Places to Visit in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Asia
Abbottabad is one of the six districts of Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of present day Pakistan, or the North West Frontier Province of British Empire before Pakistan’s Independence in 1947. Abbottabad is located to the North East of Pakistan in the valley of Orash is an administrative town for the district of Abbottabad. The capital of Islamabad is located around 100 Km to the South of Abbottabad.
Abbottabad is situated at a height of 1200 meters above seal level is known for the tourist hill station, as Abbottabad is surrounded by the Sarban hills on all its four sides, with river Dor flowing across to the Tarbela Dam in the West. The city of Rawalpindi is located to the Southwest and the district of Manserhra to the North and the district of Muzaffarabad to the East and the district of Haripur to the West.
Abbottabad has good pleasant weather with subtropical climate and humidity with warm to hot summers with temperatures soaring to over 40o and cold winters with temperature dipping to below 0o with occasional snowfall. Abbottabad receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon season from June end to September last.
History of Abbottabad in Pakistan:
Abbottabad was on one of the routes of the ancient Silk Road, located on the Karakoram Highway connecting China and Pakistan via the Khunjerab Pass. The history of Abbottabad is traced back to the British colonial period, to Major James Abbott who founded the town in 1850s when he was a deputy commissioner of Hazara district in the mid 19th century and since then Abbottabad was major cantonment area for the Second Division of Northern Army Corps with hospitals and educational institutions and British Red Cross Society having been established.
Abbottabad was the place where the Osama bin Laden, the chief of the Al-Qaeda Islamist group responsible for terrorism and destruction of World trade Centre in United States of America in September 2001, who was hiding in his Abbottabad home was killed in 2011 by the US Navy seals.
Food and Culture in Abbottabad in Pakistan:
Food around Abbottabad is of baked wheat products of flat breads, chappatis and rotis baked in the oven or the tandoori in local language along with spicy curries of meat products, Chapli Kebab and also large quantities of fruits and nuts are consumed in large quantities.
Abbottabad has local tribal culture with Punjabi influence on the local language of Hindko, Pahari, Majhi, Gori etc.is spoken widely in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. Abbottabad being a tourist place the conservative culture is slowly opening up-to influences of the modern cultures with opening up of various multi-cuisine restaurants and boutiques for the fashion conscious tourists and there are proposal to build amusement park etc. in Abbottabad. Islam being the largest group with Christian minority group in large numbers is also seen in Abbottabad.
Shopping and Things to do in Abbottabad in Pakistan:
Abbottabad being an administrative district town has many good shopping centers selling various hand crafted traditional items, Jewellery items, clothing and footwear at affordable prices.
Abbottabad is a hill station and the tourists can hire taxi and buses that take one via the Karakoram National Highway to the various Himalayan Mountain ranges and the hill station of Nathia Gali, Thandiani, Shimla Hill, Ayubia National Park, Ilyasi Mosque, Dor river valley and local site seeing places of Raees Khana Bazaar and the Abbottabad cantonment, reflecting the same colonial ambiance.
Tourist Attractions in Abbottabad in Pakistan:
- Nathiagali: Hill station located to the Southeast of Abbottabad around 30 Km and also the nearby Ayubia Natioanal Park, Dunga Gali, Miranjani, Namali Maira etc.
- Karakoram National Highway: Drive along this road the highest elevated road in the world gives the panoramic view of the Himalayan Mountain ranges that leads to the Chinese boarder.
- Thandiani: Located around 30 Km to the South of Abbottabad on the foothills of the Himalayan ranges rising to a height of over 2700 Meters with summer hiking trails in the forest the peaks are covered by snows during the winter season.
- Murree: South East of Abbottabad around 65 Km a small hill station.
Connectivity to Abbottabad in Pakistan:
Abbottabad is well connected to the local town and other cities by good road connectivity with buses and taxies and also shared transport vehicles and good express service buses. The nearest railway station to reach Abbottabad is Havelian station to the Southwest at a distance of 20 Km. The local airport at Abbottabad handles local domestic flights.
Hotel Accommodation in Abbottabad in Pakistan:
- Hotel Abbott Gardens 4*
- Hotel Pearl Continental 4*
- Alpine Hotel 3*
- Ramlina Hotel 3*
- Pineview Hotel 2*
- New Faisal Hotel 2*
- Eji’s Guest House