3-Day Trip to Sharan Forest

Trip Overview & Itinerary

Day	Time	Journey	Duration
Day 1	11:00am to 03:00pm	Islamabad to Paras	4 hours
Day 2	07:00am to 08:20am	Paras to Sharan	1 hour 20 min
	10:00am to 12:00pm	Sharan to Manshi Top	2 hours
	02:00pm to 03:30pm	Manshi Top to Sharan	1.5 hours
Day 3	09:00am to 09:35am	Sharan to Waterfall	35 mins
	10:30am to 11:30am	Waterfall to Sharan	1 hour
	12:30am to 01:30pm	Sharan to Paras	1 hour
	03:00pm to 07:00pm	Paras to Islamabad	4 hour

Sharan Map

Reaching Paras

Sharan's location is a relatively convenient one. Sharan forest distance from Islamabad is a mere 240 km. From Islamabad one can reach Sharan Forest in a single day, however we decided to only travel uptil Paras on the first day. We reached Paras after a relatively short and fairly easy 4 hour drive from Islamabad. Paras isn't a popular town amongst tourists. People prefer either Shogran or Kaghan over Paras. Due to this reason there aren't many options for hotels in Paras. There are a few hotel on the road which are fairly ordinary. After asking around for a while we found a hotel down by the river. This hotel had a small lawn which we really liked. Everything except the lawn was fairly ordinary, and I'm not sure if it even had a name. This hotel was right underneath the bridge that crosses that Kunhar river for the journey towards Sharan. The room cost us Rs. 3,000 for the night.

Before calling it a night, I moved my car from the front of the hotel to a designated car park run by Mubarak Shah. Parking charges were Rs. 500 a night.

Jeep to Sharan

Other than getting a hotel to stay the night, the other agenda we had upon our arrival in Paras was to figure out how to get a jeep to Sharan Forest for the next day. We found out that there wasn't yet an established unionised jeep point like in other places such as Ratti Gali, Fairy Meadows or Naltar Valley.

We saw a jeep passing by and we asked the driver about Sharan Forest. He said he could take us. He would charge Rs. 7,000 for a day return and Rs. 9,000 for returning the next day. We agreed and told him to pick us up from the hotel at 7am the next day.

Next morning at 7 the jeep promptly arrived. The ride started by crossing the bridge over the Kunhar. The jeep journey took about an 1 hour and 20 mins, despite some cattle traffic congestion.

The jeep journey time to the Chinar Resorts is about 20 - 30 mins shorter since they are located much earlier.

Accommodation Options

There are a few accommodation options in the forest. There are the KPK Camping Pods which are located furthermost into the forest. They have 2-bed and 4-bed huts.

Just before the KPK Pods is the 'Youth Hostel'. They have a couple of halls with many beds, and a camping ground where you can hire one a camp or set up your own camp for a negotiable fee.

Then there is the Chinar Resort, which have better quality camping pods. But they are located far away from the main attractions. If you opt to stay here, you won't be able to easily do anything else other than staying here because of their distance to the main attractions of the forest.

The best option amongst these are the KPK Camping Pods because of their prime location. All of these accommodations are fully booked on weekends so you'll have book at least a few weeks in advance.

Food options in the forest are very limited and not very good so you'll have to compromise a little.

KPK Camping Pods Booking: 0316 9763575

Hike to Manshi Top

• Hike Difficulty: Easy
• Trail Length: 5 km (3.1 mi)
• Net Elevation Gain: 422 m
• Typical Hike Duration (One-way): 2 Hours
• Trail Head: KPK Camping Pods
• Manshi Top Height: 2,877 m (9,439 ft)
• Guide: Available from campsite
• Porters: Available from campsite

We reached the camping pods at around 9am even though our booking didn't start till 12pm. We planned to utilise this time by hiking to the Manshi top.

The trail starts just behind the campsite. There are a several trails in the jungle so it is best to take a guide along from the campsite. As far I remember there are 6 trail intersections till Manshi Top, on the first 3 you take a right, then 2 left and finally another right.

The trail has you passing through the jungle. There is a water stream within the first 15mins of the hike. At times the trail gets quite overgrown. Eventually as you gain elevation the density of the jungle reduces and you come to a small clearing and then a larger clearing which is the Manshi Top

As you approach the top, the surrounding peaks, still snowcapped in early summer, start coming into view.

The trail is fairly short and easy. We were moving very slowly since time wasn't an issue. After about 2.5 hours we reached the top. If you go at a normal pace then it would take less than 2 hours to reach the top.

The top is a large meadow with views of the valley including Paras, Shogran, Siri Paye and Makra. On the other side you can view Musa ka Musalla (4,080m). There are a couple of tuck shops where you can get Pakoray and fries. Children were playing cricket at the top and some were hopelessly trying badminton. Manshi Top weather was pleasant under clouds, But whenever the clouds cleared the sunlight was very harsh.

After spending some time at the top we headed back down to the campsite and had a late lunch of Chicken Karahi and Biryani. At night we got some fries made, sat around a bonfire and relaxed.

Hike to Sharan Waterfall

• Hike Difficulty: Easy
• Trail Length: 1.8 km (1.1 mi)
• Net Elevation Loss: 212 m
• Typical Hike Duration (One-way): 35 min
• Trail Head: KPK Camping Pods
• Waterfall Altitude: 2,221 m (7,287 ft)
• Guide: Available from campsite
• Porters: Available from campsite

The next morning we went for an early morning stroll to enjoy the morning sounds of the numerous bird species that live in the forest. There are multiple trails in Sharan Forest where you can go for a casual walk. On the way we also saw a troop of monkeys up in the trees. We returned to the campsite for breakfast and then headed out again towards Sharan waterfall which was a 35min downhill trek through the forest.

At the end of the trail we came across a nala (small river). We turned left at the nala and immediately saw the 20ft Sharan waterfall falling into the nala.

We spent about an hour at the waterfall and the nala and then proceeded back to the camping pods. The way back was uphill so it took longer to get back.

Once back our jeep had arrived for the return journey. Within an hour or so we were back in our car in Paras and ready to head home.

Final Thoughts

Sharan forest is a great destination for a casual getaway. It is not too far from Islamabad, yet it is a remote location away from the crowds and it has all the elements a nature lover seeks. You can explore the forest through its many trails, there are nearby running water streams, there is a short trek ending in a meadow and a view point, there is a waterfall, and the weather is mild.

This place is suitable for families as well, provided the children or elders are brave enough to go through the jeep ride to reach the forest.

If you plan to visit Sharan, I recommend spending at least a full 24 hours at the forest starting on any other day except Saturday. Saturday is a very busy day in the forest and if there are too many people then the serenity gets lost. Lots of youngsters visit this place, some of them often like to play loud music which ruins the peace and quiet of the forest.

Our three day trip (Islamabad to Islamabad) starting on Saturday morning worked best. We reached Sharan on Sunday morning, when most of the crowd was leaving. On Sunday night the campsite was empty, with us being the only people there.

Equipment

Having the right equipment and gear is essential for an enjoyable hiking experience. Check out the list of recommended hiking gear.

Trail Video