing valley of Thandiani is located near Abbottabad. It is about 36 km from Abbottabad and 146 km from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
By Air: The nearest airport that can be used for air travel Thandiani is Peshawar Airport
By Train: If you want to go to Thandiani by train from any part of the country, there is no train available to go to Thandiani. So you can get off at Rawalpindi Railway station or Peshawar station and go Thandiani by car, bus and Jeep
By Road: Thandiani is located about 36 km from Abbottabad. You can easily travel from Islamabad Motorway to Hazara Motorway to Abbottabad. By car, you can reach Abbottabad Thandiani in 4 hours from Islamabad. The distance from Islamabad to Abbottabad is 168 km.
What to Expect
The picturesque hill station of Thandiani is one of the most remarkable places to visit in Galyat. It also makes for the perfect weekend getaway from Islamabad. The trek to Thandiani is known as Dugri Trek.
Though it is considered the longest mountain trail in the Galiyat region, it is extremely popular among adventure seekers for its otherworldly beauty surrounded by thick pine forests and a clear sky. The trek for Thandiani starts at Miranjani Top, which then leads to Dugri and then Beran Gali before spiraling towards the relatively isolated tourist destination of Thandiani Thandiani is characterized by excellent weather and lush greenery in the summer months, and snow-covered vistas and hills in the winter.
Many tourists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all over Pakistan visit here, especially in the summer season. Being at a high altitude, with attractive scenery and several fine hiking trails into the forests and other nearby locations, it is a very attractive prospect.
History
Thandiani was originally granted as a lease to some members of the famous Battye family, in British India, who were dynamic Christian missionaries and also found in civil and military service, and who produced such famous scions as Wigram Battye and Quintin Battye and the Battyes subsequently gifted the location to the church authorities, where a Sanatorium and various other facilities were set up during the British rule, mostly for the convenience of missionaries, Anglican church personnel and officers stationed at the neighboring cantonment of Abbottabad.
It also contained some private European houses, a camping ground, a small bazaar, and the small seasonal church of St Xavier in the Wilderness which were occupied only during the summer months.
To the east beyond the Kunar River are the mountains of Kashmir and the mountains of Kaghan and Kohistan are visible to the north and northeast. To the northwest are the ranges of Swat and Chitral. The beauty of this area lies in its charming landscapes and magnificent weather.
There are beautiful trees on the way to Thandiani and also a few small caves which are probably home to wildlife. Local wildlife includes leopards, monkeys, pheasants, and flying squirrels. The dawn in Thandiani is heart-touching but very cold as well. It is very cold in Thandiani especially at night even in summers. When we first enter Thandiani, at the top there is a road that seems to go all the way to the sky.
Facilities Available
- A lot of hotels and motels are located on the road side with beautiful views of the mountains.
- Bazaars with local food and handicrafts are the main attraction of the area.
- Landline and mobile connectivity makes it comfortable for the tourists to communicate.
- Local tourist’s guides are also available for tourist facilitation.
- Local and private transport is easily available 24/7.
- Thandiani is lush green and peaceful tourist destination in the Galiyat region. To promote tourism and to attract more tourists Khyber Pakhtunkhwa introduced Camping pods in Thandiani. Therefore tourists who prefer low-cost, but comfortable accommodation book a camping pod instead. The rates are quite economical and budget-friendly so that even a common man can access
