Ayubia

Ayubia...

Ayubia is small town in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It is located near the Murree hills and Galyat and is home to Ayubia National Park. It is a very famous tourist destination and includes one of the oldest chair lifts of the area.


Ayubia National Park...

Ayubia National Park is located in NWFP, Pakistan. It is a small natural park located at 26 km from the Murree hill station established in 1984. It has been developed as a resort complex from a combination of four mini resorts of Khaira Gali, Changla Gali, Khanspur and Ghora Dhaka in Galyat. Ayubia was named after President Ayub Khan.


History
Ayubia National Park was established in 1958 in an east corner of North-West Frontier Province, a province of Pakistan. Since then it has been managed by the NWFP Wildlife Department. The purpose of establishing it was to conserve the temperate forests. Originally, the park stood at an area of 857 acres, but in 1998 it was expanded to cover an area of 1685 acres.

The total population of Ayubia and surrounding villages as per a 1996 census is 18,097 living in 2,311 households.it was establishd by Mr.Ayub Khan late President of Pakistan in 1958

Management..

The park has been managed by NWFP Wildlife Department under the 1975 NWFP Wildlife Act. The headquarters of the park is at Dunga Gali, which is situated at a distance of 34 km from Abbottabad and 30 km from Murree.National Park started from the behind of Ayubia Chari left. In National Park walk track near about distance 6 KM from Ayubia Chari left to Dong Gali. Threre are so many beautiful places. it is also sitting arrange on the way when you start from walk Ayubia to Donga Gali in the National Park.


Tourist attractions
Standing at some 26 kilometers from the tourist hotbed of Murree Hill Station, over 100,000 tourists flock to Ayubia National Park and the places around every year. It is well known for its picnic spots.

Facilities...

Since there are 7 villages and 4 major towns around it, and since this area attracts a very large number of tourists annually, there is a large number of hotels and restaurants around the park.

In addition to riding trails, hiking places, picnic spots and motels, there is a chairlift in the central place of Ayubia that takes the tourists to a nearby summit for a view of the forested hills. This chairlift was the first recreation facility of its kind in Pakistan and is still a major attraction for domestic tourists.

The famous PTDC Motel is located here.


View of Ayubia with Clouds[edit] Climate
The climate of the park is cold in the summers, but harsh in the winters. While it remains only placidly hot in May and June, the cold sets in when the monsoons come to lash in late July and early August. In the winters cold increases in severity gradually until the West Winds bring rains, which eventually turn into snow. The park remains snow-capped through the later part of winters.

Wildlife
Birds...
The park harbors up to 203 species of birds. Many species of birds, including the Golden Eagle, the Vulture, Sparrow Hawk [disambiguation needed] and the Hill Pigeon among others can be found here. It is also home to some of the rarer Himalayan pheasant species like the Kalij Pheasant and Koklass.

Mammals..
Ayubia National Park supports 31 species of mammals. Animals such as the Asiatic Leopard ,Tiger, Asiatic Black Bear, Hill Fox and Flying Squirrel can be found here.

Plants..

The park holds 104 species of plants. The main floral species are Blue Pine, Yew, Silver Fir, Horse Chestnut, Oak.

Around 21 plants here belonging to 19 families are known for their medicinal properties. Many of these are used in treatment of jaundice, stomach ulcers, snake bites, internal infections, diabetes, chambal [disambiguation needed] and more. Some plants are known to have anti-cancerous effect as well. Also, some are used as biological insecticides and pesticides, mostly due to their insect-repellant nature.

The World Wide Fund for Nature has launched an ethno-botanical initiative here "to demonstrate the sustainable use of plant resources as a means for protecting biodiversity."


Changla Gali...

Changla Gali is one of the tourist mountain resort towns of the Galyat area of Pakistan, it has an altitude of 2559m[1]. During British rule it was the headquarters of the Northern Command School of Musketry.[2]

Location...

