Frequent flights are operated on Islamabad - Skardu route making it easier for travellers to reach the Skardu area in
a much safer way. The air journey is full of enthrilling views and would
itself be regarded as the highlight of the visit. The Skardu airport lies
in the midst of the 20-mile long Skardu plain, a desert of sand dunes that
shimmers with brilliance during sunny days. Riding from the airfield into
town gives you little time to adjust to the awesome landscape into which
you have flown. Your head swivels, eyeing strata of violet, red, grey,
ochre, and brown in the 10,000-foot-high-hills surrounding the sandy plain
on either side of the Indus River. En route to town you approach and pass
south of the 2-mile long, 1,000-foot-high rock that is a prominent landmark,
lying just north of Skardu.
Skardu's bazaar is a long, rambling affair, stretching from west to east. The western end of the bazaar is called the
Satellite Town where you'll find numerous shops, hotels and restaurants.
Proceeding eastward along this bazaar, you will come to a small traffic
island with a memorial to those killed defending the nation. North from
the traffic island is the walled mazar of Abbas Alamdar, a Shiite saint.
The Satellite Town extends eastward as far as a fifteenth-century aqueduct,
the base of which consists of large granite blocks. East of the aqueduct
are the Skardu Polo ground and the Askandria Fort.
From Skardu you may take several interesting walking excursions. A stroll
around the eastern end of the Skardu rock will take you to the nearby village
of 'Narsok', where you will find a large pure spring flowing from the base
of the monolith.
To reach Narsok, walk to the far end of the Skardu Polo field and pick up a trail that skirts the rock slopes beneath
Zowar Singh's fortress. The mighty Indus snaking along just a few yards
beneath your feet among the silvery white sands is an awesome sight. Skardu
has a historically magnificent Fort known as the Kharpocho Fort (King of
Forts). It was constructed by Ali Sher Khan Anchan, who ruled from Ladakh
to Chitral till the end of the 16th century. About a mile south of Skardu
on the west bank of the Satpura Nala is a tall rock with a vertical, beige-colored
northern face. Carved here circa A.D 900 is a lovely image of a meditating
Maitreya Buddha framed by Bodhisattvas.
Walking south up Skardu's alluvial fan takes you to crystalline Satpara Lake some 4 miles from town. The two lakes -
Kachura Lake 29 kms and Satpara lake 8 kms from Skardu are ideal for trout
fishing. To reach the lake by foot, just follow the aqueduct and its feeder
channel to the jeep road. This road goes directly to the lake. The road
leads beyond the lake to Satpara village known for its hardworking men,
who have served as high-altitude porters on many mountaineering expeditions.
One can truly enjoy the pleasures of serenity and tranquillity amongst
such exotic landscapes. A must see for travelers!