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The Kaghan Valley hotel system isn’t what most guest house seekers come to expect, at least not between Balakot and Babusar. What you will find is a system of individually owned and operated guest houses ranging from a group of four upmarket resorts to a collection of wooden chalets lacking a reliable supply of hot water and room availability advertised on WhatsApp by the cousin of the owner.
Knowing which is which before leaving Islamabad would save you a lot of hassle.
I have sought to list all the hotels and resorts that are worth booking; I explain the location of each property with an overview of the type of guest this resort would be most suited for, as well as some important questions to ask when booking to make sure you have all the details.
HospitalityTours.com.pk books all of our guests stays in the Kaghan Valley as part of complete Naran packages from our Islamabad office. We confirm your room type and select the right property for your trip, all while providing a complete package that includes your transportation and jeep rental for Saif-ul-Malook, as well as your hotel. For more information, please contact us via WhatsApp with your travel dates and the size of your group. Contact details are shown at the end.
The geography: Four distinct zones, four different stays
The Kaghan Valley extends for 160 kilometers from Balakot at 900 meters up to Babusar Top at 4,173 meters. The hotels of note are located in four separate areas of the Kaghan Valley to match the various segments of the itinerary.
Bahrain is located at approximately 1,400 meters and is situated upstream on the river for those who'd like to stop for lunch.
Khanian is a village located some twenty kilometers below Naran, on the Kunhar River, which is a bit more quiet than the town's other resort.
Naran is located at 2,409 meters and is a resort likely to be used by most visitors.
Shogran is a 2,500-meter side plateau above the main Naran Valley, and would be ideal for a hiking vacation and will offer guests the multitude of frontier activities above Naran, yet avoid the busy Naran market.
The location is more important than which individual hotel you choose, due to the fact that no hotel within the town of Bahrain will provide you with early morning access to Saif-ul-Malook, while no hotel in Naran will allow you to experience the peace and quiet of Khanian and Shogran.
The Arcadian Group
Arcadian Hotels and Resorts has four properties and has been known to be the standard bearer against which all Kaghan hotels are measured.
Naran Town. Arcadian's property in the main base town.
The Arcadian Peridot locates you perfectly for the Saif-ul-Malook Jeep stand and the Babusar Lulusar trek, with the Arcadian group's service standard behind it. This is the most convenient Arcadian choice for most Naran itineraries: proximity to jeep bookings balanced with a trustworthy kitchen and room standard.
Khanian, about 20 kilometers from Naran, on the Kunhar River, and on the way from Kaghan to Naran.
Situated right on the Kunhar River, with 15 rooms in standard, double, deluxe, family, and suite categories, and a 3-bedroom presidential family room. Guest reviews note that the food is good and evenings at the river campfire are pleasant.
The location is more peaceful than Naran which is the selling point of the property. The twenty KMs to the jeep stand for Saif-ul-Malook are no issue, since the trek to the lake goes through Naran so the drive is about twenty minutes more each way for a peaceful setting without the bazaar uproar.
The property has facilities for white water rafting and fishing on the Kunhar River. Also, the property has conference facilities which is a unique offering in the Kaghan Valley for a small corporate group.
It takes around 60 to 70 minutes to drive from Khanian to Naran.
Shogran at around 2500 meters.
Shogran, the highest Arcadian property in Kaghan with far-reaching views across the valley from the Shogran plateau. A side road from the main highway leads to Shogran and is above the tree line, and meadows are available for riding and walking. The Paye meadows and the Shogran ridge walk are the main activities, and Shogran is the main base for these activities.
For those wanting a different Kaghan experience after visiting Naran, or for those wanting hills without a bazaar, Shogran and Sprucewoods are the better choices. However, for those wanting to prioritize Saif-ul-Malook or Babusar, which both require a drive down to Naran, this is not the best base.
A long standing hotel in Naran.
Pine Park is one of a handful of guesthouses to open in Naran. Because it is one of the longer standing operations, it is generally known to have a minimum level of service that, to most guests, is preferable to the unknown standards of competing guesthouses. It is located by the river and the jeep stand in Naran town.
For those wanting to stay in Naran Town and have easy walking access to the jeep stand and bazaar and the Kunhar river, Pine Park is the best option. Based on guest reviews on multiple bookings sites, the kitchen, the staff, and the view are all positively mentioned.
Grand Naran Hotel and Other Naran Town Properties
Naran Town has a good selection of hotels outside the Arcadian and Pine Park properties. There are newly constructed mid-range hotels with mountain views as well as aging buildings where rooms are sold on a walk-in basis. There is a good variation quality in this setting.
Grand Naran Hotel is regularly found in the mid to upper tiers in booking platform searches for Naran Town hotels. Other hotels that have opened in the last 3 to 5 years as the visitor numbers to Naran Town have grown include Hotel Saif ul Maluk and a string of newer construction hotels along the river.
For any Naran Town hotel that is outside the prominent hotels: book a confirmed room of the type and view you want, ask for the schedule of the generator and when the hot water will be available, and ask for a written confirmation. Verbal confirmations are not reliable as the summer crowd in Naran Town is big and there are many hotels where a verbal confirmation leads to the room being sold on arrival.