Changla Gali is located in Seer Gharbi which is a Union Council of Abbottabad District, it is located 16km north from the more famous Galyat town of Murree in Rawalpindi District[1].



Dunga Gali...

Dunga Gali or Doonga Gali is one of the tourist mountain resort towns of the Galyat area of Pakistan, it has an altitude of 2500m.[1] Dunga Gali is located in Nathia Gali which is a Union Council (i.e. subdivision) of Abbottabad District in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.[2] During British rule it served as a sanatorium and contained a hotel, post office and a small church. The area was visited by Europeans during summer, who also had houses on the southern slopes of the nearby Mukeshpuri hill.[3]



Jhika Gali...

Jhika Gali - is a town in Murree tehsil, Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located on the Rawalpindi to Murree road and contains many boarding schools[1] Although known as a tourist resort, the town hit headlines on the 5th of August 2002 when six people were killed when gunmen attacked the Murree Christian School which is located in the town[2]


Khaira Gali...

Khaira Gali is one of the tourist mountain resort towns of the Galyat area of Pakistan, it has an altitude of 2347m. Khaira Gali is located in Palak which is a Union Council of Abbottabad District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. This hill station was also used as a barricade by the British during the colonial period and during the summer months it was occupied by one of the British mountain batteries, which were stationed at Rawalpindi during the winter[1]. It is also famous for the hexagon manor on the highest elevation of the town. It belongs to Mr. Bashir, the owner of the famous Pakistani oil brand Seasons Canola.


Nathia Gali...

Nathia Gali or Nathiagali (Pashto: نتھیا گلی, Urdu: نتھیا گلی) is a mountain resort town or hill station in Hazara, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. It is a part of the Galiaath which are termed such due to several hill-stations in that area ending with the word "gali", most of which are connected to one other. Nathiagali is known for its scenic beauty, hiking tracks and pleasant weather, which is much cooler than the rest of the Galiaath due to it being at a greater altitude. It is situated one hour's drive away from both Murree and Abbottabad, it lies midway between the two. Drive time from Islamabad is usually about two hours, unless there is a lot of traffic.[2].


Notable visitors
Nathiagali also serves as the holiday home of several prominent Pakistani families. Some of these families have been frequenting the Galiaath for 5 decades and own mountain properties and lodges there. These families tend to socialise together on an annual basis often holding barbecues, bonfires, games nights, sing-a-longs and trekking parties etc. Some of the more frequent families also give back to the local community, they have helped in renovation of the local church and mosque, and can be seen helping out at the local schools in the summer months. There are several properties leased by multinationals and other organisations as holiday homes for their executives.

Wildlife...
The Nathiagali region serves as home to all kinds of wildlife; various species of birds, insects, butterflies and animals. Unlike the crows of the southern cities of Pakistan, you will find ravens in areas like Nathiagali. Visitors are advised to sun their bedding on arrival to get rid of bed-bugs, and to keep repellants and pesticides for insects as these have a tendency to show up a lot, especially in old homes, and in the monsoon season.

Horses are a common sight during summer months and are offered to children and adults alike for rides at rates that are often negotiable. Monkeys are aplenty, previously known to be a little shy, they have reportedly become more aggressive in recent years, some say this due to increased abuse suffered at the hands of tourists, who often tease these monkeys or try to steal them. Monkeys often come up to guesthouses and hotels in search of snacks and can be quite noisy and playful.

