Gilgit-Baltistan
Skardu
A broad valley of the Indus in Baltistan, stony and wide.
Recorded
- Pakistan
- Gilgit-Baltistan
These lines are the recorded place facts. The prose beside them is draft editorial, not a surveyed brief.
Skardu is the town people name before they talk about the plateau of Deosai or the lakes nearby. The valley itself is the first subject: the river, the sand, and the walls of mountain at either side.
The note is editorial. It does not set Skardu up as a base with a fixed number of nights, and it does not describe flights or the road in.
Places to visit
Where the trip actually goes
9 places around Skardu, with a photograph of each.
01WaterfallManthoka Waterfall
A tall fall in Kharmang, on the valley road toward Khaplu. The water drops beside the rock in one white column.
02DesertKatpana Cold Desert
Sand dunes near Skardu, set against the mountains. People come for the contrast, and some stay after dark.
03DesertSarfaranga Cold Desert
The high dunes toward Shigar, also called Sarfranga. A wide field of sand under a cold sky.
04LakeUpper Kachura Lake
A clear lake in a side valley, greener and quieter than the lakes closer to town.
05LakeLower Kachura Lake
The lake at Shangrila, with the resort on the shore and the mountains closing the water.
06LakeSatpara Lake
A broad lake south of Skardu, held in a bowl of rock on the way toward Deosai.
07FortShigar Fort
The restored fort in Shigar valley, a residence of timber and stone among the poplars.
08FortKharpocho Fort
The fort on the rock above Skardu town, looking down the Indus valley.
09PalaceKhaplu Palace
A historic palace in Khaplu, further along the Shyok, often visited with Manthoka on the same journey.
Tours
Linked journeys
The link below opens a sample outline. It is not a confirmed departure.