Bahrain Riverside Hotels
Bahrain at approximately 1,400 meters is where most day-trip visitors stop for lunch and where the river hotels with balconies built on an elevated wooden platform are located right above the confluence of the Swat River and the Kunhar.
Bahrain is a convenient stopover with lower valley weather for those traveling to Naran in the morning after arriving late from Islamabad. Bahrain is not used as a base for the upper valley or Saif-ul-Malook. Expect the drive from Bahrain to Naran to take about an hour and a half.
The purpose of staying at Bahrain is for the water-side rooms that have balconies. Ensure you specify a water-side room so you can have the balcony, then confirm the room type before final payment.
Government-operated at the Shogran plateau.
The PTDC Motel is the alternative to Arcadian Sprucewoods at Shogran. Service is more akin to a government rest house than a resort, but the location on the plateau is the same, and the rates are lower. For walkers and trekkers who want Shogran as a trail base over a resort, the PTDC is adequate. Confirm opening dates and availability for the upcoming season before planning around the motel.
Naran hotels open around April or May once the road is reliable and close around October or November once the snow arrives and the visitor season ends. Many hotels close before that if demand is too low.
Shogran and Arcadian Sprucewoods also have seasonal closures, though Shogran closing before Naran in a heavy snowfall is possible due to altitude.
Bahrain is lower than other areas, so the hotels stay open longer, but service takes a backseat once off season begins.
The practical implication is to confirm that not only is the hotel open, but that the kitchen is functioning and the heat is on, and that the path is usable from Islamabad. If your dates fall in the last week of October or in early November, I will also confirm that the path is open.
The sector of July and August is the most problematic. The Eid holidays and the 14 August weekend cause demand and lead to almost all the hotels in Naran getting fully booked weeks, if not months, in advance at significantly higher prices over the Eid weekends.
Before the summer peak season starts, Arcadian, Pine Park and all the other hotels in Naran town are fully booked.
If your bookings fall in July or August, you need to have the booking confirmed with a reference number at least three months in advance.
For Sprucewoods and Shogran, bookings are not as problematic as for Naran town as many people do not make a side-trip to Shogran. This sometimes offers availability when the hotels in Naran are fully booked.
The room type and the view is what matters, not the category. If it is a view of a mountain or a river, or if it is a road view, this should be confirmed. This is the biggest cause of guest frustration upon arrival.
The schedule for hot water is generator-based and has fixed hours. So play it safe and confirm what those hours are.
Power back-up hours and when the generator runs are the important information, not whether a back-up exists.
The kitchen hours and if dinner is served. Some hotels in Naran close their kitchens early during the shoulder season.
A booking reference. Not a WhatsApp message. A confirmed booking reference that you can quote at check-in.
If the hotel is managing the season or if the hotel has contracted a seasonal manager to run the property. This happens more often than it should in the Kaghan Valley and the difference in service quality is real.
Arcadian Riverside at Khanian offers a presidential river view suite with three bedrooms. The river setting and evening bonfires also make this hotel good for families, better than any hotel in Naran town. The twenty kilometers to Naran from Khanian is the practical consideration.
Pine Park in Naran town means there is no morning transfer problem. For families and groups looking to minimize vehicle time, the town location is the easier option.
Arcadian Riverside at Khanian has a peaceful riverside bonfire with great food and is better than the hotels in the Naran town. For Arcadian Sprucewoods at Shogran the meadows and mountain plateau with no Naran bazaar are better too.
What is the best hotel in Naran? Arcadian Peridot for chain hotel service in Naran town. Pine Park for good reviews and ninety years of service. For a quiet river side stay, Arcadian Riverside at Khanian.
Where is Arcadian Riverside? Arcadian Riverside can be found about 20 km below Naran on the Kunhar River Road, in Khanian. It is not Naran.
Is there a Resort in Shogran? Yes, Arcadian Sprucewoods at Shogran is a boutique resort at 2,500 meters, with both meadow and trail access, and is the first resort there.
When do hotels in Naran close? Most hotels in Naran will close between Oct-Nov. A few will stay open until Dec. Confirm the closure dates of the hotel before your visit.
Do hotels in Naran have central heating? Yes. Most better properties do. However, confirm with the hotel if central heating is available for the month that you plan to visit, since most properties will cut back on services during the shoulder months.
How much in advance do I need to make a reservation for a hotel in Naran for the summer? Three months in advance is required for August and July bookings. For June and September, bookings can be made less than 6 weeks in advance.
Can hotels in Naran accept my credit card? Some of the better properties will accept card payments. However, cash is a reliable back up, and should be carried, since the ATMs in Naran can run dry during the peak weekends of the summer.
We confirm the hotel by name and room type, and pair it with a vehicle from Islamabad, and a jeep for Saif-ul-Malook. We give you one price for the complete package. Tell us your dates, group size, and your preferred area in the valley to be.
Phone: +92 341 111 3777
Email: info@hospitalitytours.com
Website: www.hospitalitytours.com.pk
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