The World Wildlife Federation has an office in the Galiaath, in recent years, this organisation assisted in the breeding of a certain type of leopard in the Black Forest right by Dungagali and Nathiagali, this area was thought to be a perfect habitat for such creatures, but according to local reports they frequently come out of the forest to steal cattle of local villagers. One such cat had to be shot. Packs of pie-dogs which were previously considered to be a night-time menace can no longer be seen anywhere in the Galiaath, it is thought that most have been killed and consumed by the newly bred leopards. In the summer of 2006, a large number of women were found dead in the deep valleys of Galiath with wounds showing that they were killed, soon, a large leopard was caught which was believed to be the culprit of all cases, he was kept in captivity but was eventually shot as a result of his aggression, his body has been stuffed and kept in the Dhunga Gali Wildlife Museum, the museum owners named him the Ghost of Galiath. These leopards are rarely spotted. However, a pet dog or animal is very likely to be grabbed by the cats at night, and if any such pets are brought to Nathiagali they must be kept indoors to avoid this.

History...
During British rule Nathia Gali, then part of Abbottabad tehsil of Hazara District, served as the summer head-quarters of the Chief Commissioner. The town along with Dunga Gali constituted a notified area under the Punjab Municipalities Act, 1891. The income in 1903-4 was Rs. 3,000, chiefly derived from a house tax, whilst expenditure was Rs. 1,900[2].

Tourism...
Nathia Gali town also serves as the administrative centre of Nathia Gali Union Council. It is located in Abbottabad District, North West Frontier Province. At 2,500 m (8,200 ft), it is a popular tourist resort in the summer months. It is forested with pine,cedar,oak walnut and also oak and maple trees.

During the summer, Nathiagali is relatively popular amongst tourists, but due to its limited size and availability of property, it is not thronged by as many people as the hill-station Murree, which is only an hour away.but nathiagali is to much peaceful and attractive for tourists regardng its beauty as compare to murree.

Accommodations are excellent in Nathiagali; hotels and resorts provide excellent quality accommodations equipped with all facilities. The most popular hotels are Green Retreat, Elites Hotel, Amore Hotel and many other hotels and rest houses. In summer their rates become very high.

Scenery...
The natural scenery is highly magnificent. It is actually famous for it scenic beauty, the lush green meadows, deep forests of oak, cedar and pine, fog in July/August present a glory. In winter snowfall makes scene more attractive and beautiful. The church in Nathi Gali is a remnant from the period of British Government, it is totally made of wood. It is situated at the edge of the mountain from which there is a beautiful sight. Kashmir can be seen right behind this church, and is a wonderful scene.

Nathi Gali has a mini bazzar. The nearest place to Nathi Gali is Kala Bagh. Mukshpuri and Miranjani are two nearby high peaks.both peaks are higly beaytiful and present natural beauty.

Subdivisions....

Administrative subdivisions of Nathia Gali.The Union Council of Nathia Gali is divided into the following areas: Bagan, Donga Gali, Jhansa, Keri Sarafali, Lassan, Malach, Nathiagali and Pasala[1].

Ethnic groups...
The main tribe of Nathia Gali are the Karlals particularly known as sardars. many names serving at national level like justice sardar raza khan,sardar mohmmad yaqoob,sardar haider zaman



Thandiani...

Thandiani (literally meaning 'Very Cold') is a hill station in the Galyat area of Pakistan.

History
Thandiani was established as a Sanatorium during British rule, for the convenience of officers stationed at the neighbouring cantonment of Abbottabad, it contained some European houses and a small bazaar, which were occupied only during the summer months[1]

Most of local population belongs to the Sarrara tribe.

Location...
Thandiani is located in the south of Abbottabad District at 34°13'60N 73°22'0E[2] and is about 31 kilometres from Abbottabad city at the foothills of the Himalayas. To the east beyond the Kunhar River lie the snow covered mountain ranges of Kashmir. Visible to the north and northeast are the mountains of Kohistan and Kaghan. To the northwest are snowy ranges of Swat and Chitral. The hills of Thandiani are about 9,000 feet (2,750 m) above sea level. Most of the people of residing here belonge to(Qureshi), Gujjars, and Sardars (Karlals). The nearest villages are Inderseri, Chattri, and Sialkot. From.

Wild life...
The mountains around it are thickly forested. Local wildlife include leopards, monkeys, pheasants and the flying squirrel, to name a few.